Airbag are one of modern progressive rock’s most atmospheric and beloved bands — a Norwegian quintet whose lush, melancholic sound draws a straight line from the spacious grandeur of Pink Floyd through the introspection of Porcupine Tree and Radiohead. Led by the soaring, Gilmour-esque guitar of Bjørn Riis and the wistful voice of Asle Tostrup, they have spent nearly two decades crafting slow-burning, emotionally rich soundscapes. Here is our fellow fan’s ranking of their finest songs.

The short version

If you only hear a few, make them “Sunsets”, “Never Coming Home”, “Killer” and “Surveillance (Part 2-3)” — the shimmering standout from A Day at the Beach, the beloved epic from All Rights Removed, the brooding highlight of Disconnected, and the sprawling centrepiece of The Greatest Show on Earth. The full ranking is below.

Oslo’s masters of atmospheric prog

Airbag formed in Oslo in 2004, five school friends bonded by a shared love of Pink Floyd — the band even took their name from a Radiohead song. After giving away a string of EPs online to hundreds of thousands of downloads, they signed to Karisma Records and released their debut, Identity, in 2009. Across six albums, guitarist and chief songwriter Bjørn Riis and singer Asle Tostrup have refined a sound built on space, patience and feeling: gently building songs that swell into gorgeous, guitar-led climaxes. These fifteen songs are the best.

How we ranked them

This is one fan’s order, weighing melody, ambition, musicianship and lasting impact. The facts are accurate; the order is a starting point for the debate.

The essential six

At the very top sits “Sunsets” (2020), a shimmering, euphoric highlight from A Day at the Beach. With it: “Never Coming Home” (2011), the beloved epic from All Rights Removed; “Surveillance (Part 2-3)” (2013), the sprawling sixteen-minute centrepiece of The Greatest Show on Earth; “Killer” (2016), the brooding, dynamic standout from Disconnected; “Megalomaniac” (2020), the emotional finale of A Day at the Beach; and “Colours” (2009), a lush highlight from their debut.

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Reliably great

The next tier is essential too. “No Escape” (2009) is an early fan favourite from Identity; “Homesick I-III” (2011) is a seventeen-minute suite that closes All Rights Removed; “Redemption” (2013) is a psychedelic, Floyd-flavoured Greatest Show on Earth highlight; “Tyrants and Kings” (2024) is a driving standout from their most recent album; and “Machines and Men” (2020) opens A Day at the Beach in cinematic style.

Deeper cuts

For the dedicated, these reward repeat listens. “Feeling Less” (2009) is a gentle Identity gem; “Disconnected” (2016) is the multi-part title epic of their fourth album; “Silence Grows” (2013) is an intimate, unplugged moment from The Greatest Show on Earth; and “Dysphoria” (2024) opens The Century of the Self with slow-building menace.

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 their two most acclaimed recent albums, A Day at the Beach (2020) and The Century of the Self (2024), then explore the earlier peaks of All Rights Removed (2011) and The Greatest Show on Earth (2013). The debut, Identity (2009), remains a lovely, dreamlike starting point too.

The players

Airbag has always been anchored by two school friends: guitarist, producer and main songwriter Bjørn Riis, whose emotive, Gilmour-inspired solos are the band’s signature, and singer Asle Tostrup, who also handles keyboards and programming. Drummer Henrik Bergan Fossum completes the core trio behind their recent albums, while earlier records featured keyboardist Jørgen Hagen and bassist Anders Hovdan. Away from the band, Riis has also built an acclaimed solo career in a similar atmospheric vein.

Why they still matter

In a genre that often prizes complexity and speed, Airbag stand out for doing the opposite — building patient, spacious songs that value mood and melody over technical fireworks. That restraint, paired with Riis’s unmistakable guitar tone, has made them one of the most emotionally resonant bands in modern progressive rock, and one of the most successful to emerge from Norway’s rich scene. For anyone who loves the atmospheric side of Pink Floyd or Porcupine Tree, Airbag are essential listening.

Go deeper

Keep exploring: rank their records with our guide to the best Airbag albums, hear fellow Norwegian atmospheric proggers with the best White Willow songs, or place them in the bigger picture with the best progressive rock songs of all time.

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