Steve Hackett may be best-known as lead guitarist with Genesis between 1971-1977, during the band's transition from prog outsiders to chart success. Hackett has also worked extensively in other genres including pop, blues, jazz fusion, world, and classical musics. His arrival in Genesis in 1971 as a replacement for Anthony Phillips provided the group with the last ingredient needed for chart success. He issued his solo debut, Voyage of the Acolyte, in 1975, while still a member of the band. Subsequent solo offerings, including the acclaimed back-to-back progressive releases Spectral Mornings (1979) and Defector (1980) cemented his reputation as an innovative and restless guitarist. During the late '80s he released his first experiments with world music on Til We Have Faces (1984), and formed the successful but short-lived AOR rock outfit GTR with Yes guitarist Steve Howe in 1986. During the '90s, Hackett dove headfirst into hard rock and blues with Guitar Noir and Blues with a Feeling before releasing the first of his periodic Genesis Revisited sets in 1996. In the 21st century, he initiated numerous projects including Squackett with Yes bassist Chris Squire, released a handful of acclaimed solo recordings like Beyond the Shrouded Horizon and The Night Siren, issued three more Genesis Revisited live offerings, and since 2012 has worked extensively with Hungarian jazz fusion band Djabe, releasing several albums including Live in Blue (2016) and Back to Sardinia (2019).

With Genesis, Steve's guitar playing produced some of the most memorable moments, from the sensitivity of his acoustic sound on Horizons and Blood on the Rooftops to the dramatic rock guitar solos of Firth of Fifth and Fountain of Salmacis. As he embarked on his solo career he developed his exceptional range, pushing musical boundaries into exciting areas, inventing new sounds and also techniques such as "tapping".