On the Threshold of a Dream (1969) explores dreams, especially on the second side, culminating with the "Voyage" suite inspired in part by Richard Strauss' "Also sprach Zarathrustra". To Our Children's Children's Children (1969) was inspired by the 1969 moon landing. The songs revolve around the two themes of space travel and children.

A Question of Balance (1970) was an attempt by the group to strip away their familiar lush, psychedelic sound in order to play the songs better live. Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (1971) contains the only track written by all five members of the band. The opening track, "Procession", was intended to describe the history of the music from the beginning of time to the recording of the album. Several songs on Seventh Sojourn (1972) contain overt political references. "You and Me" alludes to ongoing wars and conflicts, including Vietnam. Octave (1978) proved to be the last for the group with keyboardist Mike Pinder leaving during the album's sessions. Long Distance Voyager (1981) became the second number one album.