Klaus Schulze was one of the founding fathers of electronic music, and the central figure of the so-called Berlin School. After drumming on the debut albums of both Tangerine Dream and Ash Ra Tempel, he went solo in 1972 and devoted himself to the synthesizer, building vast, hypnotic, sequencer-driven soundscapes. Across an astonishing catalogue he reshaped what electronic music could be. Here is our fellow fan’s ranking of a selection from his classic run.

The short version

For the heart of Klaus Schulze, start with Moondawn, Timewind, Mirage, Irrlicht and X. Between them they hold the landmarks of his foundational 1970s run. The full ranking is below.

Founding father of the Berlin School

After his start behind the drum kit with Tangerine Dream and Ash Ra Tempel, Schulze struck out alone and became the defining voice of the Berlin School: long-form, slowly-evolving electronic pieces that could fill an entire album side. A word for newcomers: this is immersive, meditative instrumental music built for deep listening rather than conventional songs — patient, but profoundly rewarding. He was also one of the most prolific artists in all of music, with dozens upon dozens of albums across five decades; the nine here are a selection from his foundational 1970s run.

How we ranked them

This is one fan’s order, weighing atmosphere, invention and influence across his classic decade. The facts are accurate; the order is a starting point for the debate — and with music this singular and this vast, your own map may look very different.

The essential five

At the top sits Moondawn (1976), the propulsive, sequencer-driven breakthrough — and the start of his long partnership with drummer Harald Grosskopf. Timewind (1975) is the Wagner-dedicated landmark, two side-long voyages that won wide acclaim; Mirage (1977), his first wholly electronic album, is a frozen, hypnotic masterpiece. The debut Irrlicht (1972), built from orchestra and organ before synthesizers even entered the picture, is a foundational document of the form, and X (1978) is the ambitious double of musical “biographies” that crowned the decade.

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Reliably great

The next tier rewards the immersed listener. Dune (1979), inspired by Frank Herbert’s novel, is a late-1970s highlight of brooding beauty, and Cyborg (1973) is the sprawling, cosmic early double that expanded the orchestral vision of his debut.

For completists

Two albums sit lower. Blackdance (1974) is a solid transitional record on the road to his mid-decade peaks, and Body Love (1977), a film soundtrack, is more functional and dated than his major statements. Both are for the devoted rather than the newcomer.

The classic run, in order

His classic run, 1972–1979, in chronological order — a fraction of a catalogue that runs to dozens of albums. Click through to the full write-up on any record.

Where to start

Begin with Moondawn — its driving sequencers and warm melodies are the most immediate way into his world. From there, Mirage offers his purest, most atmospheric electronics, while Timewind shows the epic scale of his imagination.

Prefer to own them? Find these on Amazon: Moondawn · Mirage · Timewind

The artist

Klaus Schulze began as a drummer, in the first lineups of both Tangerine Dream and Ash Ra Tempel, before trading the kit for banks of synthesizers and sequencers and never looking back. Over five decades he built one of the largest catalogues in music, an endless stream of immersive electronic works, and his influence runs deep through ambient, electronic and modern soundtrack music alike. He passed away in 2022, at the age of 74, leaving a body of work few could rival in scale or vision.

Why they still matter

Schulze did as much as anyone to invent electronic music as we know it — the long-form, sequencer-driven template he perfected echoes through ambient, techno and film scoring to this day. Alongside Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk, he made 1970s Germany the crucible of the electronic age — and his vast, hypnotic soundscapes still pull listeners in decades on. His place in progressive music history is secure.

Go deeper

Keep exploring: read about the best Klaus Schulze pieces, see every Klaus Schulze album in order, find your way in with our where-to-start-with-Schulze guide, or dig up the most underrated Klaus Schulze albums. You can also place him in the bigger picture with our list of the best progressive rock albums of all time.

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