1981: top 25 prog albums at RYM

RRUUSSHH, KC, and the Oingos

suitkees wrote: Very interesting list... Back in the 80s I would have chosen Eloy or Rush, nowadays I'm more leaning towards Penguin Cafe Orchestra and Art Zoyd. I still like my first loves, so for my vote I'll do some eclectic mix: Eloy, Eno & Byrne and Art Zoyd.

I would have voted for Art Zoyd if I didn't find this 1981 re-recording almost identical to their debut. I might actually have a slight preference for this, but it doesn't feel equally essential as an unique one-of-a-kind recording does.  

I love many of these albums. I voted for Los Jaivas, but Rush, King Crimson, SBB, etc, are quite fantastic.

Saperlipopette! wrote: Logan wrote: I like Nude butt Sure you do:)

Cheeky butt that's something I can get behind.

Edited by Saperlipopette! - May 21 2023 at 02:42

I'm comparing the charts of RYM and PA. This site's charts do tend to be more Neo-Prog favorable than RYM's. Both Neo-prog and Prog Metal are quite polarising here (so is a lot of RIO and Zeuhl actually) but forms of more melodic prog, Neo-Prog, and symphonic prog fare better here than at rateyourmusic from my extensive viewing of the charts of both sites (Camel actually does very well at both sites for the more classic albums). Neo-Prog, especially IQ in modern days do do well in the PA charts. Take for example IQ's Road of Bones. That is the number one album of 2014 at PA with a 4.24 rating and 1372 ratings. Swans To Be Kind is the number one album (of any genre) at RYM for 2014 with 4.03 and 25,293 ratings. The Road of Bones there has 3.57 with 808 ratings and isn't in the top 100 of its year.
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In 1983, Marillion's Script for a Jester's Tear is the number two album at PA.

While Neo-Prog has many detractors, it has had large numbers of fans rating albums at PA, and even in the forum I think Neo-Prog gets a lot of love.

As for Camel detractors, Micky comes to mind. I have not thought of it as a particularly divisive band. Most I have known here like some Camel albums and not others. To some Camel is quite bland often. Camel's popularity declines amongst many following Moonmadness. I like Nude butt it's not top notch Camel for me by quite some margin. The Single Factor is considered a particularly poor album (I rather like in a strange way). And if Camel did get lots of backlash, that would mean more attention.

And Camel is so popular at PA that if I do a Mirage album topic, more people are likely to expect Camel's Mirage than the wonderful Mirage by Klaus Schulze. :p ;) I did poll with those and other Mirages in the titles albums. Camel was not surprisingly the more popular choice.

Edited by Logan - May 21 2023 at 02:19

Cristi wrote: Logan wrote: I don't miss Camel's Nude, I feel like Camel gets attention overkill often here despite me liking Camel and loving The Snow Goose in particular. I'm not at all surprised that Camel's Nude doesn't make this top RYM 25. I haven't looked through the chart much. It's got a 3.44 / 5.0 from 1,478 ratings and is ranked (for all albums despite genre) #312 for 1981 which is not bad. At Pa it is only at number 30 here CLICK, and as I said, Prog Archives people are much favourable to more melodic progressive rock albums (favouring Symph and Neo-Prog here much more than there). To compare that Residents in number 25 in the poll, that has a 3.56 / 5.0 from 1,177 ratings and is ranked #166 for 1981. So actually that has fewer ratings but a rather higher average. At PA Mark of the Mole doesn't even factor into the top 250 for the year. That said, Camel is pretty popular at both sites. I like Nude, but I would take most of these over that. Well, I think Nude is a very good album, so I was just wondering why it was missing.  "Attention overkill"?! I wouldn't say so. They also get a bit  of backlash (from time to time), there have always been users that dislike them for some reason.

I quite like Nude too (a nice 7/10 album for me) but as Logan says, it wouldn't even have featured if this was based on PA's own 1981 chart. It's simply missing because it's nowhere near the top 25. I think it's always been considered a little lightweight, even among Camel fans (but a step up from I Can See Your House From Here).

Logan wrote: I don't miss Camel's Nude, I feel like Camel gets attention overkill often here despite me liking Camel and loving The Snow Goose in particular. I'm not at all surprised that Camel's Nude doesn't make this top RYM 25. I haven't looked through the chart much. It's got a 3.44 / 5.0 from 1,478 ratings and is ranked (for all albums despite genre) #312 for 1981 which is not bad. At Pa it is only at number 30 here CLICK, and as I said, Prog Archives people are much favourable to more melodic progressive rock albums (favouring Symph and Neo-Prog here much more than there). To compare that Residents in number 25 in the poll, that has a 3.56 / 5.0 from 1,177 ratings and is ranked #166 for 1981. So actually that has fewer ratings but a rather higher average. At PA Mark of the Mole doesn't even factor into the top 250 for the year. That said, Camel is pretty popular at both sites. I like Nude, but I would take most of these over that.

Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays, King Crimson. Could vote for a few others, but I kept it at three.

I don't miss Camel's Nude, I feel like Camel gets attention overkill often here despite me liking Camel and loving The Snow Goose in particular.

I'm not at all surprised that Camel's Nude doesn't make this top RYM 25. I haven't looked through the chart much. It's got a 3.44 / 5.0 from 1,478 ratings and is ranked (for all albums despite genre) #312 for 1981 which is not bad. At Pa it is only at number 30 here CLICK, and as I said, Prog Archives people are much favourable to more melodic progressive rock albums (favouring Symph and Neo-Prog here much more than there). To compare that Residents in number 25 in the poll, that has a 3.56 / 5.0 from 1,177 ratings and is ranked #166 for 1981. So actually that has fewer ratings but a rather higher average. At PA Mark of the Mole doesn't even factor into the top 250 for the year. That said, Camel is pretty popular at both sites. I like Nude, but I would take most of these over that.