50 Most Important Progressive Rock Songs

I got this list from a friend who was doing a project at his college. I dont remember why, but part of his project was to make a list of the 50 most important progressive rock songs. So that means there's a few songs from artists that arent on this site (although some of them should be).

50 Most Important Progressive Rock Songs

 

1. King Crimson – “21^st Century Schizoid Man”

2. YES – “Close To the Edge”

3. Miles Davis – “Pharaoh’s Dance”

4. Jethro Tull – “Thick As A Brick”

5. Pink Floyd – “Echoes”

6. Genesis – “Firth Of Fifth”

7. The Beatles – “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)

8. Frank Zappa – “Peaches En Regalia”

9. Pink Floyd – “Dark Side of the Moon suite”

10. Phish – “You Enjoy Myself”

11. Rush – “YYZ”

12. Genesis – “Supper’s Ready”

13. YES – “Heart of the Sunrise”

14. Rush – “2112”

15. Frank Zappa – “Inca Roads”

16. King Crimson – “Larks' Tongues In Aspic, Part 1”

17. Pink Floyd – “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”

18. Phish – “Reba”

19. Mahavishnu Orchestra – “Meeting of the Spirits”

20. Rush – “YYZ”

21. Dream Theater – “Metropolis Part 1”

22. Weather Report – “Birdland”

23. Return To Forever – “Duel of the Jester and the Tyrant”

24. YES – “Gates of Delirium”

25. Gentle Giant – “Knots”

26. Pink Floyd – “Dogs”

27. Kansas – “Carry On My Wayward Son”

28. King Crimson – “Starless”

29. Pat Metheny Group – “The Way Up”

30. Opeth – “The Moor”

31. Genesis – “The Musical Box”

32. Jethro Tull – “Aqualung”

33. Phish – “The Divided Sky”

34. Emerson Lake & Palmer – “Tarkus”

35. Billy Cobham – “Stratus”

36. Frank Zappa – “Don’t You Ever Wash That Thing”

37. YES – “Yours Is No Disgrace”

38. Gentle Giant – “In a Glass House”

39. Dream Theater – “Octavarium”

40. The Mars Volta – “Tetragrammaton”

41. Emerson Lake & Palmer – “Karn Evil 9”

42. Focus – “Hamburger Concerto”

43. Camel – “The Snow Goose suite”

44. King Crimson – “Frakture”

45. Frank Zappa – “Gregory Peccary”

46. Umphrey’s McGee – “Nothing Too Fancy”

47. YES – “The Revealing Science of God”

48. Phish – “Fluffhead/Fluff’s Travels”

49. The Mars Volta – “Drunkship of Lanterns”

50. Utopia – “Utopia Theme”

I would say i agree with about 75% of the list. What do you guys think?

I think it's missing King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimon King. I might be totally off, but it seemed like the jazzier prog bands would've taken influence from Schizoid Man while the more symphonic bands took influence from the thick mellotron of In the Court. So I would make that #1 or #2 along with Schizoid.

BaldJean wrote: first of all I would follow my policy of not naming the same artist twice or even more often, no matter how important one might think he is. second: if "Supper's Ready" is named then "A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers" definitely has to be named since it was the inspiration for that song. third: no Kraut rock band? no Magma? no RIO band? no Canterbury band? sorry, definitely not my list

i think naming an artist twice is fine, but not for every band. Only a band like KC or Frank Zappa should because they have such a diverse catalog and influenced so many different people.

Naming a band more than twice, though, is unnecessary IMO.

I guess the people who made the list did not find bands in Canterbury, Kraut rock or Neo Prog category important enough. Maybe if the list was for 100 most important prog rock songs......


Edited by darkshade - May 24 2008 at 19:27

darkshade wrote: BaldJean wrote: first of all I would follow my policy of not naming the same artist twice or even more often, no matter how important one might think he is. second: if "Supper's Ready" is named then "A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers" definitely has to be named since it was the inspiration for that song. third: no Kraut rock band? no Magma? no RIO band? no Canterbury band? sorry, definitely not my list i think naming an artist twice is fine, but not for every band. Only a band like KC or Frank Zappa should because they have such a diverse catalog and influenced so many different people. Naming a band more than twice, though, is unnecessary IMO. I guess the people who made the list did not find bands in Canterbury, Kraut rock or Neo Prog category important enough. Maybe if the list was for 100 most important prog rock songs......

well, then the people who made the list have no idea, I have to say. and I still go with my policy of not naming an artist twice. it reeks of fandom. Hammill has a huge and diverse catalogue too, but nevertheless I would not name him twice. but I would definitely name him once

WAAAAYYY too much Phish...I could see Divided Sky or Fluff, but that's it.  I have to say, there's too much Zappa on there as well.

It definitely needs some of the following:

Caravan (probably  Nine Feet Underground)
Flower Kings Stardust We Are
Some Porcupine Tree (pick one...)
Harmonium (Histoires Sans Paroles)
Kansas (Song for America....they pick Carry On??? What a cop-out!)
At least some PFM (I'd go with Appena Un Poco)

Other than that, I have to say it is actually fairly decent!

I'm THRILLED to see the Concerto on there...also pleasantly surprised to have The Way Up as well.



Edited by Flucktrot - May 24 2008 at 21:50

Well clearly the list has illicited some hot debate!  Lots of Phish everywhere too....and no Canterbury

Subterranea (concept album)

Gregory Peccary?  What in the world is that doing on this list?  (And I'm a huge FZ fan...)

febus wrote: what's the definition of ''IMPORTANT""prog songs??? .....It's Important when every fanboy/girl will be happy if this list matches their own taste or not important if by sacrilege one of their ''heroes or worshippees'' dare to be missing from this list !! My dog Lucy and me are presently working hard on a new ''important ''list, at least very important to us.. We'll keep you postedNext?

Tell Lucy to keep an eye on you, so you don't make mistakes

KeleCableII wrote: I think it's missing King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimon King. I might be totally off, but it seemed like the jazzier prog bands would've taken influence from Schizoid Man while the more symphonic bands took influence from the thick mellotron of In the Court. So I would make that #1 or #2 along with Schizoid.