The 10 Best Moody Blues Songs of All-Time
The Moody Blues are one of the most influential bands in music history, having sold upwards of 70 million albums worldwide. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018, which is just icing on the cake for a band that has had a tremendous impact on music from the ’60s to today. It’s clear that The Moody Blues are one of rock’s most important groups and have influenced countless other artists over their career with their fusion of blues, rock ‘n’ roll, jazz and classical influences. If you’re a fan of any of these genres and haven’t heard The Moody Blues, then it’s time to dive into one of rock’s most influential bands. Here are the 10 best Moody Blues songs of all-time.
10. “Fly Me High”
This is one of the more upbeat songs on the band’s debut album, The Moody Blues. It’s a nice, simple song that shows their blues influences off nicely while still maintaining the standard rock ‘n’ roll sound relied on by The Moody Blues. This song was used as a catchy single to unveil the band’s new lineup, featuring John Lodge and Justin Hayward. The song still sounds great today, thanks to the production.
9. “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere”
The Moody Blues really showed off their classical influences with this song, which is one of their more underrated tracks from album Sur la Mer. It’s a nice relaxing sound that bleeds into the rest of the album. One thing worth noting about this song is its beautiful piano intro and outro, which makes it one of the band’s more compelling songs. The song was released in 1988, and is one of the most memorable songs written and composed by Hayward.
8. “Gemini Dream”
This song is one of The Moody Blues’ most famous songs. Its classical influence and fusion with rock make it a fun track to listen to. The use of the flute during the breaks gives this song a unique sound, while still managing to keep their general sound consistent. It’s a fun song that’s easy on the ears, and is one of the band’s more well known tracks from their ’80s heyday period. It definitely leans into the progressive rock style of the 80s with glimmering synths and guitars, similar to artists like Asia. It also introduced a new synth player Moraz.
7. “Your Wildest Dreams”
This song is a nice way to segue into their album, The Other Side Of Life. It’s a simple song, but one that shows off the band’s ability to write catchy songs that sound better live than on record. This track also has a strong presence while still maintaining its pop appeal, something that other bands like The Police and U2 struggled with in the late 70s into the early 80s. It was produced by Tony Visconti, and is one of the band’s best ballads overall.
6. “No More Lies”
This song is one of many from the band’s album, Sur la Mer. It’s an upbeat track that’s catchy and groovy in all the right places. It features a strong guitar presence, which has become a trademark of The Moody Blues. It shows off their versatility with work in country, jazz and pop as well as their ability to write simple and infectious songs like this one. Hayward’s writing is at its best here, as he has a great hook that draws you in.
5. “Blue World”
From the 1993 album The Present, this song is one of the band’s most electronic compositions. It’s a slow song that sounds like it belongs on an album by Depeche Mode, and as such is one of the band’s best songs from their later albums. The instrumental use of this song is unique, and as such gives the track a unique sound that isn’t really found on other Moody Blues tracks. While it never was a hit, it became a fan favorite later on in the band’s career.
4. “The Voice”
This is one of the few songs from Long Distance Voyager that can be considered a ‘hits’ track. It’s a catchy song that has helped The Moody Blues break through to a new audience in the early 1980s. One thing to note about this song, especially compared to other tracks on the album, is its lack of electric guitars. While it still has a strong psychedelic sound with light synths and keyboards, it’s one of the band’s slower songs.
3. “Tuesday Afternoon”
This is one of the band’s signature songs, which helped them become international superstars. It’s an extremely catchy song that you will hear often on classic rock radio stations. It was a hit in many countries, and the single helped propel the album’s reputation to new heights and introduced The Moody Blues to a whole new audience.
2. “Question”
This is one of their signature songs from their album A Question of Balance. It’s one of their most simple songs, yet they did an excellent job incorporating it into their sound. It’s one of the band’s best known songs overall, and has stood the test of time in terms of relatability and accessibility.
1. “Nights In White Satin”
One of the soundtracks of Justin Hayward’s career, this song is a fitting hit on this list due to its widespread popularity. It was one of the band’s first hits, and helped make them international superstars. The song is one of their most well known songs in terms of live performances, and it was also a hit with fans all around the world.
