Soft Machine are the most influential band the Canterbury scene ever produced. Formed in 1966 and named after a William Burroughs novel, they began as psychedelic rock — touring America with Jimi Hendrix — before evolving into pioneering British jazz-rock fusion, seeding an entire family tree of bands along the way. Here is our fellow fan’s ranking of their finest songs.

The short version

If you only hear a few, make them “Moon in June”, “Hope for Happiness”, “Facelift” and “Slightly All the Time” — Robert Wyatt’s sprawling psychedelic epic, the dreamy debut opener, and two of the jazz-rock suites that made Third a landmark. The full ranking is below.

The band that grew the Canterbury family tree

Soft Machine are the great originators of the Canterbury scene — the band from which a whole family tree of English jazz-rock grew. Formed in 1966 from the ashes of The Wilde Flowers and named after a William Burroughs novel, they began as a wildly inventive psychedelic group (touring the States with Jimi Hendrix, who was a fan) before drifting, album by album, into pioneering jazz-rock fusion. Across more than thirty line-up changes, they moved from Robert Wyatt’s surreal psychedelic vocal pieces to dense, improvisational instrumentals built on Mike Ratledge’s fuzz organ and a rotating cast of brilliant players. Restless, uncompromising and hugely influential, they helped invent both progressive rock and British jazz-rock. These fifteen songs are the best.

How we ranked them

This is one fan’s order, weighing invention, influence, those restless shifts between psychedelia and jazz, and lasting importance. The facts are accurate; the order is a starting point for the debate.

The essential six

At the very top sits “Moon in June” (1970), Robert Wyatt’s nineteen-minute psychedelic epic — his last vocal piece with the band and one of the scene’s defining moments. With it: “Hope for Happiness” (1968), the dreamy, complex opener of their debut; “Facelift” (1970), Hugh Hopper’s seething, fuzz-drenched album-opener; “Slightly All the Time” (1970), an elegant jazz-rock suite; “Hibou, Anemone and Bear” (1969), the turning point where the band drifted into jazz; and “Out-Bloody-Rageous” (1970), Mike Ratledge’s hypnotic, minimalism-inspired centrepiece.

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Reliably great

The next tier is essential too. “Why Are We Sleeping?” (1968) is Kevin Ayers’ menacing psychedelic gem; “A Certain Kind” (1968) is a tender, soulful early ballad; “Hazard Profile” (1975) is a blazing nineteen-minute fusion showcase for new guitarist Allan Holdsworth; “Teeth” (1971) is a fierce highlight of their first all-instrumental album; and “Chloe and the Pirates” (1973) is one of their most beautiful later pieces.

Deeper cuts

For the dedicated, these reward repeat listens. “Esther’s Nose Job” (1969) is the sprawling jazz-rock suite that closes their second album; “All White” (1972) is a tight, propulsive fusion cut; “The Tale of Taliesin” (1976) is a melodic highlight of the later, guitar-led era; and “Nettle Bed” (1973) is the driving opener of their seventh 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 “Moon in June” and the whole of Third, their transitional masterpiece, then the psychedelic debut The Soft Machine. From there, Volume Two and the jazz-rock run from Fourth to Bundles reward exploration, while the later Softs and Land of Cockayne show the band’s final forms.

The players

Soft Machine grew from four Canterbury friends: drummer-singer Robert Wyatt, whose high, fragile voice defined their early work; bassist Kevin Ayers; guitarist Daevid Allen, who would soon found Gong; and keyboardist Mike Ratledge, the constant of their first decade. After Ayers and Allen departed, bassist Hugh Hopper and saxophonist Elton Dean drove the turn to jazz; later years brought keyboardist Karl Jenkins, drummer John Marshall and guitarists Allan Holdsworth and John Etheridge, among some thirty members in all. Several of those alumni have since died, including founders Kevin Ayers and Daevid Allen and classic-era players Hugh Hopper and Elton Dean.

Why they still matter

Soft Machine effectively invented two genres at once — helping shape progressive rock while pioneering British jazz-rock fusion. They were the seed of the whole Canterbury family tree, standing alongside Caravan at its root — the scene that also produced Gong, Hatfield and the North and National Health. Decades on, Third and the psychedelic debut remain essential listening for anyone tracing where prog and fusion began.

Go deeper

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

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