All these bands have accomplished great things in their careers, but arguably their most beloved release remains their debut album.

We’re not saying these bands haven’t released quality records after their debut hit shelves. In fact, every band on this list has gone on to make incredible music. The reason these 11 acts’ first albums are held in such high regard is due to how groundbreaking they were. That impact on the musical landscape along with the music’s overall quality is how we judged this Loud List.

Most Guns N’ Roses fans would agree that Appetite for Destruction is the band’s magnum opus. There’s never been a debut album quite like it, immediately turning Guns N’ Roses into a stadium act. Packed with classics like “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Sweet Child o’ Mine,” the album remains virtually untouched by any band that came after. A similar sentiment can be said about Linkin Park, who rocketed to instant stardom after Hybrid Theory was unleashed.

If it wasn’t for Mayhem’s De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, black metal likely wouldn’t sound like it does today. The guitar playing of Euronymous and vocal arrangements of Dead are still held in the highest regard from fans of the genre decades after both musician’s deaths. Though Morbid Angel have released a bunch of great albums fans still bow to Altars of Madness as the band’s most essential recordings and one of the best extreme albums of all time.

Check out the Top 11 Bands Whose Debut Album Is Their Best!

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