Pick a Day

Music History Events: Debut Albums

July 8, 1996 Spice Girls release their debut single, "Wannabe," in the UK. It shoots to #1, setting Spice-mania in motion. The single is released in the US in January 1997, and climbs to the top spot there as well.

February 28, 1995 Jewel Kilcher releases her debut album, Pieces of You, under the mononym Jewel.More

December 6, 1994 Bush release their debut album Sixteen Stone, which takes off in America but is largely ignored in their native England.More

August 29, 1994 Oasis release their debut album, Definitely Maybe. The record goes on to sell over a million copies in the US, spearheading a second British Invasion, but for now the band remain unknown outside of the UK.More

July 5, 1994 Hootie & the Blowfish release their debut album Cracked Rear View. It takes off at the beginning of 1995, eventually selling a staggering 21 million copies.More

June 23, 1994 The stage musical Copacabana (based on Barry Manilow's song) opens in London.

May 10, 1994 Weezer release their self-titled debut (aka The Blue Album).

April 19, 1994 Nas releases his landmark debut album Illmatic at the age of 20, helping revive the flagging New York City rap scene and birth the era of lyricism. It goes on to be widely accepted as one of the greatest rap albums of all time.More

November 9, 1993 The first Wu-Tang Clan album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), is released. The album becomes a hardcore rap landmark and proof that a 9-man hip-hop collective can succeed.More

July 5, 1993 Björk releases her first post-Sugarcubes solo album, titled Debut. Featuring the tracks "Human Behaviour" and "Big Time Sensuality," it sets the stage for her rise as a solo star.

June 22, 1993 Liz Phair releases her debut album, Exile In Guyville. The indie rocker approached the project as a track-by-track response to The Rolling Stones' 1972 album, Exile On Main St. Her candid perspective on sex and relationships earns her favor with critics and a growing fanbase and Guyville is hailed as one of the best albums of the decade. More

December 15, 1992 Dr. Dre releases his debut solo album, The Chronic, a G-funk landmark featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg.More

November 10, 1992 Ween's major-label debut, Pure Guava, is released on Elektra records. The album features the single "Push th' Little Daisies," which gets them attention on MTV after being featured on the channel's animated series Beavis and Butt-head. During the clip, Butt-head quips, "These guys have no future."More

July 28, 1992 Mary J. Blige releases her debut album, What's The 411?, executive produced by Sean "Puffy" Combs. It takes the top spot on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart as well as #6 on the Billboard 200. Her unique blend of hip-hop and soul earns her the nickname "Queen of Hip Hop Soul."More

July 28, 1992 Barenaked Ladies release their debut studio album, Gordon.

May 19, 1992 Billy Ray Cyrus releases his debut album, Some Gave All, featuring his signature song "Achy Breaky Heart." The album dominates the Billboard 200 chart for 17 consecutive weeks, and the single's music video spawns a line-dancing trend across the US, where a new breed of country music is already becoming a phenomenon. More

April 6, 1992 Annie Lennox releases her first solo album, Diva, with the hits "Why" and "Walking On Broken Glass."More

February 25, 1992 TLC release their debut album, Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip. Their first single, "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg," hits the Top 10 on both the Hot 100 and R&B charts.

February 25, 1992 Tori Amos releases her debut solo album, Little Earthquakes, in the US. The piano-based collection allows the singer-songwriter to truly express herself for the first time on confessional tracks like "Me And A Gun" and "Silent All These Years."More

January 11, 1992 Paul Simon becomes the first international artist to perform in Johannesburg, South Africa, since the lifting of the UN boycott. Simon had violated the UN ban by traveling to South Africa years earlier to find musicians for his Graceland album.

September 29, 1991 MTV plays the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" video for the first time, giving most Americans their first look at Nirvana. A little over a month later, the song is #1 on the Hot 100.

August 27, 1991 Pearl Jam release their debut album, Ten, which launches them to stardom and puts them in the forefront of the Seattle grunge movement.More

February 14, 1991 Boyz II Men release their debut album, CooleyHighharmony, with Michael Bivins of Bell Biv DeVoe as executive producer. Bivins' former group, New Edition, inspired the Boyz' name with their 1988 track "Boys To Men."

August 21, 1990 Alice in Chains release their debut album, Facelift, one of the first grunge albums to gain widespread popularity.More

June 12, 1990 Mariah Carey releases her self-titled debut album. It sells 9 million in America, where all four of its singles ("Vision Of Love," "Love Takes Time," "Someday," "I Don't Wanna Cry") hit #1.

September 6, 1989 Just as mainstream pop is about to welcome grunge music with its murky guitars and bleak outlook on society, newcomer Lenny Kravitz challenges the negativity with a simple, funk-styled message: Let Love Rule.More

April 12, 1989 Garth Brooks releases his debut album, Garth Brooks, featuring the #1 Country hits "If Tomorrow Never Comes" and "The Dance."

March 14, 1989 De La Soul release their debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising. The sample-heavy, paisley-powered LP becomes a hip-hop landmark, establishing a mellow, groovy new style.More

November 1, 1988 Slick Rick releases his debut album, The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick, featuring the influential rap hit "Children's Story."More

August 27, 1988 As baby boomers soak up the soothing sounds of Kenny G, Yanni and Enya, Billboard introduces the New Age Albums chart. The first #1 is Cristofori's Dream by the pianist David Lanz.