The 25 best Classic Rock debut singles

15 January 2025, 18:01 | Updated: 15 January 2025, 18:16

Which rock artists have kicked off their career in style? Here are 25 of the very best first-time releases.

By Radio X Classic Rock

@xclassicrock

• First launched in 1949 by the RCA Victor company, the single became the ideal format to make a quick, indelible impression: the genius of the 7" is that it's compact, self-contained and comes with an extra treat in the shape of an extra track for you to investigate on the b-side.
• While the album is the natural home of the Classic Rock track, here are 25 great examples of when the debut single has done its job perfectly: setting the scene for a great career.
• We're listing them in strictly chronological order, not in order of quality!

1. The Beatles - Love Me Do: release date 5th October 1962

   The greatest rock band of them all started began their career (after a false start supporting rocker Tony Sheridan in Hamburg) with this quirky, harmonica-led Lennon and McCartney original. It made a respectable Number 17 in the charts, but from the follow-up Please Please Me onwards, there was no stopping them.

   

   Love Me Do (Remastered 2009)

2. The Rolling Stones - Come On: release date 7th June 1963

   A cover of a 1961 Chuck Berry rocker, this was the Stones' first outing on the Decca label. Backed with Mick and the lads' take on Willie Dixon's I Want To Be Loved, it's a thrilling snapshot of the London blues scene of the era, peaking at Number 21 in the Record Retailer chart.

   

   Come On (Mono)

3. The Who - I Can’t Explain: release date 15th January 1965

   The mod legends had previously issued a 45 under the name The High Numbers, but they began their recording career as The Who with this dancefloor classic about not being to express yourself.

   

   The Who - I Can't Explain (Live)

4. Jimi Hendrix - Hey Joe: release date 16th December 1966

   It may have been a cover (the original is attributed to folk musician Billy Roberts), but the distinctive guitar intro grabs the listener's attention from the opening moments, showcasing the unique talent of Hendrix.

   

   The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Hey Joe (Audio)

5. The Doors - Break On Through (To The Other Side): release date 1st January 1967

   “You know the day destroys the night / Night divides the day…” With that piece of pure poetry, Jim Morrison established himself as a major lyric writer and the band brought a darker take on psychedelia.

   

   The Doors - Break On Through HQ (1967)

6. Pink Floyd - Arnold Layne: release date 10th March 1967

   "The" Pink Floyd (as they were initially known) recorded their debut single with producer Joe Boyd and was written by original frontman Syd Barrett about a weird inhabitant of his native Cambridge, who was known for stealing women's underwear off washing lines in the local area. The pirate station Radio London banned the single due to its lyric!

   

   Pink Floyd - Arnold Layne (Official Music Video)

7. Deep Purple - Hush: release date 21st June 1968

   Taken from the heavy rock band's debut album Shades Of Deep Purple, this tune was written by country singer Billy Joe Royal and spotted by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore as a potential hit for his new band. He was right - in the USA, at least, where the single peaked at Number 4. At home, the track failed to chart, but it's one of the group's best-known tracks.

   

   Deep Purple - Hush (Original Film Clip, 1968)

8. George Harrison - My Sweet Lord: release date 15th January 1971 (UK)

   Putting his two experimental albums (Wonderwall Music and Electronic Sound), The Quiet One came out of the post-Beatles gate with All Things Must Pass, a triple album of all the songs that he'd been storing up over the previous decade. The lead single went to Number 1 for four weeks in January 1971, toppling the seemingly-unconquerable Grandad by Clive Dunn from the top spot.

   

   George Harrison - My Sweet Lord

9. Eagles - Take It Easy: release date 1st May 1972

   The Californian country rock band launched their career with this superbly laid-back tune, which made Number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.

   

   Take It Easy (2013 Remaster)

10. Electric Light Orchestra - 10538 Overture: release date 23rd June 1972

    Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's first step into the world of symphonic rock was originally written for their previous band The Move, but went Top 10 for ELO in August 1972.

    

    Electric Light Orchestra - 10538 Overture (Official Video)

11. Roxy Music - Virginia Plain: release date 4th August 1972

    Roxy's memorable debut single didn't appear on their classic first album, but was recorded and released in the month after, wherepon its quirky charms took it all the way to. Number 4.

    

    Roxy Music - Virginia Plain - Top Of The Pops - 24th August 1972

12. Bruce Springsteen - Blinded By The Light: release date 23rd February 1973

    Taken from the album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J., The Boss's debut single was later covered by Manfred Mann's Earth Band. While the original didn't chart, the cover topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1976.

    

    Blinded By The Light

13. Queen - Keep Yourself Alive: release date 6th July 1973

    The legendary British rock band's debut single didn't trouble the chart on either side of the Atlantic, but a play on the BBC-2 music show The Old Grey Whistle Test gave the band's debut album some valuable publicity.

    

    Queen - Keep Yourself Alive (Official Video)

14. Aerosmith - Dream On: release date 16th November 1973 (UK)

    The Boston rockers' first single was this inspirational power ballad, which snuck into the lower reaches of the US Top 75 on its initial release in the summer of 1973. Three years later, after the success of the albums Toys In The Attic and Rocks, the track was reissued and peaked at Number 6.

    

    Aerosmith - Dream On (Official HD Video)

15. Bad Company - Can't Get Enough: release date 10th May 1974

    Formed of ex-Free men Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke, plus Mick Ralphs (Mott The Hoople) and Boz Burrell (King Crimson), this was the first hit for the British supergroup, peaking at Number 15 at home and topping the American Cashbox chart.

    

    Bad Company - Can't Get Enough (Official Music Video)

16. Ramones - Blitzkrieg BopL release date 16th July 1976 (UK)

    Da Brudders Ramone opened their career with this immortal 45 that caught the attention of a lot of soon-to-be-punks.

    

    Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop (Official Music Video)

17. Boston - More Than A Feeling: release date 15th October 1976 (UK)

    This euphoric rock classic was the first single and the opening track on the US band's self-titled debut album. The track apparently took multi-instrumentalist Tom Scholz five years to write!

    

    Boston - More Than a Feeling (Official HD Video)

18. Sex Pistols - Anarchy In The UK: release date 28th November 1976

    The incendiary call to arms from the greatest punk band of all was released on the EMI label, but bosses kicked them off the imprint following that notorious foul-mouthed TV appearance with presenter Bill Grundy. What a way to kick start a career.

    

    Sex Pistols - Anarchy In The UK

19. The Clash - White Riot: release date 18th March 1977

    The very first broadside in The Clash's punk manifesto, this was a reflection of the struggles on the streets of the UK at the time. They drove the point home on the b-side: 1977.

    

    The Clash - White Riot (Official Video)

20. Peter Gabriel - Solsbury Hill: 25th March 1977

    After Gabriel quit as frontman of English prog giants Genesis following the completion of their Lamb Lies Down On Broadway tour in 1975, he went away and took music and piano lessons. The result was his first self-titled solo album, which spawned this glittering single about the titular hill in Somerset and featuring Steve Hunter on guitar.

    

    Peter Gabriel - Solsbury Hill

21. The Jam - In The City: release date 29th April 1977

    “In the city there's a thousand things I want to say to you.” The first words on vinyl from Paul Weller and an amazing way to begin a career.

    

    The Jam - In The City

22. Dire Straits - Sultans Of Swing: release date 19th May 1978

    Mark Knopfler's tale of pub musicians was originally recorded as a demo which enjoyed much airplay on BBC Radio London, leading to the band re-recording the song as their debut single in February 1978. It reached Number 8 in the UK charts.

    

    Dire Straits - Sultans Of Swing (Official Music Video)

23. The Cars - Just What I Needed: release date 29th May 1978

    Written by frontman Ric Ocasek and culled from the Boston power pop band's debut album, this excellent song made Number 17 in the UK in March 1979 when it was reissued in the wake of the success of My Best Friend's Girl.

    

    The Cars - Just What I Needed (Official Live Video)

24. Toto - Hold The Line: release date 10th November 1978 (UK)

    The LA band's debut single was written by keyboard player David Paich and made a respectable Number 14 in the UK charts; their biggest hit would be Africa, which peaked at Number 3 in 1982.

    

    Toto - Hold The Line (Official Video)

25. Pretenders - Stop Your Sobbing: release date 12th January 1979

    Written by Ray Davies for the first Kinks album in 1964, this was the first outing from Chrissie Hynde and her new band Pretenders, which peaked at Number 34 in March 1979. In a twist of fate, Hynde later met Davies and the pair had a relationship that resulted in a daughter, Natalie.

    

    Pretenders - Stop Your Sobbing (Official Music Video)