Feature Photo: Deram / London Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ten Years After came together in Nottingham, England in 1966, led by guitarist and vocalist Alvin Lee. The original lineup included Leo Lyons on bass, Ric Lee on drums, and Chick Churchill on keyboards. The group built its reputation through relentless live performances that showcased Alvin Lee’s lightning-fast guitar playing and the band’s unique mix of blues, jazz, and rock influences. Their self-titled debut album arrived in 1967 on Deram Records, introducing a sound that quickly separated them from the crowded British blues rock scene of the time.
Momentum built steadily through albums like Undead in 1968, which featured extended improvisations and demonstrated their mastery on stage. That same year, the release of Stonedhenge further pushed their experimental side, blending blues structures with jazz-inspired flourishes. However, it was their fourth album Ssssh in 1969 that truly placed them into the mainstream. The record reached the UK charts and established Ten Years After as a leading act in the late 1960s rock explosion.
Their international breakthrough came with a career-defining performance at Woodstock in 1969. Alvin Lee’s blistering rendition of “I’m Going Home” electrified the massive crowd and became one of the standout moments captured in the Woodstock film and soundtrack. This single performance turned the band into global stars and showcased their ability to deliver high-octane blues rock with unmatched energy. By 1970, they released Cricklewood Green and Watt, albums that featured both raw live tracks and carefully crafted studio cuts, displaying the duality of their musical personality.
In 1971, Ten Years After hit their commercial peak with A Space in Time. The album produced their best-known single, “I’d Love to Change the World,” which became a hit in the United States and remains one of their most enduring songs. With its sharp lyrics reflecting social and political concerns of the era, paired with a memorable melody and Lee’s expressive guitar, the song earned heavy radio play and solidified the band’s international stature. The record remains a high point in their discography and is often cited as their most successful studio effort.
The band continued to release albums throughout the early 1970s, including Rock & Roll Music to the World in 1972 and Positive Vibrations in 1974. While these records sustained their popularity, tensions and the relentless pace of touring eventually took their toll. By 1975, Ten Years After disbanded, with Alvin Lee pursuing a solo career and other members branching out into different projects. During this period, the group’s catalog continued to resonate with fans, particularly in the United States, where their mix of blues-based rock and extended jams had built a dedicated following.
A reunion took place in 1983, bringing the original members back together for a series of shows and new recordings. Over time, the group continued to tour, though Alvin Lee eventually departed. The band carried on with new guitarist and vocalist Joe Gooch joining in 2003, ensuring that the Ten Years After name lived on. With this new lineup, they released albums like Now in 2004 and Evolution in 2008, maintaining their legacy and introducing their music to new generations.
Alvin Lee also revisited the Ten Years After catalog throughout his solo career, but the band itself remained a touring and recording force, even after his passing in 2013. In 2014, guitarist Marcus Bonfanti stepped in to handle vocal and guitar duties, giving the group fresh momentum. While their later years may not have matched the intensity of their early success, Ten Years After remained a celebrated band for their contributions to blues rock and for the groundbreaking role they played in bringing that sound to a wider audience during the late 1960s and 1970s.
Complete List Of Ten Years After Songs From A to Z
- 50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain – Cricklewood Green – 1970
- A Sad Song – Stonedhenge – 1969
- About Time – About Time – 1989
- Angry Words – Evolution – 2008
- As the Sun Still Burns Away – Cricklewood Green – 1970
- (At the) Woodchopper’s Ball – Ten Years After – 1967
- Adventures of a Young Organ – Ten Years After – 1967
- Baby Won’t You Let Me Rock ‘n’ Roll You – A Space in Time – 1971
- Bad Blood – About Time – 1989
- Bad Scene – Ssssh – 1969
- Boogie On – Stonedhenge – 1969 (bonus track)
- Changes – Now – 2004
- Choo Choo Mama – Rock & Roll Music to the World – 1972
- Choo Choo Mama – Recorded Live – 1973 (live)
- Circles – Cricklewood Green – 1970
- Classical Thing – Recorded Live – 1973
- Convention Prevention – Rock & Roll Music to the World – 1972
- Diamond Girl – A Sting In The Tale – 2017
- Don’t Want You Woman – Ten Years After – 1967
- Extension on One Chord – Recorded Live – 1973
- Faro – Stonedhenge – 1969
- Feel It for Me – Ten Years After – 1967
- Going Back to Birmingham – Positive Vibrations – 1974
- Going to Chicago – About Time – 1989
- Going to Try – Stonedhenge – 1969
- Gonna Run – Watt – 1970
- Good Morning Little Schoolgirl – Ssssh – 1969
- Good Morning Little Schoolgirl – Recorded Live – 1973 (live)
- Guitar Hero – A Sting In The Tale – 2017
- Hard Monkeys – A Space in Time – 1971
- Hear Me Calling – Stonedhenge – 1969
- Hear Me Calling – Stonedhenge – 1969 (single version, bonus track)
- Help Me – Ten Years After – 1967
- Help Me – Recorded Live – 1973 (live)
- Here They Come – A Space in Time – 1971
- Highway of Love – About Time – 1989
- Hobbit – Recorded Live – 1973
- Hold Me Tight – Ten Years After – 1967
- Hundred Miles High – Now – 2004
- I Can’t Keep from Crying Sometimes – Ten Years After – 1967
- I Can’t Keep From Cryin’ Sometimes (Part 1) – Recorded Live – 1973
- I Can’t Keep From Cryin’ Sometimes (Part 2) – Recorded Live – 1973
- I Can’t Keep from Crying, Sometimes / Extension on One Chord / I Can’t Keep from Crying, Sometimes (reprise) – Undead – 1968
- I Can’t Live Without Lydia – Stonedhenge – 1969
- I Don’t Know That You Don’t Know My Name – Ssssh – 1969
- I Get All Shook Up – About Time – 1989
- I May Be Wrong, But I Won’t Be Wrong Always – Undead – 1968
- I Never Saw It Coming – Evolution – 2008
- I Say Yeah – Watt – 1970
- I Think It’s Gonna Rain All Night – Evolution – 2008
- I Want to Know – Ten Years After – 1967
- I Wanted to Boogie – Positive Vibrations – 1974
- I Woke Up This Morning – Ssssh – 1969
- I’d Love to Change the World – A Space in Time – 1971
- I’ll Make It Easy for You – Now – 2004
- I’m Coming On – Watt – 1970
- I’m Going Home – Undead – 1968
- I’m Going Home – Stonedhenge – 1969 (single version, bonus track)
- I’m Going Home – Recorded Live – 1973 (live)
- I’m Going Home – Positive Vibrations – 1974 (live in Paris, bonus track)
- I’ve Been There Too – A Space in Time – 1971
- If You Should Love Me – Ssssh – 1969
- Iron Horse – A Sting In The Tale – 2017
- It’s Getting Harder – Positive Vibrations – 1974
- King of the Blues – Now – 2004
- Land Of The Vandals – A Sting In The Tale – 2017
- Last Night Of The Bottle – A Sting In The Tale – 2017
- Let the Sky Fall – A Space in Time – 1971
- Let’s Shake It Up – About Time – 1989
- Long Time Running – Now – 2004
- Look into My Life – Positive Vibrations – 1974
- Look Me Straight into the Eyes – Positive Vibrations – 1974
- Losing the Dogs – Ten Years After – 1967
- Love Like a Man – Cricklewood Green – 1970
- Love Until I Die – Ten Years After – 1967
- Me and My Baby – Cricklewood Green – 1970
- Miss Constable – A Sting In The Tale – 2017
- My Baby Left Me – Watt – 1970
- My Imagination – Evolution – 2008
- No Title – Stonedhenge – 1969
- Nowhere to Run – Positive Vibrations – 1974
- Once There Was a Time – A Space in Time – 1971
- Once There Was a Time – Positive Vibrations – 1974 (live in Frankfurt, bonus track)
- One of These Days – A Space in Time – 1971
- One of These Days – Recorded Live – 1973 (live)
- Outside My Window – About Time – 1989
- Over the Hill – A Space in Time – 1971
- Portable People – Ten Years After – 1967
- Positive Vibrations – Positive Vibrations – 1974
- Positive Vibrations Radio Advert – Positive Vibrations – 1974 (bonus track)
- Reasons Why – Now – 2004
- Religion – Rock & Roll Music to the World – 1972
- Retired Hurt – A Sting In The Tale – 2017
- Rock & Roll Music to the World – Rock & Roll Music to the World – 1972
- Rock & Roll Music to the World – Positive Vibrations – 1974 (live in Frankfurt, bonus track)
- Rock Your Mama – Ten Years After – 1967
- Rock Your Mama – Undead – 1968
- Saturday Night – About Time – 1989
- Scat Thing – Recorded Live – 1973
- She Keeps Walking – Evolution – 2008
- She Lies in the Morning – Watt – 1970
- She Needed A Rock – Evolution – 2008
- Silly Thing – Recorded Live – 1973
- Skoobly-Oobly-Doobob – Stonedhenge – 1969
- Slip Slide Away – Evolution – 2008
- Sliverspoon Lady – A Sting In The Tale – 2017
- Slow Blues in ‘C’ – Recorded Live – 1973
- Speed Kills – Stonedhenge – 1969
- Spider in My Web – Ten Years After – 1967
- Spider in Your Web – Undead – 1968
- Spoonful – Ten Years After – 1967
- Spoonful – Undead – 1968
- Spoonful – Positive Vibrations – 1974 (live in Paris, bonus track)
- Standing at the Crossroads – Undead – 1968
- Standing at the Station – Rock & Roll Music to the World – 1972
- Standing at the Station – Positive Vibrations – 1974 (live in Amsterdam, bonus track)
- Stone Me – Positive Vibrations – 1974
- Stoned Alone – A Sting In The Tale – 2017
- Stoned Woman – Ssssh – 1969
- Sugar the Road – Cricklewood Green – 1970
- Summertime / Shantung Cabbage – Undead – 1968
- Suranne Suranne – A Sting In The Tale – 2017
- Sweet Little Sixteen – Watt – 1970
- Sweet Little Sixteen – Positive Vibrations – 1974 (live in Atlanta, bonus track)
- Tail Lights – Evolution – 2008
- The Band with No Name – Watt – 1970
- The Sounds – Ten Years After – 1967
- The Stomp – Ssssh – 1969
- The Voice Inside Your Head – Now – 2004
- That’s Alright – Evolution – 2008
- Think About the Times – Watt – 1970
- Three Blind Mice – Stonedhenge – 1969
- Time to Kill – Now – 2004
- Tomorrow I’ll Be Out of Town – Rock & Roll Music to the World – 1972
- Turned-Off TV Blues – Rock & Roll Music to the World – 1972
- Two Lost Souls – A Sting In The Tale – 2017
- Two Time Mama – Ssssh – 1969
- Uncle Jam – A Space in Time – 1971
- Up In Smoke – A Sting In The Tale – 2017
- Victim of Circumstance – About Time – 1989
- Waiting for the Judgement Day – About Time – 1989
- When It All Falls Down – Now – 2004
- Why’d They Call It Falling – Evolution – 2008
- Wild Is the River – About Time – 1989
- Without You – Positive Vibrations – 1974
- Woman Trouble – Stonedhenge – 1969
- Woman Trouble – Stonedhenge – 1969 (US version, bonus track)
- Woodchopper’s Ball – Undead – 1968
- Working in a Parking Lot – About Time – 1989
- Working on the Road – Cricklewood Green – 1970
- Year 3,000 Blues – Cricklewood Green – 1970
- You Can’t Win Them All – Rock & Roll Music to the World – 1972
- You Give Me Loving – Rock & Roll Music to the World – 1972
- You Give Me Loving – Recorded Live – 1973 (live)
- You’re Driving Me Crazy – Positive Vibrations – 1974
Albums
Ten Years After (1967): 15 songs
Undead (1968): 9 songs
Stonedhenge (1969): 14 songs
Ssssh (1969): 8 songs
Cricklewood Green (1970): 8 songs
Watt (1970): 8 songs
A Space in Time (1971): 10 songs
Rock & Roll Music to the World (1972): 9 songs
Recorded Live (1973): 14 songs
Positive Vibrations (1974): 17 songs
About Time (1989): 11 songs
Now (2004): 9 songs
Evolution (2008): 10 songs
A Sting In The Tale (2017): 12 songs
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