Renaissance were one of the most distinctive bands British prog produced — a group that put classical music, full orchestral arrangements and folk at the centre of their sound, all crowned by the extraordinary five-octave soprano of Annie Haslam. Elegant, melodic and unlike anyone else, they made some of the genre’s most beautiful music. Here is our fellow fan’s ranking of their classic era.

The short version

For the heart of Renaissance, start with Scheherazade and Other Stories, Turn of the Cards, Ashes Are Burning, A Song for All Seasons and Prologue. Between them they hold the band’s masterpiece, its classic symphonic peaks and its biggest hit. The full ranking is below.

Classical grandeur and a soaring voice

Renaissance began in 1969 as a folk-rock outfit founded by former Yardbirds Keith Relf and Jim McCarty, but it was a wholly new lineup — gathered around Haslam and composer Michael Dunford from 1972’s Prologue onward — that became the classic Renaissance: lush, orchestral and built on direct classical influences. Kindred spirits to the likes of Curved Air and Barclay James Harvest, they were a quietly great band, album after album. A note on the catalogue: the nine albums here are their classic 1969–1979 era, with an early-1980s synth-pop turn and later reunions beyond.

How we ranked them

This is one fan’s order, weighing songwriting, beauty and ambition — and weighing the classic Haslam-era albums above the band’s very different beginnings. The facts are accurate; the order is a starting point for the debate.

The essential five

At the summit sits Scheherazade and Other Stories (1975), their masterpiece, built around the twenty-four-minute orchestral “Song of Scheherazade”. Turn of the Cards (1974) is a dark, dramatic classic-era peak, and Ashes Are Burning (1973) was the breakthrough, home to the beloved “Carpet of the Sun” and its soaring title track. A Song for All Seasons (1978) brought their commercial high point in the hit “Northern Lights”, and Prologue (1972) is where the classic symphonic Renaissance truly began.

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Reliably great

The next tier is lovely too. Novella (1977) is a rich, orchestral set very much in the classic mould, and Azure d’Or (1979) is the lighter, more synth-driven album that closed the era — more divisive than its predecessors, but with real charm.

For completists

Two early albums sit apart. The self-titled Renaissance (1969) and Illusion (1971) are the work of the original Relf–McCarty lineup — folk-rock rather than the symphonic sound to come, and a genuinely different band. Historically fascinating, but not where newcomers should begin.

The classic era, in order

Their classic era, 1969–1979, in chronological order — the first two albums from the original lineup, the rest the classic Haslam-led group. Click through to the full write-up on any record.

Where to start

Begin with Scheherazade and Other Stories — their crowning achievement, and the fullest expression of their orchestral ambition and Haslam’s remarkable voice. From there, Ashes Are Burning is the accessible breakthrough, and Turn of the Cards shows their classic sound at full strength.

The players

The classic Renaissance was a five-piece of rare chemistry: Annie Haslam, whose soaring, operatic soprano was the band’s signature; composer and guitarist Michael Dunford, the guiding creative force; John Tout, whose piano supplied the classical heart; Jon Camp, whose melodic bass was unusually prominent; and drummer Terence Sullivan, with lyrics from the Cornish poet Betty Thatcher. Of that classic line-up, only Annie Haslam survives today — Dunford, Tout, Camp and Sullivan have all since passed away, the last of them in 2026 — but she continues to carry the band’s name and music forward.

Why they still matter

Renaissance carved out a corner of progressive rock all their own — less flashy than their famous peers, but matchless in elegance, melody and orchestral beauty. Haslam’s voice remains one of the genre’s glories, and alongside classically-minded kindred like Curved Air and The Moody Blues, they proved how gracefully rock and the classical tradition could meet. Their best albums have aged beautifully.

Go deeper

Keep exploring: read about the best Renaissance songs, find your way in with our where-to-start-with-Renaissance guide, or dig up the most underrated Renaissance albums. You can also place them in the bigger picture with our list of the best progressive rock albums of all time.

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