MFÖ Essentials

It’s difficult to imagine the Turkish pop rock scene without MFÖ. The trio—Mazhar Alanson and Fuat Güner, who bonded over The Beatles in a record shop in 1965, and their friend Özkan Uğur—have been at the genre’s forefront for decades, layering sizzling melodies and close harmonies over rousing beds of guitar, bass and drums. From the mournful acoustic sway of “Güllerin İçinden” to the poppy, passionate “Sufi”, the trio’s way with evocative Eastern melodies has never wavered since the release of their 1984 debut album, Ele Güne Karşı Yapayalnız.