T Rex Songs Ranked
T. Rex was an English rock band, formed in 1967 by singer-songwriter and guitarist Marc Bolan. The band was initially called Tyrannosaurus Rex and released four psychedelic folk albums under this name. In 1969, Bolan began to change the band’s style towards electric rock and shortened its name to T. Rex the following year. This development culminated in the 1970’s “Ride a White Swan”, and the group soon became pioneers of the glam rock movement.
From 1970 to 1973, T. Rex encountered a popularity in the UK comparable to that of the Beatles, with a run of eleven singles in the UK top ten. They scored four UK number one hits, “Hot Love”, “Get It On”, “Telegram Sam” and “Metal Guru”. The band’s 1971 album Electric Warrior received critical acclaim as a pioneering glam rock album. It reached number 1 in the UK. The 1972 follow-up, The Slider, entered the top 20 in the US. Following the release of “20th Century Boy” in 1973, which reached number three in the UK, T. Rex’s appeal began to wane, though the band continued releasing one album per year.
In 1977, founder, songwriter, and sole constant member Bolan died in a car crash several months after the release of the group’s final studio album Dandy in the Underworld, and the group disbanded. T. Rex has continued to influence a variety of subsequent artists. The band will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020. Here are all of T-Rex’s songs ranked.
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20. Broken Hearted Blues (Dirty Sweet, 1967)
“For me, this was the best they did. I must admit, it was this track that turned me onto T.Rex in the first place. Anthemic, rocky and fairly risque for the time, this track is surely their signature tune.”
19. Chrome Sitar (Futuristic Dragon, 1976)
“The vocal performance, both from Bolan and Gloria Jones, drags the listener to the edge of oblivion over the space age mechanical shuffle. Only Marc Bolan could write a song about a chrome sitar and make it utterly compelling.”
18. Mambo Sun (Electric Warrior, 1971)
“The lyrics can be quite laughable at points, somehow very earnest/sincere/vulnerable at others, but the sometimes gruff and strident, sometimes soft and fuzzy guitar riffs are captivating.”
17. Life’s a Gas (Electric Warrior, 1971)
“The guitar tone in “Life’s a Gas” sounds so cool, and that great riff and outro solo sounds better because of that tone. This is one sexy song. If you’ve given this more than a passing interest, I strongly recommend the album, “Electric Warrior””
See more: T-Rex Albums Ranked
16. Precious Star (Light of Love, 1974)
“Riff awesome. Backing vocals awesome. Guitar snarls awesome. Horns hidden behind said guitar snarls awesome. Lead vocal particularly awesome. Chorus so awesome that it’s currently fucking all our mothers. And so it goes. Bolan, you salacious, magnificent bastard.”
15. The Groover (Great Hits, 1973)
“The Groover” still tries hard to live up to its title, Bolan even confidently name-checking his band over the intro. The repeated fade is tilted somewhere between bravado and exhaustion.”
14. Solid Gold, Easy Action (The Classics (Live), 1972)
“Ultimately, T. Rex was too beholden to boogie – he was born to do it, after all – to be considered a punk, but if the shredding guitar of “Solid Gold Easy Action” were louder, then this might be among a small handful of T. Rex songs that could be part of the proto-punk canon.”
13. Teenage Dream (Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow, 1974)
“Teenage Dream is a fitting epitaph for the headstone of Bolan’s superstardom. It does little to appease the listener and the applauding backing vocals, provided by his future wife Gloria Jones, are as enjoyable as getting your teeth drilled.”
12. The Slider (The Slider, 1968)
“I didn’t know this was released as a single anywhere but I’m grateful for the chance to isolate this song from its eponymous parent album. It really is one of Bolan’s best and one of his self-referencing signature songs in the succeeding vein of “Twentieth Century Boy” and “The Groover”.
11. Monolith (Electric Warrior 1971)
“Monolith” is excellent, “Lean Woman Blues” is not. That’s about all that needs to be said there. “Bang a Gong” is about as dumb as shit lyrically but there isn’t many songs as catchier as that one.”
10. Telegram Sam (The Slider (The Visconti Master), 1972)
“Perhaps best known for bringing the term “main man” Marc Bolan into popular culture, was number one for two weeks, before being knocked off the top by “Son of My Father” by Chicory Tip.”
9. I Love To Boogie (Billy Elliot, 1977)
“Funky hit which appeared on a Robinson squash advert, appealing to new generation. So funky from 1976, one of their last hits. Just before Punk era began.”
8. Cosmic Dancer (Electric Warrior, 1971)
“Cosmic dancer heard it so many times then saw stage show gave me goosebumps and tears in my eyes what a record.”
7. Ride a White Swan (T. Rex, 1970)
“Bolan at his most sweet and sensitive, the simplicity of the song bringing out the best in him. The first T Rex song remains my favourite.”
6. Children of the Revolution (Children of the Revolution, 1972)
“So weird that he was on such great form from 1970 – 1972 and then after that; nothing! Maybe this is the last great track before his sniff habit took full control of his creativity. The lyrics aren’t that inspired, but the track is catchy, rocky and anthemic – Pretty much all you’re after in a T.Rex glam classic.”
5. Hot Love (Electric Warrior, 1971)
“Eases in from next to nothing and before you know it Bolan’s delivering that breathy vocal giving life to his already spaced out lyrics. Visconti wraps it all up in a seductive combination of low-key instrumentation, cocooning backing vocals and cooing strings.”
4. Jeepster (Acoustic Warrior, 1981)
“Jeepster” has a freaking awesome riff and a catchy chorus. The song is one of T. Rex’s more popular outside of “Bang a Gong” (Get It On) in the US. The guitar tone in “Life’s a Gas” sounds so cool, and that great riff and outro solo sound better because of that tone.”
3. Metal Guru (The Slider (The Visconti Master), 1972)
“Metal Guru” fairly crashes out of the speakers with Tony Visconti’s strings and Bolan’s wailing vocal leading straight into the song-title and its answering phrases. Visconti’s strings throughout weave cleverly in and out of Bolan’s teasing vocal, highlighting as ever, Marc’s out-there lyrics, I mean – “Just like a silver-tongued, saber-toothed dream”!”
2. 20th Century Boy (Tanx (The Visconti Master), 1996)
“Definitely my favorite T. Rex song, full of energy and heavy guitars, it’s the forerunner of heavy metal like AC/DC. Captures the essence of the genre (I love how these are all T. Rex songs) it is the perfect song”
1. Get It On (Electric Warrior, 1971)
“Probably one of their best known songs, topped the charts back in 1971, a feel-good party song which filled the dance floors of the 1970’s! Known as ‘Get It On (Bang A Gong)’ in American.”
