Pick a Day

Music History Events: Debut Albums

October 5, 1992 Spin Doctors release their first single, "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong."More

August 11, 1992 The Mall of America opens in Bloomington, Minnesota, with Ray Charles performing "America The Beautiful."

November 19, 1991 Paul McCartney's first classical piece, Liverpool Oratorio, is performed in America for the first time, at New York's Carnegie Hall.

October 22, 1991 Black Sheep release their debut album, A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing, with the classic "The Choice Is Yours." The hip-hop duo are part of the Native Tongues collective along with De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest.

August 13, 1991 Cypress Hill introduce a new strain of West Coast gangsta rap with the release of their self-titled debut album. The lead single is "How I Could Just Kill A Man," a song that deals with gang life in their stomping grounds of South Gate, California.

November 4, 1990 The musical tribute Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story opens on Broadway.

October 20, 1990 Nine Inch Nails release their debut album, Pretty Hate Machine. Frontman Trent Reznor writes, sings and plays every instrument on all the songs on the album, which he also co-produces. The album includes the enduring NIN tunes "Head Like A Hole" and "Down In It."

March 27, 1990 Digital Underground, a rap collective that later includes Tupac Shakur, release their debut album, Sex Packets. It's a concept album about a drug that simulates the experience of having sex.More

July 11, 1989 Miami Sound Machine lead singer Gloria Estefan releases her first solo album, Cuts Both Ways, with the hits "Don't Wanna Lose You" and "Get on Your Feet."

October 18, 1988 The Traveling Wilburys, a supergroup for the ages, release their debut album, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1. The band is comprised of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and Electric Light Orchestra frontman Jeff Lynne. For the project, the five music legends humorously take on Wilbury family pseudonyms: Lucky (Dylan), Nelson (Harrison), Lefty (Orbison), Charlie T. Jr. (Petty) and Otis (Lynne). The album includes two popular songs, "Handle With Care" and "End Of The Line," and goes on to win a Grammy for the Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group in 1990.

October 7, 1988 The documentary Imagine: John Lennon, commissioned by Yoko Ono and directed by Andrew Solt, opens in theaters.

May 2, 1988 Melissa Etheridge releases her self-titled debut album, adding a much-welcome new female voice to rock radio with the singles "Bring Me Some Water" and "Like the Way I Do."

April 5, 1988 Tracy Chapman's eponymous debut album is released.

March 14, 1988 Six months after the breakup of his group The Smiths, Morrissey issues his first solo album, Viva Hate. It goes to #1 in the UK and has two hit singles: "Suedehead" and "Everyday Is Like Sunday." It's the start of a very successful solo career for Morrissey, who rejects all offers of a Smiths reunion.

November 4, 1987 Sinead O'Connor, 20, releases her debut album, The Lion And The Cobra. It earns her a tour with INXS and a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female. Her next album, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, is a global sensation.

February 23, 1987 Jody Watley releases her self-titled debut album, which earns her the Grammy award for Best New Artist thanks to hits like "Don't You Want Me" and "Looking For A New Love."

April 9, 1986 The musical Time premieres at the Dominion Theatre in London. Produced by Dave Clark, the show stars Cliff Richard in the lead role.

March 5, 1986 After years grinding away on the Nashville music scene, Steve Earle, 31, releases his debut album, Guitar Town, with the title track recalling his time touring in a van and working on his "motel tan" (no tan at all). Not quite country, not quite rock, it helps define a new genre known as Americana.

April 25, 1985 The musical Big River, based on Mark Twain's work and featuring a score by Roger Miller, opens on Broadway. Miller would go on to win a Tony Award for the music.

April 8, 1985 The musical Leader Of The Pack: The Songs Of Ellie Greenwich opens on Broadway (running for 120 performances).

January 21, 1984 Bon Jovi release their self-titled debut album. The first track is "Runaway," the group's debut single and first to get airplay. It was written by frontman Jon Bon Jovi, who recorded it with session musicians before the band formed.

October 8, 1982 Culture Club release their debut album, Kissing To Be Clever, in their native UK. Issued in America a few months later, it kicks out three Top 10 hits in that country ("Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?," "I'll Tumble 4 Ya" and "Time (Clock of the Heart)"), leading a wave of MTV-friendly UK acts that includes Duran Duran and Eurythmics.

October 1, 1982 Steely Dan frontman Donald Fagen releases his debut solo album, The Nightfly. The album, which includes the singles "I.G.Y. (What A Beautiful World)" and "New Frontier," reaches #11 on the albums chart. The Nightfly and its tracks go on to receive a total of seven nominations at 1983 Grammy Awards.

July 19, 1980 David Bowie begins his run as The Elephant Man in Denver. The show does well, and Bowie takes the lead in the Broadway production later that year.

May 16, 1980 Alabama release their first RCA Nashville single, "Tennessee River," which becomes their first #1 hit on the Country chart.

June 15, 1979 Unknown Pleasures, the debut long-player from British post-punk band Joy Division, is released. Although it does not chart, it becomes hugely influential and is widely critically acclaimed as one of the defining albums of the post-punk era.More

June 9, 1978 Dire Straits release their self-titled debut album in the UK. The single "Sultans Of Swing" takes off, and the album ends up going Platinum in several territories, including America.

March 10, 1978 The Buzzcocks release their debut full-length album, Another Music in a Different Kitchen. Filled with cerebral songs about freedom, relationships, and making sense of the world, it takes UK punk in a more melodic and thoughtful direction.

November 28, 1977 Elvis: the Musical, starring Shakin' Stevens, opens in London.

August 19, 1977 A year after her group Labelle call it quits, Patti LaBelle releases her self-titled debut album, introducing one of her signature songs, "You Are My Friend."