10 Best Rock Music Album Openers Of The 2010s

There are few finer voices in all of music than the one belonging to Alabama Shakes maestro Brittany Howard.

Raised on a diet of classic rock, blues, and soul, Howard has complete control over her powerful pipes, able to create a tidal wave out of a puddle at a moment's notice.

She released her first album with Alabama Shakes in 2012 and outclassed every other act on the planet with its very first song. Hold On not only served as Boys & Girls' opening track, but it also led the way as its debut single.

At its heart, Hold On is a simple blues rock song, but Howard's singing takes it to another level. The frontwoman drags her vocal chords up and down like it was nothing at all without ever compromising on the earnest quality that makes her music so relatable.

There's something honest about Hold On; like everything its saying is coming straight from Howard's heart. It taps into the primal nature of the blues that has kept it relevant for so many years and reassures fans of this aging genre that it is still in very good hands.