The ranking of the best 40 album-opening songs of all time according to Ultimate Classic Rock

Well begun is half done. The old saying holds true in music too, and how. Often, an effective opening track has made the fortune of an album. Ultimate Classic Rock magazine thought it worthwhile to compile 40 of them that have played a decisive role in the greatness of classic rock albums. "First impressions really do count. In an era of ever-shrinking attention spans, artists don't always have the luxury of building their case slowly: it's no coincidence that so many classic albums kick off with one of their best songs," notes Michael Gallucci in the introduction. "From the Beatles to Led Zeppelin, from U2 to Nirvana, rock history is full of great opening tracks. Whether it's the prologue of a concept album or a single destined to become a classic, the first track doesn't just set the mood and pace of the record: it can be decisive in convincing the listener to stick around for the next forty minutes. Without an immediate hook, the odds drop considerably. Our ranking of the 40 best album-opening songs," Gallucci continues, "reaffirms just how crucial that opening moment can be to the fortune and identity of a great record. Would 'Are You Experienced' have had the same impact without the famous guitar riff that kicks off 'Purple Haze'? And didn't Prince's almost liturgical invitation at the start of 'Purple Rain' help make one of the defining albums of 1984 even more memorable? The beauty of these 40 songs is that they represent just the beginning of records well worth diving into fully. But you've got to start somewhere…" UCR concludes.

So here is the ranking of the 40 greatest "opening tracks" of all time, according to Ultimate Classic Rock (full feature here)

40. David Bowie – Five Years
39. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Refugee
38. Nine Inch Nails – Head Like a Hole
37. U2 – Beautiful Day
36. Ramones – Blitzkrieg Bop
35. New York Dolls – Personality Crisis
34. Led Zeppelin – Immigrant Song
33. The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army
32. Rush – Tom Sawyer
31. The Rolling Stones – Start Me Up
30. King Crimson – 21st Century Schizoid Man
29. Journey – Don't Stop Believin'
28. AC/DC – Highway to Hell
27. Aerosmith – Back in the Saddle
26. Metallica – Enter Sandman
25. R.E.M. – Radio Free Europe
24. Bruce Springsteen – Badlands
23. Black Sabbath – War Pigs
22. Radiohead – Everything in Its Right Place
21. U2 – Where the Streets Have No Name
20. The Beach Boys – Wouldn't It Be Nice
19. Boston – More Than a Feeling
18. Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath
17. AC/DC – Hells Bells
16. The Beatles – Come Together
15. The Rolling Stones – Gimme Shelter
14. Prince and the Revolution – Let's Go Crazy
13. Queen – We Will Rock You
12. Led Zeppelin – Black Dog
11. Van Halen – Runnin' With the Devil
10. Marvin Gaye – What's Going On
9. Bob Dylan – Like a Rolling Stone
8. The Clash – London Calling
7. The Who – Baba O'Riley
6. The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Purple Haze
5. Guns N' Roses – Welcome to the Jungle
4. Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit
3. Led Zeppelin – Whole Lotta Love
2. The Rolling Stones – Sympathy for the Devil
1. Bruce Springsteen – Thunder Road

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