[Foreign Music] A Guide to Post-Rock: Essential Classics and a Recommended Pick

Post-rock is a music genre that expresses itself through a variety of ideas and experimental approaches, differing from the conventional methodology of rock.

The definition is quite vague and there are many subgenres, but there are plenty of bands and artists within the umbrella of post-rock who have achieved global success, and here in Japan as well, many have been influenced by post-rock’s methods.

In this article, we’ll introduce a selection of essential albums—perfect as a “start here” for Western music fans who’ve recently become interested in post-rock.

The lineup focuses mainly on albums from the 1990s to the 2000s, the peak era of post-rock, so be sure to check them out!

Playlist

[Foreign Music] A Guide to Post-Rock: Essential Classics and a Recommended Pick
	Title	Playlist	Review
1	Laughing StockTalk Talk		Talk Talk’s landmark album, a foundational work of post-rock
2	Don, AmanSlint		Slint, a masterpiece at the roots of post-rock
3	DjedTortoise		Tortoise’s masterful second album
4	The Summer EndsAmerican Football		American Football reunites, masterpiece debut album
5	First breath after comaExplosions in the sky		Introducing Explosions in the Sky’s greatest masterpiece album
6	Svefn-g-englarSigur Rós		Introducing the allure of Sigur Rós’s masterpiece album
7	East HastingsGodspeed You! Black Emperor		The stunning debut album by Godspeed You! Black Emperor
8	Mogwai Fear SatanMogwai		Introducing Mogwai's debut album
9	WindowThe Album Leaf		Introducing classic albums from an electronica-influenced post-rock band
10	Fire Back About Your New Baby’s SexDon Caballero		Introducing the appeal of the math rock band Don Caballero
11	AtlasBattles		Introducing Battles’ innovative musicianship and classic albums
12	A French GalleasseRachel’s		Introducing Rachel's 1999 album “Selenography.”
13	Ghost Ship in a StormJim O’Rourke		Introducing Jim O'Rourke's 1999 masterpiece, Eureka
14	Svefn-g-englarSigur Rós		Signature songs of Sigur Rós
15	The Audio PoolThe Album Leaf		The Album Leaf’s 2001 work
16	Await Rescue65daysofstatic		An innovative instrumental band from Sheffield
17	A Street SceneBark Psychosis		The masterpiece album by Bark Psychosis that gave rise to post-rock
18	Distant ShoreDirty Three		The Dirty Three’s masterpiece album “Ocean Songs”
19	FredericiaDo Make Say Think		The Canadian band Do Make Say Think
20	The Everyday World of BodiesRodan		Rodin’s legendary album
21	RespiraTristeza		Introducing a masterpiece album of Tristeza
22	Afternoon SpeakerThe Sea and Cake		Introducing The Sea and Cake’s classic album “Oui”
23	Their Helicopters’ SingGodspeed You! Black Emperor		Godspeed You! Black Emperor songs
24	The Undertow65daysofstatic		A collection of songs by a British instrumental band
25	Helicon 1Mogwai		Scottish post-rock band
26	Where Are The Timpani HeartbeatsThe Six Parts Seven		An epic track by a post-rock band
27	Aaron and MariaThe American Analog Set		Indie rock band from Texas
28	Broken BalladGrails		Melancholic music band of Grails
29	Smell MemoryMúm		Icelandic experimental band
30	drive until he sleepsUi		Ui is a post-rock band
31	In Search Of The MiraculousMark McGuire		Included on the Mark McGuire album
32	FrengersMew		Mew's post-rock masterpiece album
33	LAST DAY OF WINTERPELICAN		Pelican is a post-metal band
34	They Move On Tracks Of Never-Ending LightThis Will Destroy You		Rock music from Texas. Featured in a film.
35	A Little DistanceTristeza		Instrumental band from San Diego
36	What Is Your LandmassDianogah		Dianogah, an indie rock band from Chicago
37	Born Into Trouble as the Sparks Fly UpwardA Silver Mt Zion		The second album by A Silver Mt. Zion
38	IVBadbadnotgood		An ambitious work by BADBADNOTGOOD that fuses jazz and hip-hop
39	Tago MagoCan		Can's 'Tago Mago' is a masterpiece of experimental krautrock.
40	FaustFaust		Faust's debut album, an innovative Krautrock classic
41	De cercle en cercleFly Pan Am		Fly Pan Am's experimental long-form composition
42	SharpshooterFrom Monument To Masses		A post-rock band from San Francisco
43	CamoufleurGastr del Sol		The meditative sound world of the post-rock masterpiece Camoufleur
44	Sounds of the SatellitesLaika		Laika’s experimental and beautiful musical work
45	GoneM83		A track included on M83’s 2003 album
46	Neu! ’75Neu!		Neu!'s masterful album lays the foundations of post-rock
47	The Eye of Every StormNeurosis		An epic track that showcases the evolution of Neurosis
48	The Flowers of RomancePublic Image Ltd		Public Image Ltd experimental masterpiece album
49	Water From the Same SourceRachel’s		Released by a Kentucky group in 2003
50	Daydream nationSonic youth		A masterpiece rock album, Sonic Youth’s signature work
51	Transient Random Noise Bursts with AnnouncementsStereolab		Stereolab’s experimental classic album
52	Steede BonnetTarentel		Tarentel is a post-rock band.
53	Enjoy your worries, you may never have them againThe Books		The Books, new folk music
54	Car AlarmThe Sea and Cake		The Sea and Cake’s masterpiece album
55	LoadedThe Velvet Underground		The Velvet Underground’s Loaded is a masterpiece.
56	10,000 DaysTool		Tool's masterpiece album “10,000 Days”
57	Been a Long Time CousinHella		Introduction to the formation and activity history of the rock band Hella
58	look at that car, it’s full of balloonsA Minor Forest		A Minor Forest is a math rock band
59	GenevaRussian Circles		A 2009 work by a Chicago instrumentalist band
60	Bright TomorrowFuck Buttons		A song by a British electronic music duo