There are plenty of divisive Yes albums if you join the Yes Facebook group - Fly From Here, Open Your Eyes, practically everything in fact.

Frets N Worries wrote: I'm talking albums such as Tales from Topographic Oceans, maybe some Amarok, the Wall (for those of you that consider it prog), maybe even some divisive songs, such as Benny The Bouncer (a masterpiece)

Do you just want to list, or do you actually also want to talk about them? (I'm asking as there isn't much talk in the opening posting.)

Trout Mask Replica - Capt. Beefheart.

Not sure whether Van der Graaf Generator's ALT counts as divisive, or it's just that I like it and nobody else...

Some would say that the whole VDGG catalogue is divisive, even their generally acknowledged best albums.

As a rule I'd say, the divisive albums can be those which in general are middle-rated, and not those which are low- or high-rated,

as there's a majority agreement about the latter ones.

The Final Cut always gets lots of press as divisive. Yes - Topographic Oceans seems to be considered overblown by some.

I'm glad someone agrees with me. 

Interesting point of view. As much as i enjoy The Wall (and i played it to death at some point), it's not even top 5 PF for me. 

The Final Cut is one of my least favorites from PF as well, some nice ideas here and there, but underwhelming compared to what came before. 

Hardly divisive, 89% rate is Excellent or Essential and 3% Poor or Fan Only.

Definitely, classic KC is beloved by most. 

I think the KC albums from 1981 to 2003 are more divisive.

Agree

It's in my top 5 all-time and favorite KC album 

I agree. I should've chosen Discipline instead. 

http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=32436" rel="nofollow - Zeit by Tangerine Dream is an album I personally love that's quite divisive:

review by http://www.progarchives.com/Collaborators.asp?id=636" rel="nofollow - greenback

What a shame! The music consists in 2-3 humming refrigerators at the same time, plus a portative fan that turns back and forth to make the anyway inexistent rhythm, and finally a coming cluster of threatening killer bees!

There are tons of albums better than this one to describe the desolation once you go alone on Mars! The album is even not minimalist!

Rating: 0.5 star

You can't be divisive on your own Paul.

Anyway, I'm sure I can't be the only one here who dislikes those ten albums. Can I? 

Zeit is a 2-star album for me too. 

A bit edited addition to my argument in case, it could be difficult to see the logic in it. 

 Jerusalem was the controversial song among the few who knew...in the public square.  Two controversial songs on one album...depending on your point of view.  Carl Palmer commented-

  “Jerusalem” was recorded by us, and it was banned immediately by the BBC. We thought it was an unbelievable piece of music. It actually summed up prog rock, British prog rock, in that moment in time. It had everything. It was so grand, it was so English, and it was absolutely perfect for the voice."

Zeit?  "The music consists in 2-3 humming refrigerators at the same time, plus a portative fan that turns back and forth to make the anyway inexistent rhythm..."  Funny.  Very funny.

From http://www.progarchives.com/Collaborators.asp?id=10545" rel="nofollow - Chris H review of the incredible http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=107357" rel="nofollow - Tago Mago by Can (Krautrock is in general more popular anyywhere else but here)

...Hmmm, this listen was uhhh interesting? Let me start from the beginning here. I had heard the track "Bring Me Coffee or Tea" off of somewhere, I can't remember at the moment, but I actually rather liked it. So one day I was poking around some bargain bins, and lo and behold here it was. I bought it for $2.50, and popped it in the stereo. It couldn't have been 10 minutes before my mother comes up and says "What is this crap?". I couldn't agree more Mom! This has to take the cake for the most pointless album ever made. Ever. "Peking O" and "Mushroom" are two of the stupidest, pointless songs I have ever heard...

A dash of half-and-half with your caffeinated opinion, Paul. 

Adrian Belew - Lone Rhino

Steve Hackett - Cured

Peter Hammill - A Black Box

Thieves' Kitchen - Head 

Robert Fripp - Exposure

King Crimson - Larks' Tongues in Aspic

Motorpsycho - The Death-Defying Unicorn

Island - Pictures

Island-Pictures scares me. I collect and cherish my Halloween prog. Especially Lovecraft or Giger inspired Halloween goodies...err baddies.

 The first time I listened to Larks?  I spun the vinyl and began dusting my room.  Several times I zig-zagged back to turn up the volume, because I couldn't hear it.  Suddenly a sonic blast overwhelmed me...scared the daylights out of me. I loved Larks ever since.

Gentle Giant - Three Friends

Van der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts 

I don't get it...yet.  Holding out hope, that it will click in a big way.  It's happened before. 

that's a review?!  And here i thought I was bad at it. (ffs  )

Albums are divisive for one simple reason. Some people GET IT and some don't.

You have to have the musical ability to comprehend the intention of the artist at hand.

I've found many of the most divisive albums are actually some of the best musical expressions to be heard.

Tales From Topographic Oceans is the perfect example.

Brilliant in every way but not instant gratification for those unwilling to dig deeper.

This has always been the case whether it be jazz, 20th century classical or any musical expression.

Over the years i've seen the ratings for many of these divisive albums rise as people catch up to the artists' visions.

THis probably sounds snobbish but you can't comprehend calculus if you haven't mastered basic algebra :)

That's not a review, it's a pointless rant. Another person who doesn't get it and has a hissy fit about an album beyond his / her comprehension.

well, it is a review it seems. I think some people just forget it's not just what you say (that matters), it's how you say it it's just as important. 

You're probably right.

I have always enjoyed it. 

I had a look at this from a mathematical angle. Rating any album 3 or 4 stars is pretty normal, so a "divisive" album should have many 5 and 2 or 1 while having a good number of ratings. Looking at typical percentages I'd say that a divisive album should at least have 20% 5 star ratings and at least 10% 2 or 1 star (people come here for the music they like, so there's more going on at the upper end; an album with less than 20% 5 star just isn't very appreciated).

Let's have a look at some albums discussed here. Tales from Topographic Oceans just has 7% negative, Brain Salad Surgery has 5%, The Wall has 6% (Final Cut only 14% 5 stars on the other hand, against 28% negative ratings; Ummagumma has 14:18, kind of divisive but not very many who appreciate it highly though I'm one of them), A Passion Play just 5%, Tago Mago 7%, Awake 5%, Frances the Mute 8%. So all these are not super divisive as there are not that many who rate them 1 or 2. ALT on the other hand has only 7% 5 stars against 53% 1 or 2; other well known VDGG don't make 10% 1 or 2 stars, neither most of King Crimson, though Beat with 9:20 looks very negative (I'm one of the 9% to rate it at 5 stars!).

The most divisive album I have found is Trout Mask Replica, which collects 40% 5 stars against 20% 1/2 stars. That's quite something. Dream Theater's The Astonishing clocks in at 22% 5 stars, 32% 1 or 2 - in fact 22% 5 stars is quite astonishing with 32% negatives. A View From the Top of The World scores 31:12 (but doesn't have that many ratings), Octavarium 26:11. Dream Theater are pretty divisive indeed, if not Awake.

Later Mars Volta's Bedlam in Goliath qualifies with 24:15. Amarok just about makes the cut with 42:11. Zeit is indeed pretty divisive with 30:12. Not quite up there but still in is one of my favourites, My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (30:10).

Looking at Zappa, Jazz From Hell misses by an inch with 19:11, other than that I didn't find any that came close to qualifying (occasionally 8% negative for generally appreciated albums). Neither get Gentle Giant in, nor Genesis (far too few negatives up to Wind and Wuthering, far too few 5 stars after), nor Camel (I think of Breathless as divisive, but just 10% 5 stars are not enough for this game).

  

Rush has Power Windows at 22:13 (I don't know that one), otherwise they are not quite as divisive. Let's look at Swans, The Seer has 36:13, To Be Kind 33:15, very divisive! There are more, but they have fewer than 100 ratings; even The Seer and To Be Kind have quite a bit fewer ratings than most other albums I mention here.

Just seen: Tangerine Dream Cyclone seemed to be a good candidate to me, but I'm surprised that it only has 8% 1 or 2 stars (personally I like it a lot).

Does Steven Wilson's "The Future Bites" qualify as "divisive album" under the criteria outlined in your math formula?

I say it is divisive ,based on what I've seen here on PA and a couple other sites I've visited. People either praise it or totally dislike it. 

Ash Ra Tempel's debut is one of my favorite all time albums, BTW.

if it's not a review, report it, tell the admins to get rid of it. 

You can argue it's a poorly written, useless review and I'd agree. 

^ in Chris H's defence I didn't post the full review (which is why I wrote "from"). I guess there's minimal improvement, but here's the rest:

...Maybe you need to be on shrooms to get everything out of them? Just a thought...

Well anyways, "Bring Me Coffee Or Tea" is the only listenable track on this album, even the so called "epic" "Halleluwah", which is once again, pointless. It's just a shame "Bring Me Coffee Or Tea" was the first song I heard, because it cost me $2.50. 1 star, DO NOT BUY!...

Allright! That is a very thorough approach. 

Yes: 90125

Genesis: Abacab

(I happen to love'em both!)

If anybody could be curious about whether a particular album is divisive, RYM shows rating statistics for all albums.

Steve Wilson - The Future Bites - 10:40 - not divisive, not enough 5 stars

Yes - 90215 - 13:25 - not divisive, not enough 5 stars

Genesis - Abacab - 6:36 - not divisive just disliked broadly.

I'd say not on RYM, as the vast majority give it 2-4 stars, but you can have a look at the statistics yourself.

But it's of course still quite a question how exactly define "divisive".

And now I discovered that so does PA. 

I meant an exact definition in relation to the "mathematical angle", as it's surely a matter of choice.

To begin with, I would juxtapose 4-5 stars against 1-2 stars.

I love Big Generator more than 90125.  Is that divisive? 

When it comes to 90125 vs Abacab or Numbers vs Letter albums....I wonder which album do most people feel in the biggest Sellout?    I vote Abacab by far, since I adore 90125.

Of course my definition of "divisive" is just made up and you can have another one. Particularly I didn't specify a minimum number of ratings overall but I should, for being thorough (maybe 100 or 200). I have my reasons though; I say at least 20% 5 stars as there need to be enough people to defend an album passionately for being "divisive". Also higher ratings are generally preferred, therefore 20% isn't really that much. Almost everybody gives 4 stars to almost everything, so the number of 4 star ratings doesn't really indicate a polarising album, but as I said, you may disagree. Alternatively you can think of an album that has a very few really passionate fans and is not appreciated by many as "divisive" though (I'd defend Beat, ALT, and Ummagumma for sure). I found it interesting how few people actually rate albums such as Topographic Oceans, Passion Play, or even Tago Mago low, given that we have in mind that there are some haters (not necessarily meant in a negative way; I'd give one of these 2 stars myself ).

  

Anyway, Steven Wilson comes closer with To The Bone (18:16). You can check it yourself easily of course.

On PA I haven't seen much enthusiasm. Some like it but I don't think very passionately. Maybe it finds more love elsewhere.

You're right

Check out the rating summary on metalstorm

https://metalstorm.net/bands/rating.php?album_id=109253" rel="nofollow - https://metalstorm.net/bands/rating.php?album_id=109253  

Yeah, subjective perception of "divisive" can be different from the numbers. I suspect people who give Topographic Oceans 3 stars think they're rather disappointed and negative given how good Yes were otherwise roughly at that time, whereas those who give Abacab 3 stars (even maybe the same people) think they're rather positive as they kind of like the album and rate it better than what they hear from others. Numbers are good at showing such things. Of course if there is a huge number of ratings as for the Yes albums, even small percentages amount to a fairly large number of people.

If to be quite serious about this "divisive" stuff, I'd say:

4-5 stars  -  "likes"

1-2 stars  -  "dislikes"

an album is "divisive" when ratings are:

1. likes% circa equal to dislikes% 

2. likes + dislikes = at least 60% of all ratings

3. minimum 300 persons have rated

But that might be too serious. 

That's a pretty tough one. It'll rule out most albums we have talked about.

Just something to think about, and you have surely more experience to make a more realistic definition, which might be interesting to see. 

Well, I'm fine with the one I already have.

Yes. That's exactly what i'm presuming. I didn't like it either at first until i invested a great deal of time in unlocking its secrets.

I honestly don't care enough to waste my time. Pisspoor reviews only reflect the integrity of the person posting them.

My take on "divisive" albums is that an album didn't sound like a favorite that came before.

That meaning it deviated significantly from what the listener expected RATHER THAN judging the album on its own merit.

On some albums in the prog realm for example, the artists presumed the audience was keeping up with them musically and intellectually and found there was a glass ceiling that didn't realize.

Divisive albums such as TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS seem to divide musicians and non-musicians.

Nothing new of course, bands like Gnidrolog faced this same dilemma.

Nothing wrong with anybody not liking any album of course.

It's all personal but to call an album crap because you don't get it is another thing.

I hate Genesis' Foxtrot and Nursery Cryme for the most part but i realize many people love these albums and i'm the one who doesn't get it.

Recognize you have blind spots, peeps!

It's just the reality of being human :)

Heresy!  I consider it one of the best albums ever recorded, of any genre.   My offering would have been "The Lamb."  Some creative editing would have made it more cogent & powerful. 

Here, worship The King!

Interesting but a lot of people find it uninspired and lacking the same punch, ideas or invention that was evident on Close To The Edge. It also felt very much like Howe/Anderson project rather than something everyone in the band was invested in. Even Rick Wakeman had his reservations and thought that the 4 x 20 minute strict format was just too 'artificial' resulting in the music padded out to fill the times. That's not how great music is created imo. So I don't think people are incorrect in their views or fail to understand what good music is about necessarily. It may not actually be that good when it comes down to it. However its almost notorious status has lead it to almost be the most famous prog album ever made and even non prog fans are aware of its existence!

My feeling is that it probably could have been better. The next album Relayer was better because it seemed to make the best of everyone's talents. White could 'smash' up a kit as well as anyone and Moraz was well suited to the more technical approach they adopted. Why they didn't build on this puzzles me, possibly the determination to get the now more famous Wakeman back into the band by Brian Lane was a factor but I haven't looked into it that deeply.

^ that's also a great point. Sometimes i find a remastered album the ticket to the brilliance intended!

In other cases it doesn't matter or diminishes. A crap shoot!

I've spent a fair bit of time with it as well. It just doesn't connect with me. Which is fine. There are so many factors that go into what resonates with one individual and what doesn't.

Maybe I'm missing some sarcasm.

How about this:

1. at least 30% 5 stars

2. at least 20% 1-2 stars

3. minimum 300 ratings

Probably the most divisive albums are those that have picked up strong followings over the years, that newcomers have a problem undertanding the attraction to. This for me is understandable. After all, these albums have sat in peoples lives for decades in some cases, and it is hard to replicate those accumulated emotions by anyone on their first listen. So the initial reaction is most likely "I don't see what all the fuss is about." 

Then of course there are the contrarians.  

Music is all about emotions and can be a love-hate thing at times. So, these divisive albums may be either loved or hated, but they do have a way of stimulating the thought process, especially when it comes to justifying an opinion.

Btw: a candidate that feels relevant is Radiohead's Kid A (placed 1st for it's year of release, and an all time 6th on RYM). Arguely the biggest (semi)active progressive band on the planet, but easy to find people reacting like http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=329657" rel="nofollow - overmatic :

Sorry, I didn't really notice this. 

I won't say, I agree with that, but PA users seem definitely to be more generous than RYM raters of Progressive Rock.

But what interesting can be said about divisive albums, as there's surely something special about them?

I don't think so, 4 star means essential album so if everything gets 4 stars, it means everything is essential. 

so how is the album divisive? 

I think it's more the case that most people rate and review albums they like as opposed to albums they don't.

I am utterly amazed at how many quality 4 star albums exist.

There's nothing wrong with too much essential music!

Radiohead - Kid A - 40% 5 star, 10% 1 or 2 star - so divisive

In fact The Bends, Amnesiac, In Rainbows & Moon Shaped Pool all qualify, are Radiohead the most divisive band?

KC - Starless & Bible Black only has 4% 1 & 2 star ratings so it's not divisive you just don't like it 

King Crimson don't have any divisive albums, the closest they get is Thrak 19:7

Looking at my collection and the inverse of essential, i.e. how many albums I could do without, I'm not surprised there are so many 4 star albums. My Precioussss.

Clearly, judging from the diverse comments here so far, King Crimson are one of the most divisive prog bands of all time. 

Paul - I literally just posted that KC have zero devisive albums whereas Radiohead have 5 divisive albums!

You not liking a band does not make them divisive it just puts you out of step with the general population of PA. We already knew this!

Oodles of folks give 4 star reviews... almost exclusively. 

If I rate album 4 star...it means I own it and I love it.

 My average rating is around  2.9- 3.0