John Coltrane was a pioneer. He forged new paths into spiritual jazz, free jazz, and modal jazz; he revitalised the soprano saxophone, experimented with form, and turned the intensity of his improvisational explorations up to 11. With his big, focused tone, and his crystal clear vision, John Coltrane was serious about jazz. But he was also a deeply lyrical, sensitive player who never lost his connection to a style of expression rooted in the foundations of the art.

Unlike other trailblazers like Miles Davis whose career can be charted in stylistic chapters, Coltrane’s musical evolution was not neatly linear. Classic ballad albums emerged alongside much more experimental endeavours. For fans, this stylistic versatility only fuels the legend – but for the uninitiated, it can be hard to know where to start.

While a ‘best of ‘ is highly subjective, we’ve gathered together what we think are John Coltrane’s key titles to help new listeners find their way in.

If you’re a Trane aficionado, you can browse our full collection of albums, including box sets, special editions, and cassettes here.

Blue Train (1958, Blue Note)

If you love that classic, late 1950s hard-bop sound, it doesn’t get much better than this. Coltrane’s only outing on Blue Note as a leader assembles a truly all star cast: Lee Morgan (trumpet), Curtis Fuller (trombone), Kenny Drew (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), and Philly Joe Jones (drums). Behind the scenes, engineer Rudy Van Gelder, producer Alfred Lion, photographer Francis Wolf, and designer Reid Miles brought their A game.

While “Blue Train” is quite conventional in form, it’s exceptional in execution – four of the fives tracks are Coltrane compositions, each one offering something different, and the larger band perfectly balancing personal flair with rock solid ensemble work. Expect swinging tunes; joyful, tumbling solos; and lots of energy.

His magnum opus “A Love Supreme” will always be iconic, but “Blue Train” is the place to start – once that 5 note opening phrase gets into your ears, there’s no going back.

The Essential John Coltrane (2026, Impulse!)

This one does exactly what it says on the tin – a very solid double album collection of Coltrane’s ‘best bits’ designed to give a new listener a flavour of Coltrane’s style. Newly issued for the 2026 centenary, if you’re an open minded listener, looking for a sonic springboard to launch from, this one’s for you.

Giant Steps (1960, Atlantic)

Almost immediately after the “Kind of Blue” sessions for Miles Davis were in the can, John Coltrane turned his attention to a project of his own – “Giant Steps”. Many jazz fans consider this the record where Coltrane’s voice begins to emerge. The band still swings in a hard-bop manner, but there’s a heavy modal jazz front blowing in over the horizon – the musical roadmap is starting to expand.

Central to this, is the title track “Giant Steps” – Coltrane’s harmonic calling card and jazz rite of passage for players who learn to navigate the assault course of chord changes at breakneck speed. Trane played a neat origami trick with the ‘colour wheel of harmony’ – the circle of fifths – to create an approach to improvistion that became known as the ‘Coltrane changes’ (to understand what this really means, check out Jon Opstad’s explainer).

From this harmonic manifesto, Coltrane evolved his characteristic ‘sheets of sound’ mode of improvisation – dense waterfalls of scales and arpeggios that allowed him to sail the waves of the harmonic structure. His style was becoming recognisably different from his peers.

But in amongst all of that muscular innovation, he reminds us that he’s a heart melter with one of the most touching, tender love ballads of all time: Naima – named after his first wife.

If you want an essential album which is pushing at the boundaries laid down by “Blue Train” this is it.

My Favorite Things (1961, Atlantic)

A questing jazz musician, playing a mainstream show tune, on an instrument that had had its heyday with one of the founding fathers of jazz: Sidney Bechet. It might sound like an unlikely recipe, but it’s how Coltrane scored a major commercial hit.

In the late 1950s, John Coltrane was as member of Miles Davis‘ ‘First Great Quintet’. Records such as “‘Round about Midnight” (1957, Columbia) “Milestones” (1958, Columbia), and “Kind of Blue” (1959, Columbia) showed what a fruitful partnership it was, even if the personalities must have felt very different.

Whilst touring Europe in 1960, Miles bought John Coltrane a soprano saxophone – the smaller, higher voiced version of his usual B flat tenor instrument. “My Favorite Things” was Coltrane’s first studio outing with the soprano; maybe the ‘trad’ nature of the soprano was what drew him to a collection of hits from the Great American Songbook, but the modal jazz reworks certainly cast these classics into a fresh – and more intense – new light.

This was also the moment where the ‘classic quartet‘ sound was taking shape. The interplay of McCoy Tyner’s bell like piano playing with Elvin Jones’ fizzing drumming is an exciting sign of things to come.

Unsure about modal jazz? Read Daniel Spicer’s explainer.

Africa/Brass (1961, Impulse!)

Coltrane’s first record for Impulse! is an unusual one – and on first glance might appear a little daunting compared to some of the other, more accessible titles listed here, but don’t let the concept deter you. With an expanded big band sound, arranged by Eric Dolphy, and only 3 tracks, “Africa/Brass” is loose limbed, free spirited, and vibe heavy. The 16th century English folk song “Greensleeves” is a great fit for Coltrane’s musical constitution, and resonates with “My Favorite Things” – those ancient sounding chords that sound neither major or minor signal that we’re in modal jazz territory.

Orchestral flourishes are heavily rooted in blues forms and the experimental mood is contained within solid grooves held together by Elvin Jones’ exceptional drumming. If you like records such as Charles Mingus’ “Black Saint and the Sinner Lady” the expanded canvas of “Africa/Brass” will appeal.

There are pre-echoes here of the spiritual and free jazz of figures such as Pharoah Sanders, and Sun Ra, and the scale of the sound is fairly cinematic. If you’ve got a dramatic road trip that needs a soundtrack, this is music to send you into top gear. Phil Freeman tells the story behind this album’s creation.

Duke Ellington and John Coltrane (1963, Impulse!)

In what might appear on the surface to be an unlikely pairing, this is a record that shows the chemistry between these titans of jazz. Away from his more familiar big band setting, Ellington still swings just as hard, and his laconic, sassy piano style provides a different kind of launchpad for Coltrane’s exploratory improvisation.

There’s a fun sense of push and pull on this record – on tracks like “Take the Coltrane” (a play on Ellington’s standard “Take the A Train”) things start off with pep; Ellington takes a short, bluesy solo before handing over to Trane who takes off like a racehorse out of the starting gates. Ellington gives him free rein, sitting back through Coltrane’s high octane solo, before easing back into the driving seat with a few bars of pure class, as if to remind us that while he might not have the pyrotechnics of his younger co-leader, he can keep pace.

Coltrane only gets one writing credit here, the majority of the tracks are Ellington creations, and there is obvious veneration on display. The opening track “In A Sentimental Mood” is a universally loved take on an Ellington classic – the album is worth it for that alone, but there’s a lot more worth showing up for.

Ballads (1963, Impulse!)

Truly romantic, tender, and sophisticated, “Ballads” shows a classicist at work. Coltrane’s 1961 “Africa/Brass” had ruffled some jazz feathers. Not everyone was cool with the path that he was taking, and as if to prove just how grounded he could be, Coltrane released three wonderfully straight ahead albums on Impulse! – the label where he was free to be his most experimental. The eight, perfectly formed tracks are a masterclass in style and restraint, once you’ve fallen in love with “Ballads”, you’ll be in a committed long term relationship.

EJ’s Matt Phillips’ explores this beautiful record in more depth in his album story.

John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (1963, Impulse!)

Coltrane’s only album with a vocalist is another example of his exceptional work as a balladeer. It was on Coltrane’s invitation that Johnny Hartman came to the Impulse! studio to record six standards, and Hartman’s initial scepticism gave way to a perfectly matched partnership. Hartman’s rich baritone voice sits nicely alongside Trane’s wonderfully rounded, lyrical tone. Tyner, Garrison, and Jones show plenty of expertly honed support – there’s no crooning here, but the emotions are deep, and heartfelt.

Crescent (1964, Impulse!)

EJ’s Matt Phillips described this as Coltrane’s ‘criminally underrated record’ and even a cursory listen reveals why. Released only a year before the mighty “A Love Supreme”, “Crescent” could be thought of as a warm up to a main event – but this is so much more than a sketch book (though aren’t the sketch books where you find all the most interesting stuff anyway?)

This has all the ingredients for a great Coltrane album – the “Classic Quartet” line up of Tyner, Garrison, and Jones; plenty of modal jazz frameworks on which to hang characteristic Coltrane embellishments that dive and swoop like a kite; and a tight selection of 5 compositions built around great melodies. This is a great record to pair with either “Ballads” or “A Love Supreme” to show the mighty talent of this band.

A Love Supreme (1965, Impulse!)

Truly, one of the cultural pillars of the 20th century, this is the kind of album people buy just to have in their collection. But this must have record is also a must listen. Yes, it’s intense – it’s definitely not background music – but it’s all the better for it. Searing, soaring, swinging, and spiritual, yet still very accessible, this four part suite exploring spiritual devotion through music is a true artistic statement.

To learn more about this monumental record, check out Ashley Kahn’s essay, written for the 60th anniversary reissue.

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Freya Hellier is the commissioning editor for Everything Jazz. She has spent many years making radio programmes about all genres of music for BBC Radio 3, Radio 4 and beyond.

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