10 Incredible Bands Whose First Singles Blew Us Away

Some bands have managed to effectively weaponise the X factor, deploying career-defining singles without even breaking a sweat.

Most bands have to work for years to get their work recognised, often having several flop singles or even albums before they make it big. Bands like Biffy Clyro, Sonic Youth, The National and the Flaming Lips (to name a few) languished in obscurity for years before becoming household names and bringing alternative music to the mainstream. However, some bands strike gold on their very first single.

From that very first note we know that they€™re going to go down as legends of the industry to be remembered for years to come. Whether they are rock, pop, rap or any other genre, there are a few acts who have exploded onto the scene with one killer song that elevated them to superstar status overnight; for example Sex Pistols, Ramones and The Clash were flying the flag for the punk rock movement of the 1970s right out the gate, and The Sugarhill Gang, Run-DMC and Wu-Tang Clan have all released seminal hip-hop albums based on their debut singles.

They are remembered for breaking new musical ground, even innovating new ways in which we consume music, or simply because they are so damn good. Here are just 10 of them, but feel free to let us know your choices in the comments!

Contributor
Contributor

Student. Geordie. Adopted Welshie. Watches way too much TV. Lover of fantastic pop music. Follow me on Twitter at @matthewjones93.