Popol Vuh were one of the most singular and spiritual bands of the German Krautrock age. Founded by the visionary keyboardist Florian Fricke, they began as pioneers of the Moog synthesizer before turning to ethereal, acoustic, deeply sacred music — and they are perhaps best known for their transcendent soundtracks to Werner Herzog’s films. Here is our fellow fan’s ranking of their classic era.

The short version

For the heart of Popol Vuh, start with Hosianna Mantra, Aguirre, Einsjäger & Siebenjäger, In den Gärten Pharaos and Affenstunde. Between them they hold the band’s masterpiece, its most famous soundtrack and its pioneering early work. The full ranking is below.

Sacred music from the Krautrock age

Popol Vuh emerged from the same early-1970s German ferment as Can and Neu!, but they sound nothing like them. Fricke began with the Moog — Affenstunde is among the earliest albums built around the instrument — before turning, on Hosianna Mantra, to ethereal, piano-led music that blended Christian and Eastern mysticism with guitar, choir and instruments from around the world. They are best known for their soundtracks to Werner Herzog’s films, among them Aguirre, Nosferatu and Herz aus Glas. A word for newcomers: this is meditative, sacred, often slow music made for contemplation rather than conventional songs. A note on the catalogue, too: it is large, and the nine albums here are their classic 1970–1978 era.

How we ranked them

This is one fan’s order, weighing beauty, atmosphere and lasting power across their golden years. The facts are accurate; the order is a starting point for the debate — and with music this contemplative, your own favourites may well differ.

The essential five

At the summit sits Hosianna Mantra (1972), their masterpiece and the album that defined their sacred, acoustic sound — piano, oboe, guitar and wordless voice woven into something genuinely transcendent. Aguirre (1975) is their most famous record, the Herzog soundtrack whose mellotron-choir “choir-organ” sound is unforgettable; Einsjäger & Siebenjäger (1974) is a flowing, guitar-led beauty often named among their best. The two pioneering Moog albums, In den Gärten Pharaos (1971) and the debut Affenstunde (1970), complete the five — cosmic, mystical landmarks of early electronic music.

Drawn to the cosmic side? The books go deeper →

Reliably great

The next tier rewards the immersed listener. Nosferatu (1978) is a dark, haunting Herzog soundtrack, and Herz aus Glas (1977), the music for Herzog’s “Heart of Glass”, is a beautifully atmospheric companion piece. Both show the band’s gift for conjuring entire worlds in sound.

For completists

Two albums sit lower. Seligpreisung (1973) is the spiritual set that followed Hosianna Mantra to more mixed reception, and Das Hohelied Salomos (1975), drawn from the Song of Solomon and graced by Djong Yun’s lovely vocals, divides listeners with its heavier percussion. Both have their admirers, but neither is the place to begin.

The classic era, in order

Their classic era, 1970–1978, in chronological order — with a large catalogue of later albums and soundtracks beyond it. Click through to the full write-up on any record.

Where to start

Begin with Hosianna Mantra — the purest expression of their sacred, otherworldly sound, and one of the most beautiful albums German music produced. From there, Aguirre offers their famous cinematic side, while Affenstunde reveals the cosmic Moog explorer they began as.

Prefer to own them? Find these on Amazon: Hosianna Mantra · Aguirre · Affenstunde

The players

Popol Vuh were essentially the vision of one man, Florian Fricke, on Moog, piano and harmonium — a classically trained musician and spiritual seeker whose quest shaped everything they made. From Hosianna Mantra onward, his key foil was guitarist and drummer Daniel Fichelscher, of Amon Düül II, whose flowing playing defined the band’s mature sound, while singers such as Djong Yun lent many albums their otherworldly grace. The lineup was always fluid, but Fricke was the constant. He died in 2001, and Popol Vuh ended with him.

Why they still matter

Popol Vuh stand among the great originals of progressive music — pioneers who turned the Moog into an instrument of the sacred, then walked away from it to invent a music of pure devotion. Widely regarded as precursors of ambient, new age and modern world music, and kin to German visionaries like Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze, they made some of the most quietly transcendent music of their age — and it has lost none of its power.

Go deeper

Keep exploring: read about the best Popol Vuh pieces, find your way in with our where-to-start-with-Popol Vuh guide, or dig up the most underrated Popol Vuh albums. You can also place them in the bigger picture with our list of the best progressive rock albums of all time.

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