Hawkwind Songs Ranked

Hawkwind is an English rock band known as one of the earliest space rock groups. Since their formation in November 1969, Hawkwind has gone through many incarnations and has incorporated many different styles into their music, including hard rock, progressive rock, and psychedelic rock. They are also regarded as an influential proto-punk band. Their lyrics favor urban and science fiction themes. Many musicians, dancers, and writers have worked with the band since its inception. Notable musicians who have performed in Hawkwind include Lemmy, Ginger Baker, Robert Calvert, Nik Turner, and Huw Lloyd-Langton. However, the band is most closely associated with their founder, singer, songwriter, and guitarist Dave Brock, who is the only remaining original member. Hawkwind is best known for the song “Silver Machine”, which became a number three UK hit single in 1972, but they scored further hit singles with “Urban Guerrilla” (another Top 40 hit) and “Shot Down in the Night”. The band had a run of twenty-two of their albums charting in the UK from 1971 to 1993. Here are all of Hawkwind songs ranked.

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20. Who’s Gonna Win the War (Levitation, 1980)

“A side taken from “Levitation.” B side is a non album track. Released on the Bronze label. Cat No. BRO 109. Released with a picture sleeve depicting a Hawkwind spaceship dropping bombs on a town / city.”

19. Hassan I Sabbah (Quark, Strangeness and Charm, 1977)

“Hassan I Sabha” is a classic song with an intense middle Eastern vibe. Mystic, magic, and powerful song of Middle Eastern”

18. The Golden Void (Warrior on the Edge of Time, 1975)

“The track segues into ‘The Golden Void’ which is one of the band’s best all out space tracks with an interesting high pitched squealing synth(?) and an excellent denouement where the track climaxes with all sorts of saxophone and synth craziness over a stomping rhythm before slowly dissipating with more wonky saxophone playing.”

17. Paradox (Hall of the Mountain Grill, 1974)

“Paradox”. This song starts with the same guitar riff as “D-Rider”. Anyway, it leads into some very dramatic and cool instrumental section with some great guitar playing by Dave Brock and again more mellotron backing.”

See more: Hawkwind Albums Ranked

16. Wind of Change (Hall of the Mountain Grill, 1974)

“This is a very beautiful instrumental and probably my favorite. track on the album. It beings with some lonely chords on the organ and then leads to a mellow synthesizer part. Bass and percussions join in, followed by a great violin part. The same organ which started the song also ends it.”

15. Angels of Death (Sonic Attack, 1981)

” Angels of Death is an intriguingly repetitive piece which has gone on to become a live staple. Nearest Hawkwind got to Metal. Great guitar sound and what a great song.”

14. Lord of Light (Doremi Fasol Latido, 1972)

“Lord of Light” breaks into a sputtering mess of sounds which chaotically coalesce until one of the most melodic and energetic tracks burst into heavy metal mode with some of Lemmy’s most badass bass playing along with Brock’s power chords bantering with the usual space swirls of electronic whizzing around like solar storms colliding with planetary magnetic shields”

13. The Demented Man (Warrior on the Edge of Time, 1975)

“The Demented Man is an acoustic number with lush synth backing takes me back to early days, water lapping on the beach, the sound of gulls, it’s all atmosphere and I like it.”

12. Sonic Attack (Sonic Attack, 1981)

“1981’s Sonic Attack is a close as veteran English Space Rockers Hawkwind have ever gotten to Heavy Metal, it’s not, but at times it’s close. Two of Hawkwind’s greatest and heaviest songs of all time are hear. The heavy riffing yet soaring Rocky Paths. And the dangerously mesmerizing Angels Of Death. And the rest of the album is nearly as good. This is some powerful, loud, guitar and synthesizer based Space Rock heaviness. And it’s grand.”

11. Kings of Speed (Warrior on the Edge of Time, 1975)

“Kings of Speed is the albums rocker, in following in the tailwind of Silver Machine, it sounds rather thrown together, the violin even moves up country but as it’s Hawkwind it will scrape a pass”

10. Lost Johnny (Hall of the Mountain Grill, 1974)

“Lost Johnny” is a great rock track which features Lemmy on vocals. The sound of this track is hard to describe but… imagine spaced-out hardrock.

9. Assault and Battery (Warrior on the Edge of Time, 1975)

“Assault and Battery is archetypal Hawkwind Space Rock with slowly takes on a journey, with Nick Turner jazzily flootin’ tootin’ in the background before it beautifully segues into my personal favourite The Golden Void all synth and ear piercing violin from Simon House, the mood is forbidding and it is great, in fact Simon House is terrific on this album.”

8. Upside Down (Space Ritual, 1973)

“Here we have a simply extraordinary guitar riff, which works as well as famous riffs like Smoke on the Whater and Paranoid. Enjoy, this is one of the few opportunities on the record where you can head bang instead of staying in a trance.”

7. PSI Power (25 Years On, 1978)

“A case where the single mix of “Psi Power” is markedly inferior to the album. It’s still a great song. At the time “Death Trap” , their most new wave number was a welcome release. Of course it turned it turned up on their next album (or the previous one released later!) so has no rarity value”

See more: Motörhead Albums Ranked

6. Master of the Universe (In Search of Space, 1971)

“‘Master Of The Universe’ cannot be faulted, and this album really brought to life the potential that this band had. This album brings about the genre known as Space Rock, and although the album drags a little at times, it is still good to listen to.”

5. Motorhead (Independent Days, 1984)

“More notable for the incredible B-side, which is effectively a manifesto for Lemmy’s next band (he just needs to consume way more whisky and cigarettes before his voice is ready).”

4. High Rise (PXR5, 1979)

“A very cool album by our heroes, not a masterpiece but still all-in-all a very trippy, instrumentally above average, typical recording by the group. So catch a buzz, put the headphones on, and enjoy.”

3. Silver Machine (In Search of Space, 1971)

“Neither of these two great tracks were ever released on a studio album. “Silver Machine” here was recorded live Feb, 1972, and overdubbed for this single. This is mid-tempo prog hard rock with psych flavor and heavy use of synthesizer, yielding their trademarked “space rock” sound.”

2. The Golden Void Part 2 (Warrior On The Edge Of Time, 1975)

“Well, what a track. The kinda song you’d put on to relax. Stress relief at it’s best. Epic, dramatic, agonistic. This is probably my favourite Hawkwind album and one of my favourite albums in general.”

1. The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear in Smoke) (Hall of the Mountain Grill, 1974)

“The Psychedelic Warlords” is a great opener. It’s funky, the bass playing is great, as well as the guitar riff. There’s also a small mellotron line in the background (I admit it, I love the mellotron) There’s a short sax-driven part between some verses. It then later becomes pretty experimental with some sax here and some bass notes there. Some loud ends the song.”