Steve Hackett Says He’s Open to a Genesis Reunion

Steve Hackett says he’d be open to reuniting with his former Genesis bandmates.

The guitarist joined the group in 1971 and became an important part of their revolutionary prog rock sound. He contributed to six studio albums before departing in 1977, but has continually maintained a respectful relationship with his former bandmates.

“I’ve always said that if they wanted me to reform, I would do it,” Hackett admitted during a recent appearance on the Word in Your Ear podcast. “I would even play harmonica or do a walk on.”

The guitarist cautioned that a live reunion is unlikely. Even reteaming with some of his former bandmates in the studio would carry a certain amount of baggage.

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“I’ve re-recorded some of [Genesis’] stuff. And I sometimes do it with orchestras. So there’s some sort of sense of development there,” he noted. “But it means that I get a chance to choose what I think is the best of it. And I like to think that it’s agenda free.”

As Hackett explained, any kind of Genesis reunion – be it on stage or in the studio – would require the former members to agree on which of the band’s material was “classic.” No easy task, considering Genesis’ unique history and constantly evolving sound.

“When they were a three piece, would they consider that to be the classic period where most of the hits were hit singles?” Hackett pondered. “But then would it be the stuff that turned on musicians, the earlier stuff, the transition?”

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Hackett most recently joined fellow Genesis alumni Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford in 2025 for a release party celebrating the 50th anniversary remastered version of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. A few years earlier, he was invited to attend Genesis’ final concert at the O2 Arena, London, but was unable to go due to a scheduling conflict.

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In the end, the guitarist is happy with his place in Genesis’ history, and has nothing but admiration for his former bandmates. While it’s fun to imagine the possibility of a reunion, Hackett is content simply enjoying Genesis’ legacy – something he’ll be doing during his solo tour of the UK this fall.

“I do it for the love of music,” he explained. “And I’m happy to do classical music, Genesis music, my own stuff, work with jazzers. I just like music across the board.”