First Hits

Some acts jump right out of the gate with a killer song as their debut.  I was thinking of America's debut "A Horse With No Name" and wondered what the first hits (first release that most people heard) of some other acts were.  I was struck by how many superstars gave us classics with their first release.

Abba:  "Waterloo"

Paula Abdul:  "Straight Up"

America:  "A Horse With No Name"

Animals:  "The House of the Rising Sun"

Beatles:  "I Want To Hold Your Hand"

Pat Benatar:  "Heartbreaker"

Bon Jovi:  "You Give Love a Bad Name"

Boston:  "More Than A Feeling

Carpenters:  "Close To You"

Chicago:  "Make Me Smile"

Petula Clark:  "Downtown"

Creedence Clearwater Revival:  "Suzie Q"

Deep Purple:  "Hush"

Def Leppard:  "Photograph"

Doobie Brothers:  "Listen To the Music"

Doors:  "Light My Fire"

Eagles:  "Take It Easy"

Everly Brothers:  "Bye Bye Love"

5th Dimension:  "Up, Up and Away"

Foreigner:  "Feels Like the First Time"

4 Seasons:  "Sherry"

Jefferson Airplane:  "Somebody To Love"

Billy Joel:  "Piano Man"

Elton John:  "Your Song"

Mamas & Papas:  "California Dreamin'"

Barry Manilow:  "Mandy"

McGuire Sisters:  "Sincerely"

Don McLean:  "American Pie"

Steve Miller:  "The Joker"

Elvis Presley:  "Heartbreak Hotel"

Rascals:  "Good Lovin'"

REO Speedwagon:  "Keep On Loving You"

Righteous Brothers:  "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling"

Roxette:  "The Look"

Del Shannon:  "Runaway"

Simon & Garfunkel:  "The Sounds Of Silence"

Percy Sledge:  "When A Man Loves A Woman"

Sonny & Cher:  "I've Got You Babe"

Steppenwolf:  "Born To Be Wild"

Rod Stewart:  "Maggie May"

James Taylor:  "Fire and Rain"

Three Dog Night:  "One"

Zager & Evans:  "In the Year 2525"