Top 10 best prog albums of all time
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=132781
Printed Date: June 03 2025 at 09:50
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Top 10 best prog albums of all time
Posted By: Gnik Nosmirc
Subject: Top 10 best prog albums of all time
Date Posted: April 03 2024 at 11:51
|
Sorry if this topic already exists, though I haven't found anything like it on this sub. 10. Caravan - In the Land of Gray and Pink 9. The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium 8. Dream Theater - Awake 7. King Crimson / In The Court Of The Crimson King 6. Khan - Space Shanty 5. Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells 4. Genesis - Selling England By The Pound 3. Gentle Giant - The Power And The Glory 2. ELP - Brain Salad Surgery 1. Van Der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts
|
Replies:
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: April 03 2024 at 12:00
|
I'm sure there's got to be a thread like this already. edit:
https://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=122983&KW=Top+10" rel="nofollow - https://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=122983&KW=Top+10 https://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=127094&KW=Top+10" rel="nofollow - https://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=127094&KW=Top+10 https://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=118480&KW=Top+10" rel="nofollow - https://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=118480&KW=Top+10 https://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=127717&KW=Top+10" rel="nofollow - https://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=127717&KW=Top+10 |
Posted By: Octopus II
Date Posted: April 03 2024 at 12:10
|
Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick Gentle Giant - Octopus Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Emerson, Lake & Palmer Genesis - Foxtrot King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King Yes - Close To The Edge Camel - The Snow Goose Supertramp - Crime Of The Century Renaissance - Scherezade And Other Stories
|
Posted By: Steve Wyzard
Date Posted: April 03 2024 at 13:17
|
1. Yes - 90125 2. Saga - Worlds Apart 3. Genesis - Abacab 4. Mike Rutherford - Smallcreep's Day 5. Anthony Phillips - Wise After the Event 6. Yes - Going for the One 7. Genesis - Selling England by the Pound 8. UK - UK 9. Rush - Signals 10. Asia - Asia
|
Posted By: Moyan
Date Posted: April 03 2024 at 16:44
|
King Crimson "In the Court of the Crimson King" Van der Graaf Generator "Pawn Hearts" Emerson, Lake & Palmer "Emerson, Lake & Palmer" Yes "The Yes Album" Genesis "Nursery Cryme" Steve Hackett "Voyage of the Acolyte" Camel "Mirage" Gong "You" Steve Hillage "L" Hawkwind "Warrior on the Edge of Time"
|
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: April 03 2024 at 18:05
|
I don't do best, and I left off some fave JRF (Miles Davis, Hancock, because to me it's a rather different beast and ten feels too limiting. I mean, would I want want to limit myself to ten fingers and ten toes? Of course not. I'll stick with 11 and 12 for that. Here is a top ten based on my tastes and what I do think great in the Progiverse staright off the top of my head and based on my interests. Magma - Kobaia Can - Ege Bamyasi Comus - First Utterance King Crimson - Red Van der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts Robert Waytt - Rock Bottom Art Zoyd - Generation Sans Futur Tangerine Dream - Phaedra Pink Floyd - Meddle Swans - To Be Kind |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: April 03 2024 at 23:28
|
In my view progressive rock only existed as a movement in the late sixties and seventies. With that in mind. King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King ELP - Emerson, Lake and Palmer VDGG - Pawn Hearts Yes - Fragile Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick Genesis - Foxtrot Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells Rush - 2112 UK - UK of course I like a great many bands after the seventies but it all gets a bit blurred and fuzzy as to what prog really is. Heavy prog and prog metal bands as well as the heavier neo prog bands are the natural heir apparent to the original movement (IMO). Some of my favourites: Tool - Lateralus Dream Theater - A Change Of Seasons Liquid Tension Experiment - LTEII Porcupine Tree - Deadwing Haken - Affinity Riverside - ADHD Iron Maiden - A Matter Of Life and Death Pallas - Dreams Of Men IQ - The Road Of Bones Crown Lands - Fearless |
Posted By: miamiscot
Date Posted: April 04 2024 at 07:18
|
My list looks like this (one per artist rule in effect!) 1. Yes - Tales From Topographic Oceans 2. Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway 3. Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick 4. King Crimson - Larks' Tongues In Aspic 5. ELP - Brain Salad Surgery 6. Pink Floyd - Animals 7. Gentle Giant - Octopus 8. Rush - A Farewell To Kings 9. Kansas s/t 10. Van Der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts ------------- The Prog Corner |
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: April 04 2024 at 07:21
Nice to see these albums getting some love.
 |
richardh wrote:Posted By: Jared
Date Posted: April 04 2024 at 07:34
|
I won't put them in any order, but here would be 10 desert island disks from the classic era for me: 1) Genesis: SEBTP 2) Yes: CTTE 3) Pink Floyd: DSOTM 4) Tull: TAAB 5) VDGG: Pawn Hearts 6) M Oldfield: Tubular Bells 7) Caravan: Plump (Tho this varies) 8) Renaissance: Scheherazade 9) ELP: BSS 10) Camel: Snow Goose ------------- Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson |
Posted By: Gnik Nosmirc
Date Posted: April 04 2024 at 08:30
 Duplicate... I'm very not used to this forum.
|
Posted By: Gnik Nosmirc
Date Posted: April 04 2024 at 08:31
Ouch sorry...
|
Posted By: essexboyinwales
Date Posted: April 04 2024 at 08:50
|
What’s all this 70s nonsense? The Human Equation - Ayreon Road Of Bones - IQ Weather Systems - Anathema Images And Words - Dream Theater Once Around The World - It Bites The Spell - Cellar Darling Empath - Devin Townsend Pitfalls / Leprous Endless Forms Most Beautiful - Nightwish Selling England By The Pound - Genesis ------------- Heaven is waiting but waiting is Hell |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: April 04 2024 at 09:59
|
Don't worry about it Gnik (aka nice anagram of kinG crimsoN). The forum search takes some getting used to. You need to use advanced search and then play with the parameters. many fail to notice that the default is Find Posts -> Last Week. I set it to all-time, and look for topics specifically. These are always interesting as one gets different results, and I always like to share that which I care about. While I did a top 10 (no specific order) and eight of those were from the 70s, I will follow the above and come up with, well I decided on post 80s and no band I mentioned already (lots I love from the 80s), in this case a baker's dozen (I prefer 13 to 12, and 12 to 10, but I guess it can depend on how many limbs one has to count - j/k). In no particular order Godspeed You Black Emperor! - Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven! (2000) David Bowie - Blackstar (2016) Tortoise - Millions Now Living Will Never Die (1996) Guapo - Black Oni (2005) Anna von Hausswolff - Dead Magic (2018) North Sea Radio Orchestra - I a Moon (2011) Mr. Bungle - California (1999) black midi - Cavalcade (2021) Talk Talk - Laughing Stock (1991) Cardiacs - Sing to God (1996) Current 93 - Thunder Perfect Mind (1992) William D. Drake - Briny Hooves (2007) Kayo DOt - Hubardo (2013) Great to have you onboard, and I look forward to having you here in a wide variety of discussions and topics. |
Posted By: presdoug
Date Posted: April 04 2024 at 10:23
|
Triumvirat-Illusions On A Double Dimple Triumvirat-Spartacus Giger Lenz Marron-Beyond Giger Lenz Marron-Where The Hammer Hangs Dzyan-Time Machine Dedalus-Dedalus Passport-Looking Thru Quatermass-Quatermass Passport-Cross Collateral Triade-La Storia di Sabazio
|
Posted By: Big Sky
Date Posted: April 04 2024 at 11:46
|
Going with my 10 favorite, no one album per artist rule. 1) Yes: Close to the Edge 2) Yes: Relayer 3) Yes: The Yes Album 4) Genesis: Selling England by the Pound 5) Genesis: A Trick of the Tail 6) Gentle Giant: Three Friends 7) Rush: A Farewell to Kings 8) Emerson Lake and Palmer: Brain Salad Surgery 9) King Crimson: Red 10) Steven Wilson: The Raven that Refused to Sing Honorable Mentions: UK: UK Kansas: Leftoverture Big Big Train: The Underfall Yard Steven Wilson: Hand Cannot Erase Rush: Moving Pictures Yes: Fragile Genesis: Foxtrot Porcupine Tree: Deadwing Brad Mehldau: Jacob's Ladder * Tigran Hamasyan: Red Hail * * Mehldau and Hamasyan are two of the brilliant Jazz artists of our time. Red Hail is as much a Prog album as it is a Jazz/ Fusion album. Jacob's Ladder is a incredible reworking of Prog Classics such as Rush's Tom Sawyer, Yes' Starship Trooper, Gentle Giant's Cogs in Cogs among others. |
Posted By: Lewian
Date Posted: April 04 2024 at 16:17
|
I never tire of mentioning these: Holger Czukay - Movies King Crimson - Discipline Kate Bush - The Dreaming Camberwell Now - The Ghost Trade .O.rang - Heard of Instinct David Sylvian - Brilliant Trees Talk Talk - Laughing Stock Brian Eno and David Byrne - My Life in the Bush of Ghosts Can - Soon Over Babaluma Manfred Mann"s Earthband - Nightingales and Bombers
|
Posted By: Nogbad_The_Bad
Date Posted: April 04 2024 at 18:48
|
Personal list Univers Zero - Ceux Du Dehors Henry Cow - Western Culture King Crimson - Larks Tongues In Aspic Mike Oldfield - Ommadawn Roy Harper - Stormcock Vezhlivy Otkaz - Gusi-Lebedi Pikapika Teart - Moonberry VDGG - Godbluff Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - Of Natural History Cardiacs - Sing To God If I put my prog historically relevant hat on King Crimson - Larks Tongues In Aspic Mike Oldfield - Ommadawn VDGG - Godbluff CAN - Tago Mago Hatfield & The North - Rotters Club Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick Pink Floyd - Animals Tangerine Dream - Phaedra Amon Duul II - Yeti Frank Zappa - Hot Rats ------------- Ian Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on Progrock.com https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-avant-jazzcore-happy-hour/ |
Posted By: Magog2112
Date Posted: April 06 2024 at 09:39
|
1. Marillion - Brave 2. The Flower Kings - Stardust We Are 3. Pendragon - Not of This World 4. Echolyn - Echolyn (2012) 5. Genesis - Selling England By the Pound 6. Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element, Part I 7. Arena - The Visitor 8. IQ - Subterranea 9. Kate Bush - The Dreaming 10. Gentle Giant - The Power and the Glory
|
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: April 06 2024 at 09:44
Nice to see these three albums getting some love.
 |
Posted By: The Dark Elf
Date Posted: April 06 2024 at 13:10
|
In no particular order.... Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon Jethro Tull - Aqualung Yes - Close to the Edge Genesis - Foxtrot King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King Moody Blues - Days of Future Past Traffic - Low Spark of High Heeled Boys Tool - Lateralus Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Brain Salad Surgery Roy Harper - Stormcock ------------- ...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: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: April 06 2024 at 16:42
|
If we are talking best and not necessarily my personal favorites then I will go with (in no particular order): Emerson Lake & Palmer - Same Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here Marillion - Misplaced Childhood Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick Anglagard - Hybris Camel - The Snowgoose Genesis - Selling England by the Pound King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King Yes - Close to the Edge Rush - Moving Pictures I had to take out KC's Larks Tongues in Aspic and Yes- Relayer. Although they are personal favorites they might be just a little bit too out there for the newbie and as such just miss a top ten list (which should imo be geared toward a newbie).
|
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: April 06 2024 at 20:44
| ^ I agree with your reasoning. I left on out ELP - BSS for that reason. It's my favourite of all time but their debut is much more consistent. |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: April 06 2024 at 21:25
BSS would be number two for me as far as ELP albums go. For the most part it's very strong but there are parts that are a bit repetitive (the welcome back my friends thing kind of goes on a little too long imo). Other than that no issues although apparently some people have an issue with the drumming. It probably is their most wild album though mainly because of Tocatta but also the computer voice at the end.
|
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: April 06 2024 at 21:38
never heard there were any issues with the drumming although for KE9 3rd Impression I actually prefer an instrumental alternative version (drumming wise) that was on the deluxe version. |
Posted By: Big Sky
Date Posted: April 07 2024 at 10:39
I never heard of any drumming issues either concerning BSS. Carl Palmer during the 70s captured numerous drumming polls as the top drummer including Playboy, Circus and Music Life Magazine ( Big Japan music mag). From 1970-78 he topped Melody Maker Best Drummer Poll. There was a book that sold well that came out in the early 80s titled A to Z of Drummers. Gave a nice description of Palmer, calling him a virtuoso, highlighting his speed and dexterity. The two albums that were recommended to hear his drumming was ELP's debut album and Brain Salad Surgery. |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: April 08 2024 at 00:03
Tarkus is easily his most important work IMO. That set a benchmark for prog drumming back in 1971. BSS divides opinion although ELP were going into all sorts of areas on that album. Palmer was certainly a massive influence on someone like Brann Dailor of Mastodon. ELP had more in common with 'heavy metal' than most prog bands of the 70's and could easily hold their end up against bands such as Sabbath and Purple. I get the impression that many around here don't like the overt bombast of ELP and the BSS album represents that better than most.
|