Five best albums for someone brand new to prog
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Top 10s and lists
Forum Description: List all your favourites here
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=135092
Printed Date: June 20 2025 at 05:55
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Five best albums for someone brand new to prog
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Subject: Five best albums for someone brand new to prog
Date Posted: June 19 2025 at 14:47
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Not necessarily the best prog albums ever (otherwise CTTE would be on here) but the ones that would be best for someone brand new to prog so ones that wouldn't scare him or her away. Here are my picks: Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon Genesis - A Trick of the Tail (it happens to be my personal favorite by them but I'm choosing it because it's their most accessible of their prog era) Rush - Moving Pictures Yes - Fragile (or possibly the Yes album but I'll go with Fragile) King Crimson - In The Court of the Crimson King Other possibilities: Yes - 90125 Jethro Tull - Aqualung ELP - Same Marillion - Misplaced Childhood Dream Theater - Images and Words (maybe good for thos who are mostly metal heads) |
Replies:
Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: June 19 2025 at 14:54
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Leaving fusion out of my choices. Kansas - Leftoverture Dream Theater - Images and Words Spock's Beard - V Rush - 2112 Gentle Giant - Free Hand |
Posted By: Valdez
Date Posted: June 19 2025 at 15:01
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I would probably recommend ( for a fairly gentle entry ) KC - ItCotCK Genesis - Lamb lies down Procol Harum - Grand Hotel Yes - Relayer Jethro Tull - Passion Play A few more recent albums that might do the trick No - Man - Loveblows & Lovecries Porcupine Tree - Fear of a blank Planet Radiohead - In Rainbows ------------- https://bakullama1.bandcamp.com/album/maxwells-submarine |
Posted By: Floydoid
Date Posted: June 19 2025 at 15:10
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Trying not to be too obvious here... Yes - The Yes Album ELP - Pictures at an Exhibition Camel - The Snow Goose Moody Blues - Seventh Sojourn (if we're allowed crossover prog) Focus - II (aka Moving Waves) ------------- "Christ, where would rock & roll be without feedback?" - D. Gimour |
Posted By: Saperlipopette!
Date Posted: June 19 2025 at 15:14
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This time I'm not thinking in terms of covering a lot of ground or anything like that. Just selecting some basic introductory classics I think could appeal to a young and relatively open and music interested person. These would have done the trick for me (and three out ot them were once part of my "prog-discovery") King Crimson - In The Court of the Crimson King Van Der Graaf Generator - H to He who am the Only One Jethro Tull - Aqualung Genesis - Nursery Cryme Camel - Mirage |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: June 19 2025 at 15:38
I almost mentioned In Absentia by PT but chose DT's Images and Words instead (to make it an even but unofficial ten). |
Valdez wrote:Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: June 19 2025 at 16:02
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This should be my last post at PA for a long while (promised my wife I would try to stop posting and visiting here)... I would rather cover a variety of styles and eras, and I do think it best to gear to someone's tastes (get to know what they like first, and consider the age of the noob). Looking at some options, there are albums that have been mentioned that I would have disliked as a prog noob and still dislike, such as Dream Theater and Spock's Beard And Marillion is not really for me, nor is various Porcupine Tree. And I'm not a fan of Kansas or No Man. I actually don;t think of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon as very Prog-genre or Radiohead's In Rainbow's. And Close to the Edge might be seen as the "best", but I have never much liked it. Regardless of whether I think of these as very Prog, maybe.. King Crimson - Red Radiohead - OK Computer Swans - To Be Kind Magma - MDK Soft Machine - Third I would not necessarily hit them with the easiest stuff, which might set up the soft bigotry of low expectations. Of course some ogf that might put some off for ever. Here's some of what what intrigued me as a teenager in the 80s that is in PA (when I first identified an interest in Prog/Progressive Rock). Focus - Hamburger Concerto Pink Floyd - Animals Gryphon - Red Queen to Gryphon Three Yes - Fragile Tangerine Dream - Phaedra Phaedra I would not really love until I was considerably older. I did like Rush's Hemispheres back then. ------------- Watching while most appreciating a sunset in the moment need not diminish all the glorious sunsets I have observed before. It can be much like that with music for me. |
Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: June 19 2025 at 17:15
Enjoy your long time off from posting. 
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Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: June 19 2025 at 17:45
I realised that it likely might very well be disliked, which is why I said "Of course some ogf that might put some off for ever." Typo on "of", of course. But I don't believe that that is necessarily true for a minute that it would be more disliked. Have you noticed how well-rated Swans is at rateyourmusic, just curious? It depends on the individual, as well as the release you choose as an intro. My point was that what appeals to some will not to others and I used those like DT and SB as examples. Mine too are examples of things that might not appeal. My second list is what actually worked on 80s me. When I started to deeply delve into Prog in the 2000s I checked out Dream Theater and Spock's Beard and really, really disliked them. Those are divisive, so are Swans and Magma. I did find Magma to like and had I known Swans then, I'm sure I would have liked some of it. I think the 90s Swans stuff would have appealed more to me. We are into a lot of very different stuff, of course, and so are others. There is no definitive list for everyone that will work, but of course some would be be likely to have more success than others generally. I would consider the demographics. By the way, while we have had our differences, mostly miscommunication I feel (misunderstanding intent and nuance), I genuinely would be sorry to not see you at this forum any longer. My wife asked me to consider resigning my position from this site and leaving the site partially because she knew it was stressing me out. And I, and wife, am going through a really hard time due to other things. It does feel like this site has become a less friendly, warm and caring place sometimes, but maybe that's because I am not in a good place and I am projecting. Here or not, I sincerely wish you and this site well. :) I would not judge a person (mostly) on their tastes in music, but instead on if I think the person has a kind heart, a sensitive soul (so to speak), and a thoughtful disposition. ------------- Watching while most appreciating a sunset in the moment need not diminish all the glorious sunsets I have observed before. It can be much like that with music for me. |
Posted By: Valdez
Date Posted: June 19 2025 at 18:09
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Phaedra is a good choice Logan. Maybe even Vangelis as well. ------------- https://bakullama1.bandcamp.com/album/maxwells-submarine |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: June 19 2025 at 18:11
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^ I loved Vangelis in the 80s and still do. :) ------------- Watching while most appreciating a sunset in the moment need not diminish all the glorious sunsets I have observed before. It can be much like that with music for me. |
Posted By: Nogbad_The_Bad
Date Posted: June 19 2025 at 18:25
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CTTE Trespass Aqualung DSOTM ITCOTCK ------------- Ian Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on Progrock.com https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-avant-jazzcore-happy-hour/ |
Posted By: The Dark Elf
Date Posted: June 19 2025 at 18:51
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Well, I suppose if you didn't want to alienate a person new to prog, it may be best to stick with the classics, and ones that actually hold a tune and have melody. I suggest... Yes - The Yes Album Jethro Tull - Aqualung Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon Genesis - A Trick of the Tail Supertramp - Crime of the Century A second fifth (and not doubling down on bands previously mentioned) would include... King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King Traffic - Low Spark of High Heeled Boys Procol Harum - Live: In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra Caravan - In the Land of Grey and Pink Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Trilogy ------------- ...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology... |
Posted By: mathman0806
Date Posted: June 19 2025 at 20:52
I agree with Grumpy on this and I am a fan of both Swans and Magma. I am also a fan of Porcupine Tree and feel like they are a major influence in what could be considered modern prog. But, five albums for the prog noob depends a lot on what the noob likes prior to prog. Or even if the noob's interest in music is more toward songs or instrumentals. If it's a fishing expedition to find what holds, maybe half classic and a couple outside of the 70s. My five (nothing original): Yes - The Yes Album Jethro Tull - Aqualung Genesis - Selling England by the Pound Dream Theater - Images and Words Porcupine Tree - In Absentia Now, if you want to "test" the noob on the there willingness to explore the adventurous diversity of prog, I would go with these five: Magma - Kobaïa Van Der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts King Crimson - Discipline Swans - Soundtracks for the Blind Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Raise Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven All 4 star albums. The noob will be enrapted or run out of the room. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: June 19 2025 at 21:10
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^ I cannot agree with "Well, Swans and Magma would be more disliked by a prog noob than those you dislike" as surely it depends on the noob. More likely perhaps, but not definitely. Anyway, I suspect my point was lost. Doesn't matter. EDIT: Okay, it does matter to me, and I will try to explain again. I was not trying to say that my list would work better, but I was choosing examples that did not work for me and mentioning others that I acknowledged as being potentially problematic. Different people like different things and I think as much as possible that one should try to cater the choices to the recipients tastes. I surely believe that some would react better to, say, Swans than Dream Theater depending on what they are into. Maybe the ratings don't mean much and maybe those people are not Prog noobs (I know some people who have said that Swans is not Prog anyway), but here are some of the ratings for Swans and DT at rateyourmusic (and not saying that RYM users are typical): https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/dream-theater" rel="nofollow - https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/dream-theater https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/swans" rel="nofollow - https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/swans Birthing is the number 1 album for 2025 with 7,351 ratings and a 3.97 rating. Parasomnia is at #345 with a 3.35 and 2,089 ratings . Swans' The Beggar from 2023 is ranked at #28 for 2023 with 3.68 and 10,853 ratings . A View From the Top of the World is ranked at 1,186 for 2021 with a 3.22 from 2,092 ratings Swans highest ranked overall album is Soundtracks for the Blind which is at #68 all-time for studio albums.. Dream Theater's highest ranked studio album overall is at 3,346. For lives: Swans top ranked live is at #4 for live all-time, and Swans 2024 live is at #5 overall. Its next most popular is way down at #42. Dream Theater's top live is at #602 for all-time live. And it's next most popular seems to be at #717. Then #1,655. And Magma has various very high ranking albums at RYM. Maybe those aren't Prog noobs, but it indicates to me that it is likely that some of those noobs might prefer Magma and/or Swans to, say, Spock's Beard and/or Dream Theater. I know I did when I had not explored much Prog. Okay, I wasn't a noob, but I was not very experienced either when I really delved into Prog in the 2000s. But which is more likely to work better for more is not what I was trying to get at in either of my prior posts. It's about trying to take the individual's interests into account and considering various demographics. Some lists, as I tried to say, will work better for more. By the way I love your adventurous list other than Discipline. Prog or not, adventurous or not, if that were replaced with Fishmans' 98.12.28 Otokotachi no wakare, Art Zoyd's Le mariage du ciel et de l'enfer, or Radiohead's Kid A, it would be amazing tastewise to me. ------------- Watching while most appreciating a sunset in the moment need not diminish all the glorious sunsets I have observed before. It can be much like that with music for me. |
Posted By: Finnforest
Date Posted: June 19 2025 at 21:14
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Dark Side of the Moon Ommadawn Yessongs Wind and Wuthering In Absentia ------------- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/sQD8uhpWXCw" rel="nofollow - It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...Road Rage Edition |
Posted By: mathman0806
Date Posted: June 19 2025 at 23:00
I think I understood your point and actually mentioned how much it would depend on the noob's tastes and listening up to that point. I used Grumpy's post as a starting up and probably should have stated in terms of what my be perceived as 'accessible" or not. Basing this off my perception of what most (subjectively) of the prog fans I am aware of (really this site and the Internet in general). I think age and generation is another factor. A 20 year old noob today is going to be quite different from the 20 year old noob in the early 70's. The whole experience of listening to late 60's rock and it's development to having listened to the music from the last 10 years. I believe that there is no best 5 albums. We all have our suggestions. All different. My first was based on the assumption of could capture 'popular' elements of prog over 55 years in 5 albums, which is really impossible. My second 5 was less so on adventurous, but diversity in what are elements of prog that I am guessing might be of interest today. Again, really impossible in 5 albums and hardly definitive. |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: June 19 2025 at 23:08
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The Yes Album Thick as a Brick Emerson,Lake & Palmer The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway Discipline ------------- "Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." -- John F. Kennedy |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: June 19 2025 at 23:15
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^^ I read your post too, so I was not sure why you were agreeing with his post (which I believe would be proved wrong with a reasonably comprehensive study, maybe someone would like to fund it?) especially after my earlier response to him. And I also brought up age in my first post. Anyway, I gotcha now. One should consider various factors with demographics. What is accessible depends on the individual. For instance, Prog Metal and Neo-Prog commonly is not easily accessible, or at least not enjoyable, to me. Of course some albums are more likely to work for many for others. And by the way, I think some Swans music could be very accessible to a great many. Since I mentioned To Be Kind, maybe this cover of its song "A Little God in My Hands" might appeal to some young Prog noob or prog boob somewhere: Fun! I think. And shame on me for still posting, but I don't want to leave this forum on an unclear or negative note (wanted to let people know I would not be around in case anyone is concerned, as I have been when others have disappeared). Thanks for the response. ------------- Watching while most appreciating a sunset in the moment need not diminish all the glorious sunsets I have observed before. It can be much like that with music for me. |
Posted By: mathman0806
Date Posted: June 19 2025 at 23:27
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Reflecting on my how I got into prog, I didn't have the older sibling or the friend(s) who got into before me. It was the radio and also the early days of MTV. This meant individual tracks and not full length albums. There were specialty programs on the radio (usually late night) that would diversity into the long track or album side, but I wasn't buying and listening to full albums until my last year in high school and into college. I had already developed an interest from liking various individual tracks on the radio by the well known acts such as Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Alan Parsons Project, Rush, Supertramp, ELP, Genesis, King Crimson, and Kansas. So, from my experience, the noob should get a playlist of 3 to 4 hours of prog, and not albums. A variety to whet the palate. There will be tracks the noob will like and others that the noob won't. But, in my opinion, better than the crapshoot of selecting just 5 albums. |
Posted By: Saperlipopette!
Date Posted: June 19 2025 at 23:47
A few years ago, I introduced a guy in his late teens - whose father was into jazz - to Art Zoyd, Gong, Can... He loved all that stuff but found Genesis and the likes corny and cringe (like an anachronism). Most people actually do. Had I tried with Spocks Beard, Dream Theater, Marillion and Kansas - I would have lost all credibility. But luckily for me I don't like any of them. To me there's also a difference with "someone brand new to prog" and a "prog noob". The former is more of a blank slate and might just as well react like the guy I described (it's really not that uncommon outside of the PA-universe), while I think of the latter as someone in PA's "Introduce Yourself" section. Someone you at least know is somewhat predisposed to enjoy Prog Rock. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: June 19 2025 at 23:48
^ Cool, that can save a lot of money on a study. :) And that distinction makes sense to me.
While I expect that someone like Moshkito might have a bone to pick with that approach, it's an approach that I think would work better for many and I like. I was raised more on albums, but of course I love individual tracks to and have liked to make playlists. I actually really delved into prog in the bad old Napster days and through the tracks hosted at this site before I joined. So I really did get to know lots of Prog via individual tracks rather than albums. Then if I loved individual tracks I might get the albums. Of course many bands and artists recognised as Prog made songs that might not be seen as Prog in and of themselves. So if going for the most accessible one might not be serving up Prog, but that can be a great way to get into bands that made kinds of progressive rock. Still, ideally best to cater to the individual based on what they already know and like. I have known some young people who seem to dislike any music not recent. Put it on TikTok and they might take notice.... ------------- Watching while most appreciating a sunset in the moment need not diminish all the glorious sunsets I have observed before. It can be much like that with music for me. |
Posted By: Saperlipopette!
Date Posted: June 20 2025 at 03:07
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Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: June 20 2025 at 03:38
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It seems to be the 'prog lite' stuff that is always picked normally (Duke, 90125 etc). I would set a couple of criteria, had to be 'top shelf' prog and has to be recognisable as 'prog'. I mean what's the point of picking Radiohead when they don't conisder themselves prog at all. Yes - Fragile ELP - Tarkus Genesis - SEBTP Jethro Tull - Songs From The Wood Camel - Mirage if none of this is sparking an interest then they should move on.. |
Posted By: essexboyinwales
Date Posted: June 20 2025 at 03:59
Agreed, you’ll be missed, try not to stay away forever🙂 ------------- Heaven is waiting but waiting is Hell |