Eloy are Germany’s great cosmic prog band. Formed in 1969 and led for over fifty years by guitarist Frank Bornemann, they built spacey, symphonic, deeply atmospheric concept albums that made them the best-selling German rock act of the 1970s. Here is our fellow fan’s ranking of their finest songs.

The short version

If you only hear a few, make them “Poseidon’s Creation”, “The Apocalypse”, “Incarnation of Logos” and “Pilot to Paradise” — the majestic opener of their masterpiece, a fifteen-minute cosmic epic, an Ocean highlight and their most distinctive single moment. The full ranking is below.

Cosmic prog from Hannover

Eloy took their name from the future human race in H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine, and spent their career gazing at the stars. Formed in 1969 in Hannover and led throughout by guitarist Frank Bornemann — the band’s one constant — they began as a hard-rock outfit before drifting into the spacey, symphonic prog that became their signature. Often likened to Pink Floyd but with a cosmic grandeur all their own, they built sweeping concept albums around vast keyboard atmospheres and Bornemann’s soaring guitar. Their masterpieces, 1977’s Ocean — the story of the fall of Atlantis — and 1979’s Silent Cries and Mighty Echoes made them the best-selling German band of their era. These fifteen songs are the best.

How we ranked them

This is one fan’s order, weighing atmosphere, ambition, those vast keyboard-and-guitar soundscapes and lasting impact. The facts are accurate; the order is a starting point for the debate.

The essential six

At the very top sits “Poseidon’s Creation” (1977), the majestic, mellotron-drenched opener of Ocean and the gateway to their whole cosmic world. With it: “The Apocalypse” (1979), a fifteen-minute epic in three movements; “Incarnation of Logos” (1977), a soaring Ocean centrepiece; “Pilot to Paradise” (1979), their most original and propulsive single moment; “Master of Sensation” (1979), all driving rhythm and vocal hooks; and the twenty-minute closing epic “Atlantis’ Agony” (1977), the dramatic finale of the Atlantis saga.

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Reliably great

The next tier is essential too. “Decay of the Logos” (1977) is the most violent, apocalyptic movement of Ocean; “Mighty Echoes” (1979) closes its album on a slow, bluesy groove; “Mutiny” (1975) is the spacey highlight of their first concept album; “De Labore Solis” (1979) is a gorgeous, Floyd-tinged piece; and “Inside” (1973) is the side-long epic that first established their sound.

Deeper cuts

For the dedicated, these reward repeat listens. “Love Over Six Centuries” (1975) is Eloy at their spacey, melodic best; “The Dance in Doubt and Fear” (1976) is a highlight of the underrated Dawn; “The Bells of Notre Dame” (1975) builds from languid mellotron to a stirring crescendo; and “Gliding Into Light and Knowledge” (1976) is a lovely passage from their first reformed-lineup album.

Every song at a glance

All fifteen songs, in chronological order — each linked to the album it comes from, so you can hear it in context.

Where to start

Begin with “Poseidon’s Creation” and the whole of Ocean, then Silent Cries and Mighty Echoes — their two essential albums. From there, Dawn and Power and the Passion reward exploration, while the early Floating and the 1980s sci-fi concept albums Colours, Planets and Time to Turn show other sides of the band.

The players

Eloy were always Frank Bornemann’s band — guitarist, singer, producer and the one constant across more than fifty years and many line-ups. Their golden era was defined by the quartet that made Dawn, Ocean and Silent Cries and Mighty Echoes: bassist Klaus-Peter Matziol, keyboardist Detlev Schmidtchen, whose vast synths and mellotrons built the band’s cosmic atmospheres, and drummer Jürgen Rosenthal (once of the Scorpions), who also wrote the concept lyrics. Over the decades the cast around Bornemann changed many times, but his soaring guitar and the band’s spacey grandeur remained.

Why they still matter

Eloy showed that the progressive rock spirit translated brilliantly to German soil. Often compared to Pink Floyd but kindred spirits of fellow Germans Grobschnitt, Novalis and Jane, they built a cosmic, symphonic sound that was unmistakably their own. Decades on, Ocean and Silent Cries and Mighty Echoes remain pillars of the German prog scene — and gateways for anyone exploring it.

Go deeper

Keep exploring: rank their records with our guide to the best Eloy albums, find an entry point with where to start with Eloy, or dig into the underrated Eloy albums. You can also place them in the bigger picture with the best progressive rock songs of all time.

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