FEATURE:
Bookends
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National Album Day: The Best Opening and Closing Album Tracks Ever
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CONTINUING the National Album Day-inspired train rolling…
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it gets me thinking about those all-important bookends: the epic opener and scintillating closer. Few albums manage to have ‘perfect’ opening/closing tracks although, as this list shows, it is not impossible! You want to grab the listener from the off so it is vital going in strong and creating something wonderful – you do not want to sap too much energy or have your best track at the top, mind! That said; you should think about putting your best track last as that ends things on a high – if the material before is a bit so-so then are people going to be invested enough to make it that far?! It is a tough act to master but I think the opening and closing songs are the most crucial parts of any album. If you can hook the listener from the first notes then you have them: if you create a masterful finale then they are going to be primed for the next album! In that spirit, I have been flicking through those albums that have brilliant openers and closers and separating them into two lists. See if you agree with these selections but here are, in my view, the best opening and closing album tracks…
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THERE have ever been.
ALL ALBUM COVERS: Getty Images
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THE BEST OPENING TRACKS EVER
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The Strokes - Is This It
Album: Is This It
Release Date: 30th July, 2001
The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
Album: Let It Bleed
Release Date: 5th December, 1969
PJ Harvey - Rid of Me
Album: Rid of Me
Release Date: 4th May, 1993
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Album: Nevermind
Release Date: 24th September, 1991
The Clash - London Calling
Album: London Calling
Release Date: 14th December, 1979
Michael Jackson - Wanna Be Startin’ Something
Album: Thriller
Release Date: 30th November, 1982
LCD Soundsystem - Dance Yrself Clean
Album: This Is Happening
Release Date: 17th May, 2010
David Bowie - Five Years
Album: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
Release Date: 16th June, 1972
The Velvet Underground - Sunday Morning
Album: The Velvet Underground & Nico
Release Date: 12th March, 1967
Björk – Human Behaviour
Album: Debut
Release Date: 5th July, 1993
Rage Against the Machine - Bombtrack
Album: Rage Against the Machine
Release Date: 3rd November, 1992
Prince - Let’s Go Crazy
Album: Purple Rain
Release Date: 25th June, 1984
Amy Winehouse - Rehab
Album: Back to Black
Release Date: 27th October, 2006
Madonna - Music
Album: Music
Release Date: 18th September, 2000
Pulp - Mis-Shapes
Album: Different Class
Release Date: 30th October, 1995
Led Zeppelin - Good Times Bad Times
Album: Led Zeppelin
Release Date: 12th January, 1969
Tori Amos - Crucify
Album: Little Earthquakes
Release Date: 6th June, 1992
The Beatles - I Saw Her Standing There
Album: Please Please Me
Release Date: 22nd March, 1963
The Streets - Turn the Page
Album: Original Pirate Material
Release Date: 25th March, 2002
Guns N' Roses - Welcome to the Jungle
Album: Appetite for Destruction
Release Date: 21st July, 1987
Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone
Album: Highway 61 Revisited
Release Date: 30th August, 1965
Beyoncé (ft. Jay-Z) - Crazy in Love
Album: Dangerously in Love
Release Date: 23rd June, 2003
The Beach Boys – Wouldn’t It Be Nice
Album: Pet Sounds
Release Date: 16th May, 1966
Radiohead - Everything in Its Right Place
Album: Kid A
Release Date: 2nd October, 2000
Paul Simon - The Boy in the Bubble
Album: Graceland
Release Date: 25th August, 1986
The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army
Album: Elephant
Release Date: 1st April, 2003
Iggy and the Stooges - Search and Destroy
Album: Raw Power
Release Date: 7th February, 1973
Kate Bush – Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)
Album: Hounds of Love
Release Date: 16th September, 1985
THE BEST CLOSING TRACKS EVER
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Oasis - Champagne Supernova
Album: (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
Release Date: 2nd October, 1995
Nine Inch Nails - Hurt
Album: The Downward Spiral
Release Date: 8th March, 1994
The Beatles - A Day in the Life
Album: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Release Date: 26th May, 1967
Muse - Knights of Cydonia
Album: Black Holes and Revelations
Release Date: 3rd July, 2006
Prince - Purple Rain
Album: Purple Rain
Release Date: 25th June, 1984
Television - Torn Curtain
Album: Marquee Moon
Release Date: 8th February, 1977
Childish Gambino - That Power
Album: Camp
Release Date: 15th November, 2011
LCD Soundsystem - New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down
Album: Sound of Silver
Release Date: 12th March, 2007
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free Bird
Album: (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd)
Release Date: 13th August, 1973
The Doors - The End
Album: The Doors
Release Date: 4th January, 1967
Elliott Smith - Say Yes
Album: Either/Or
Release Date: 25th February, 1997
Kanye West - Who Will Survive in America?
Album: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Release Date: 22nd November, 2010
David Bowie - Rock ‘N’ Roll Suicide
Album: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
Release Date: 16th June, 1972
The Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows
Album: Revolver
Release Date: 5th August, 1966
Bruce Springsteen - Jungleland
Album: Born to Run
Release Date: 25th August, 1975
Kate Bush - Walk Straight Down the Middle
Album: The Sensual World
Release Date: 16th October, 1989
M.I.A. - Galang
Album: Arular
Release Date: 22nd March, 2005
The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
Album: Electric Ladyland
Release Date: 16th October, 1968 (U.S.)
Radiohead - Street Spirit (Fade Out)
Album: The Bends
Release Date: 13th March, 1995
The Chemical Brothers - The Private Psychedelic Reel
Album: Dig Your Own Hole
Release Date: 7th April, 1997
Nick Drake - Saturday Sun
Album: Five Leaves Left
Release Date: 3rd July, 1969
Nirvana - All Apologies
Album: In Utero
Release Date: 21st September, 1993
Pink Floyd - Eclipse
Album: The Dark Side of the Moon
Release Date: 1st March, 1973