Best Debut Album

[garym]

Marshall Crenshaw
Los Angeles - X
Chicago Transit Authority
Boston
The Marshall Tucker Band
Jackson Browne
Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs - Derek And The Dominoes
Blind Faith
Murmur - R.E.M.
77 - Talking Heads

I thought about Layla and Blind Faith too, but wasn't sure it was "fair" to name a first album that was an ONLY album (other than live albums). ;-) But with this precedence, I'd add:

Stephen Still's Manassas (treating this as a band, which it really was, not simply a solo album).

and regarding really good second albums, I'd note Jackson Browne's 2nd album, "For Everyman"

[Fahzz]

Agree with all of the above. I'd throw in Counting Crows - August and Everything After and Alanis Morrisette - Jagged Little Pill.

[garym]

Ah. Good choices.

[Apesbrain]

What NME thought -> here.

Hint: None of us have mentioned their top choice but it is a good one.
Another Hint: "Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine."

[garym]

Ah yes. Patti smith. Just kids is a great read by the way.

[Mike Meyer]

Guns N Roses - Appetite For Destruction

[Kyle]

It was mentioned earlier, but Dire Straits' debut absolutely blew me away. Steely Dan's "Can't Buy a Thrill" was a pretty strong debut as well. Carole King's "Tapestry" is still a classic.

[Zoltan]

The Doors
REM - Murmur
The Smiths
Echo and the Bunnymen - Crocodiles
Talking Heads - '77

[pski]

Neil Young

[TiredLegs]

Marshall Crenshaw
Los Angeles - X
Chicago Transit Authority
Boston
The Marshall Tucker Band
Jackson Browne
Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs - Derek And The Dominoes
Blind Faith
Murmur - R.E.M.
77 - Talking Heads
Are You Experienced - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Horses - Patti Smith

Boston's self-titled debut album is certainly worthy of that mention, even though it's a tad pop-ish for my taste. I don't think there's ever been another debut album on which every single song was of such high quality in both songwriting and musicianship, making it, in effect, a greatest hits' album. Chicago Transit Authority was similarly well-endowed, but contained a little too much filler as a double album. And of course, Hendrix's Are You Experienced belongs on any such list.

One I'll add is Santana (I), which not only had great music, but included what is still regarded as one of the best album cover artworks ever created.

And another debut album that ranks right up there in both music and cover art is In The Court Of The Crimson King.