Can are one of the most important and influential experimental bands rock has ever produced. Formed in Cologne in 1968, the German group fused avant-garde rigour, free-jazz drumming and funk into hypnotic, improvised grooves, then sculpted them in the studio into something wholly new. Their influence on post-punk, electronic music and beyond is immeasurable. Here is our fellow fan’s ranking of their finest songs.

The short version

If you only hear a few, make them “Halleluwah”, “Vitamin C”, “Mother Sky” and “Future Days” — the eighteen-minute motorik epic often called their signature, their most famous song, a hypnotic early jam and a gorgeous piece decades ahead of its time. The full ranking is below.

The endlessly influential heart of Krautrock

Can are one of the most important and influential bands in the history of experimental music — the beating heart of the German scene the press dubbed Krautrock. Formed in Cologne in 1968 by two Stockhausen students, keyboardist Irmin Schmidt and bassist Holger Czukay, alongside free-jazz drummer Jaki Liebezeit and teenage guitarist Michael Karoli, they built their music from long, hypnotic improvisations, then let Czukay’s genius as a tape editor sculpt those jams into finished pieces. Fronted first by American sculptor Malcolm Mooney and then by Japanese busker Damo Suzuki, they made a run of records — from the debut through Future Days — that sounded decades ahead of their time, and whose influence on post-punk, electronic music and post-rock is impossible to overstate. These fifteen songs are the best.

How we ranked them

This is one fan’s order, weighing innovation, those hypnotic grooves, influence and sheer adventurousness. The facts are accurate; the order is a starting point for the debate.

The essential six

At the very top sits “Halleluwah” (1971), the eighteen-minute motorik epic built on Liebezeit’s monstrous groove and often singled out as Can’s signature song. With it: “Vitamin C” (1972), their most famous track and a funky, irresistible classic; “Mother Sky” (1970), the hypnotic fourteen-minute jam heard in the film Deep End; “Spoon” (1972), the improbable German hit single driven by a drum-machine pulse; “Mushroom” (1971), the bleak, funky, unforgettable centrepiece; and “Future Days” (1973), the gorgeous, gently propulsive title track.

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Reliably great

The next tier is essential too. “Yoo Doo Right” (1969) is the twenty-minute side-long debut epic, edited down from an hours-long jam; “Bel Air” (1973) is the dreamy, side-long piece that closes Future Days; “Oh Yeah” (1971) finds a perfect balance of driving rhythm and spacey exploration; “Moonshake” (1973) is Can at their catchiest, a compact pop gem; and “Paperhouse” (1971) is the shape-shifting opener of their masterpiece.

Deeper cuts

For the dedicated, these reward repeat listens. “Dizzy Dizzy” (1974) is a violin-led groove from the quartet era; “Hunters and Collectors” (1975) is a punchy highlight of their slicker mid-decade sound; “I Want More” (1976) is their unlikely UK hit single; and “Animal Waves” (1977) is a sprawling, groove-driven late-era jam.

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 Tago Mago, their double-album masterpiece, and the funkier, more succinct Ege Bamyasi, then the gentle, ambient Future Days. From there, the early Monster Movie and Soundtracks and the slicker quartet-era albums reward exploration.

The players

Can were founded in 1968 by keyboardist Irmin Schmidt and bassist Holger Czukay — both students of the avant-garde composer Stockhausen — with free-jazz drummer Jaki Liebezeit and guitarist Michael Karoli. Two singers defined their golden age: American sculptor Malcolm Mooney on the early records, and Japanese vocalist Damo Suzuki on the classic run from Tago Mago to Future Days. Throughout, Czukay’s brilliance as a tape editor was as important as anyone’s playing. Several of the band have since died: guitarist Michael Karoli, bassist Holger Czukay, drummer Jaki Liebezeit and singer Damo Suzuki.

Why they still matter

Can effectively invented a new way of making rock music — built on repetition, improvisation and the studio as an instrument — that still echoes everywhere. Kindred spirits of fellow German pioneers Neu!, Faust, Kraftwerk and Amon Düül II, they shaped post-punk, electronic music and modern progressive rock alike. Decades on, Tago Mago and Ege Bamyasi remain essential listening for anyone who wants to hear where so much modern music began.

Go deeper

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

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