10 Best Debut Rock Albums

From the time we're brought up, people tell us that it's best to make a good first impression. Music seems to be a little trickier on that front though.

Many bands step up to the plate on their first record without having hit on what their sound is yet. This leads to many debuts sounding like a band finding their feet. Usually it takes a band a couple of records before they really hit their stride and become the band that they really want to be. There are many pleasant exceptions to this rule though.

Over the years, bands have come out with terrific debuts that pack a massive punch from the beginning. These records either give the band a great foundation where they don't need to stray from their roots, or provide a launch pad upon which they can begin adding thoughtful touches to their already stellar track record.

It's definitely no easy feat to deliver an album of pure concentrated kick-ass, but these bands are able to hit on perfection right off the bat.

The Beatles were modern musical chameleons. Throughout their tenure, the Fab Four reached for different influences from every genre and channeled it into their music with often glorious results. So to see these artistic visionaries at their bar-band roots on Please Please Me is a weird change of pace.

I'll take the gloves off right here and say this isn't the Beatles' greatest record by a long shot. However, the carefree live energy behind these songs makes the record insanely enjoyable. While there are some great rockers on here like "Twist and Shout" and "I Saw Her Standing There," there are also ballads like "There's a Place" and "Ask Me Why" that hint at a more sophisticated approach to melody that the Fabs would take to unforseen heights on later records.

This is really one of the first times the Beatles were unabashed about their love of R&B and blues, like on "Chains" and the Motown cut "Anna," but even those songs have some exemplary performances. Without any significant overdubs, this shows the Beatles as a live band, warts and all. Even without their inventive studio trickery, the Beatles were still really damn good performers.