Just to quibble a bit but the side one opener for Are you Experienced is "Purple Haze" which definitely belongs on this list. Maybe a special award for this album for having great openers on sides one and two.

Surprising missing is "Revival" from Idlewild South.

Other favs

Break on Through- the Doors
I Feel Free- Cream's Fresh Cream
Sweet Jane- Lou Reed's Rock 'n Roll Animal
Don't Want You No More- ABB
Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad- D&D's In Concert (predecessor of Live at the Fillmore and with different opener)
Statesboro- AFE
Rocks Off- Stones' Exile on Main Street
Subterranean Homesick Blues- Dylan's Bringing It All Back Home (in retrospect maybe the greatest groundbreaker of the era)

Good call- Purple Haze was indeed track one. I made the same mistake with Zep, Your Time is Gonna Come. It is because I got so used to spinning side 2 first I eventually thought it was side 1.

Back in the USSR Beatles White
Stateboro LATFE
Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band
You Know what I Mean Jeff Beck Blow by Blow

Mississipi Queen - Was that Cimbing or AvLanche?
Glad- Barleycorn
Take the Highway - Marshall Tucker

This thread is insane

[Edited on 12/25/2016 by BrerRabbit]

"It's really been a gas...", The one that jumped out initially was Humble Pie's Rockin' The Fillmore opener Four Day Creep.

Sold Me Down The River by the Alarm.

Lots of good ones listed here.

I'll add that I always really liked how Blackened led off the Justice Metallica album, the slowly fading in soft intro then boom!

And I'll put this one since when I play Help On the Way on the Juke Box I always pay to play the opening track on One From the Vault as Bill Graham introduces the Grateful Dead while they tune up (or is it jams up?) and right into Help On the Way. Love it.

And Who Knows from Band of Gypsys

DOIN' FINE
Kicks off Savoy Brown's Hellbound Train album -- piano

Lots of great selections everyone! Heck, we could make an "Opening Track" box set and make a mint with all of these. Time to spin a few.