Longest album runs of 4+ ratings
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Music Lounge
Forum Description: General progressive music discussions
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=135076
Printed Date: July 31 2025 at 15:41
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Longest album runs of 4+ ratings
Posted By: essexboyinwales
Subject: Longest album runs of 4+ ratings
Date Posted: June 15 2025 at 12:57
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This may have been discussed before, but IQ now have a run of 8 “proper” new studio albums which all have a rating on here of at least 4. That’s Ever (1993) through to Dominion (2025), leaving out Seven Stories Into ‘98 (a re-record of their very first “release”). I’ve checked a few of the big-hitters on here and can’t find any runs that match this. Genesis went close, with 7 albums (Trespass through W&W). Does anyone know of any run that can match or better this? IQ are amazingly consistent: I would have all of their proper studio albums at least 4 stars, except for Resistance (probably a 3) ------------- Heaven is waiting but waiting is Hell |
Replies:
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: June 15 2025 at 19:00
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^ their policy of releasing an album every 5 years seems to have paid off, treat em mean keep em keen. 2009 onwards Big Big Train have achieved 9 4+ star albums over the same period that IQ have put out just 4 albums (I'm counting Far Skies Deep Time which is classed on PA as an EP but is album length new material) and that is nearly 10 as The Grand Tour is at 3.97 av rating. It's not a run though. |
Posted By: omphaloskepsis
Date Posted: June 15 2025 at 20:25
Different strokes for different folks...Resistance is my favorite IQ.  I plan to listen to IQ's last three albums often this summer. |
essexboyinwales wrote:Posted By: Homotopy
Date Posted: June 15 2025 at 21:05
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Well spotted -- that's an exceptionally long streak, nothing comparable comes to mind. One day I'll understand why this monotonous chewing gum is so well-respected here. |
Posted By: Hrychu
Date Posted: June 15 2025 at 22:06
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Honestly, it's just a weighted average of a numerical score based on vague and outdated criteria left by a plethora of users who each have their own slightly different way of interpreting those criteria. I can't care less. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ------------- 
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Posted By: octopus-4
Date Posted: June 15 2025 at 23:04
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^ agreed ------------- I stand with Roger Waters, I stand with Joan Baez, I stand with Victor Jara, I stand with Woody Guthrie. Music is revolution |
Posted By: Criswell
Date Posted: June 16 2025 at 07:54
| Genesis has an 8-album run (Trespass to Wind and Wuthering). If you throw in Genesis Live, it's 9 albums, and if you extend right after W&W to include Seconds Out (live album), it's 10. |
Posted By: essexboyinwales
Date Posted: June 16 2025 at 08:58
The Genesis run is 7 and no I’m not counting anything but official studio albums of new material. IQ’s run is probably more than 10 anyway if live albums included☺️ ------------- Heaven is waiting but waiting is Hell |
Posted By: Criswell
Date Posted: June 16 2025 at 09:50
I stand corrected!... 
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Posted By: wiz_d_kidd
Date Posted: June 17 2025 at 06:20
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It's a meaningless question unless you stipulate that each album has a minimum number of ratings, say 50. Otherwise an album rated at 4.0 with only one rating is somehow deemed better than an album scoring 3.95 with 120 ratings. ------------- "Instrumental music is an expression that words can never capture." -- Peter Baumann |
Posted By: essexboyinwales
Date Posted: June 17 2025 at 08:56
Holy moly! It was just an observation, but needless to say it IS relevant because IQ ARE a much-rated band…. ------------- Heaven is waiting but waiting is Hell |
Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: June 17 2025 at 10:13
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^Yes IQ are a well rated band on PA. Not my thing, but congratulations on your observation.
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: June 17 2025 at 11:31
| Gentle Giant probably come close with the debut up to and including Interview. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: June 17 2025 at 11:54
It does come close, I looked it up before, but the debut and Interview fall short of four stars. The debut is one of my faves by the band, but I respect the first eight a lot. It's rather interesting with IQ as it's of a pretty marmite (divisive) category, but it always gets lots of attention at PA. I'm not a fan of the music (quite like some of it) but do respect the band. I suspect it does so well because not many people who are not big fans of it and/or Neo-Prog choose to listen to the music (and rate and review). I think some other albums might get more diverse ratings because they attract more people of diverse tastes. And I think it has attracted lot of raters in the past who are not usually members of the forum when new release comes out (that has happened a lot with the "Marillion" army). Douglas Adams might have described IQ as "mostly harmless". ------------- 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: essexboyinwales
Date Posted: June 17 2025 at 11:54
You’re not wrong! Their debut is 3.96, Interview is 3.74, and the 6 albums in between are all over 4.3! Thanks for the input😊 This is a band I’ve never listened to but should probably pay some attention to…. ------------- Heaven is waiting but waiting is Hell |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: June 18 2025 at 04:29
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Just because I've obviously got too much time of my hands I was wondering what might be the longest gap between 4 star albums. Surprisingly this is diffcult as most of the major (ie Big Six) don't have a late career 4 star album (for instance King Crimson come close but no cigar with Power To Believe). Best I can do seemingly is 36 years between Swans - Children of God (1987) and The Beggar (2023). Of the more mainstream prog bands Camel do well with 25 years between Mirage and Rajaz or 39 years if you count the re-recording of The Snow Goose but that seems a bit of a 'cheat'. Others?! |
Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: June 18 2025 at 05:06
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^Pat Metheny Group - 23 years between Offramp (1982) and The Way Up (2005). BTW Swans have 4 star albums in 1987, 1996, 2012, 2014, and 2023. Not the 36 year gap you mention.
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Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: June 19 2025 at 04:10
| ^ I didn't mean that there can't be 4 star albums inbetween. It's still a battle of longevity any which way. (Hopefully that explains my thinking) |
Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: June 19 2025 at 05:05
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^Okay then. Pat Metheny - Watercolors (1977) to MoonDial (2024). 47 years. Or Chick Corea - Tones for Joan's Bones (1968) to Remembrance (2024). 56 years. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: June 19 2025 at 11:23
David Bowie is included in Prog Related, but I think of works of his as Crossover prog. 1970's The Man Who Sold the World has a 4 star rating and 2016's Blackstar has a 4.46 rating, so 46 years. Throughout those years he has eight 4.0 and above album ratings at PA. Speaking of Swans, I see Birthing has no collab reviews yet. I still don't feel capable of reviewing it. The albums I most like to review I can easily play on repeat. It's not just the length for me as there are various albums of similar length or longer, including by Swans, that I like to play again and again. But this Swans can be a bit too draining to me, much more so than other long Swans releases. But maybe it's because I just always feel drained and tired these days. More variation and contrast would help the album for 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: richardh
Date Posted: June 20 2025 at 03:20
| ^ & ^^ good ones indeed! |