Styx were one of the most successful American rock bands of the late 1970s and early 1980s — a Chicago group who fused progressive ambition, hard-rock muscle and irresistible pop melody. Here is our fellow fan’s ranking of their classic-era albums.

The short version

For the heart of Styx, start with The Grand Illusion, Pieces of Eight and Paradise Theatre — the breakthrough, the fan-favourite follow-up and the chart-topping peak. The full ranking is below.

Arena rock with a prog heart

Formed in Chicago in 1972, Styx began with genuine progressive and classical leanings before refining a grand, theatrical, hook-filled sound that made them one of the biggest bands in America. Their golden run was powered by three distinct songwriters — keyboardist Dennis DeYoung’s theatrical ballads, Tommy Shaw’s melodic rock and James Young’s harder edge — and produced four consecutive multi-platinum albums. The seven ranked here cover that classic run, from 1973 to 1981.

How we ranked them

This is one fan’s order, weighing songwriting, ambition and how well each album holds together — balancing their proggier early records against their blockbuster prime. The facts are accurate; the order is a starting point for the debate.

The essential three

At the top sits The Grand Illusion (1977), their triple-platinum breakthrough and the album that turned them into superstars — home to the prog-pop epic “Come Sail Away” and the Yes-inspired “Fooling Yourself”. Beside it stands Pieces of Eight (1978), the harder-edged, fan-favourite follow-up with “Renegade” and “Blue Collar Man”, and Paradise Theatre (1981), their chart-topping, theatrical concept album and commercial peak.

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Reliably great

The next tier is excellent too. Equinox (1975) is their most purely progressive classic, all spacey keys and big dynamics, while Cornerstone (1979) is the more polished, mainstream record that gave them their only US number-one single in DeYoung’s ballad “Babe”.

For completists

Two more albums round out the classic run. Crystal Ball (1976) introduced Tommy Shaw and set the template for what came next, and Styx II (1973) is the early album that first put them on the map with the hit ballad “Lady”. Both are worth hearing once you know the peaks above.

A selection, in order

A selection of Styx albums, in chronological order — their classic run from 1973 to 1981, each with a full write-up here. Click through on any of them.

Where to start

Begin with The Grand Illusion — their breakthrough and the perfect distillation of everything Styx did well. From there, Pieces of Eight and Paradise Theatre complete the essential trio.

The players

Styx were built around three singer-songwriters: keyboardist Dennis DeYoung, the band’s theatrical creative centre; guitarist Tommy Shaw, its melodic rocker, who joined in 1975; and guitarist James “JY” Young, its hard-rock edge — anchored by the Chicago-born Panozzo twins, bassist Chuck and drummer John. Drummer John Panozzo died in 1996, and original guitarist John Curulewski, who had left in 1975, in 1988; both are remembered fondly. DeYoung, the band’s principal songwriter, parted ways with Styx in 1999 in an acrimonious split and was replaced by Lawrence Gowan; the band has toured and recorded steadily ever since.

Why they still matter

Styx were one of the defining American arena-rock bands, but their progressive and classical roots set them apart from their peers. Alongside fellow American travellers like Kansas and Rush, and melodic British cousins like Supertramp and Electric Light Orchestra, they proved that ambition and huge hooks could share the same stage. Decades on, songs like “Come Sail Away” remain rock-radio fixtures.

Go deeper

Keep exploring: read about the best Styx songs. 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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