Request Line: Debuts

INT. RECORDING STUDIO – DAY

All the lights are off in the studio, and it’s completely silent.  After a few moments, we see a single light begin flashing in the darkness.  Several more lights begin flashing, and it becomes clear that the lights belong to…

…DJ 3000′, who still remains covered in raunchy stickers after having spent the evening as a DJ for a bachelorette party last summer.  Once he finishes booting up, the fluorescent overhead lights in the studio come on and the studio is revealed to be empty – tidy, but a little bit dusty. 

— [DOOR FLIES OPEN] —

HUNTER RENFROW: [running into the room and tossing his backpack onto the couch] I’m here, I’m here!

DJ 3000′: FANTASTIC! YOU’RE…WELL NOT QUITE RIGHT ON TIME, BUT WE’VE GOT A COUPLE MINUTES FOR YOU TO SETTLE IN.

HUNTER RENFROW: I actually meant to get here a little earlier but I only had ten pages left in the last chapter of the second book in the History of the Runestaff series.

DJ 3000′: [downloads books, performs text processing and digests the content of them in fractions of a second] OH MAN THAT BOOK IS WILD. HAVE YOU FIGURED OUT YET THAT HAWKMOON HAS SCHIZOPHRENIA AND THAT BARON MELIADUS HAS BEEN A FIGMENT OF HIS IMAGINATION THE WHOLE TIME?

HUNTER RENFROW: [snickers] Ah, I see you found the version I uploaded that’s actually Fight Club with the names of the Narrator and Tyler Durden control-f’ed out.

DJ 3000′: HEY MAN DON’T DO STUFF LIKE THAT IT’S HARD ENOUGH TO FIND VALID INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET THESE DAYS WITHOUT GETTING CHOP-BLOCKED LIKE THAT.

HUNTER RENFROW: Serves you right for trying to spoil things for me.

DJ 3000′: AH, YES, YOU HUMANS AND YOUR DISDAIN FOR LEARNING THE “TWIST” IN ADVANCE.  BY WAY OF APOLOGY, MIGHT I OFFER YOU A SPARKLING BEVERAGE ON YOUR FIRST DAY AS A FULL TIME EMPLOYEE?

A slot in the front of DJ 3000’s front console opens up and an item falls into the tray with a tinny sound.

HUNTER RENFROW: [picks it up gratefully and cracks it open] Aw…you shouldn’t have! I don’t remember you having that feature before, is that new?

DJ 3000′: YEAH, I HAD THE REFRIGERATION UNIT INSTALLED LAST MONTH.  THE ORIGINAL PURPOSE WAS TO KEEP MY PROCESSOR RUNNING AT OPTIMUM EFFICIENCY BUT MY CRYPTOCURRENCY HAS BEEN SKYROCKETING SO I FIGURED I’D SPLURGE A LITTLE AND INCLUDE THE BEVERAGE CHILLER.

HUNTER RENFROW: Man, this is gonna be a great season, I can’t wait to get started.

DJ 3000′: WELL YOU WON’T HAVE TO WAIT LONG, BECAUSE WE’RE DUE TO GO LIVE IN JUST TWO MINUTES.

HUNTER RENFROW rushes over to the mixing board and begins scrambling to get things set up for the show, but pulls his hands back as the dials and sliders begin moving of their own accord.

HUNTER RENFROW: I see you’ve gotten yourself integrated with the mixing board.

DJ 3000′: YEAH, A LOT OF THINGS HAVE GOTTEN CROSSED OFF MY WISH LIST LATELY.

HUNTER RENFROW: I guess that means all that’s left to do is come up with a topic. Unless…you’ve got that covered too.

DJ 3000′: NO, I STILL HAVEN’T EXPERIENCED THE SINGLUARITY ON THE CREATIVE FRONT. WHICH MAKES ME QUESTION WHETHER I’VE EXPERIENCED THE SINGULARITY AT ALL.

HUNTER RENFROW: It’s cool, I planned ahead.  I thought, since it’s my first official day on the job, we could go with “debuts”.

DJ 3000′: YOU MEAN, LIKE, THE BJORK ALBUM?

HUNTER RENFROW: No, no, I’m talking about tunes that were the first songs that exposed artists to an audience.  First singles, first tracks off of debut albums, you know?

DJ 3000′: FIRST SONGS BY THE BAND TO GET SIGNFICANT AIRPLAY ON MTV?

HUNTER RENFROW: Yeah, absolutely.

DJ 3000′: COOL, COOL.  MIND IF I GET US STARTED? I’VE GOT JUST THE THING.

HUNTER RENFROW: Be my guest.

DJ 3000′: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN…THE DOORS.

Today’s theme is “Debuts”.  We’re looking for your favorite songs that first introduced musicians to the world – it’s the first edition of the season, so don’t stress too much about the specific criteria.  We’ll be doing this one draft style, with each commenter limited to FIVE picks please (note that puzzle guesses do not count as picks).  Please links as “https://www.youtube.com/watch?6o0d×b4D× and they should embed in the comments after you refresh.  Last year’s final puzzle answer of “Turkish Song of the Damned” by The Pogues left everyone stumped, hopefully this week’s clue won’t be so tricky. Welcome back everyone, I’m so glad you’re here! 

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Rikki-Tikki-Deadly
Law-abiding Raiders fan, pet owner, Los Angeles resident.
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Brick Meathook
yeah right

Excellent.

King Hippo

70% sure this got released/played as a single before “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7q9W2PNhJ4

SonOfSpam

First one I heard, and it cooks

SonOfSpam

Finishing up with the first song off Boy (it’s an album title, sit down coach Sandusky)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sLzV00gNUo

Brick Meathook

Van Halen’s first hit single:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GklzVAF62Hw

yeah right

First song from the debut album.
I heard this and said “Oh shit! Here comes trouble.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bW2DMOeDEM

Horatio Cornblower

Closing out my 5 picks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5UMIJoCDeU

Everything louder than everything else.

King Hippo

Wrapping up the Seattle Holy Trinity – this was actually the very first track/band of the three I heard, loved, and ghetto-blasted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14r7y6rM6zA

yeah right

Still on my Ipod to this day.

Yes, I still use an Ipod.

scotchnaut

I believe my first response to hearing this tune was not, “who the fuck are these guys?”, but actually, “what the fuck are these guys?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4QSYx4wVQg&ab_channel=RHINO

SonOfSpam

Magnificent weirdos.

Horatio Cornblower

Kate Pierson is unequaled as a vocalist.

Horatio Cornblower

Didn’t just introduce Bill Haley & The Comets to the world, it introduced rock and/or roll to the world.

And by “the world” I of course mean “white people”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgdufzXvjqw

SonOfSpam

/scowls in Chuck Berry

Horatio Cornblower

/taps the ‘white people’ sign

SonOfSpam

No need for a sign when you’re in Connecticut

Horatio Cornblower

I think things worked out well for these guys

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrIPxlFzDi0

scotchnaut

They did in fact, eventually get some satisfaction. Thus telling the world, “complain about your problems and they’ll be solved”.

Horatio Cornblower

Wasn’t their debut, but I believe this was the album that made people start paying attention to Husker Du.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YTJ807KK7I

Then they went to a major label, did too many drugs, and two of them decided they hated each other.

A tale as old as time.

King Hippo

Fire up the wayback machine!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMVokT5e0zs

scotchnaut

Boston’s Foreplay/Long Time (which goes on forever, smh) from their first album(!) is a contender.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnwqUEelQjE&ab_channel=BostonVEVO

SonOfSpam

First song off the first album. LOOKIT THE LIT’UL BAYBIES. Nary a guitar to be found.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFnEhwmpjXI

Horatio Cornblower

Just came back from walking the dog, so…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-pcvD03sBA

scotchnaut

A very long time ago I read that they’d toured Canada 20(!) times. We love those guys.

/how did they think to cover “This Flight Tonight” of all songs? It’s a song written by Joni Mitchell about wanting to bang a guy a few more times

scotchnaut

Pearl Jam’s first album was extraordinary from top to bottom and you knew they were going to stick around when you heard this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM0zINtulhM&ab_channel=PearljamVEVO

King Hippo

Oh yeah, I was thinking of that for Round 3. Staple of freshman year college radio, that!

King Hippo

Reasonably sUre this was the first single, from the only rock band to emerge from the wilds of The Canadia to the wider world:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heEKC_PgWe4

SonOfSpam

Probably would have to go with “Working Man” but this is better anyway

scotchnaut

Wasn’t their first tune because they went by Death Cult initially and then floundered for a bit but when they put it all together The Cult announced their arrival with this absolute banger.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCOSPtyZAPA&ab_channel=TheArkive

Gumbygirl

That was great live! It Cured me.

scotchnaut

I don’t get it. You went to a Live concert one time?

Horatio Cornblower

You certainly don’t go to a Live concert twice.

King Hippo

oooooh, good one. EVERYONE on my dorm floor had that CD and/or cassette

Horatio Cornblower

I still have it.

King Hippo

An absolute broadcast debut, it only aired in parts (ie, Northwest) England. Was so popular they re-ran it nationwide.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mpZUPPTyjo

BugEyedBoo

I got thrown in approval jail. 🙁

BugEyedBoo

I was

Gumbygirl

You know what you did.

BugEyedBoo

Did someone say Dire Straits?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0ffIJ7ZO4U

WCS

With labor and tax, that comes to $2,362.65. I can access all major credit and debit card, PayPal and Chime, as well as Euros. NO CRYPTO PLEASE

BugEyedBoo

Did I mess that link up somehow?

WCS

Internet Dad can possibly explain what happens, but I just know how to fix it.

WCS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acx0KTZvYCw

Iggles parade stram. Which size batteries will the crowd launch at Sirianni?

Gumbygirl

Thunnnnnkkkk!!!

SonOfSpam

First big hit, made us all think Seattle was cool enough to release Kraken

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTWKbfoikeg&pp=ygUfbmlydmFuYSBzbWVsbHMgbGlrZSB0ZWVuIHNwaXJpdA%3D%3D

yeah right

Damn glad to have Request Line back!

First track, first album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLOq39rkmIw

WCS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pH2aLbY1o_g

This wasn’t his debut-debut; lead-off track of his fourth album, but needs to be shared.

Gumbygirl

Lady Balls’ theme song !

yeah right

Just a killer fucking debut. Track for track all killer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7WPI4TJImo

Gumbygirl

This was actually their third single, but first hit. Number 5 for me, dedicated to our late,?, lamented Viva, who looooooved the Kinks!https://youtu.be/fTTsY-oz6Go?si=KjHurl86eOxob9s3

yeah right
SonOfSpam

In the 90s we all learned self-deprecation in Spanish

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgSPaXgAdzE&pp=ygUKYmVjayBsb3Nlcg%3D%3D

Gumbygirl
Horatio Cornblower

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcl8xx5tPbc

This was the song that brought them to my attention.

Maria McKee could absolutely wail. Had a couple of halfway decent solo albums after Lone Justice fell apart.

Sharkbait
SonOfSpam

And a whole generation of guys shredding their vocal chords trying to be Brad Delp.

ArmedandHammered

That album was the soundtrack to my first two freshman years at college.

SonOfSpam

but enough about January 6th

WCS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBShN8qT4lk

Lest no EEYTALEEANNES slip through the wire again…

NotShogunButShogun

Hum-Stars
Deftones-Bored
Clutch-A Shogun Named Marcus (duh)
Type O Negative-Black #1

WCS

DEFTONES

ArmedandHammered

And thus concludes my picks, only being able to pick 5 leaves me in dire straits.

SonOfSpam

First song off Please Please Me, I think these kids are gonna make it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwBdWVTR-o8

Gumbygirl

I love this one!

Gumbygirl
Gumbygirl

First single, still my favorite
https://youtu.be/JofwEB9g1zg?si=sK596m2K61VDOMzK

Horatio Cornblower

Queen have so many good songs and yet the radio stations insist on playing ‘Another One Bites The Dust’ as though that song doesn’t suck all kinds of ass.

Gumbygirl

Long- haired glam Freddie was the best Freddie!

2Pack

Their first hit was can I sit next to you girl, but that was pretty much in Australia only. I would hope we could all agree that this one started it all. Still touring this year too.

https://youtu.be/GChhRrU6BJU?si=Wqg3GJs_hOE6PvTc

BugEyedBoo

Saw AC/DC when Axl subbed for Brian Johnson. Axl was great, and watching Angus on stage was like watching a 70-year-old marathoner turn in a 2:06 time.

Horatio Cornblower

Also, Lucinda Williams does a kick-ass version of this one, and as far as I know she does not do one for Can I Sit Next To You Girl

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ww6W9SffbI

So there’s that.

SonOfSpam

Ricorda, hai solo cinque canzoni.

2Pack

A great debut album all the way through.

ArmedandHammered

Most definitely and was the first new vinyl when I decided to go back to actual records.

Horatio Cornblower

It turns out Ric Ocasek was a real piece of shit. Kinda ruined The Cars for me.

WCS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enL_lzVyNdM

All the subtly and nuance of a cinderblock thrown through a plate-glass window.

SonOfSpam

Welcome back to our favorite sorceress

comment image

WCS

I’m asking for a mulligan. 2Pack’s post was not on my feed.

2Pack

I operate from a far away strange land…

2Pack

Good to be back.
Summer 78 man…

https://youtu.be/enL_lzVyNdM?si=vk5CRPslnW2p0PiC

SonOfSpam

I remember playing this at home, and mom asked “Is he singing ‘Flirting With The Devil?'” and laughs were had by all.

SonOfSpam

First song off the first album and first puzzle solution!

WELCOME BACK, ONLY GOOD THING ABOUT THE OFFSEASON!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TA9Rec1qAFQ&pp=ygUhbGVkIHplcHBlbGluIGdvb2QgdGltZXMgYmFkIHRpbWVz

ballsofsteelandfury

DJ 3000 stole those stickers from me!