Marquee Moon is the debut album by American rock band Television. It was released on February 8, 1977, in the United States and on March 4 of the same year in the United Kingdom, where it became an unexpected success, peaking at number 28 on the country’s album charts. The album’s two singles, the title track and “Prove It”, both reached the UK Top 30. The album’s commercial success in the UK was partly fueled by Nick Kent’s review of the album in NME magazine.

In the years leading up to the album, Television had been prominent in the New York music scene and had attracted the attention of a number of record labels, eventually signing with Elektra Records. The band rehearsed extensively in preparation for Marquee Moon before recording it at A & R Recording Studios in September 1976. It was produced by frontman Tom Verlaine and engineer Andy Johns.

For Marquee Moon, Verlaine and his guitarist friend Richard Lloyd abandoned the modern punk rock chords in favor of some interwoven and jazz-inspired melodic lines and counter-melodies. Verlaine’s lyrics combined urban and bucolic imagery, with references to Lower Manhattan, themes of adolescence, and influences from French poetry. He also used wordplay and a sophisticated composition to give his songs an impressionistic quality, describing his perception of an experience.

Marquee Moon was widely acclaimed and critically applauded as an original musical development in rock music. Critical acclaim helped the album achieve unexpected commercial success in the United Kingdom, despite poor sales in the United States. Among the most well-known music releases in history, it has consistently appeared on top album lists, including Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2003, where it was ranked 128th.

Marquee Moon is also a seminal alternative rock album, as Television’s innovative post-punk instrumentation on the album strongly influenced the new wave and indie rock movements of the 1980s, and rock guitar playing in general. Although not a concept album, many of its songs make geographical references to Lower Manhattan. According to Spin magazine, the album is based on urban mythology. Verlaine brought “a sentimental romanticism, making legends that escape the simple.” The lyrics also incorporate maritime imagery, such as the odd “nice little boat from the ocean” in “See No Evil,” the seaside setting in “Elevation,” maritime metaphors in “Guiding Light,” and references to docks, caves, and waves in “Prove It.”

From this groundbreaking album I select the eponymous Marquee Moon.
 
Tracklist

1. See No Evil 3:56
2. Venus 3:48
3. Friction 4:43
4. Marquee Moon 9:58
5. Elevation 5:08
6. Guiding Light 5:36
7. Prove It 5:04
8. Torn Curtain 7:00