Gentle Giant are the most fearlessly complex and eclectic of all the great prog bands — a troupe of multi-instrumentalists who fused hard rock with Renaissance counterpoint, medieval vocal rounds and dizzying time signatures. A cult band in their day, they have inspired generations since. Here is our fellow fan’s ranking of their finest songs.

The short version

If you only hear a few, make them “Knots”, “On Reflection”, “Free Hand” and “The Advent of Panurge” — two jaw-dropping vocal workouts, a cocky classic and a catchy, adventurous epic. The full ranking is below.

The frontiers of the unpopular

On the sleeve of their second album, Gentle Giant set out their mission: to expand the frontiers of contemporary popular music at the risk of becoming very unpopular. Few bands have ever lived up to a manifesto so completely. Formed in 1970 around the three multi-instrumentalist Shulman brothers — Derek, Ray and Phil — plus classically trained keyboardist Kerry Minnear and guitarist Gary Green, they built a body of work of staggering intricacy: madrigal-like vocal counterpoint, Renaissance and medieval textures, odd metres and jaw-dropping ensemble playing, with every member a virtuoso on several instruments. Commercial success always eluded them, but their influence on later prog — from Dream Theater to Spock’s Beard and Haken — runs deep. These fifteen songs are the best of a singular catalogue.

How we ranked them

This is one fan’s order, weighing composition, ambition, invention and lasting impact across their remarkable 1970s run. The facts are accurate; the order is a starting point for the debate.

The essential six

At the very top sits “Knots” (1972), the dizzying, madrigal-like vocal workout that is their signature piece. With it: “On Reflection” (1975), an even more breathtaking a cappella canon from Free Hand; “The Advent of Panurge” (1972), one of their catchiest and most adventurous epics; the cocky, brilliant title track “Free Hand” (1975), which matches anything their peers ever recorded; “Pantagruel’s Nativity” (1971), the symphonic centrepiece of Acquiring the Taste; and “Playing the Game” (1974), a highlight of the concept album The Power and the Glory.

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Reliably great

The next tier is essential too. “Just the Same” (1975) opens Free Hand on snapping fingers and impossible rhythms; “Peel the Paint” (1972) pairs a hushed lament with a ferocious rocker on Three Friends; “Proclamation” (1974) opens The Power and the Glory in grand style; “Funny Ways” (1970) is a haunting early gem; and “Schooldays” (1972) is one of their most atmospheric and beautiful pieces.

Deeper cuts

For the dedicated, these reward repeat listens. “A Cry for Everyone” (1972) is a churning Octopus highlight; “The Runaway” (1973) opens In a Glass House on the sound of shattering glass; “Experience” (1973) shows their hard-rocking side; and “I Lost My Head” (1976) closes the experimental Interview in fine form.

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 “Free Hand” and “Just the Same”, then the masterpiece Octopus — with “Knots” and “The Advent of Panurge” at its heart. From there, The Power and the Glory and In a Glass House are essential, while the later albums The Missing Piece and Civilian show the band reaching, with mixed results, for a wider audience.

The players

Gentle Giant were built around the three Shulman brothers — Derek (lead vocals and saxophone), Ray (bass, violin and much else) and the eldest, Phil (saxophone and vocals), who left after 1972’s Octopus to become a teacher. Alongside them stood two extraordinary musicians: classically trained keyboardist and composer Kerry Minnear, and guitarist Gary Green, with John Weathers settling in as their drummer from 1972. Every member was a multi-instrumentalist, and most could sing — the source of those astonishing vocal arrangements. The band split in 1980; Derek went on to a major career as a record executive, Ray to acclaimed work as a producer. Ray Shulman died in 2023.

Why they still matter

No band in prog — or arguably in all of rock — ever wove progressive complexity together with such precision, wit and beauty. Closer in spirit to Yes and King Crimson than to their flashier peers, and admired by Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson, who toured with them, Gentle Giant turned the ensemble itself into an instrument. Their fingerprints are all over modern prog, from the art-rock successors of Genesis to today’s most ambitious bands. Few have ever been so daring, or so rewarding.

Go deeper

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

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