While my appreciation level for these songs has changed a lot over the years, based on the first time I heard them, here is how I would rank the first singles off each studio album:

1. Alive*
2. Who You Are
3. The Fixer
4. Go
5. I Am Mine
6. Given To Fly
7. STBC
8. WWS
9. NAIS

* The first time I heard Alive, I was instantly hooked on PJ for life, so this has to be my #1.

1. Given To Fly
2. Nothing as it seems
3. I Am Mine
4. Alive
5. Who You Are
6. Spin The Black Circle
7. World Wide Suicide
8. Go
9. The Fixer

Given To Fly
NAIS
STBC
Who You Are
Alive
I Am Mine
Go
WWS
The Fixer

1. Alive
2. Given To Fly
3. STBC
4. Go
5. I Am Mine
6. NAIS
7. Who You Are*
8. WWS
9. The Fixer

to me Hail Hail was the first i heard of No Code, so i would put that a lot higher, though WHo You Are has grown on me a lot.

wasn't animal the first vs. single

I'm not counting Alive in here since I heard Ten before I really knew any indivudal songs on it. And I don't remember my reaction to the vs. single

World Wide Suicide
Given To Fly
I Am Mine
The Fixer
Spin The Black Circle
Who You Are
NAIS

1. Given To Fly
2. I Am Mine
3. Nothing as it Seems
4. Alive
5. Who You Are
6. Spin The Black Circle
7. Go
8. World Wide Suicide
9. The Fixer

From the Wiki page:

Sample of "Go", the first single released from the album. The song's main guitar riff was written by Abbruzzese.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vs._(album)

I bet most people in here had the same reaction to The fixer that they had to every single in the past 5-6 years, DIFFERENT MEANS BAD!... Ridiculous.

1. Nothing as it Seems
2. WWS
3. Given to Fly
4. Who You Are
5. I am Mine
6. The Fixer

I became a fan after the release of Vitalogy (My 1st Compact Disc) so i can't give an impression on the first singles as they came out before that.

I think The Fixer is the first single I've heard from them. Maybe WWS too but I don't remember.

I'm not sure if I'm really ranking these on initial gut reaction. I may be ranking some of them on an evolved opinion over time.

1. Spin the Black Circle
2. Go
3. Given To Fly
4. Alive
5. I Am Mine
6. The Fixer
7. World Wide Suicide
8. Nothing as it Seems
9. Who You Are

other than the happiness factor, how is it different musically?

Alive
Given To Fly
I Am Mine
Go
STBC
Who You Are
NAIS
WWS
Fixer

I should give The Fixer a little time though. I guess it could rise a spot or two, but who knows...

Starting with Vs.

Go
Given to Fly
Spin the Black Circle
Nothing As It Seems
World Wide Suicide
Who You Are
I Am Mine

Go & Given to Fly are the only great lead singles IMO. At least on the first few listens. I actually love NAIS now, but that took a few years. I enjoy both Who You Are and I Am Mine, although neither is a real favorite.

Haven't heard "The Fixer" yet.

Of the ones i heard before the album:

1.I Am Mine
2.The Fixer
3.Go
4.WWS
5.NAIS
6.Who You Are

Given To Fly
Alive
I Am Mine
Animal
Spin The Black Circle
Worldwide Suicide
Nothing As It Seems
Who You Are
The Fixer

To be fair, it's entirely possible The Fixer could improve for me a great deal. It's happened with many other songs and singles, and I've only had it for a few hours now.

Given to Fly
Alive
I Am Mine
WWS
The Fixer
Go (it's a 10 live, but the studio version lacks something)
Spin the Black Circle
Who You Are
Nothing as it Seems

Again, just for the record, Animal was not the first single from Vs.

Only first time I heard them counts? Didn't like Ten when it came out. But by the time Vs was released I was almost a fan, and shortly afterwards they became my favourite band. Don't remember what it was like to listen to Go the first time though, so will have to guess.

1. NAIS
2. Given To Fly
3. I Am Mine
4. The Fixer
5. STBC
6. Go
7. WWS
8. Who You Are
9. Alive

Now I would rate them

1. Given To Fly
2. NAIS
3. Who You Are
4. Alive
5. I Am Mine
6. Go
7. STBC
8. The Fixer
9. WWS

That period was a bit of a clusterfuck, which is why it was confusing. Since they didn't have a video for the album, MTV put the VMA performance of "Animal" into heavy rotation leading up to the album's release. If I'm not mistaken, I believe some radio stations played that as well. (A cassette copy of that performance was included in some editions of the "Go" CD single.)

Sadly, I don't even remember hearing "Go" on the radio, though it's obvious that it was played. I listened to that MTV performance of "Animal" much more leading up to the album's release (and was modestly disappointed with the album version as a result).