از نظر منتقدین موسیقی سافت مشین دارای المان‌های [[پراگرسیو راک]]<ref name=consequenceofsound>[http://consequenceofsound.net/2015/03/r-i-p-daevid-allen-founder-of-gong-and-soft-machine-has-died/ "R.I.P. Daevid Allen, founder of Gong and Soft Machine, has died"] by Ben Kaye, ''[[Consequence of Sound]]'', 13 March 2015</ref><ref>Macan, Edward. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=b98dJ3cYAksC&pg=PT256 Rocking the Classics: English Progressive Rock and the Counterculture]''; Oxford University Press; 1 edition 9 January 1997; ISBN 978-0195098884</ref><ref>Holm-Hudson, Kevin (editor).''[https://books.google.com/books?id=JQCPAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA10 Progressive Rock Reconsidered ]''; Routledge; 21 October 2001; ISBN 978-0815337157</ref><ref name=avclub>[http://www.avclub.com/article/a-guide-to-the-best-and-a-bit-of-the-worst-of-prog-79776 "A guide to the best (and a bit of the worst) of prog rock"] by Jason Heller, ''[[The A.V. Club]]'', 7 June 2012</ref>، [[راک تجربی|راک تجربی،تجربی]]<ref>[[Paul Hegarty (musician)|Hegarty, Paul]]. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=fsaoAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT58 Beyond and Before: Progressive Rock since the 1960s]''; Bloomsbury Academic; 23 June 2011; ISBN 978-0826423320; p.105</ref><ref>Blake, Andrew. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=t7d0DH0qHc8C&pg=PA151 The Land Without Music: Music, culture and society in twentieth-century Britain]''; Manchester University Press, 15 February 1998; ISBN 978-0719042997; p.151</ref>، [[جز راک]]<ref>[http://www.allmusic.com/subgenre/jazz-rock-ma0000012014 "Jazz » Fusion » Jazz-Rock"], ''[[AllMusic]]''</ref><ref>Rupprecht, Philip. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=DBu_CQAAQBAJ&pg=PA425 British Musical Modernism: The Manchester Group and their Contemporaries]''; Cambridge University Press; 18 August 2015; ISBN 978-0521844482; p.425</ref>، [[موسیقی جز|جز]]<ref>[http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/gong-soft-parade-founder-daevid-allen-dead-at-77-20150313 "Gong, Soft Machine Founder Daevid Allen Dead at 77"] byDaniel Kreps, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', 13 March 2015</ref> و [[سایکدلیک راک]]<ref name=consequenceofsound/> است و در واقع قسمتی از جنبش [[کنتربری سین]]<ref name=avclub/> را تشکیل می‌دهد. هیو هوپر درباره موسیقی سافت مشین می‌گوید <nowiki>''ما آگاهانه موسیقی جز راک نمی‌نواختیم. بیشتر شبیه این بود که نمی‌خواستیم شبیه دیگر گروه‌ها باشیم. قطعا ما دنبال گیتاریست در گروه نبودیم.''</nowiki><ref name=mojo>Irvin, Jim. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=AVQbF9lTBwgC&pg=PA208 The MOJO Collection: The Ultimate Music Companion]''; Canongate Books Ltd; 4th edition: 1 November 2007; ISBN 978-1841959733; p.208</ref>
