Top 10 Best Yes Songs

Yes is one of the most influential and ambitious bands in progressive rock history. Formed in 1968, the band helped push rock music into stranger, grander, and more technically dazzling territory, with intricate compositions, virtuosic musicianship, and a sound that balances complexity with melody.

From their early days blending psychedelic rock with jazz, folk, and classical influences to their reinvention in the 1980s with a sleeker, more radio-friendly approach, Yes has continued to evolve without losing its adventurous spirit.

Their lineup has changed many times over the years, but the core elements of their music remain unmistakable: soaring vocals, intricate bass lines, dazzling keyboard work, and extended instrumental passages that feel less like songs and more like expeditions with amplifiers.

Whether it is their epic, multi-part compositions from the 1970s or their more concise but still ambitious work in later decades, Yes has a way of drawing listeners into worlds filled with emotion, technical brilliance, and a sense of exploration.

The Top Ten

Close to the Edge

The best song by Yes for me, probably my favorite song of all time. It's basically a modern symphony in that musical ideas are introduced, then developed and revisited in interesting ways (much like other songs in the Yes catalog).
But this one stands out for being so raw and powerful, and all the pieces come together for the most glorious climax and ending to a musical piece I've heard. It deserves the #1 spot on this list.

Even though this song is about 19 minutes long, it's actually accessible. Unlike their later songs, which are great but plagued by excess, this song just feels like it was exactly right.
When I hear it, everything feels like it's exactly the way it should be, and that there's the right amount of everything.
Roundabout

Easily one of my favorite songs of all time, as well as one of the greatest songs of all time. My face beams every time I hear that little keyboard bit in the chorus: "In and around the lake, mountains come out of the sky, and they stand there... Bananananananananana." You know what I'm talking about.
It also takes the spot for the greatest keyboard solo of all time. Any Grand Theft Auto V fans who frequent the rock radio station are overjoyed when this song comes on.

I've been a long-time fan of modern prog rock and prog metal, but only recently did I start listening to the original prog rock kings, now that I'm old enough to appreciate it.
I have to say, among the many Yes songs I've found, this is still my favorite. But my second favorite is very close... to the edge.
Heart of the Sunrise

I have no idea how they wrote this. It's like the song has ADD. As soon as you get into the groove with one idea, it drifts to something totally different.
And yet it works magnificently. The ideas keep coming back in fresh ways and it keeps you amazed for 10+ minutes. Wakeman's work especially dazzles here.
Easily a top-tier Yes song by any measure.

Hard to pick between so many songs that all evoke fond memories, but this is one of the most poignant songs written.
Great change of pace and the way the song comes full circle at the end make this a masterpiece. This was the band at its greatest, its zenith.
The Gates of Delirium

The song builds up to a breathtaking and extraordinary phenomenon. It starts with a chirpy and spirited tune, but then a switch is flipped, and the song makes you visualize a sudden plunge into danger, followed by a terrific spectacle that ends in a victorious and triumphant climax. I want to listen to it over and over.
But it slows down to a solemn and somber tune, which is executed perfectly.

This song is not an easy listen, even by prog standards, especially during the middle part of the song. It took me probably 10 times of listening to this to fully appreciate it.
But once you can truly appreciate it, this song is absolutely mind-blowing. The last 5 minutes of this song are probably the most beautiful part of any song Yes ever made.
Starship Trooper

Wow, this song is amazing. To me at least, the third part of this song, called "Wurm," sounds especially unbelievable. It seems kind of simplistic at first but sounds genius nonetheless, and it builds until it has many different instruments going at the same time.
The guitar solo in the last minute or so is legendary. Ever since I first heard this song a couple of days ago (I know I'm kind of late to the party, but whatever), those chords will not get out of my head. I guess you could say I've got an earworm! Haha, sorry, hopefully some people understand that pun. Anyway, great song!

I am glad this song seems to go on forever, because it should. It is pure YES. If you love YES, you have to admire this outstanding arrangement. It has so many great parts to it.
And You and I

A worthy follow-up to the masterpiece Close to the Edge, which allows the listener to catch their breath with a piece a bit more folk-like. But this turns into so much more.
The middle section features a chord progression that seamlessly transitions into several different keys before the song climaxes with one of Anderson's greatest vocal performances. One of the most tender and moving moments of the Yes catalog.

This is my favorite song as well. The very first Yes song I heard was Roundabout. I was an immediate Yes fan, but when I first heard And You and I, it resonated with my soul.
Over the many years, I'd wondered if another song could replace it as my favorite song. It hasn't happened in forty-three years, so I think it will always reign supreme in my heart.
Owner of a Lonely Heart

This song shouldn't be hated by the '70s Yes fans. I'm not saying it's underrated or anything since many people clearly like it.
However, I think because it's short and more radio-friendly, many fans of Yes's older songs dismiss and even hate this song for not being like those and for being too mainstream. This is true to an extent, but it isn't necessarily a bad thing. It isn't my favorite Yes song, but you can still love it even if it doesn't seem like an epic masterpiece like other songs.
If you legitimately don't like this song, then that's fine since it's just personal taste, and there's nothing you can do to change that about yourself or anyone else. However, you should at least give it a chance to be loved for what it is and stop comparing it to the older songs without giving it a fair chance first.
The different likes and dislikes of genres and types of songs aren't mutually exclusive. You can still love both types of songs if you have an open mind, which shouldn't be a bad thing. The more music you potentially give yourself the ability to like, the more enjoyment you will get with even more great songs!
Siberian Khatru

If I had to choose only one Yes song in solitary confinement for the rest of my life, this would be my choice.
Sounds like I rated it high?

Amazing synthesis of rhythm, texture, tone, contrast, and aura. So much music packed into one track!

Simply the best song of all time! Amazing lyrics, rhythm, and everything. Greatest keyboard solo ever. Really well-made song!
South Side of the Sky

Easily the best Yes song. Yes, better than Roundabout, and definitely better than Owner of a Lonely Heart (I personally think that song is not that good).
Every member of Yes has their part in it, and the piano is beautiful.

Favorite Yes song. Put together much like Roundabout, except I believe this track is superior. The bridge alone is absolute perfection.
I would call this a perfect song.

This is so underrated. It is one of the best songs ever.
Oh, and the piano... I'm thinking of playing that for my school talent show. This should be Number One!
I've Seen All Good People

The first song I listened to from them. I am a musician and I was shocked. Everything was new... the opening, the chorus, the arrangements, the mandolin, the two sections of the song...
A masterpiece that now, in my fifties, still brings pure emotion to my soul.

The song is really good. The first part is graceful, rhythmic, and tranquil. But when you transition to the second part, it becomes very groovy and wild.

The current song I'm listening to by Yes is always my favorite. A band that has been with me from the very beginning. Epic.

The Newcomers

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Dangerous
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Holding On

The Contenders

Awaken

"Awaken" is the first song I heard that actually transplanted my brain out of my physical location. I remember that night vividly, as a teenager, lying on my bed, listening to this in the dark, and having the cyclical nature of the harmony (especially the central passage featuring the church organ and harp) spin my head around in a way that could only be called lovingly intoxicating.
It still gives me goosebumps every time I give it a serious listen. It's difficult to imagine a song inspiring more awe than this.

Pure, undiluted magic. Possibly the greatest song of all time. The way it flows, the way it transitions.
Yes, Close to the Edge is regarded as their masterpiece (definitely Yes, if talking about the glorious Anderson, Squire, Wakeman, Bruford, Howe band), but Awaken surpasses it in beauty and pure musicality. Close to the Edge doesn't flow. This song does.
Long Distance Runaround

Pretty good track, but why is this above South Side of the Sky and Siberian Khatru? It's not a masterpiece or anything.

I was a young man in the service. Talk about long distance. Great song, great memories.

Should be in the top 5, hands down!
The Revealing Science of God

This is one of Yes's long songs, and it contains more sections than any other. It has a breathtaking atmospheric chant at the beginning, and another at the finish.
Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, and Chris Squire sing in cascades, accompanied by glorious instrumentation. This song is lush, powerful, striking, wondrous, yearning, haunting, meandering, eloquent, dramatic, striding, fun, subtle, bluesy, lilting, intense, spacious, and majestic. It has depth and height. A treasure.

This song is to Close to the Edge like The March of the Black Queen is to Bohemian Rhapsody.
Arguably the greatest contribution to music the band has made, except one gets far more credit than the other.
Yours is No Disgrace

I saw them open the Union tour with this one. All nine members jamming as the stage rotated. It was epic. This is still my go-to Yes song.

One of the signature Yes tracks. One of the better tracks they've done.

By far their best. Steve Howe's licks are nasty.
Perpetual Change

Definitely their best. Listen to the studio version off the Yes Album. The anthemic keyboard intro, the bluesy, countryfied Chet Atkins-like playing courtesy of Steve Howe at certain parts, and the awe-inspiring lyrics.
The vocal part at the beginning kind of reminds me of a Christmas song, and that's interesting as well. Then, it's a totally bizarre progfest until the end!

The album is full of great songs, but this particular track is the best one in regards to development and production.
Definitely the best track off the album.
Sound Chaser

I can't believe this is so low. The guitar work on this song is just absolutely phenomenal.
I'm usually a sucker for Yes' 20-minute compositions, but Sound Chaser is definitely Yes' greatest achievement.

Absolutely the most phenomenal intro to any song ever. When the vocals come in, it becomes pure bliss.

No Yes production comes close to Sound Chaser. By far their best, hands down.
Tempus Fugit

Machine Messiah, and some song about a camera. Drama is an album that marks the end of the seventies.
Awesome travel music. Feels like a soundtrack to arriving in a new country alone.

I loved Yes in Year 3, and this was my favorite song.
Changes

An aural masterpiece like no other, "Changes" gives me chills, thrills, goosebumps, and spine-tingling sensations that I have never experienced before. The time signatures, both simple rhythms and shifting tempos, blend incredibly well.
It is as if the 10 greatest musicians got together to make the most electrifying, earth-shattering, and addictive song in history. Have I mentioned that I like this song?

So many changes in a song about changes seems very fitting and interesting. Changes in time signature, too.
Way too much talent in this song. I'm not a hardcore Yes fan, but this can't be #14.
Going for the One

I remember hearing this the summer it came out (1977) and it blew me away. It is elevated a billion times with headphones.
If you have not played this song LOUDLY with headphones, you are doing yourself a disservice. Since that day and to this day, it has been my favorite song.
It is the tune by which all other music is judged, for me.

Leave it to Yes to start with a typical twangy country-blues riff (albeit with a few odd time signatures to keep you on your toes) and then turn it into so much more.
This is a high-energy tune with the band firing on all cylinders. It should have gotten more radio time over the years than it has.
Wonderous Stories

I can't believe this song doesn't even appear in the top 41 songs! In my opinion, this is the best song ever!

It's an elevated experience. It feels like a dream.

Soaring music and lyrics. Incredible singing!
To Be Over

Man, I love this song. The lyrics are so profound... "Do not suffer through the game of chance that plays. Always doors to lock away your dreams..."

Probably my favorite Yes track. Steve Howe's guitar playing is superb.
This song plays in my head for days after each time I listen to it.

One of the most beautiful songs ever. This is the continuation of "The Gates of Delirium." The first section is very soothing and calm. You want to stay in that heavenly first section - just listening to it fills you with calmness.
But the song moves on, leading you to a magnificent guitar solo that slowly builds up to a powerful crescendo: "AFTER ALL, YOUR SOUL WILL STILL SURRENDER."
Ritual

I'm really not sure why people don't appreciate Tales From Topographic Oceans as much as any other Yes album. This song is really, really good, although not as good as "The Revealing Science of God," in my opinion. Songs from this album are meant for serious listening. "Ritual" is an absolutely wonderful song that takes focus and patience to enjoy.

There are two reasons this song isn't at the top: 1) Close to the Edge. 2) Not enough people listen to this! By far, one of the greatest songs ever written in prog rock. Nothing can really describe this song. Quite simply, it's a masterpiece.
The Remembering

This is one of Yes' long songs and particularly beautiful. The various sections are gentle and charming, ringing, bright and clear, gliding, wise, lonely, sprightly, lilting, bold, and joyfully rocking, towering in height, rolling like thunder, traveling, misty, and intense as a blizzard.
So much to love in this one.

Their most underrated song, and it's a masterpiece in my opinion. It is in my top 5.

One of my favorites. It's very underrated, in my opinion.
Parallels

Ranked 51. Are you kidding? Imagine Rick Wakeman letting loose on the organ at the West Point Cathedral or some other awe-inspiring pipe organ with the rest of the band on the altar. My rock and roll fantasy.

You can feel the fish in your veins listening to this.

This is classic Yes having fun and just rocking out.
Don't Kill the Whale