My Top 10 Album Title Tracks

Album title tracks can be a hit or miss. Sometimes, the title track could be the best song on the album. The title track could also be the worst song on the album. Other times, the title track could be decent, but not great. Take the title track from AC/DC’s Ballbreaker (1995) album as an example. It’s not a horrible song, but there are far better tracks on the album than that.

Taking all of that into consideration, I’ve selected 10 album title tracks from my collection that I believe are excellent. I’m only including rock songs because it’d be a confusing list if I included pop songs, as well. Without further ado, let’s get on with the music!

10. “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” by Black Sabbath, from Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)

I think Ozzy Osbourne’s vocals are incredible in “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.” Unfortunately, he can’t hit those high notes anymore, but at least we have the studio version to go back to over and over again. The song also has a juicy bass line, which I didn’t even notice until I started working on this post. Every time I listen to “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,” I hear something new every time. Everything from the heavy guitar riff, Osbourne’s vocals, the groove, and the bass line is totally epic! 

9. “Slide It In” by Whitesnake, from Slide It In (1984)

It’s been a long while since I listened to Whitesnake’s Slide It In (1984) album, but I should check it out again because the title track freaking rocks! I’m not a fan of David Coverdale’s lyrics because of the sexual innuendos, but the lyrics in “Slide It In” don’t really bother me. The good outweighs the bad. It’s another one of those great, bombastic, and fun-loving ‘80s rock tracks. Also, Cozy Powell played drums on the Slide It In album and what a fine drummer he was. 

8. “Let It Bleed” by The Rolling Stones, from Let It Bleed (1969)

Speaking of fine drummers, Charlie Watts made The Rolling Stones’ music swing. There’s a lot of groove and swing in “Let It Bleed,” which I dig a lot. There’s also a great keyboard part, which blends nicely with a bluesy guitar riff. I’ll admit, I used to think that pianos/keyboards and rock music shouldn’t go together, but songs like “Let It Bleed” proved me wrong. Mick Jagger isn’t even a great singer, but his charisma and charm make up for it.

7. “The Years of Decay” by Overkill, from The Years of Decay (1989)

As mentioned in my 10 Songs to Get You Into the Spooky Season 2022 post, I never considered myself a fan of thrash metal before. However, I was stressed out from the Disney College Program, one thing led to another, and then I became a fan of Overkill. Besides a killer album cover, The Years of Decay album title track is amazing. It’s an eight minute long epic with acoustic guitars (for the most part), stripped down vocals from Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth, and storytelling lyrics about life slipping away at the seams. At least, that’s how I interpret the lyrics. I love the emotive guitar solo in “The Years of Decay” too. 

6. “By Your Side” by The Black Crowes, from By Your Side (1999)

If you’ve read Steve Gorman’s Hard to Handle: The Life and Death of The Black Crowes book, you’d know that Columbia, the band’s record label at the time, did not care about them, which is why By Your Side did poorly on the charts. Such a shame, though, because there’s not a bad song on the album. The title track, for example, has an amazing bluesy guitar riff, the gospel backing vocals are incredible, it’s got a good groove to it, and the lyrics are uplifting. Whenever you’re feeling down and think the world is against you, just blast “By Your Side” through the speakers and it’ll make the pain go away! Also, Rich Robinson did all of the guitar parts for the album, so props to him for that.

5. “Slave to the Grind” by Skid Row, from Slave to the Grind (1991)

I was torn between “Slave to the Grind” and “Subhuman Race,” but ultimately went with the former because it kicks butt! It’s very intense and fast-paced; quite a contrast from Skid Row’s debut studio album two years earlier. In my opinion, “Slave to the Grind” is for all the misfits that feel like they don’t belong in the world. It’s a scarier and more intense version of “By Your Side.” Ok, maybe I shouldn’t go there. But seriously, the guitar riff is so heavy and Sebastian Bach sings like he’s about to rip someone’s head off, and I love it. 

4. “Flick of the Switch” by AC/DC, from Flick of the Switch (1983)

I have fond memories of “Flick of the Switch” because I used to listen to it on Spotify while walking around my neighborhood during the COVID-19 lockdowns. The music video is fascinating to watch because the camera zooms in on Malcolm Young’s fingers as he’s playing the main riff and his fingers move pretty fast. I am obsessed with that guitar riff because it sounds so cool! Flick of the Switch is another one of those underrated albums that doesn’t have a bad song and Brian Johnson could still sing at the time.

3. “Stranger in This Town” by Richie Sambora, from Stranger in This Town (1991)

As mentioned in My Top 10 Richie Sambora Songs post, the song’s lyrics really speak to me because I’ve always felt like an outsider and it’s comforting to know that someone else knows what I’m going through. Sambora is an incredible musician, lyricist, and vocalist, and I’m not sure if he got the credit he deserved. It’s not easy being in Jon Bon Jovi’s shadow, after all. But you know what, Sambora did what he had to do to survive until he couldn’t take it anymore. 

2. “Call to Arms” by Saxon, from Call to Arms (2011)

I’ve only owned Call to Arms for less than a year, but I instantly fell in love with the title track. The lyrics tell a tragic story about a soldier fighting in the war and trying to stay alive so that he could reunite with his loved ones. The guitars, percussion, bass guitar, and Biff Byford’s heartfelt vocals bring the tragedy to life. It’s an epic masterpiece, but thankfully, it’s four and a half minutes long, which is bearable. I almost picked “Battering Ram,” but “Call to Arms” is more laid-back and orchestrated, which I’m not used to from Saxon, and yet, I love it!

1. “Hysteria” by Def Leppard, from Hysteria (1987)

“Hysteria” is such a basic number one pick because Def Leppard is my favorite band ever, but you know what, we’re going with it! I can’t help but think of Steve Clark when it comes on, especially while watching live clips of the band in recent years with the screens showing old footage of them. It’s very sad, but at least Clark was a part of that legacy for a short time. I’ve heard “Hysteria” a million times at this point, but surprisingly, I still enjoy the song. The chorus is insanely catchy, the guitar melodies are brilliant, and the harmonies are spot on. It’s not one of my favorite Def Leppard songs ever, but it’s still great and it has stood the test of time.

There you have it, people! Those are my top 10 album title tracks. It was hard putting this list together because I underestimated how many albums I had with title tracks. Then again, that’s not a bad thing because it means that I have a decent album collection. A few honorable mentions are Judas Priest’s “Painkiller,” Metallica’s “Ride the Lightning,” Foreigner’s “Double Vision,” and Todd La Torre’s “Rejoice in the Suffering.”

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Comment below some of your favorite album title tracks!

Take care and see ya real soon!

Lana