His debut as a leader, Bright Size Life (december 1975), a trio session featuring Pastorius and drummer Bob Moses (also fresh from Burton's group), introduced more than just an electric instrument (two with Pastorius' bass) to jazz music: the key factor was the domestic and naturalistic mood of the Midwest's white farming culture that permeated every piece (especially Midwestern Nights Dream). The experimental (Sirabhorn) and melodic (Unity Village, an overdubbed duet between two electric guitars) were mere variations on the same theme. The album also relied on the spontaneous equilibrium between Metheny, who was shaping the sound of the electric guitar, and Pastorius, who was revolutionizing the electric bass.

Watercolors (february 1977) debuted a quartet with pianist Lyle Mays, bassist Eberhard Weber and drummer Danny Gottlieb. As the title implied, Metheny's compositions were shifting towards an impressionistic, chromatic aesthetic. The idyllic Watercolors, the turbulent Icefire, and the ten-minute odyssey Sea Song relied on elegant counterpoint, crystalline tones and youthful exuberance.

Adopting those elements as dogmas, the following year Metheny formed his fusion Group with Mays, Gottlieb and bassist Mark Egan. Mays was co-responsible for most of the material (notably the edgy ten-minute San Lorenzo, as well as a couple of eight-minute rhapsodies, Phase Dance and April Joy) and the overall atmosphere of Group (january 1978), a symbiosis that was to become the essence of the Group's music.

If, before Metheny, fusion jazz had to pretend to be "black" in order to qualify for a slot in jazz magazines and record stores, with Metheny any pretense was set aside. Metheny's jazz was as white as country or folk music. The closest relative to his guitar picking was Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. That he did not acknowledge much of the history of jazz was also implied by the fact that his material was mostly self-penned and hardly referenced any of the masters. The jazz heritage was a mere technicality, just like the guitar was originally invented in Spain but that didn't imply that every guitar piece had to pay tribute to Spanish music.

His solo work paled in comparison: New Chautauqua (august 1978) contained pieces for overdubbed electric guitars (acoustic, six-string electric, twelve-string electric, electric bass and even fifteen-string harp guitar) that rarely achieved the same intensity and mostly indulged in a bucolic feeling (Daybreak).

The Group's American Garage (june 1979), instead, skyrocketed to the top of the charts, thanks to the catchy Heartland and streamlined arrangements, although the 13-minute Epic displayed the quartet's experimental side. The Group moved towards progressive-rock with the convoluted 21-minute suite As Falls Wichita So Falls Wichita on As Falls Wichita So Falls Wichita (september 1980), that debuted Brazilian percussionist Nana Vasconcelos.

Metheny showed his jazz credentials on the double-LP 80/81 (may 1980), a collaboration with tenor saxophonists Dewey Redman and Michael Brecker, bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Jack DeJohnette, highlighted by the folk-bop fusion of the 21-minute Two Folk Songs, the 14-minute Coleman-ian group improvisation of Open, the cerebral Pretty Scattered and the 13-minute ballad Everyday I Thank You. The "jazz" trilogy was completed by Rejoicing (november 1983), a trio session with Haden and Billy Higgins, more important for Metheny's The Calling (that popularized the guitar synthesizer) than for the Coleman covers, and Song X (december 1985), a collaboration with Ornette Coleman that was mostly Coleman's.

The Group, on the other hand, was progressively moving towards Brazilian pop-jazz muzak via Offramp (october 1981), with bassist Steve Rodby replacing Egan (Are You Going with Me, Au Lait), First Circle (february 1984), featuring Argentinian multi-instrumentalist Pedro Aznar and with drummer Paul Wertico replacing Gottlieb (End of the Game, The First Circle), Still Life (april 1987), featuring Brazillian percussionist Armando Marcal (Third Wind, Minuano), and Letter from Home (1989), with Every Summer Night.

Metheny's releases became more and more erratic. Under Fire (1982) and The Falcon and the Snowman (september 1984) were film soundtracks. Question Answer (december 1989), featuring bassist Dave Holland and drummer Roy Haynes, was another "jazz heritage" album. Flower Hour (june 1990) was a live collaboration with Dejohnette, Holland and Herbie Hancock. Secret Story (1992) was an album of world-music. I Can See Your House from Here (december 1993) was a collaboration with fellow guitarist John Scofield, bassist Steve Swallow and drummer Bill Stewart. Zero Tolerance for Silence (december 1992) contained five lengthy improvisations of guitar noise (probably a mocking gesture towards his record label). Dream Teams (1983 and 1986) documented two live performances with Sonny Rollins. The Sign of 4 (december 1996) was a collaboration with avantgarde guitarist Derek Bailey. Beyond the Missouri Sky (april 1996) was a duet with Charlie Haden.

The Group wandered aimlessly through pop muzak, on We Live Here (1994), acoustic folk, on Quartet (may 1996), and world-music, on Imaginary Day (1997), which was the best recording of the decade.

Like Minds (december 1997) was a collaboration with Gary Burton, Chick Corea, Roy Haynes and Dave Holland. Passaggio per il Paradiso (january 1996) A Map of the World (february 1999) were film soundtracks. Jim Hall & Pat Metheny (august 1998) was a collaboration with guitarist Jim Hall. Trio 99 > 00 (august 1999) was a trio With bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Bill Stewart.

An artistic rebirth of sorts took place in the new millennium. The Group's live double-CD Speaking of Now (2001) featured Mays, Rodby, Mexican drummer Antonio Sanchez, trumpeter Cuong Vu and Cameroonian bassist Richard Bona (Gathering Sky, Proof). Adding Swiss harmonica player Gregoire Maret to the line-up, the Group's 68-minute four-movement suite The Way Up (2004) was Metheny's and Mays' most ambitious and eclectic composition ever, running the gamut from minimalist repetition to romantic melody.

One Quiet Night (january 2003) was a solo acoustic guitar album.

Pat Metheny used software to digitally compose Orchestrion (october 2009 - Nonesuch, 2010), with the software simulating a whole orchestra of instruments.

The solo What's It All About was devoted to rock and jazz covers.

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