Wishbone Ash are the band that gave rock its twin lead guitars. Formed in 1969, they wove two harmonised lead guitars into a sound that blended hard rock, folk and progressive ambition, and influenced everyone from Thin Lizzy to Iron Maiden to Metallica. Here is our fellow fan’s ranking of their finest songs.

The short version

If you only hear a few, make them “Blowin’ Free”, “The King Will Come”, “Throw Down the Sword” and “Phoenix” — the signature boogie, the majestic epic, the elegiac closer and the debut’s soaring centrepiece. The full ranking is below.

The twin-guitar pioneers

When Martin Turner and Steve Upton went looking for a guitarist in 1969 and couldn’t choose between two, they hired both — and rock was never quite the same. The interplay of Andy Powell and Ted Turner’s harmonised lead guitars became Wishbone Ash’s signature, and an influence on a staggering list of bands: Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Metallica and Lynyrd Skynyrd all owe them a debt. But Wishbone Ash were never just about technique. On their 1972 masterpiece Argus — voted album of the year by the British music press, ahead of Ziggy Stardust and Machine Head — they fused hard rock, English folk and progressive ambition into something timeless. These fifteen songs are the best.

How we ranked them

This is one fan’s order, weighing songwriting, that famous guitar interplay, ambition and lasting impact. Argus looms so large that all seven of its songs earn a place — the facts are accurate; the order is a starting point for the debate.

The essential six

At the very top sits “Blowin’ Free” (1972), the chugging, joyous boogie that remains their best-loved song. With it: “The King Will Come” (1972), a majestic build of riffs and harmonised solos; “Throw Down the Sword” (1972), the elegiac, deeply moving closer of Argus; “Warrior” (1972), all charging power and an unforgettable chorus; “Phoenix” (1970), the epic that closes their debut and announced their ambitions; and “Time Was” (1972), the nine-minute opener that moves from gentle folk to soaring rock.

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Reliably great

The next tier is essential too. “Sometime World” (1972) mirrors the opener’s structure but reaches even higher; “Jail Bait” (1971) is a hard-charging early favourite; “Persephone” (1974) is a gorgeous showcase for the Powell–Wisefield guitar pairing; “The Pilgrim” (1971) shows their folk-rock side; and “Leaf and Stream” (1972) is a tender, beautiful acoustic interlude.

Deeper cuts

For the dedicated, these reward repeat listens. “F.U.B.B.” (1974) is a spectacular nine-minute, jazz-fusion-tinged jam and a live favourite; “Blind Eye” (1970) opens their debut with boogie swagger; “Errors of My Way” (1970) digs into their folk roots; and “You See Red” (1978) is a punchy, underrated late-70s opener.

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 “Blowin’ Free”, then Argus in full — every track is essential. From there, the early albums Wishbone Ash and Pilgrimage are superb, There’s the Rub rewards exploration, and the later 1970s records hold underrated gems for the curious.

The players

The classic Wishbone Ash were a band of four equals. Andy Powell and Ted Turner (no relation to Martin) were the twin-guitar front line, trading and harmonising leads in a way no one had quite done before. Martin Turner played bass, sang lead on much of the catalogue and wrote or co-wrote many of their finest songs, while Steve Upton anchored it all on drums. Ted Turner left in 1974 and was replaced by the gifted Laurie Wisefield, who carried the sound through the band’s American years; Martin Turner departed in 1980. Through countless later line-ups, Andy Powell has kept Wishbone Ash on the road ever since, still flying the twin-guitar flag.

Why they still matter

Wishbone Ash proved that progressive rock didn’t need keyboards or twenty-minute suites — just two guitars, real songs and boundless melodic invention. More rock-rooted than British peers like Jethro Tull, Camel, Yes and Genesis, they nonetheless shared that early-70s spirit of ambition, and their harmonised-guitar blueprint went on to shape hard rock and heavy metal for decades. Few cult bands have cast a longer shadow.

Go deeper

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

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