Genesis’ story is one of incredible artistic and commercial ambition, usually not simultaneously. The band began as a highly innovative and risk-taking progressive rock group before fashioning itself into a pop juggernaut. They made great songs along the way, from the bizarrely theatrical to straightforward and immediately pleasing.
I’m listening to all of them today and listing the very best songs by Genesis.
“The Conqueror” – (“From Genesis to Revelation” – 1969)
Genesis was born out of the shared experience of a few English youngsters forced by their parents to attend Charterhouse School in Surrey. Part Harry Potter stage set, part prison, what the school did instil in the boys was the sense that dreaming away was a good thing to do. The school’s restrictions also strengthened their love of rock music.
“The Conqueror” is the most convincing cut from Genesis’ debut album “From Genesis to Revelation.” The sunny folk-rock and psychedelia are pointing toward something, but the destination is not quite clear. Peter Gabriel’s lyrics are already imaginative, and the vocal performance is confident.
“The Conqueror” may surprise even fans of early prog-genesis, but it is a good indication of the band’s potential.
“The Knife” – (“Tresspass” – 1970)
The early 1970s created a new musical scene in Britain especially. The music press labelled it progressive rock. It was made up of highly ambitious bands. These groups liked to play long songs that included complex arrangements, often inspired by classical music. The lyrics were inspired by mythology and fantasy novels.
Of all these bands, none were as theatrical or far-reaching as Genesis. “The Knife” is when the group found its direction and never looked back. It’s a nine-minute song similar to pastoral English folk music and modern rock. It became a hit in Western continental Europe and made the youngsters abandon their dreams of careers as government officials or music instead.
“The Fountain of Salmacis” – (“Nursery Cryme” – 1971)
Very long songs about faraway places were the norm in progressive rock. All of the bands used this format, but Genesis was one of the few that could transport the listener into that world. More than anything, “The Fountain of Salmacis” helps prove the gigantic talent of the whole band, not just Gabriel, and especially keyboardist Tony Banks.
“Watcher of the Skies” – (“Foxtrot” – 1972)
Eventually, punk rock would be viewed as a protest against the musical proficiency of progressive rock bands like Yes, Rush or Pink Floyd. And if you didn’t like musical complexity in your rock records, there was plenty to notice about Genesis.
“Watcher of the Skies”, with its theme of an alien invasion, creates texture and mood through contorted musical motifs that are strung together like a condensed symphony.
“Jesus He Knows Me” – (“We Can’t Dance” – 1991)
“We Can’t Dance” was to be the final album Phil Collins made with Genesis. It’s a good thing, then, that the musicians end their collaboration smiling.
Most of the songs on this album deal with weighty topics but do it in a humorous way. “Jesus He Knows Me” moves the band away from the ballads and mid-tempo pop songs they began being associated with. It’s a song about charlatans and religious hypocrisy.
Like “I Can’t Dance,” it featured a colourful music video that benefitted from the acting talents of Phil Collins. It was one of Genesis’ last big hits.
“Home by the Sea” – (“Genesis” – 1983)
“Home by the Sea” is one of the best songs Genesis ever recorded. It’s also a testament to the fact that if there had ever been a pop band in the 1980s that could deliver more than audiences would expect, that would have been typically Genesis.
“Home by the Sea” sounds haunting. That’s appropriate, as Phil Collins seems to describe it. Indeed, Collins often did his best work when infrequently slipping into darker lyrical territory (“Mama” or “In The Air Tonight”). Meanwhile, the band sounds energized by being allowed to make use of some of their rock chops, and Collins delivers a strong, gruff vocal performance.
“The Cinema Show” – (“Selling England by the Pound” – 1973)
Say what you want about the complexity of Genesis’ music. But it wasn’t all an exercise in virtuosity. Pieces like “The Cinema Show” are stunning, delivered with subtlety and retain the mysterious nature of their other work. The songwriting for the album was completed in an old, stately home. The song’s most memorable moments are offered by Tony Banks’ wonderful Hammond organ playing.
“Supper’s Ready” – (“Foxtrot” – 1972)
“Supper’s Ready” is one of Genesis’ most challenging and out-there pieces. It tells the story of good versus evil in a 23-minute composition made up of seven parts.
While it was supposedly inspired by a frightening daydream that Peter Gabriel had, what is undoubtedly true is that the singer was now starting to stir the ship, to the annoyance of Banks and guitarist Mike Rutherford.
“Supper’s Ready” allowed Peter Gabriel the freedom he always craved within the band. And the marvellously dramatic composition further set the band apart from the pack. Gabriel had just as much in common with David Bowie as with Jethro Tull.
“Ripples” – (“A Trick of the Tale” – 1976)
Losing singer Peter Gabriel may have seemed like an unapproachable hurdle. Instead, it was an opportunity to launch one of the surprising and celebrated stories in pop music.
Phil Collins, prog-rock drummer extraordinaire, stepped in to replace Gabriel. As it turned out, Collins possessed a similar tenor range and vocal tone. “Ripples” finds Genesis still working within the parameters of prog-rock and doing it convincingly, too.
“In Too Deep” – (“Invisible Touch” – 1986)
Phil Collins, in the 1980s, became the master of pop ballads about love won and lost. Most of these ballads were tucked away for solo releases. However, “In Too Deep” was graciously delivered to Genesis and provided the group with another monster hit.
It’s easy to get cynical about these things, but I think that you shouldn’t. On the off-chance that you haven’t heard of “In Too Deep,” you will still be surprised despite being familiar with this kind of format.
“Back in N.Y.C.” – (“The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” – 1974)
“Back in N.Y.C.” sounds like a terrible fever dream and as far removed from the Tolkien-inspired songs produced by most other British prog-rock groups of the time as possible.
Then again, Genesis was never a typical prog-rock band, and Peter Gabriel had a singer who constantly pushed the limits of what audiences and even his own band were willing to accept.
“Invisible Touch” – (“Invisible Touch” – 1986)
“Invisible Touch” was the song that turned Genesis from a working band into a pop sensation. Some of this success was due to the seemingly never-ending touring and hard work the band had put in. Most of it was because Banks, Rutherford and Collins had crafted a perfectly pleasing pop love song. Other hits were to follow, but few were as immediate as this.
“Follow You Follow Me” – (“And Then There Were Three” – 1978)
“Follow You Follow Me” established the pop-rock, radio-friendly format that Genesis would go on to perfect in the 1980s. This love, with the simple, well-sung chorus, created a whole new audience for Genesis.
Suddenly, long-haired, bearded young men resembling the members of the band were outnumbered by girls and middle-aged, respectable men coming to hear Genesis’ latest singles.
“I Can’t Dance” – (“We Can’t Dance” – 1991)
Genesis was a rarity on a lot of levels. Not only could the band could create pop hits consistently. The trio of Banks, Rutherford and Collins didn’t resemble the pop and rock stars of the era. People saw them as light and funny characters.
The group plays around with the public perception of them in “I Can’t Dance.” Cynics may call it pandering to dad rock standards. But the fact is that few bands could’ve turned that kind of bluesy groove into one of the most memorable hooks of the early 1990s.
“Land of Confusion” – (“Invisible Touch” – 1986)
Genesis wasn’t the only prog-rock band to have gone pop in the 1980s. Far from it. Pink Floyd, Yes or ELP had restarted their careers this way.
But Genesis was the biggest settling in the pop arena with ease. Part of that success was due to offering audiences a lot of variety.
“Land of Confusion” is a rocker and a protest song. It’s no wonder that it’s been covered by modern grunge and metal bands. However, with a humorous, cheerful video, it also showed Collins’ Genesis was serious but non-threatening.
“I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)” – (“Selling England by the Pound” – 1973)
Genesis was known for very long songs, and for good reason. These songs allowed the band to tell stories and transport the audience to dreamworlds and back again.
“I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)” proved that Genesis could shine writing short pop songs. Of course, this was not your usual Top 40 (although it achieved that commercial success). For perspective, in live shows, Peter Gabriel pretended to be a grass mower.
But “I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)” had a hook, could be sung by audiences and was short. It offered Genesis its first genuine hit. In due time, the band would reorient itself toward making more of these chart intruders.
“The Carpet Crawlers” – (“The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” – 1974)
Yes, the lyrics and Gabriel’s theatre acting take centre stage on “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.” Still, this is a highly enjoyable affair, even for casual listeners.
There are few songs of the 1970s that contain more beautifully sung melodies than “The Carpet Crawlers.” So much so, in fact, that, even though the song’s lyrics are integral to the plot of the album, “The Carpet Crawlers” continued to be performed with Phil Collins as lead vocalist, one of the few 70s-era songs to survive in the live show of the band going forward.
“That’s All” – (“Genesis” – 1983)
Phil Collins was called by former bandmate Peter Gabriel, the workaholic’s workaholic. It’s true that during the 1980s, Collins, Banks, and Rutherford, especially, worked at a great pace.
They also possessed exceptional musical skills. “That’s All” is confirmation that the trio could employ these in the service of a pop song.
“That’s All” is nearly a perfect three-minute radio tune. The melody is absolutely memorable. The mood of the song shifts from love to despair. And the production values are marvellous.
Fans of old Genesis would’ve preferred 10-minute epics. However, little of what pop Genesis did was born out of cynicism.
“Mama” – (“Genesis” – 1983)
“Mama” is a rare instance in which Collins-fronted Genesis moves into darker territory on a single. But it retains a similar mood to the other songs found on the 1983 self-titled album.
Fans, unexpectedly, loved the variety the band was offering them. To be fair, the song contains a very striking song led by the hellish-sounding synthesizer played by Tony Banks and one of Collins’s best and grittiest vocal performances.
“The Musical Box” – (“Nursery Cryme” – 1971)
It is hard to believe that it had taken Genesis just two years to develop into the band that could create “The Musical Box.” While the band’s music during their Gabriel era became increasingly sophisticated, it never achieved more than it did on “The Musical Box.”
The song is structured as a musical fairytale. It begins with a gentle nursery rhyme and grows to a heavy metal crescendo that could have challenged Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath.
“The Musical Box” also provided Peter Gabriel with the opportunity to play multiple characters. He often did this on stage. The audience and the singer enjoyed it. This helped make Genesis recognizable over their rivals. From this point onward, Gabriel would employ costumes more often, increasing his fame but drawing a wedge between himself and the band.
“The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” – (“The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” – 1974)
It’s fitting, in many ways, that “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” was the last album made with Peter Gabriel. The band’s had inflated with each new release, and this was to be an absolute high mark.
“The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” is the title track and intro to a short story written by Gabriel, which was then transformed into a double LP. But this is also a highly inviting song, one where the chaotically sung verses lead into the serene chorus line.
“The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” was also to be a large stage presentation. Audiences loved the mix of theatre and rock music. But tensions had grown larger between Gabriel and the rest of the band members. It would be their final album together.
“Dancing with the Moonlit Knight” – (“Selling England by the Pound” – 1973)
Creating concept albums with a unifying storyline was the norm for prog-rock bands. It was a rejection of the concept of sticking out a few singles and a bunch of b-sides on an album and calling it quits.
Genesis adhered to these principles but, of course, brought their twist to these formulas. “Selling England by the Pound” is primarily a concept record about the loss of the British Empire. However, it balances lyrics and music better than any album Genesis put out.
The same high praise should be deserved for the opening song, “Dancing with the Moonlit Knight.” Here, Peter Gabriel once again plays a character – a knight without a kingdom to defend.
The music swings wildly from one mood to another with Gabriel and, especially, the lead guitar of virtuoso Steve Hackett, turning it into a vital, exciting piece of music.
