Soft Machine are one of the most important and influential bands in British music — founders of the Canterbury scene and pioneers who steered rock toward jazz. Formed in 1966, they began as a witty, inventive psychedelic band and evolved into a groundbreaking jazz-rock and fusion outfit, reinventing themselves over and over through a famously revolving line-up. Their reach extends across decades of progressive and fusion music. Here is our fellow fan’s ranking of their classic studio run.

The short version

For the heart of Soft Machine, start with Third, Volume Two, Fourth, The Soft Machine and Bundles. Between them they hold the band’s landmark masterpiece and the best of both its psychedelic and jazz-rock eras. The full ranking is below.

Founders of Canterbury

Soft Machine sit at the very source of the Canterbury scene — that loose, jazz-tinged corner of British prog — and few bands evolved as far or as fast. They began as a witty psychedelic outfit, with Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers and Daevid Allen among the founders, before turning decisively toward instrumental jazz-rock. The personnel changed almost constantly, and the music with it, but the spirit of fearless invention never wavered. A word for newcomers: their early albums have songs and vocals, but from Fourth onward they are largely instrumental jazz — demanding, rewarding music rather than easy listening. Their world connects directly to peers like Caravan and Gong.

How we ranked them

This is one fan’s order, weighing invention, influence and how each album has aged across a restless evolution. The facts are accurate; the order is a starting point for the debate — and which Soft Machine you love may depend on whether you came for the songs or the solos.

The essential five

At the summit sits Third (1970), their masterpiece and a landmark of jazz-rock — a sprawling double album crowned by Wyatt’s epic “Moon in June”. Volume Two (1969) is the witty, inventive bridge from psychedelia to jazz, and Fourth (1971) is the bold first step into fully instrumental territory. The self-titled debut The Soft Machine (1968) is a psychedelic classic in its own right, and Bundles (1975), featuring the dazzling guitar of Allan Holdsworth, is the high point of their later fusion era.

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Reliably great

The next tier rewards exploration. Fifth (1972) continues the instrumental jazz-rock of “Fourth” with real fire; Six (1973) pairs a live disc with a studio one to fascinating effect. Seven (1973) is a sleek, accomplished set from the band’s busy mid-70s fusion period.

For completists

Two later albums sit lower for most listeners. Softs (1976) is a capable fusion record made after Holdsworth’s departure, and Land of Cockayne (1981), their final album, is a polished, session-heavy affair that many feel lacks the band’s old fire. Both have their moments, but neither is where newcomers should begin.

The classic studio run, in order

The classic studio run, 1968–1981, in chronological order; later live and reunion albums sit outside this selection. Click through to the full write-up on any record.

Where to start

Begin with Third — their masterpiece and one of the defining albums of jazz-rock, the perfect distillation of their adventurous spirit. From there, Volume Two and the debut The Soft Machine show their earlier, song-based side, while Fourth opens the door to their instrumental world.

Prefer to own them? Find these on Amazon: Third · Volume Two · The Soft Machine · Fourth

The players

Soft Machine were defined by change. Among the founders were drummer-singer Robert Wyatt, bassist-singer Kevin Ayers and guitarist Daevid Allen, who soon left to form Gong. Keyboardist Mike Ratledge anchored the early years, and over time the band drew in players such as bassist Hugh Hopper, saxophonist Elton Dean, drummer John Marshall and keyboardist Karl Jenkins, later famous as a composer. Many of the gifted musicians who passed through its ranks have since died, but their contributions echo on through the band’s enduring influence.

Why they still matter

Soft Machine helped invent a whole strand of progressive rock — the jazz-infused Canterbury sound — and pushed rock toward jazz with a daring few have matched. Alongside Canterbury kin like Caravan and Gong, and through the solo work of members like Robert Wyatt, they shaped the adventurous edge of British music — and in “Third” they left a true landmark of the form.

Go deeper

Keep exploring: read about the best Soft Machine songs, see every Soft Machine album in order, find your way in with our where-to-start-with-Soft-Machine guide, or dig up the most underrated Soft Machine 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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