The Musical Box (track) by Genesis
The Musical Box appears on the following album(s) by Genesis:
- Nursery Cryme (track #1) (this album) (1971)
- Platinum Collection (track #39) (compilation) (2004)
- Live (track #4) (1973)
- 1970-1975 (Box Set) (track #7) (compilation) (2008)
- R-Kive (track #2) (compilation) (2014)
- The Story Of Genesis (track #2) (compilation) (1978)
- BBC Broadcasts (track #1) (compilation) (2023)
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The Musical Box ratings
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Track ratings | Avg. track rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
90/100  | 12 hours ago | steve397 | | 74/100 |
75/100 | 09/08/2025 18:43 | culwin | | 75/100 |
95/100 | 08/26/2025 12:07 |  ExTeaSea | | 86/100 |
100/100 | 08/24/2025 19:51 | Tomaek6 | | 92/100 |
75/100 | 07/06/2025 03:22 | martintho | | 74/100 |
Rating metrics:
Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some tracks can have several thousand ratings)
This track is rated in the top 1% of all tracks on BestEverAlbums.com. This track has a Bayesian average rating of 90.8/100, a mean average of 90.7/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 91.5/100. The standard deviation for this track is 11.6.
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The Musical Box favourites
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The Musical Box comments
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AAL2014 07/07/2022 22:41
An early yet nearly untouchable gem for Peter Gabriel’s catalog of fantastic tales. This is one of Genesis’s best moments.
Jboy56 02/10/2022 17:51
A truly fantastic prog-rock song, has all the elements that create the foundation of the future Genesis works.
I great introduction of this album and Genesis shows they are top of the game.
Its greatness can't be questioned, but I found the build up more enjoyable than the climax.
It takes a little while to get going, but once it does, boy, does it go. The addition of Steve Hackett is immediately felt with two incredible guitar solos, separated by a chilled vocal from Gabriel. Speaking of the frontman, his vocal progression from the hushed whispers of young Henry to the "Now!" shrieks of the Henry's decaying old spirit are just sublime. I'm tempted to give it a 100, but I think the fact that it takes so long to get into its groove keeps it from getting a perfect rating. Still, it's easily the highlight of the Nursery Cryme album, and a must-listen for any fan of progressive rock.
When I first discovered Genesis and started listening to this song it used to give me nightmares while I was awake, and I really enjoyed it. Visions of Angels had a similar effect...
Grouse 08/05/2018 12:29
Wow, this song is just amazing. In my opinion this is Genesis best song. Everything with it is just, fantastic. One of the best prog rock tracks.
The clock, tick tock
This song is already great as it is, but it could have been so much better with better production. The crescendos and loud bursts sound all muddy and muffled.
neilgee 09/26/2015 13:47
I must admit I'm a sucker for these long, meandering prog rock tracks. I could listen to this stuff all day!
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