Top 10 Prog Folk Albums

A-Z 0f Prog-Folk & Psych-Folk (420 artists; 1200 albums)

I've been hesitating about contributing to this poll, firstly because I evidently know a lot less prog folk than many others who have contributed, and secondly, because I'm not sure what should qualify as prog folk. Without going into definitional issues, which I know were discussed earlier in this thread, a lot of the music that has been suggested is not quite what I thought prog folk was. Some sounds more like just folk or folk-rock...."innovative" folk for sure, but not sure if it's part of progressive rock. Other songs sound more rock than folk, or even more like art pop-rock (Dead Can Dance), but anyway, I realize the complexities in trying to define this sub-genre, so I think it's ok to be inclusive. However, I would then include Van Morrison's Astral Weeks - Wikipedia and The Dark Elf consider it to be folk prog, so that's good enough for me! And I would also consider Wishbone Ash's Argus (though not in my top 10). I would also argue that Love's Forever Changes could even be considered prog folk under this wide approach (it would have been my #1 if I included it). In fact, if had been made in England about 3 years later, it would probably be thought of as such. However, I did not want to stretch too far! But given my relatively limited knowledge of the sub-genre, I did bend the rules a little bit and included a couple of bands twice. 

Lewian wrote: I definitely don't know enough folk prog, so resources get thin when it comes to rank 9 and 10. Anyway this thread made me remember Miranda Sex Garden, whom I really liked at the time but have somehow forgotten in the meantime. 1) I a Moon - North Sea Radio Orchestra 2) Heavy Horses - Jethro Tull 3) Traumstadt live - Hoelderlin 4) The Serpent's Egg - Dead Can Dance 5) Lorca - Tim Buckley 6) Magical Ring - Clannad 7) Stick Music - Clogs 8) From the Witchwood - Strawbs 9) Suspiria - Miranda Sex Garden 10) Chris Karrer - Chris Karrer

Edited by Psychedelic Paul - January 30 2022 at 16:14

A-Z of Prog-Folk & Psych-Folk (420 artists; 1200 albums)

Edited by Psychedelic Paul - January 30 2022 at 15:29

Top 10 update with MellotronWave's votes added:-

A-Z of Prog-Folk & Psych-Folk (420 artists; 1200 albums)

Edited by Psychedelic Paul - January 29 2022 at 03:13

Rick1 wrote: Saperlipopette! wrote: Rick1 wrote: So, Thick as a Brick absolutely trounces Fairport's Liege and Lief (which contains real folk songs) in a prog folk poll?  No justice in the world! It does contain real folk, but not much real prog, so it's hardly surprising. I'm sure the list would look quite different on a folkarchives-site. It was 1969 FFS!  Plus, Fairport had already pioneered prog-folk on their previous album (Unhalfbricking) with 'A Sailor's Life' - their whole approach to electric folk was progressive but if you want the evolved prog you seem to ascribe to Tull then look no further than 'Sloth' which came out a year later.

This was not about my personal preferences or tastes. Just how little surprised I was at the results. I don't care if music is "prog or not", but just happen to like a lot of music labeled as such. Personally I prefer Jethro Tull a little unproggier than on Thick as a Brick - and also I mainly like "my kind of folk" to have a more of a traditional oriented approach and less "rocking" than Fairport Convention.


Edited by Saperlipopette! - January 14 2022 at 06:58

Rick1 wrote: So, Thick as a Brick absolutely trounces Fairport's Liege and Lief (which contains real folk songs) in a prog folk poll?  No justice in the world!

So, Thick as a Brick absolutely trounces Fairport's Liege and Lief (which contains real folk songs) in a prog folk poll?  No justice in the world!

1 - JETHRO TULL - Songs from the Wood