Electric Light Orchestra fused rock and roll with a full orchestra and Jeff Lynne’s Beatlesque pop genius — and along the way became one of the most joyfully successful bands of their era. Here is our fellow fan’s ranking of their finest songs.

The short version

If you only hear a few, make them “Mr. Blue Sky”, “Livin’ Thing”, “Telephone Line” and “Can’t Get It Out of My Head” — the joyful symphony, the swooping hit, the aching ballad and the breakthrough. The full ranking is below.

Rock and roll with strings attached

When Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood founded the Electric Light Orchestra in 1970, the idea was deceptively simple: pick up where The Beatles’ “I Am the Walrus” left off, fusing rock and roll with cellos, violins and lush orchestration. Wood soon left, and Lynne took the concept to dizzying heights — from the proggy ambition of their early albums to a remarkable run of symphonic-pop hits in the mid-to-late 1970s, all built on his Beatlesque melodies and meticulous studio craft. John Lennon himself called them “Son of Beatles.” These fifteen songs are our pick of the very best.

How we ranked them

This is one fan’s order, weighing songwriting, hooks, arrangement and lasting impact across their whole career. The facts are accurate; the order is a starting point for the debate.

The essential six

At the top sits “Mr. Blue Sky” (1977), a four-and-a-half-minute symphony of pure joy and arguably the most beloved thing they ever recorded. Beside it stand “Livin’ Thing” (1976), with its swooping strings and unforgettable hook; “Telephone Line” (1976), a gorgeous, aching ballad; “Don’t Bring Me Down” (1979), their biggest hit and a stomping rocker; “Evil Woman” (1975), all funky piano and soaring vocals; and “Can’t Get It Out of My Head” (1974), the lush ballad that gave them their American breakthrough.

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Reliably great

The next tier is essential too. “Turn to Stone” (1977) opens Out of the Blue at a gallop; “Sweet Talkin’ Woman” (1977) is irresistible pop; “Strange Magic” (1975) is dreamy and hypnotic; “Roll Over Beethoven” (1973) welds Chuck Berry to Beethoven’s Fifth in their early symphonic-rock manifesto; and “10538 Overture” (1971) is the cello-drenched debut single where it all began.

Deeper cuts

For the dedicated, these reward repeat listens. “Showdown” (1973) is a slinky, soulful early gem and a favourite of John Lennon’s; “Last Train to London” (1979) is a glorious disco-tinged groove; “Twilight” (1981) is a soaring highlight of the Time album; and “Do Ya” (1976) is a punchy rocker reworked from Lynne’s pre-ELO band The Move.

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 “Mr. Blue Sky” — pure, joyful and instantly familiar. From there, “Livin’ Thing” and “Telephone Line” show their pop-symphonic peak, before the whole of Out of the Blue rewards a deeper dive.

The players

ELO were the vision of Jeff Lynne — singer, guitarist, songwriter and producer, the one constant and the architect of their lush, orchestral-pop sound. Co-founded with Roy Wood, who left within a couple of years, and drummer Bev Bevan, the band’s classic line-up paired Lynne with keyboardist Richard Tandy and a rotating cast of string players. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017, the band has lost several members over the years, including Richard Tandy in 2024. In the 2010s, Lynne revived the group as Jeff Lynne’s ELO, taking the music back to arenas around the world before a farewell tour.

Why they still matter

Few bands made pop this ambitious and this joyful. By marrying rock and roll to a symphony orchestra and filtering it all through Jeff Lynne’s Beatlesque ear, ELO created some of the most enduring records of their era — and found whole new audiences through films from Guardians of the Galaxy to Super Mario. They share the symphonic-rock lineage of The Moody Blues and Barclay James Harvest, a love of orchestral grandeur with Renaissance and a gift for melodic progressive pop with Supertramp. Few catalogues are this purely enjoyable.

Go deeper

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

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