Best Post Rock Bands

Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Godspeed You! Black Emperor is a Montreal-based post-rock collective formed in 1994. Its members include Efrim Menuck, Mauro Pezzente, Mike Moya, Sophie Trudeau, Thierry Amar, David Bryant, Aidan Girt, Karl Lemieux, and Timothy Herzog.... read more

One of the best experimental/post-rock bands! They have everything in their music, from sad and depressive to happy and epic tunes. Their music makes you question life and how cruel the world is.
Songs are pretty long, so you can enjoy listening to them for an extended time. Listen to F#A# Infinity and Yanqui UXO if you are sad or depressed. For something epic or happier, try Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven and Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!.
My favorite songs are Mladic, East Hastings, We Drift Like Worried Fire, and Sleep. Go check them out right now. You won't be disappointed.

Although Explosions are insanely good, Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven is the greatest album of all time.
This genre is so good, it's impossible to have a top ten of it. Amazing music that will make you think!

Explosions in the Sky

Explosions in the Sky is an American post-rock band formed in Austin, Texas. The group originally performed under the name Breaker Morant before adopting its current name in 1999.

The band is known for intricate guitar work and instrumental tracks that convey strong emotional narratives. Its members... read more

This is the band that made me fall in love with post-rock. Their songs Your Hand in Mine, The Only Moment We Were Alone, Six Days at the Bottom of the Ocean, and so many more just take you away from this planet!

Every time I'm having a bad day, I listen to them. It doesn't always boost my mood, but it always makes the day more bearable.

Your Hand in Mine is my favorite track, so naturally, they are my favorite band.

Sigur Ros

Sigur Rós is an Icelandic post-rock band from Reykjavík that has been active since 1994. They are recognized for their ethereal sound, which features Jónsi Birgisson's falsetto vocals and the use of a bowed guitar. Their music often draws from classical and minimalist styles, creating a distinctive and... read more

Post-rock is very loosely defined, so it really depends on what resonates with people. As much as I like Godspeed You! Black Emperor for their atmospheric sound and Explosions in the Sky for their mesmerizing guitar arrangements, I have to say that Sigur Ros encapsulates the essence of post-rock for me.
They combine atmosphere and mesmerizing composition (without being too repetitive), hints of rock arrangements (otherwise post-rock would sound like new age), and good vocals that can transport you to another realm.

They have written some brilliant compositions like Olsen Olsen and Untitled 3. Their best album is (). In my opinion, Sigur Ros deserves 2nd place. I will vote for God Is an Astronaut for first place!

Mogwai

Mogwai are a Scottish post-rock band formed in Glasgow in 1995. The band consists of Stuart Braithwaite, Barry Burns, Dominic Aitchison, and Martin Bulloch. Known for their atmospheric instrumentals, Mogwai have released numerous acclaimed albums and contributed to film and television soundtracks.

Glasgow Mega-Snake is an astounding post-rock piece. Give Mr. Beast a listen. You won't regret it.

Amazing post-rock. Listen to Scotland's Shame. It is brilliant. I listen to it every night before I fall asleep.

Slint

Six???? They made what is, in my opinion, the greatest post-rock album of all time with Spiderland. They are arguably the most influential band in the genre and pretty much reinvented what you can do with four instruments in 1991, while also creating one of the most beautiful, dark albums of all time.
We literally wouldn't have three-fourths of the bands on here without them. This is BS.

Without Slint, none of these other bands on this list would exist. I would definitely go as far as calling them the Beatles of post-rock.

God Is An Astronaut

God Is an Astronaut is an Irish post-rock band from Glen of the Downs in County Wicklow. The band was formed in 2002 by brothers Torsten and Niels Kinsella. They are known for their atmospheric, instrumental soundscapes and have released several acclaimed albums.

All Is Violent, All Is Bright is probably the best all-pervasive soul-stirring piece of music you will ever hear. Those 52:09 minutes are a timespace of serenity.

Their songs are amazing! They have such a beautifully haunting sound to them!

All their songs are just great!
The rest of the bands do not share this attribute.

This Will Destroy You

This Will Destroy You, often abbreviated as TWDY, is an American post-rock band from San Marcos, Texas, formed in 2004. They are known for composing lengthy, atmospheric instrumental pieces that feature layers of effects-laden guitar and heavy use of dynamics. The band's music often evokes cinematic... read more

They have yet to release a bad album. I like Mogwai's early stuff, and EITS's albums are good 90% of the time. The same can be said for GYBE and Russian Circles.
What makes This Will Destroy You different is that all their albums are outstanding. Sure, some songs like Mother Opiate aren't the best, but every other song on Another Language is A+ grade. No joke.

This band is incredible. Honestly, if you haven't listened to Young Mountain or their self-titled album, you're missing out. They deserve to be in the top three on the list.

Tortoise

One of the best! Listen to songs like Djed, Seneca, and TNT, and you'll know what I mean.

Millions Now Living Will Never Die and their self-titled album are both amazing albums.

Mono

The first time I heard their work, I was enthralled. After that, almost every time I listen to one of their pieces, I enter a state of rapture. Their work is, in my opinion, unrivaled.
The album "Hymn to the Immortal Wind" is one of my all-time favorites. If you haven't heard any of their music, you should definitely check out these tracks:
Pure as Snow
Unseen Harbor
Cyclone
Katana
Elysian Castles

MONO has the uncanny ability to bring out your most memorable moments and make you weep with nostalgia. Every album sends the listener through an orchestral whirlwind of feelings.
The album Hymn to the Immortal Wind is perhaps one of the finest musical compositions of all time! Takaakira Goto and Yoda Suematsu are on another level.

If These Trees Could Talk

ITTCT continues to get better and better. I saw them in concert, and they were great!

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Holy Fawn

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Long Distance Calling

Don Caballero

Don Caballero is an American math rock group from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The group took its name from the character Guy Caballero, portrayed by Joe Flaherty on the sketch comedy show Second City Television. It is recognized for complex instrumental compositions and has played a key role in the evolution... read more

The Pirate Ship Quintet

Do Make Say Think

Russian Circles

Russian Circles is an American three-piece instrumental post-metal band based in Chicago. They have primarily headlined their own tours in recent years, but earlier in their career, they toured with acts such as Boris, Isis, Red Sparowes, Minus the Bear, Daughters, Coheed and Cambria, Mono, and Pelican... read more

Russian Circles is amazing! Their music takes you on an epic journey like no other band. They can create extremely addicting chord structures or give you a rush of adrenaline, yet remain deeply emotional.
A lot of post-rock bands seem to struggle with changing their sound for each album, but not Russian Circles. Every album is unique and interesting. I could go on all day about this band. Just go check them out!

Tides of Man

We Lost The Sea

I dare anyone to listen to Departure Songs and then tell me that it's not one of the best, most powerful, emotionally driven albums ever.

Departure Songs... Just hear that album.

Staghorn

World’s End Girlfriend

65daysofstatic

Talk Talk

Talk Talk was an English band formed in London in 1981 by Mark Hollis, Lee Harris, Paul Webb, and Simon Brenner. They initially found success with synth-pop tracks such as Talk Talk, It's My Life, and Such a Shame during the 1980s. The band later shifted toward a more experimental sound with albums like... read more

They created the genre along with Slint. Of course, they should be in the top ten!

Only 15, guys? Really? Laughing Stock is one of the greatest releases of all time.

The first post-rock albums were Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock. That speaks for something.

Sleep Dealer

Sleep Dealer is not a very famous artist. The one-man band Sleep Dealer has many great compositions. My favorite album is Imminence.

The Way Home is my favorite song ever from Sleep Dealer!

Swans

Swans are an American experimental rock band formed in 1981 by singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Michael Gira. The band is known for its intense, continually evolving sound, often exploring themes of power, religion, and transformation. Over the decades, Swans have developed a dedicated following... read more

Caspian

With their latest release, Caspian has captured something truly special. Post-rock is about the evolution of rock into ever-interesting forms. While better-known bands exist in their admittedly vast bubbles, Caspian exists in several, turning country, electronic, and progressive elements into a stirring concoction of post-rock excellence!

When you hear "You Are The Conductor," "Tertia," or "The Four Trees," you just get the feel of the band. My favorite song is "Loft." It starts strong, then gets a little quiet with a few guitar notes, and then comes the explosion. Man, it's great. Such a great band.

Maybeshewill

Maybeshewill - To The Skies From A Hillside and Maybeshewill - Farewell Sarajevo. Listen to these two, and you will vote for them until they make it to number 1 on this list. No clue why this band is so far down on the list.

Greatly underrated, but you won't regret it! "He Films the Clouds Part 2" is simply amazing!

To the Skies from a Hillside is amazing!