Mike Oldfield

229,559 listeners (4,876,410 plays)

Listening now: josh384, The-Witcher, Mysticism

progressive rock, new age, instrumental, electronic, ambient… see all

Mike Oldfield (born Michael Gordon Oldfield) is largely known for Tubular Bells, his groundbreaking album from 1973, the success of which also bankrolled Richard Branson’s Virgin Records, for which Tubular Bells was the inaugural release. However, his musical career has continued for over three decades encompassing a range of styles, with varying amounts of success. According to the Gibraltar Encyclopedia of Progressive Rock, his style is labeled as Oldfield Progressive.

Before Oldfield started his solo career, he formed a band with his sister Sally Oldfield called The Sallyangie and later played bass with Kevin Ayers and the Whole World, alongside Ayers, David Bedford and saxophonist Lol Coxhill. At this time Kevin Ayers lent Oldfield a multitrack tape recorder, and it was on this that Oldfield began to put together what would become Tubular Bells, though one possible title proposed by Branson was “Breakfast In Bed”.

Tubular Bells is considered to be the first rock album to incorporate elements of classical composition, particularly the use of repetition with subtle variations those of minimalist composers such as Philip Glass, Steve Reich and LaMonte Young, although these influences were filtered through rock sensibilities. Oldfield also claimed to have been inspired by Kevin Ayers’ observation that there was nothing wrong with repetition so long as it was something worth repeating.

1	Moonlight Shadow full track	1,887
2	To France full track	660
3	Shadow on the Wall full track	566
4	Sentinel full track	504
5	Foreign Affair full track	490
6	Family Man full track	346
7	Five Miles Out full track	329
8	Portsmouth full track	258
9	In Dulci Jubilo full track	236
10	Islands full track	230
11	Harbinger	206
11	Tubular Bells	206
13	Animus	204
14	Let There Be Light	200
15	In High Places full track	193

Top Albums

Crises
Mike Oldfield
Buy
- Amazon $10.99
- eBay
Download
The Songs of Distant Earth
Mike Oldfield
Buy
- Amazon $18.98
- eBay
Download
Tubular Bells III
Mike Oldfield
Buy
- Amazon $20.99
- eBay
Download
Voyager
Mike Oldfield
Buy
- Amazon
- eBay
Download

Shoutbox

Leave a comment. Log in to Last.fm or sign up (it’s free).

Sattero wrote:
Monday evening

Rofl! 27 albums = 21 hours = nonstop :D

View Profile | Leave Sattero a shout
ToreCorleone wrote:
Monday afternoon

Ommadawn is a master piece¡¡¡

View Profile | Leave ToreCorleone a shout
PeacefulDemon wrote:
7 days ago

He's genius, I agree to that.

View Profile | Leave PeacefulDemon a shout
Weslii wrote:
last month

"The Songs of Distant Earth" is probable the most complete album that I've ever heard. This man is an overlooked legend.

View Profile | Leave Weslii a shout
ettlz wrote:
last month

One of the most important British composers of the late 20th/early 21st Century.

View Profile | Leave ettlz a shout
joewatson406 wrote:
last month

Mostly his older stuff; Tubular Bells, Hergest Ridge, Ommadawn (my favourite :)), and Incantations, to name a few.

View Profile | Leave joewatson406 a shout
ithilloth wrote:
last month

of course genius. my dad forced me to listen to Mike since my prenatal age. anyway, maybe I don't know works of Mike that good, but which moments of his music are progressive? I didn't ever hear any. usually I hear just normal regular rythms and normal four or five minutes long tracks. are there any yet undiscovered by me tracks which are progressive?

View Profile | Leave ithilloth a shout
TheWitchdoktor wrote:
last month

Mike is genius!

View Profile | Leave TheWitchdoktor a shout
Luna-Obscura wrote:
last month

I love Hergest Ridge (Part One). It's such a beautiful piece of music! Part Two is also very good.

View Profile | Leave Luna-Obscura a shout
pejik wrote:
last month

Amarok has been always a very fascinating music experince for me... too bad the genre is not popular anymore (and maybe never was :)

View Profile | Leave pejik a shout
Cessair wrote:
last month

I had the fortune to grow up listening to The Complete - and my love for Mike's music has been growing ever since :).

View Profile | Leave Cessair a shout
Haakzich wrote:
last month

Great composer!

View Profile | Leave Haakzich a shout
N3croyeti wrote:
last month

I highly enjoyed Music of The Spheres. To hear his compositions in an orchestral setting was an interesting experience. It certainly appears that his inspiration and creativity hasn't run dry quite yet.

View Profile | Leave N3croyeti a shout
drknsl wrote:
last month

He is the best

View Profile | Leave drknsl a shout
cdyaro wrote:
last month

"Poison Arrows' & "Crystal Gazing" are awesome - I don't understand why they're so underrated...

View Profile | Leave cdyaro a shout
Rugiewit1 wrote:
last month

My favorite album is "The Songs of Distant Earth".

View Profile | Leave Rugiewit1 a shout
imad_4ph_12t wrote:
last month

hello

View Profile | Leave imad_4ph_12t a shout
N3croyeti wrote:
last month

Omma-fucking-dawn

View Profile | Leave N3croyeti a shout
djbricksta wrote:
June 2008

tubular bells is it for me, cant believe its not in the top tracks

View Profile | Leave djbricksta a shout
Numenesse_ wrote:
June 2008

sh*t. i've just dug out the old good voyager ost - breathtaking. :)

View Profile | Leave Numenesse_ a shout