The two that come to mind for me are Uncle Tupelo's "Gun"-- I heard it, listened to it over and over for like 5 times, and then called my then-girlfriend and babbled into the phone about how I just heard a song so awesome it broke my brain-- and the Flaming Lips' "Fight Test." I'd somehow not had any Lips exposure until 2001, and a friend sent me a burned copy of Yoshimi. I still cherish that moment of oh fuuuuuuck yeah! when the low-end keyboards kick in.

Teenage Riot on Daydream Nation. Facet Squared on In on the Killtaker. Yellow Princess on Yellow Princess. Spectra Sonic Sound on 13-Point Program to Destroy America.

Duckstab-The Residents
It should just feel like a novelty record, but there's this anxiety underneath the whole thing that adds real depth. All that's there right from the opening notes of "Constantinople".

Gallowsbird Bark-The Fiery Furnaces

I bought this on a number of recommendations without having heard the band. "South" just blew me out of my seat and still does.

Blues and the Abstract Truth-Oliver Nelson

My jazz education still has lots of holes in it, but I feel like I can say that "Stolen Moments" is the epitome of cool, and creates an atmosphere that the rest of the album floats in and on.

Earthling-David Bowie

Okay this one has pretty much worn off, but "Little Wonder" is a damn good opener.

Oh hell yes to "Teenage Riot".

Too easy: Smells Like Teen Spirit. Winter 1991, was driving down Beacon Street in Boston with my girlfriend when it came on the radio. Awesome, incredible moment. It was a moment that rekindled my love for rock 'n' roll which had been long waning at that point.

Fever to Tell - Yeah Yeah Yeahs. "Rich".

Except it wasn't a shiver of awesomeness so much as an explosion.

Extra Width-The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion

What the fuck is "Afro" about? What the hell is he saying? Is that a theramin? Hey, there's no bass. SHIT, THIS IS AWESOME.

The Blasters' Hardline, starting off with "Trouble Bound." Every damned time I hear that opening "Trouble....trouble....trouble...," then the opening guitar riff, I get the chills. Every damned time, it takes me back to the spring of 1985, driving down Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, NC, windows down, radio turned up loud, hearing that song for the first time on the college radio station.

A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours - The Smiths

First track on Strangeways Here We Come. Sophmore in high school, I had borrowed the cassette from a friend. I can still remember what it did to me. I was growing up in central North Dakota in an absolute cultural and emotional wasteland. In an instant I saw a world in which complex thoughts and ethical ambiguity meant something other than "being a fag." I walked outside into the pouring rain and sat there drenched to the bone, feeling like my heart was going to burst with mixed terror and joy.

God, that was such a long time ago.

Guitar Town by Steve Earle. That opening title track blew me away and I carried a torch for Steve for many years after that. He's kind of an asshole now.

And, of course, Born in the USA. The Boss is still Teh Hawt.

Archie Shepp - Attica Blues (from Attica Blues)
Ras Michael and the Sons of Negus - None a Jah Jah Children No Cry (from Rastafari Dub)
LL Cool J - I'm Bad (from Bigger and Deffer)
8-Eyed Spy - Diddy Wah Diddy (from 8-Eyed Spy)
A Tribe Called Quest - Excursions (from The Low End Theory)
Wu-Tang Clan - Bring Da Ruckus (from Enter the 36 Chambers)
Massive Attack - Angel (from Mezzanine)
Eddie Def - A Very Furious Mixture of Noise (from Wax People)
RJD2 - The Horror (from Deadringer)
Blackalicious - Bow and Fire (from Blazing Arrow)
J-Live - First Things First (from All of the Above)
Nomo - Nu Tones (from New Tones)
Antibalas - Beaten Metal (from Security)

I could go on like this.

Twilight Singers, Blackberry Belle

What the fuck is "Afro" about? What the hell is he saying?

I was actually thinking of starting a thread some time about songs which are completely unintelligible...

Guitar Town by Steve Earle. That opening title track blew me away and I carried a torch for Steve for many years after that. He's kind of an asshole now.

Is he really? That sucks. I haven't heard any of his recent stuff, but his late-90s records provided a lot of nice highlights during my alt-country phase.

As well as providing two songs for the Talladega Nights soundtrack.

Just Like Honey - Jesus and Mary Chain (Psychocandy). Things weren't quite the same after that.
Only Shallow - My Bloody Valentine (Loveless). Things weren't quite the same after that.
Bring the Noise - Public Enemy (It Takes a Nation of Millions) Things weren't quite the same after that.
Straight Outta Compton - NWA (Straight Outta Compton) Things weren't quite the same after that.
Battery - Metallica (Master of Puppets) Things weren't quite the same after that.
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath (Black Sabbath) Things weren't quite the same after that.
Climactic Phase #3 - Seefeel (Quique) Things weren't quite the same after that.
Fuck the Pain Away - Peaches (Peaches) Things weren't quite the same after that.
Iron Galaxy - Cannibal Ox (The Cold Vein) Things weren't quite the same after that.
1969 - The Stooges (The Stooges) Things weren't quite the same after that.
Ghost Rider - Siucide (Suicide) Things weren't quite the same after that.

I have to stop, otherwise I'd go on and on...

Is Steve Earle a jerk? He's been one of the most outspoken critics of the Bush administration in American pop culture, and I reckon his stuff has a better chance of getting heard in the pickup trucks of red-state amurrica than most.

And although it's the second track after an intro-y feeling first, "Home to Houston" on Earle's The Revolution Starts Now is a killer kick-off to a great album.

I don't have Home to Houston handy, so here's one by The Starkweathers instead.

Bjork's Post sprang immediately to mind. "Army of Me" is a hell of a way to start an album.

Also: the first track is the key element here, is it not?

He's kind of an asshole now.

Can you explain this to me? I have met Mr. Earle on a handful of occasions and he's never been less than a gentleman in any one of those.

He was good on The Wire.

And I'd be honored to meet him. He seems great, wears his heart on his sleeve, helps people out.

Wilco is on Letterman tonight. To answer the question, Faith No More - "Land of Sunshine" from Angel Dust.

Ghost Rider is a good pick.

Aside from that:

Khalid of Space pt. 1— Larry Young (Khalid Yassin, depending on the pressing).
Folks who were in my first Monkeyfilter mix exchange got this as the first track on that (which, for the record, is still a pretty damn awesome mix. I was reppin' Nomo when they were still local only, Box [and if you'll forgive a second digression, the guitarist for The Avatars and about six million other local bands goes by Box, so I always think of him]).

Africa— John Coltrane. Now, sure, yeah, the brass is what we came for, but that warm buum-buum bass is right there and it's so damn resonant, it makes my whole body notice.

Everything Hits At Once— Spoon. I'm not sure how to explain this one. Just gets me. Still tied up with a bad relationship and she stole my copy, so I never get to hear it anymore.

99th Dream - Swervedriver

Not their best album, but this song PLUS the uncanny and sick way the guitars are mixed with both edge, drive and mellow, still gives me goosebumps a little bit.

The Death and Resurrection Show - Killing Joke

It delivers what it promises.

Second a few of these.

My Bloody Valentine's "Only Shallow" and Negativland's "Announcement/Quiet Please"* were both album openers which made everybody in the room drop whatever they were doing and give their undivided attention. Both are albums the world still hasn't caught up with, in some ways.

"Djed" by Tortoise. This hasn't held up as well as Tortoise's later work, but it got me at the right time and place.

And I have to second a surprising number of other songs in this thread.

*Actually two tracks, but "Announcement" is a setup for "Quiet Please", and they're pieces of a whole.