Photo: By AVRO (Beeld En Geluid Wiki – Gallerie: Toppop 1973) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Roxy Music released their first album in 1972 entitled Roxy Music
. A year later, in 1973, the band released two albums entitled For Your Pleasure
and Stranded
. In 1974, Roxy Music released the record Country Life
. Siren was released in 1975, and the end of the decade in 1979 saw the issue of the Manifesto album. The band released two more albums in the 1980s, the first being Flesh and Blood in 1980 and their final album in 1982 entitled Avalon
.
Our Top 10 Roxy Music Songs list presents many great songs from the band’s fabulous ten-year recording period between 1972 and 1982.
# 10 – LadyTron
We open our top 10 Roxy Music songs list with the song “Ladytron,” The song was released on the band’s album simply entitled Roxy Music. For those of you who may argue against Roxy Music being labeled Progressive Rock, listen! The band’s first album featured the musicians Bryan Ferry on vocals, piano, and various synths, Andy Mackay on oboe, saxophone, and backing vocals, Phil Manzanera on guitar, Paul Thompson on drums, Brian Eno on synthesizer, effects, and backing vocals, and Graham Simpson on bass.
# 9 – Mother Of Pearl
The Roxy Music song “Mother of Pearl” was released on the Stranded album. The album was released in 1973. The album featured musician Bryan Ferry on vocals and keyboards. John Gustafson on bass guitar, Eddie Jobson on synthesizers, keyboards, and electric violin, Andy Mackay on oboe and saxophone, Phil Manzanera on guitar, and Paul Thompson on drums. This song explodes right out of the gate. We must live that guitar riff circling around that spectacular drum groove.
# 8 – The Thrill Of It All
The song “The Thrill of It All” was released on the band’s 1974 album Country Life. This was the first Roxy Music album I ever owned as a young kid. I must admit that it was not the music that initially enticed me to buy the record when I was 13 years old and browsing through the Sam Goody Record store in the mall, trying to find some exciting music. It was one of those albums I kept hidden from Mom.
# 7 – The Bogus Man
Another excellent album cover and another great Roxy Music album featuring the killer track “The Bogus Man.” The band’s own experiences influenced the album cover that defined the Roxy Music pop art experience in the art field. Roxy Music was not just a band but an entire artistic experience in so many ways.
# 6 – Do The Strand
Two in a row from the same great album, For Your Pleasure
. The dynamic For Your Pleasure album was released in 1973. It was the band’s second album release. The song “Do The Strand” was the album’s opening cut. Bryan Ferry has said in various interviews that Cole Porter’s music inspired him to write this song.
# 5 – Oh Yeah!
We turn to the Flesh and Blood record as we enter the second half of our Top 10 Roxy Music songs list. The Flesh and Blood
album was released in 1980. The song “Oh Yeah” was the second single released from the album. It was tough to choose between “Oh Yeah” and “Over You,” which was the album’s debut single, but there was something we liked just a little bit more in the song “Oh Yeah.” This is all subjective anyway, and we could change our minds tomorrow.
# 4 – Same Old Scene
The third single from the great Flesh and Blood album was our favorite song from the record. The album was released in 1980. Flesh And Blood featured Bryan Ferry on vocals and keyboards, Phil Manzanera on guitar, Andy Mackay on saxophones and oboe, Alan Spenner on bass, and Allan Schwartzberg on drums. The sound of the early 80s is clearly defined in the song’s arrangement, groove, and melody.
# 3 – Avalon
If you know the hits but have never listened to the albums, you would not recognize Roxy Music’s progressive rock roots. Songs like “Avalon” were so excellently written that they disguised the substance deep within the music, if that makes any sense. The song “Avalon” was released on the band’s final album, also titled Avalon. Superstar action director Ridley Scott directed the video for the song.
# 2 – Love Is The Drug
The legendary Roxy Music song “Love is the Drug” was released on the band’s fifth album, Siren. The Siren album was released in 1975. “Love is the Drug” was the album’s opening cut and the first single. The song reached number two on the United Kingdom music charts in 1975. It reached the same position in Canada. It was not as successful in the United States, but still made a mark on the charts, reaching the number 30 position.
# 1 – More Than This
Landing in the number one position on our humble Top 10 Roxy Music songs list is the beautiful Roxy Music song “More Than This.” The song was released on the Avalon album. The Avalon record was the band’s final album. It was released in 1982. “More Than This” was the album’s opening track.
The song was also released as the first single from that album. It was released as a single before the album. It’s the perfect Roxy Music song. It was a fitting way to end the band’s wonderful ten years of album releases and set the transition for Bryan Ferry’s solo career.
Updated December 29, 2025
Top 10 Top 10 Roxy Music Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2026
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