I've always felt that nothing gets you into the mood of an album like a good opening track. It doesn't have to be particularly sophisticated for me to like it, but I feel it should set the mood of the album.

A good one to look at is "Wanna Be Startin Somethin" on Michael Jackson's Thriller. This to me is the perfect opening song - it reflects the mood, tone and genre of the album perfectly. It's a funky post-disco song which really gets you into the groovy nature of the album.

Other good examples of album openers in my opinion:

"Nikes" from Frank Ocean's album Blonde

The title track of Marvin Gaye's What's Going On

Come Back To Earth from Mac Miller's Swimming

Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana

Now, a lackluster opening track doesn't necessarily constitute a bad album but it can make a good album even better. If I hear what I would subjectively consider to be a boring opener, I'm unlikely to finish the album.

Not all openers have to be energetic either in my opinion. Some of the best are instead quiet and laid back, such as Radiohead's "Everything In Its Right Place" from Kid A.

Anyone share my opinion on this point, or willing to discuss further? Be really good to get a conversation going.