Top 10 Songs by Wolf Parade

Formed in the mid-2000s during the height of Montreal’s indie rock boom, Wolf Parade quickly established themselves as one of the most vital and inventive bands of the era. Their debut, Apologies to the Queen Mary, is still one of the sharpest opening statements any band of that scene delivered—full of urgency, unpredictability, and songwriting that felt both raw and strangely mythic. At Mount Zoomer followed with something even more ambitious: sprawling, murky, and structurally bold, with a depth that only grows more impressive over time. Across their discography, Wolf Parade has managed to pull off something rare—consistently chasing new ideas without losing their core identity. Plenty of side projects have filled the space between albums—Krug with Sunset Rubdown and Moonface, Boeckner with Handsome Furs and the Divine Fits collaboration alongside Britt Daniel—but even the best of those never quite matched what happens when Wolf Parade is firing on all cylinders. Boeckner’s wiry intensity and Krug’s theatrical, disjointed brilliance create a tension that no other project could replicate. Here are top 10 songs by Wolf Parade.

10. What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had to Go This Way) - Expo 86

This track may fly under the radar compared to the band’s more anthemic work, but that’s part of its charm—it’s a masterclass in restraint and structure. One of Boeckner’s many rock-solid riffs forms the backbone, giving the song a kind of grounded swagger that contrasts beautifully with its lyrical unease. While the rest of Expo 86 often spirals into sonic chaos, this track keeps a tighter grip, making it one of the most accessible and addictive songs in their catalog.

9. Ghost Pressure - Expo 86

Ghost Pressure leans away from Wolf Parade’s usual indie-rock theatrics and into something colder, eerier, and more rhythmically locked in. Built around a looping, electronic pulse, the track feels closer to minimalist synth-pop or krautrock than anything else in their catalog. It’s one of the rare Wolf Parade songs driven more by groove than melody, and Krug leans into that shift—his vocals sound distant, processed, like they’re coming through a frayed shortwave signal; his back and forth with Dan here exhibits top notch chemistry. The result is hypnotic and oddly detached, a standout track that hints at a direction the band rarely revisited, but pulled off with precision.

8. Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts - Apologies to the Queen Mary

A deeper cut from Apologies to the Queen Mary, Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts remains one of the more distinct and memorable tracks from the album—lean, unpredictable, and undeniably Krug. The title references the pretas, figures from Buddhist tradition who are tormented by insatiable hunger, and that sense of unease bleeds into every part of the track. The piano line jitters nervously over a lurching rhythm section, building tension without ever quite resolving. Krug’s vocal delivery veers from half-spoken to full-throated, capturing both the disorientation and desperation at the song’s core. It's not as immediate as some of the band's more explosive moments, but Dear Sons and Daughters lingers in a different way—unsettling, strange, and deeply alive.

7. California Dreamer - At Mount Zoomer

This an art-rock fever dream, lurches from ominous tension to full-on breakdown, expelling creativity in all directions . Krug’s keyboard work here is next-level, adding strange textures and off-kilter melodies that reward close, high-quality headphone listening. The back half of the song unravels in spectacular fashion—by the time Krug chants “I thought I might have heard you on the radio” into the void, it feels like the emotional center of the album has collapsed into noise. And somehow, it’s beautiful.

6. You’re Dreaming - Cry Cry Cry

Wolf Parade had been away for a while when Cry Cry Cry dropped, but You’re Dreaming was proof they hadn’t lost a step. It’s a more polished, melodic outing than we were used to from Boeckner, but the risk pays off—this is a catchy, shimmering track with some of Krug’s most elegant keyboard flourishes. Cry Cry Cry did not, let’s say, overly impress many Wolf Parade fans, but “You’re Dreaming” genuinely turned out to be one of their best tunes, and at the very least, a high point of the record. It feels a bit outside the band’s traditional comfort zone—less frenetic, more groove-based—but the result is one of the most melodically satisfying songs they’ve ever written.

5. Modern World - Apologies to the Queen Mary

With its understated delivery and melancholy pacing, Modern World hits like a shrug that somehow carries the weight of a scream. The song is deceptively simple—just a few chords, a repeating motif—but sometimes simpler tunes hit even harder, especially when paired with a guitar riff this effective. To this point, it's the simplicity, that makes Boeckner's guitar riff here so memorable, and iconic within the bands discography. Modern World can slip through the cracks when delving into the bands catologue as a whole, but it's among the bands most accessible songs, always holds its own, and seemingly never gets old.

4. Yulia - Expo 86

One of Boeckner’s most narrative-driven songs, Yulia tells a Cold War-era tale of a cosmonaut drifting in orbit, broadcasting his final thoughts back to Earth. But the specificity of Dan’s cryptic lyrics isn’t what makes the song hit—it's the sheer emotion in his voice. You can feel every ounce of longing, even if you didn’t understand English... The track resonates because of its aching emotional core. The lyrics are introspective and strange—full of coded memories and fading transmissions. It’s a love song disguised as a political ghost story—and one of the band’s most introspective, literary moments. Yulia is one of the rare Wolf Parade tracks where the lyrical delivery itself is the song’s main selling point.

3. I’ll Believe in Anything - Apologies to the Queen Mary

This is the one that launched a thousand late-night freakouts and poorly sung dive bar anthems. Krug’s delivery is nothing short of emotional combustion, veering between symphonic beauty and raw desperation. “I’ll believe in anything, if you’ll believe in anything” isn’t just a lyric— it’s quiet desperation, delivered with unshakable intent . The band builds into a wave of distortion and full-band frenzy that feels both triumphant and completely unstable. It’s still their most powerful and emotionally overwhelming song—a masterpiece of chaos turned catharsis; the climax of their most impressive and impactful album.

2. Fine Young Cannibals - At Mount Zoomer

With Fine Young Cannibals, Dan and Spencer turned an ominous keyboard line into one of the band’s most epic and explosive tracks, culminating in likely their most iconic, yet simplistic riffs. The chemistry here—especially in the interplay between guitar and synth—is next level. Right at the four minute mark though... the guys just lay it down, and song erupts into a breakdown that feels like a thunderclap: culminating into probably the sickest thirty seconds in the bands repertoire. The riff is killer, the dynamics are powerful, and the song is a reminder that when Wolf Parade really locks in, they pretty much just elevate to their own level. Zoomer is such a fan a favorite but there still is one song from that album, that tops this...

1. Kissing the Beehive - At Mount Zoomer

A three-part epic, a fever dream, a prog-rock opera—whatever you want to call it, Kissing the Beehive is one of the most remarkable pieces of rock music this century. A rather rare feat for bands signed to indie labels, the track spans over ten minutes, and it’s the sound of a band letting loose every chaotic instinct they’ve got—without a single moment wasted. The transitions are seamless, the tension relentless, the ambition unmatched. It’s Wolf Parade firing on all cylinders—maximalist, theatrical, utterly brilliant—and it’s the song which tops the impressive top ten by the Canadian indie rockers.

Honorable mentions include Shine a Light, Julia Take Your Man Home, Language City, Under Glass, Lazarus Online and This Heart's on Fire. Be sure to check out 100 Greatest Indie Rock Songs Post 2000 and 100 Greatest Indie Rock Bands of All Time.