10 Greatest Debut Albums Of The 1970s

The 70's were a whirlwind time for music. No matter what kind of music you were into, every single genre from rock to folk to pop to metal all had some of their best material surface during this decade. While many bands from the 60's were still thriving at the time, many bands hit the ground running from the first time they were pressed to vinyl.

At the time, these records came out of nowhere and turned the music world on its head. Suddenly, the Flower Power Generation started to dissipate in favor of these newer acts. Hippy idealism may have seemed like a good idea on the surface, but these songs foreshadowed something much more interesting on the horizon. While each of these acts had varying degrees of success after these records, their first time up to the plate ignited a spark in the music world that would manifest in different ways as the years went on.

Even to this day, bands still go back to these records because of their visceral energy and emotional resonance. Anyone in the music world will tell you about the importance of a good first impression, but these acts almost make it look easy.

A lot of rock and roll coming to fruition during the 70's seemed to be much heavier than the Summer of Love utopia of years prior. From the punk thrash of the the Sex Pistols to the heavy metal stomp of Led Zeppelin's records, most fans weren't concerned with the 3-minute pop single anymore. On the other side of the spectrum, The Cars were laying the groundwork for future pop rock acts on their debut.

The band's self-titled record is the perfect example of power pop, with flashy guitars mixed with some of the most infectious melodies to come out of the era. Songwriter Ric Ocasek was able to take the most generic sounding pop melodies and make them sound new and exciting again. The entirety of this record goes by like a breeze, with each song having the potential to be a pop smash, from the nervy "Just What I Needed" to the lovelorn heartache of "My Best Friend's Girl."

This record launched the band into the mainstream and gave the world their first true power pop heroes. Ocasek has said that the first album should have been called "The Cars Greatest Hits," but with songs of this quality, he's not too far off the mark.