Date: December 3rd, 2025 11:06 PM
Author: potluck
1) Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
IMO, one of the most underrated albums of all time. It’s more a transition album for Peter than anything that clearly resembles any other Genesis album. The next two albums (the first two with Phil on vocals) are basically just lesser continuations of the prior three albums as if Lamb never happened, while it’d be easy to convince someone who didn’t know better that Peter’s first few solo albums are by the same band as Lamb.
Few of the songs are catchy or poppy enough to instantly resonate with you, but there are a lot of great songs to choose from here. Hard to pick the best. Personally I’d say it comes down to The Lamia or Back in NYC, with a slight edge to the latter, but there are about 7 other songs that could reasonably be considered the best of the bunch.
Best song: Back in NYC.
2) Foxtrot
Lamb is the best album, but Foxtrot has the greatest achievement of Genesis (or Phil or Peter individually): Supper’s Ready. It’s a strange song and you might think it’s too bizarre or silly at times on the first listen, but give it a chance to stick with you. There are other great moments on this album, and there’s an argument for putting it at #1 over Lamb, at least in part because it’s more of a pure Genesis album.
Best song, and the best Genesis song, is Supper’s Ready.
3) Duke
The first Phil album where the band comes into its own as a new thing instead of as a poor imitation of the Peter era, but this is also a lot more musically interesting and creative than the subsequent pop albums. A truly great album.
Best song: Turn It On Again.
4) Selling England by the Pound
Some fans put this one on top. I don’t see it as even close to the same tier as the last 3 albums just mentioned, but it’s got some great moments. Not flame, I once played Firth of Fifth for a black buddy of mine and unexpectedly changed his taste in music forever.
Best song: Firth of Fifth.
5) Trespass
Love the sound on this unique album. Folk-prog. A little too slow at times, but a great listen all the same.
Best song: Stagnation.
6) Genesis
This is Genesis’s best album of its pure pop era in my opinion. Phil’s vocals are stellar.
Best song: Mama
7) Nursery Cryme
Lots of songs I don’t care for, but Musical Box is rightly considered one of the band’s most iconic.
Best song: Musical Box.
8) Wind and Wuthering
Don’t love the pre-Duke Phil albums in general, but this is the best of them, with several interesting tracks. My top pick is a bit of an outlier on the album, and an extremely sappy song, but I like it and think it works as a genuine sap song.
Best song: Your Own Special Way
9) Abacab
Title song is great. Rest is meh.
Best song: Abacab.
10) Trick of the Tail
Some decent tracks, no great ones.
Best song: Trick of the Tail.
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