Feature Photo: ABC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
T. Rex began as the British folk rock group Tyrannosaurus Rex, formed in London in 1967 around singer, songwriter, and guitarist Marc Bolan. The best-known early lineup paired Bolan with percussionist Steve Peregrin Took. Their mystical lyrics, acoustic instrumentation, and unconventional performances attracted a devoted underground following. The duo released My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair… But Now They’re Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows in 1968, followed by three more albums under the Tyrannosaurus Rex name.
After Mickey Finn replaced Took, Bolan gradually moved the group toward electric instrumentation. He shortened the name to T. Rex in 1970 and expanded the lineup with bassist Steve Currie and drummer Bill Legend. The self-titled T. Rex album documented the transition, while the single “Ride a White Swan” introduced Bolan’s new combination of concise electric rock, pop hooks, and fantasy-laced lyrics to a much larger audience.
The breakthrough arrived with Electric Warrior in 1971. Produced by Tony Visconti, the album topped the UK Albums Chart and included “Get It On,” retitled “Bang a Gong (Get It On)” in the United States. The single reached number one in the United Kingdom and number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Jeepster,” “Cosmic Dancer,” “Mambo Sun,” and “Life’s a Gas” helped make the album one of the defining recordings of the glam rock era.
T. Rex followed with The Slider in 1972. “Telegram Sam” and “Metal Guru” both reached number one in the United Kingdom, with “Metal Guru” becoming the band’s fourth and final UK chart-topper. Bolan’s visual style, stage presence, concise songwriting, and distorted guitar sound placed T. Rex at the center of British popular culture.
Tanx arrived in 1973 as Bolan began broadening the band’s arrangements with piano, saxophone, and soul-influenced backing vocals. The same period produced major stand-alone singles including “20th Century Boy,” “The Groover,” and “Truck On (Tyke).” Although T. Rex remained a significant chart act, the extraordinary commercial dominance of the previous two years began to decline.
Bolan continued experimenting on Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow in 1974, Bolan’s Zip Gun in 1975, and Futuristic Dragon in 1976. These albums incorporated soul, funk, and increasingly elaborate studio textures. They divided critics and sold less strongly than the band’s early-1970s releases, but songs including “Teenage Dream,” “Light of Love,” “New York City,” and “Dreamy Lady” demonstrated that Bolan had not abandoned his instinct for direct pop songwriting.
In 1977, Dandy in the Underworld brought renewed critical attention. “The Soul of My Suit,” “I Love to Boogie,” the title track, and the later single “Celebrate Summer” reflected a leaner sound that connected with the emerging punk era. Bolan also hosted the British television series Marc, giving airtime to established performers and younger acts while demonstrating his continued interest in changing musical culture.
The group’s principal studio catalog contains 12 albums, four released as Tyrannosaurus Rex and eight released as T. Rex. The posthumous 1982 collection Billy Super Duper gathered additional recordings from Bolan’s archives. Across the original recording years, T. Rex earned four UK number-one singles with “Hot Love,” “Get It On,” “Telegram Sam,” and “Metal Guru,” along with a long sequence of Top 10 hits.
T. Rex became one of the foundations of British glam rock. Bolan’s combination of amplified riffs, compact pop structures, surreal language, glittering visual presentation, and instinctive showmanship influenced generations of punk, new wave, alternative, indie, and glam-oriented musicians.
Marc Bolan died on September 16, 1977, at age 29 when the car in which he was a passenger struck a tree in southwest London. His death brought the active history of T. Rex to an abrupt end just as his music and television work were attracting renewed attention.
Bolan’s reputation continued growing after his death through reissues, archival releases, biographies, tribute recordings, and the repeated use of T. Rex music in film and television. In 2020, T. Rex was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, recognizing the lasting importance of Bolan’s songwriting, performance style, and role in the development of glam rock.
Beyond the recordings, Bolan’s influence extended into fashion, visual presentation, television, and the idea that a rock performer could continually reinvent an image without losing a recognizable musical identity. His embrace of glitter, color, theatrical clothing, and compact pop songwriting helped reshape the appearance and sound of British rock.
The T. Rex catalog continues to reach new listeners through songs including “Get It On,” “Children of the Revolution,” “20th Century Boy,” “Cosmic Dancer,” “Jeepster,” and “Metal Guru.” The group’s movement from acoustic fantasy to electric rock remains one of the most dramatic transformations in British popular music.
The story of T. Rex is inseparable from Marc Bolan’s imagination and charisma. Across Tyrannosaurus Rex, the breakthrough glam period, and the experimental albums that followed, he created a body of work whose influence has lasted far beyond the band’s original decade.
Complete List Of T. Rex Songs From A to Z
- “20th Century Baby” – Billy Super Duper – 1982
- “20th Century Boy” – Tanx – 1973 (Bonus track)
- “21st Century Stance” – Billy Super Duper – 1982
- “A Beard of Stars” – A Beard of Stars – 1970
- “A Day Laye” – A Beard of Stars – 1970
- “Afghan Woman” – My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair… But Now They’re Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows – 1968
- “All Alone” – Futuristic Dragon – 1976
- “Aznageel the Mage” – Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages – 1968
- “Baby Boomerang” – The Slider – 1972
- “Baby Strange” – The Slider – 1972
- “Ballrooms of Mars” – The Slider – 1972
- “Beltane Walk” – T. Rex – 1970
- “Billy Super Duper” – Billy Super Duper – 1982
- “Billy Super Duper (Reprise)” – Billy Super Duper – 1982
- “Born to Boogie” – Tanx – 1973
- “Broken Hearted Blues” – Tanx – 1973
- “Buick MacKane” – The Slider – 1972
- “Buick MacKane & the Babe Shadow” – Billy Super Duper – 1982
- “By the Light of a Magical Moon” – A Beard of Stars – 1970
- “Cadillac” – Non-album single – 1972
- “Calling All Destroyers” – Futuristic Dragon – 1976
- “Carsmile Smith & the Old One” – Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow – 1974
- “Casual Agent” – Futuristic Dragon – 1976
- “Catblack (The Wizard’s Hat)” – Unicorn – 1969
- “Celebrate Summer” – Dandy in the Underworld – 1977 (Bonus track)
- “Change” – Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow – 1974
- “Chariot Choogle” – The Slider – 1972
- “Chariots of Silk” – Unicorn – 1969
- “Chateau in Virginia Waters” – My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair… But Now They’re Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows – 1968
- “Child Star” – My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair… But Now They’re Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows – 1968
- “Childe” – T. Rex – 1970
- “Children of the Revolution” – Tanx – 1973 (Bonus track)
- “Chrome Sitar” – Futuristic Dragon – 1976
- “City Port” – Dandy in the Underworld – 1977 (Bonus track)
- “Conesuala” – Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages – 1968
- “Cosmic Dancer” – Electric Warrior – 1971
- “Country Honey” – Tanx – 1973
- “Crimson Moon” – Dandy in the Underworld – 1977
- “Dandy in the Underworld” – Dandy in the Underworld – 1977
- “Dandy in the Underworld (Single Version)” – Dandy in the Underworld – 1977 (Bonus track)
- “Dawn Storm” – Futuristic Dragon – 1976
- “Debora” – Non-album single – 1968
- “Deboraarobed” – Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages – 1968
- “Depth Charge” – Billy Super Duper – 1982
- “Diamond Meadows” – T. Rex – 1970
- “Do You Remember?” – Non-album single – 1969
- “Do You Wanna Dance?” – Bolan’s Zip Gun – 1975 (Bonus track)
- “Dove” – A Beard of Stars – 1970
- “Dragon’s Ear” – A Beard of Stars – 1970
- “Dreamy Lady” – Futuristic Dragon – 1976
- “Dwarfish Trumpet Blues” – My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair… But Now They’re Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows – 1968
- “Eastern Spell” – Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages – 1968
- “Electric Slim and the Factory Hen” – Tanx – 1973
- “Elemental Child” – A Beard of Stars – 1970
- “Evenings of Damask” – Unicorn – 1969
- “Explosive Mouth” – Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow – 1974
- “Find a Little Wood” – Non-album single – 1970
- “Fist Heart Mighty Dawn Dart” – A Beard of Stars – 1970
- “Foxy Boy” – Billy Super Duper – 1982
- “Free Angel” – Tanx – 1973 (Bonus track)
- “Frowning Atahuallpa (My Inca Love)” – My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair… But Now They’re Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows – 1968
- “Futuristic Dragon” – Futuristic Dragon – 1976
- “Galaxy” – Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow – 1974
- “Get It On” – Electric Warrior – 1971
- “Girl” – Electric Warrior – 1971
- “Girl in the Thunderbolt Suit” – Bolan’s Zip Gun – 1975
- “Golden Belt” – Bolan’s Zip Gun – 1975
- “Graceful Fat Sheba” – My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair… But Now They’re Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows – 1968
- “Great Horse” – A Beard of Stars – 1970
- “Groove a Little” – Dandy in the Underworld – 1977
- “Hang-Ups” – Dandy in the Underworld – 1977
- “Highway Knees” – Tanx – 1973
- “Hot George” – Billy Super Duper – 1982
- “Hot Love” – Electric Warrior – 1971 (Bonus track)
- “Hot Rod Mama” – My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair… But Now They’re Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows – 1968
- “I Love to Boogie” – Dandy in the Underworld – 1977
- “I Really Love You Babe” – Bolan’s Zip Gun – 1975
- “I’m a Fool for You Girl” – Dandy in the Underworld – 1977
- “Interstellar Soul” – Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow – 1974
- “Is It Love?” – T. Rex – 1970
- “Iscariot” – Unicorn – 1969
- “Jason B. Sad” – Dandy in the Underworld – 1977
- “Jeepster” – Electric Warrior – 1971
- “Jewel” – T. Rex – 1970
- “Jitterbug Love” – Tanx – 1973 (Bonus track)
- “Juniper Suction” – Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages – 1968
- “Jupiter Liar” – Futuristic Dragon – 1976
- “King of the Mountain Cometh” – Electric Warrior – 1971 (Bonus track)
- “King of the Rumbling Spires” – Non-album single – 1969
- “Knight” – My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair… But Now They’re Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows – 1968
- “Lady” – Non-album single – 1972
- “Laser Love” – Futuristic Dragon – 1976 (Bonus track)
- “Lean Woman Blues” – Electric Warrior – 1971
- “Left Hand Luke and the Beggar Boys” – Tanx – 1973
- “Life Is Strange” – Tanx – 1973
- “Life’s a Gas” – Electric Warrior – 1971
- “Life’s an Elevator” – Futuristic Dragon – 1976 (Bonus track)
- “Light of Love” – Bolan’s Zip Gun – 1975
- “Like a White Star, Tangled and Far, Tulip That’s What You Are” – Unicorn – 1969
- “Liquid Gang” – Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow – 1974
- “Lofty Skies” – A Beard of Stars – 1970
- “London Boys” – Futuristic Dragon – 1976 (Bonus track)
- “Love Drunk” – Billy Super Duper – 1982
- “Mad Donna” – Tanx – 1973
- “Main Man” – The Slider – 1972
- “Mambo Sun” – Electric Warrior – 1971
- “Mellow Love” – Billy Super Duper – 1982
- “Metal Guru” – The Slider – 1972
- “Midnight” – Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow – 1974 (Bonus track)
- “Mister Mister” – Tanx – 1973
- “Monolith” – Electric Warrior – 1971
- “Mustang Ford” – My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair… But Now They’re Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows – 1968
- “My Little Baby” – Futuristic Dragon – 1976
- “Mystic Lady” – The Slider – 1972
- “Nameless Wildness” – Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow – 1974
- “New York City” – Futuristic Dragon – 1976
- “Nijinsky Hind” – Unicorn – 1969
- “Oh Harley (The Saltimbanques)” – Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages – 1968
- “One Inch Rock” – T. Rex – 1970
- “Organ Blues” – A Beard of Stars – 1970
- “Our Wonderful Brownskin Man” – Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages – 1968
- “Pain and Love” – Dandy in the Underworld – 1977
- “Painless Persuasion v. the Meathawk Immaculate” – Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow – 1974
- “Pavilions of Sun” – A Beard of Stars – 1970
- “Pewter Suitor” – Non-album single – 1969
- “Planet Queen” – Electric Warrior – 1971
- “Planet Queen (Acoustic Version)” – Electric Warrior – 1971 (Bonus track)
- “‘Pon a Hill” – Unicorn – 1969
- “Precious Star” – Bolan’s Zip Gun – 1975
- “Prelude” – A Beard of Stars – 1970
- “Rabbit Fighter” – The Slider – 1972
- “Rapids” – Tanx – 1973
- “Raw Ramp” – Electric Warrior – 1971 (Bonus track)
- “Ride a White Swan” – T. Rex – 1970 (U.S. version)
- “Ride My Wheels” – Futuristic Dragon – 1976
- “Rip Off” – Electric Warrior – 1971
- “Rock On” – The Slider – 1972
- “Romany Soup” – Unicorn – 1969
- “Root of Star” – T. Rex – 1970
- “Salamanda Palaganda” – Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages – 1968
- “Satisfaction Pony” – Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow – 1974 (Bonus track)
- “Scenescof” – My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair… But Now They’re Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows – 1968
- “Scenescof Dynasty” – Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages – 1968
- “Seagull Woman” – T. Rex – 1970
- “Sensation Boulevard” – Futuristic Dragon – 1976
- “She Was Born to Be My Unicorn” – Unicorn – 1969
- “Shock Rock” – Tanx – 1973
- “Shy Boy” – Billy Super Duper – 1982
- “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” – Bolan’s Zip Gun – 1975 (Bonus track)
- “Sitting Here” – Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow – 1974 (Bonus track)
- “Solid Baby” – Bolan’s Zip Gun – 1975
- “Solid Gold Easy Action” – Tanx – 1973 (Bonus track)
- “Sound Pit” – Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow – 1974
- “Space Boss” – Bolan’s Zip Gun – 1975
- “Spaceball Ricochet” – The Slider – 1972
- “Stacey Grove” – Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages – 1968
- “Stones for Avalon” – Unicorn – 1969
- “Strange Orchestras” – My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair… But Now They’re Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows – 1968
- “Summer Deep” – T. Rex – 1970
- “Summertime Blues” – Non-album single – 1970
- “Suneye” – T. Rex – 1970
- “Sunken Rags” – Tanx – 1973 (Bonus track)
- “Tame My Tiger” – Dandy in the Underworld – 1977 (Bonus track)
- “Teen Riot Structure” – Dandy in the Underworld – 1977
- “Teenage Dream” – Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow – 1974
- “Telegram Sam” – The Slider – 1972
- “Tenement Lady” – Tanx – 1973
- “The Avengers (Superbad)” – Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow – 1974
- “The Children of Rarn” – T. Rex – 1970
- “The Children of Rarn (Reprise)” – T. Rex – 1970
- “The Friends” – Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages – 1968
- “The Groover” – Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow – 1974 (Bonus track)
- “The Leopards Featuring Gardenia & the Mighty Slug” – Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow – 1974
- “The Misty Coast of Albany” – Unicorn – 1969
- “The Motivator” – Electric Warrior – 1971
- “The Pilgrim’s Tale” – Unicorn – 1969
- “The Sea Beasts” – Unicorn – 1969
- “The Seal of Seasons” – Unicorn – 1969
- “The Slider” – The Slider – 1972
- “The Soul of My Suit” – Dandy in the Underworld – 1977
- “The Street and Babe Shadow” – Tanx – 1973
- “The Throat of Winter” – Unicorn – 1969
- “The Time of Love Is Now” – T. Rex – 1970
- “The Travelling Tragition” – Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages – 1968
- “The Visit” – T. Rex – 1970
- “The Wizard” – T. Rex – 1970
- “Theme for a Dragon” – Futuristic Dragon – 1976
- “There Was a Time” – Electric Warrior – 1971 (Bonus track)
- “Think Zinc” – Bolan’s Zip Gun – 1975
- “Thunderwing” – Non-album single – 1972
- “Till Dawn” – Bolan’s Zip Gun – 1975
- “To Know You Is to Love You” – Dandy in the Underworld – 1977 (Bonus track)
- “Token of My Love” – Bolan’s Zip Gun – 1975
- “Trelawny Lawn” – Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages – 1968
- “Truck On (Tyke)” – Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow – 1974 (Bonus track)
- “Universe” – Dandy in the Underworld – 1977
- “Venus Loon” – Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow – 1974
- “Visions of Domino” – Dandy in the Underworld – 1977
- “Warlord of the Royal Crocodiles” – Unicorn – 1969
- “Wielder of Words” – My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair… But Now They’re Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows – 1968
- “Wind Cheetah” – A Beard of Stars – 1970
- “Wind Quartets” – Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages – 1968
- “Woodland Bop” – A Beard of Stars – 1970
- “Woodland Rock” – Electric Warrior – 1971 (Bonus track)
- “Write Me a Song (Supertuff)” – Billy Super Duper – 1982
- “Xmas Riff” – Tanx – 1973 (Bonus track)
- “You’ve Got to Jive to Stay Alive – Spanish Midnight” – Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow – 1974
- “Zip Gun Boogie” – Bolan’s Zip Gun – 1975
Tyrannosaurus Rex and T. Rex Albums and Selected Releases
My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair… But Now They’re Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows (1968)
![My People Were Fair And Had Sky In Their Hair...But Now They're Content To Wear Stars On Their Brows [Vinyl]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Ave9UJetL._SL500_.jpg)
Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages (1968)
Unicorn (1969)
A Beard of Stars (1970)
T. Rex (1970)
Electric Warrior (1971)
The Slider (1972)
Tanx (1973)
![Tanx[LP]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41NWWcafNjL._SL500_.jpg)
Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow (1974)
Bolan’s Zip Gun (1975)
Futuristic Dragon (1976)
Dandy in the Underworld (1977)
Billy Super Duper (1982)
Check out our fantastic and entertaining T. Rex articles, detailing in-depth the band’s albums, songs, band members, and more…all on ClassicRockHistory.com
Complete List Of T. Rex & Tyrannosaurus Rex Albums And Songs
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Updated July 26, 2026.
Complete List Of T. Rex Songs From A to Z article published on ClassicRockHistory.com © 2026
