Glass Hammer are the Tennessee duo who have spent three decades carrying the torch for lush, literary symphonic prog in the grand tradition of Yes, ELP and Genesis. Here is our fellow fan’s ranking of their finest songs.

The short version

If you only hear a few, make them “The Knight of the North”, “A Maker of Crowns”, “Chronos Deliverer” and “Into Thin Air” — the violin-laced epic, the pipe-organ opener, a beloved concept-album highlight and a string-drenched gem. The full ranking is below.

Keepers of the symphonic flame

Founded in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1992 by multi-instrumentalists Steve Babb and Fred Schendel, Glass Hammer began with a Tolkien concept album and never looked back — building one of modern progressive rock’s most prolific and beloved catalogues. Their sound is unashamedly classic: swirling Hammond and Moog, Mellotron tapestries, Chris Squire-style bass and soaring vocal harmonies, all in service of grand, literary concept albums inspired by Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and beyond. A rotating cast of singers has passed through — including Jon Davison, who left to front Yes itself — but Babb and Schendel have always remained the heart. These fifteen songs are our pick of the very best.

How we ranked them

This is one fan’s order, weighing composition, melody, ambition and lasting impact across their long and prolific career. The facts are accurate; the order is a starting point for the debate.

The essential six

At the top sit the two epics that anchor their masterpiece, The Inconsolable Secret: “The Knight of the North” (2005), a breathtaking, violin-laced journey, and “A Maker of Crowns” (2005), a powerful, pipe-organ-driven opener. With them: “Chronos Deliverer” (2000), a highlight of the beloved concept album Chronometree; “Into Thin Air” (2007), a gorgeous, string-drenched gem from Culture of Ascent; “Salvation Station” (2011), one of the strongest moments on Cor Cordium; and “Song of the Dunadan” (1993), the signature piece from their Tolkien-inspired debut.

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Reliably great

The next tier is essential too. “The Morning She Woke” (2005) is one of the most beautiful shorter pieces on The Inconsolable Secret; “An Eldritch Wind” (2000) shows their playful, Yes-like side; “To Someone” (2011) is a tender Cor Cordium highlight; “Our Foe Revealed” (2012) drives the song cycle Perilous; and “Through a Glass Darkly” (2005) is a haunting, film-score-like reverie.

Deeper cuts

For the dedicated, these reward repeat listens. “Life by Light” (2007) builds from a cappella beginnings into lush symphonic prog; “South Side of the Sky” (2007) is their loving Yes cover, graced by a guest appearance from Jon Anderson himself; “One Heart” (2011) opens Cor Cordium in style; and “The Return of the King” (1993) brings their debut to a triumphant close.

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

The Inconsolable Secret is the place to begin — widely regarded as their masterpiece. From there, the classic early concept albums Chronometree and the fan-favourite Lex Rex show the band’s symphonic vision at full stretch.

The players

Glass Hammer has always been built around its two founders and chief songwriters, Steve Babb (bass, keyboards) and Fred Schendel (keyboards, guitars, drums), multi-instrumentalists steeped in the classic prog of Yes and ELP. Around them has revolved an ever-changing cast of singers and players over more than thirty years — among them Walter Moore, Susie Bogdanowicz, Carl Groves and Jon Davison, who left to become the frontman of Yes. Remarkably prolific, Babb and Schendel have kept the band reinventing itself across more than twenty albums.

Why they still matter

In an era when few bands carry the symphonic prog torch with such devotion, Glass Hammer have done so for over three decades — and with real craft and heart. Steeped in the tradition of Yes and the other progressive giants, they stand among America’s finest modern symphonic prog bands, alongside kindred spirits Spock’s Beard, The Flower Kings and Transatlantic. Few have been so prolific while keeping the quality so high.

Go deeper

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

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