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150 most important Prog albums |
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dymanic 
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Joined: June 10 2019 Location: somewhere Status: Offline Points: 7 |
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 Topic: 150 most important Prog albumsPosted: June 17 2019 at 00:38 |
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Hi all,
As a relative prog newbie I'm trying to compile a list of the "Most Important" prog albums from the birth of prog through to about 2000. This will be the basis of a listening project to attain more insight into the genre. I've looked around a fair bit and it's easy to find people's "Essentials" or "Best of" lists but this isn't necessarily what I'm talking about here. What I mean by important is albums which contributed to the development of progressive rock in a significant way, furthering the advancement of the genre or taking it in new directions. I'd like to get a good overview of all the important subgenres too. Obviously this will have a fair bit of overlap with Essentials or Best Of lists but the emphasis is different. It's easy for an album you hate to be important to the genre, or for one of your favourites to not be important at all. I'm looking to include 150 albums over the time period so I'm guessing there's also room for a lot of the "Best" albums too, I'm not looking to be overly dogmatic about it. Any suggestions / resources anybody can point me to? Even particular album suggestions would be helpful. Apologies if this is an already answered question.
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octopus-4
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RIO/Avant/Zeuhl,Neo & Post/Math Teams Joined: October 31 2006 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 13358 |
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Posted: June 17 2019 at 01:12 |
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Curiosity killed a cat, Schroedinger only half.
My poor home recorded stuff at https://yellingxoanon.bandcamp.com |
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dymanic
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Posted: June 17 2019 at 01:17 |
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Thanks, but how do I distinguish between "most important" and "most popular"?
Edited by dymanic - June 17 2019 at 01:17 |
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Cristi
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Crossover / Prog Metal Teams Joined: July 27 2006 Location: wonderland Status: Offline Points: 41330 |
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Posted: June 17 2019 at 01:24 |
Good question, because the popular albums are, well a lot of times, the important ones  but I am confusing you with this. The top above includes the highest rated albums, so it's a good place to start. Edited by Cristi - June 17 2019 at 01:25 |
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octopus-4
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Posted: June 17 2019 at 01:25 |
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There' an algorhythm based on ratings/reviews total number and values. It's a weighted calculation. It can't guarantee that's important vs popular, but being this a prog oriented site I assume that the reviewers know what they are writing about. Anyway, the number of reviews is an indicator of popularity, while the rating average is specific to the value. Collaborator's proper reviews vs rating only are weighted 20:1 It's the best that the site can offer and it's based on numbers.
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Curiosity killed a cat, Schroedinger only half.
My poor home recorded stuff at https://yellingxoanon.bandcamp.com |
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dymanic
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Posted: June 17 2019 at 02:58 |
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Thanks guys.
How about off-site resources covering the development / evolution of Prog from the early days, preferably with reference to specific albums? Are there any good books or other sources people could recommend?
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octopus-4
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Posted: June 17 2019 at 03:03 |
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There's a number of books of this kind. The one I have liked the most is unfortunately in Italian and I don't think it has ever been translated. It's simply "PROG - A suite 50 years long" by Donato Zoppo Let me see if there's an English edition. It starts with Moody Blues.
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Curiosity killed a cat, Schroedinger only half.
My poor home recorded stuff at https://yellingxoanon.bandcamp.com |
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octopus-4
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Posted: June 17 2019 at 03:06 |
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No. It looks like it has been released in Italy only
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Curiosity killed a cat, Schroedinger only half.
My poor home recorded stuff at https://yellingxoanon.bandcamp.com |
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Cristi
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Posted: June 17 2019 at 03:08 |
you could also check each subgenre page and see the artists and albums mentioned there, things are explained clearly.
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TheH
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Posted: June 17 2019 at 03:44 |
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Try this one:
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Manuel
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Posted: June 17 2019 at 07:46 |
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Maybe you can look at the bands that were pioneers in different sub-genres, which produced those albums that made a difference and sparked a trend into the prog spectrum. 150 albums is a lot, so you might reconsider that amount, because undoubtedly, you'll have to deal with a lot of opinions on this matter.
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AFlowerKingCrimson
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Posted: June 17 2019 at 09:28 |
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Important is rather subjective just as favorite is. Not everyone considers album x to be the most important. I think if you were to use a filter on here for no less than 1000 ratings that would give you an idea of the most important. It would all depend on who you talk to. If you talk to a metal fan they would say one of the earlier Opeth albums or images and words by Dream Theater are the most important. If you don't like metal you could skip those and the same thing with any other prog subgenre. Ultimately you have to decide. You can't go so much by consensus or what others say. I agree with just using the search button and going through the top 100 or so and using filters as they suit your tastes. Also, you could look on youtube and search "most important" or "best prog rock albums" of all time or use google too etc. If you google "prog rock albums" or
"best prog rock albums" etc. then a whole bunch of mostly classic album covers will appear. "Close to the edge" by Yes and "in the court of the crimson king" by King Crimson usually appear among the first three or four. "Selling England by the Pound" by Genesis is usually not far behind them. Good luck. |
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miamiscot
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Posted: June 17 2019 at 14:17 |
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Fun project!!!
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Jaketejas
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Posted: June 17 2019 at 14:54 |
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If you mean pioneering, then I think you'd have to consider including Watchtower's Control and Resistance for progressive metal, which predates DT's I&W by 3 years. Opeth formed the same year C&R was released.
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Cristi
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Posted: June 17 2019 at 15:08 |
Energetic Disassembly was released in 1985, quite unique for that time. Savatage, Fates Warning, Queensryche, Crimson Glory, Heir Apparent, all did great music before DT ever did. In fact most them influenced DT
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AFlowerKingCrimson
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Posted: June 17 2019 at 15:15 |
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^I agree. Unless we count Rush or maybe Uriah Heep(or even some KC) Watchtower were the first real prog metal band. Queensryche? Not so much. Lol. More like metal meets art rock. I just don't think they were challenging or complex enough even though they obviously do get the prog metal label. That said I haven't heard their earliest albums just Operation Mindcrime and Empire. So maybe they were true prog metal then toned it down a bit.
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Cristi
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Posted: June 17 2019 at 15:19 |
artsy heavy/power sounds right for QR they are important for the genre, their music until Promised Land was great.
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AFlowerKingCrimson
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Posted: June 17 2019 at 17:22 |
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^ Yep. Apparently very much a mixed bag after that. I have heard that Operation Mindcrime 2 is ok and the later post Geoff Tate albums are pretty good but other than that mostly forgettable which is a shame because at one point they were one of the best at what they did. I still think "silent lucidity" is one of the best power ballads that Pink Floyd and Rush never did.
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Jaketejas
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Posted: June 17 2019 at 18:49 |
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My first Queensryche album was Rage for Order. It was definitely different, but these days I probably wouldn't put it in the same subgenre of prog as Watchtower. Yes, Billy White was also amazing on Energetic Disassembly but Control and Resistance with Ron Jarzombek is, to me, on a different plane as far as prog complexity. It is too bad Ron injured his hand on that tour. I'm saying this all with the utmost respect for Billy White. I had the great pleasure of having heard some of BW's funk stuff as well back in the 80s pre-Dokken. He can play classical guitar as well. Very talented. Fates Warning absolutely! DT deserves great respect, too, but I don't believe they were pioneers of their genre. Rather, my view is that they popularized it, which itself is a tremendous feat of accomplishment.
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AFlowerKingCrimson
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Posted: June 17 2019 at 19:14 |
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A lot of metal bands could be described as different in the mid to late eighties to early 90's such as Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Janes Addiction, Voivod, Guns N Roses(yes, you read that right :P), Soundgarden, Alice in Chains and Tool. Obviously not all prog metal. The burgeoning alternative metal scene and even grunge was different than what came before it also.
Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - June 17 2019 at 19:20 |
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dymanic wrote: