Curved Air were one of the most distinctive and pioneering bands of the early British prog era — among the first fronted by a woman, and among the first to build their sound around an electric violin. Here is our fellow fan’s ranking of their albums.

The short version

For the heart of Curved Air, start with Air Conditioning, Phantasmagoria and Second Album — the original-lineup trio from 1970–72 that holds everything the band is remembered for. The full ranking is below.

Pioneers of British prog

Formed in London in 1970, Curved Air were among the very first progressive rock bands to be fronted by a woman — the magnetic Sonja Kristina — and to put an electric violin, in the hands of Darryl Way, at the heart of their sound. Drawing on classical music, folk and early electronics, they made some of the era’s most adventurous records; their debut even arrived as one of the first picture discs ever pressed. Their lineup was famously fluid, and over the years it passed through some remarkable talents — among them Eddie Jobson, later of Roxy Music and UK, and drummer Stewart Copeland, later of The Police. A note on the catalogue: the seven albums here are a selection spanning their classic era and beyond.

How we ranked them

This is one fan’s order, weighing invention, songwriting and lasting importance. The facts are accurate; the order is a starting point for the debate — especially given how much the band changed from album to album.

The essential three

At the top sits the groundbreaking debut Air Conditioning (1970), their highest-charting album and home to Darryl Way’s dazzling violin showcase “Vivaldi”. Close behind is Phantasmagoria (1972), frequently called their masterpiece, with the dramatic “Marie Antoinette” and Francis Monkman’s side-long title suite, and Second Album (1971), home to their best-known song, the UK Top 5 single “Back Street Luv”.

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Reliably great

The next tier is worth exploring. Air Cut (1973) introduced a teenage Eddie Jobson on violin and synths and is the strongest of the band’s post-classic records, while their 2014 reunion album North Star proved there was real life in the name decades on.

For completists

Two mid-1970s albums round out the seven. Midnight Wire (1975) and Airborne (1976) lean towards a smoother, more song-based sound and catch only fleeting glimpses of the band’s pioneering early brilliance — ones for dedicated fans rather than newcomers.

A selection, in order

The albums covered here, in chronological order — a selection spanning their career rather than their complete output. Click through to the full write-up on any record.

Where to start

Begin with Air Conditioning — the album that introduced their violin-driven sound and remains their most celebrated. From there, Phantasmagoria and Second Album complete the essential early run.

Prefer to own them? Find these on Amazon: Air Conditioning · Phantasmagoria · Second Album

The players

Curved Air was built around three strong personalities: singer Sonja Kristina, violinist Darryl Way, and the classically-trained Francis Monkman on keyboards and guitar, with Florian Pilkington-Miksa on drums and a revolving cast of bassists. The creative tension between Way and Monkman drove the early albums — and ultimately split the original band. Monkman, who played on the first three albums before co-founding the classical-rock group Sky, died in 2023; Sonja Kristina — the one ever-present member — still leads Curved Air today.

Why they still matter

Curved Air helped define what progressive rock could be, bringing classical training, a female voice and an electric violin to a young genre. Kindred spirits of King Crimson and Renaissance, they also launched the careers of musicians who shaped the decades that followed — and their best albums still sound bold and unmistakably their own.

Go deeper

Keep exploring: read about the best Curved Air songs. 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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