A great opening track does the same thing as a lede in a news story: It grabs the listener’s attention and gives the rest of the album a purpose. Without a strong beginning, the rest of the album will undoubtedly sound incomplete.
The difference between a good album and a mediocre one is the order of the songs. But more importantly, the best albums have opening tracks that mark the beginning of a journey. An album is more than just an album: it tells a story. Opening tracks should sound like they belong at the beginning.
Opening tracks don’t need to be the best song on the album. They just have to stick with the listener. The first song on an album is the one the listener will hear the most. It sets the tone for the rest of the album.
Without “Wesley’s Theory,” Kendrick Lamar’s 2015 release To Pimp a Butterfly would thrust the listener into serious cultural criticisms without any prior warning. “Wesley’s Theory” begins with a needle dropping onto a crackling record. It fades into soft, sweet voices singing over a jazzy beat. The voices are then interrupted by Parliament Funkadelic’s George Clinton, who, along with Lamar, raps lyrics that are, comparative to the beginning, harsher and more critical.
By placing “Wesley’s Theory” at the beginning of To Pimp a Butterfly, Lamar effectively sets the tone for an important album, musically and culturally. The song gives To Pimp a Butterfly an outlet to be an outspoken concept album.
Although albums don’t necessarily need to tell one story, they should at least sound coordinated. Indie band Vampire Weekend’s third album Modern Vampires of the City begins with the song “Obvious Bicycle.” Its first lines are emotional but calm: “Morning’s come, you watch the red sun rise / The LED still flickers in your eyes / Oh, you ought to spare your face the razor / Because no one’s going to spare their time for you.”
Although the words themselves have little meaning, poetically, the lines set the standard for the rest of the album. Modern Vampires relies mostly on its lyrics, and “Obvious Bicycle” is no exception. It begins the album with the motif of a morning, as though “Obvious Bicycle” is the sunrise.
The same motif is heard on Father John Misty’s “Hangout at the Gallows,” which starts off his 2018 release God’s Favorite Customer. The song begins “Sun is rising / black is turning blue.”
The morning motif in both “Obvious Bicycle” and “Hangout at the Gallows” makes the album feel as though it’s a new beginning. The sun rising at the beginning of an album sets the stage for the rest of the album; it marks the fresh beginning of a new day and a new piece of music for both artists.
The beginning of an album is the most important part. It’s the song that sets the mood for the rest of the album and shows the listener what to expect. A strong opening track is one that creates an expectation for the rest of the album and convinces the listener that the album is worth their time.
Shelby Campbell is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Shelby know by tweeting her @bloodbuzzohioan.
