10) "Smells Like Teen Spirit," Nirvana, Nevermind
With this crushing opener to 1991’s Nevermind. Nirvana defined alternative rock music in the ‘90s, began a label feeding frenzy in the Pacific Northwest and elevated Kurt Cobain to god-like status.

9) "Start Me Up," Rolling Stones, Tattoo You
How could they not have started a record with a title like that? Not only did it start up 1980’s Tattoo You, it’s started up most every sporting event since it was recorded. Keith Richards’ opening guitar riff is just made to start things.

8) "Speak to Me/ Breathe," Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon
The 1973 prelude to one of the most epic albums of all time mixes heartbeats, ticking clocks, snippets of conversation, and a woman wailing to conjure the sense of greed, aging and insanity weaving through Roger Waters’ lyrics. Laser light shows might not exist without this one.

7) "Bat out of Hell," Meat Loaf, Bat out of Hell
Rock, opera and musical theater—three epic art forms—found a single messenger in one portly, sweating beast and one florid writer, Jim Steinman. This epic opens not just an album, but a franchise that includes Bat Out of Hell, Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell and Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose.

6) "Baba O’Riley," The Who, Who’s Next
Back when “epic” was another word for “normal,” the Who ruled with fists of steel. Originally written for a rock opera that was to follow up 1969’s Tommy, guitarist Pete Townshend’s idea was to input the philosophy of Meher Baba into a synthesizer and play it in the style of minimalist composer Terry Riley. The crazy violin part at the end was drummer Keith Moon’s idea.

5) "Runnin with the Devil," Van Halen, Van Halen
The opening sound of this 1978 debut is the band members’ car horns linked together with a battery. From there, each Eddie Van Halen solo and David Lee Roth growl (opening lyric: “I live my life like there’s no tomorrow”) is a revelation.

4) "Don’t Stop Believin’," Journey, Escape
A signature song for both the band and the subgenre known as the “Power Ballad,” this “boy meets girl, girl is hot, guitar solo shreds, singer wails like a chick” tale has been adopted by politicians (Hilary Clinton), sports teams (Chicago White Sox, L.A. Dodgers, etc.)… and the finale of the HBO drama, The Sopranos.

3) "Immigrant Song," Led Zeppelin, Zeppelin III
Written while on tour in Iceland (literally, “the land of the ice and snow”) in 1970, this opener is sung—no, wailed -- from the perspective of Vikings who vow: “The hammer of the gods/will drive our ships to new lands.”

2) "Welcome to the Jungle," Guns N' Roses, Appetite for Destruction
Roaring out of the L.A. club scene, G’n’effin’R kicked off their 1987 debut with howled police sirens and a raw invitation to life seen through lead singer/trainwreck Axl Rose’s eyes. For the hair metal dandies that ruled the charts at the time, this must have sounded like a good moment to update their resumes.

1) "Hells Bells," AC/DC, Back in Black
Few bands survive the death of a lead singer, and none have survived the way AC/DC did. With each BONG that opens their 1980 masterpiece, the anticipation ratchets up before heaving you into one of the greatest rock albums ever made.

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