May 19, 2020 9:05AM ET
The 100 Greatest Debut Singles of All Time
Here are the bands and artists who got it right the very first time
By Rob Sheffield & Brittany Spanos & Claire Shaffer & Jonathan Bernstein & Elias Leight & Jon Freeman & Kory Grow & Andy Greene & Joseph Hudak & Brenna Ehrlich & Jon Blistein & Angie Martoccio & Jon Dolan & Jason Newman & Jerry Portwood
A great debut single is the opening line in a conversation you never want to end, and hearing a band or artist get it right on their first try is one of the greatest thrills in music. Unlike debut albums, there’s some gray area involved in determining exactly what constitutes a debut single. We decided that solo debuts by well-known artists didn’t count (so classics like Lauryn Hill’s “Doo-Wop (That Thing)” or Snoop Doggy Dogg’s “Who I Am (What’s My Name)” weren’t eligible). But singles by new bands that happened to include established artists (like Public Image Ltd) were fair game, as were bands that had released music under a previous name or in an earlier form, like the Grateful Dead, CCR, and New Order. We also gave a pass to a couple of artists who put out local records no one heard or promotional singles that weren’t available commercially.

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