Top 50 prog albums
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Forum Name: Top 10s and lists
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URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=58903
Printed Date: May 04 2025 at 12:08
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Topic: Top 50 prog albums
Posted By: Gianthogweed
Subject: Top 50 prog albums
Date Posted: June 20 2009 at 18:48
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Classic Rock magazine released a new issue of of "Classic Rock Presents Prog". A new magazine that focuses on prog rock. Unfortunately it's only available in the UK, but someone on the Muse forums was kind enough to scan in some pages from it. These pages feature the top 50 prog albums of all time as voted by the readers of classic rock magazine. 50. Hawkwind - Space Ritual Here are links to the actual article with a blurb on each album: http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p247/doodles44/DSCN1512.jpg - http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p247/doodles44/DSCN1512.jpg The list is good. As a big fan of Genesis, I'm pretty happy, but I would have liked to see some more recent bands. I guess it's not surprising seeing as it's a classic rock magazine readers' poll. It was cool seeing Tool, Porcupine Tree and Opeth get some props though. It also looks quite similar to the top 100 list here. Here is the thread where I found the above links. You can also find links to other articles from the issue on Muse, Radiohead and The Mars Volta and how they fit into prog rock: |
Replies:
Posted By: Gianthogweed
Date Posted: June 20 2009 at 18:49
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Some bands that needed to be on the list: Renaissance. Probably Turn of the Cards or Scheherazade, they needed to have an album up there. This band is completely underrated. I know the focus was on British bands, but Magma should have had an album up there, just because they're so cool. Focus, Moving Waves, was another album that should have gotten mentioned. The Strawbs should have gotten Brave New World or Bursting At the Seams up there as well. The Moody Blues and Frank Zappa also should have had an album or two up there. Another odd mention, Phish, though more of a jam band than a prog band, were very much into prog rock in their early days, and I think any of their first four albums deserves to be on the list. As for newer bands, it would have been nice to see The Mars Volta's Deloused in the Comatorium or Frances the Mute. The Decemberists' new album, The Hazards of Love, is possibly too new to be considered, but I think it deserves a mention as well. Although I'm not a big fan of Coheed and Cambria, I think they deserve consideration as well for the ongoing concept albums they put out. Lastly, Radiohead, though they deny being prog, have two albums that definitely deserve to be on the list. OK Computer and Kid A were two pivotal albums that kind re-popularized prog in the 2000s and influenced a lot of new bands like Muse and The Mars Volta. I definitely think at least one of those albums should have been there somewhere. But I guess you can only have so many albums in the top 50 so it's hard to pick the ones to take out. Some of them I haven't heard yet, so it will get me to listen to new music, which I guess is the point of these lists. So I guess it's a good list all in all. Still, Nursery Cryme and Thick as a Brick should have been higher in the list. |
Posted By: Negoba
Date Posted: June 20 2009 at 18:52
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That list is much closer to what I'd pick than our own current one, though it is surprising how close they are.
In Abstentia is way too far up there and Going for the One is strangely way ahead of Fragile. You can always nit pick these things, but it's an interesting list. ------------- You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all. |
Posted By: yesman1972
Date Posted: June 20 2009 at 18:57
| I dig the recognition to newer bands; however, I do take issue with the fact that they are inhabiting spaces that could have much better served more classic prog bands. There's no Gentle Giant! Still, a very good list. I don't know what it is about Going for the One. I thought it was dull the first couple times through, but the more I hear it, the more I think it is amazing. I would personally put it before Fragile. I would definitely not put the Yes Album before Fragile, though. And that's not even to mention all of the modern albums that beat Fragile by a good bit. I wish American magazines had cool stuff like this. I need to go back to England and stay there. |
Posted By: rpe9p
Date Posted: June 20 2009 at 19:00
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I actually expected worse, but these made me chuckle 43. Genesis - Duke 20. Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos |
Posted By: Isa
Date Posted: June 20 2009 at 19:11
Yeah... and Rush's Snakes and Arrows.    I expected much worse as well, it is nice that they're not too far off from this site's top fifty. Especially similar with the top ten... wow. Yay for classic rock magazine, though I do prefer ours a bit more. |
rpe9p wrote:Posted By: Mellotron Storm
Date Posted: June 20 2009 at 19:16
I'm really surprised at Sakes & Arrows being on that list even more then the other two mentioned above. A pretty good list though. ------------- "The wind is slowly tearing her apart" "Sad Rain" ANEKDOTEN |
Posted By: The T
Date Posted: June 20 2009 at 19:22
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Posted By: Synchestra
Date Posted: June 20 2009 at 19:35
No Mars Volta? that is quite strange, they're fairly well known... I mean, leaving out bands like Riverside is expected as they're not nearly as big. Great list anyway though, even if Systematic Chaos made the cut  ------------- 'Yeah, thats.. Whatever you're talking about for ya' - Zapp brannigan |
Posted By: Lota
Date Posted: June 20 2009 at 19:49
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Seems to me very Symphonic pick's, though very good selections ------------- And In The End, The Love You Take, Is Equal To The Love You Make |
Posted By: Roland113
Date Posted: June 20 2009 at 20:10
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I really like the list, there are a few 'odd' choices in the list, but overall, I like it. I have 36 out of the fifty as opposed to something like 50 out of our top one hundred.
------------- -------someone please tell him to delete this line, he looks like a noob------- I don't have an unnatural obsession with Disney Princesses, I have a fourteen year old daughter and coping mechanisms. |
Posted By: Stooge
Date Posted: June 20 2009 at 20:15
I was surprised by those 2 as well, but at least a few Genesis albums that I would consider better outranked Duke. Systematic Chaos, on the other hand ...... |
Posted By: A Person
Date Posted: June 20 2009 at 20:21
| Being a classic rock magazine I'm not surprised that their was an abundance of Rush, not that I disagree. I personally wouldn't have put The Wall so high up on the list. I also would have included Lark's Tongue and would have chosen Gong's You over Angel's Egg. Overall a nice list though, it is good for people who are crossing over from classic rock. |
Posted By: Negoba
Date Posted: June 20 2009 at 20:46
Opeth's Watershed at 18.  
Even a fanboy of the album like me has to wonder a little. ------------- You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all. |
Posted By: Gianthogweed
Date Posted: June 20 2009 at 21:35
| I couldn't really read the blurb about Snakes and Arrows, and was also surprised to see it there. It's a solid Rush album, better most of the stuff they released in the past 20 years, but doesn't belong on the list. |
Posted By: rosenbach
Date Posted: June 20 2009 at 21:55
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Four Marillion albums (Brave, Misplaced Childhood, Fugazi and Afraid of Sunlight) but no Script for a jester's tear?
Genesis and Yes have 6 albums on the list, but i'm surprised that Duke is on the list. Pink Floyd tied with Marillion and Rush with 4 albums? |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: June 21 2009 at 00:56
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Well, I think it's a terrific list.
The top 10 looks quite good, for the biggest part.
Going For The One deserves to be at nr 11, and at last justice is done to Duke, which is of course a very good Genesis album
 I'm surprised by the high ranking of In Absentia: maybe I should try that album.
Yes, I didn't listen to it yet
 Well, every list has its pros and cons, I think, but I do like this one.
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Posted By: apps79
Date Posted: June 21 2009 at 02:16
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About 10 albums out of that list are not even classics IMHO...
and one question please:Are ''SNAKES AND ARROWS'',''AFRAID OF SUNLIGHT'' or ''SYSTEMATIC CHAOS'' even close to what GENTLE GIANT ever created (at least their first 6 to 7 works)?
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Posted By: Jozef
Date Posted: June 21 2009 at 02:22
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Not a bad list, although I'm scratching my head as to why "Duke" is on there. I agree with the above poster though, Gentle Giant would have been a good addition. Also, rather than adding several albums by an artist, I think one or two per artist would have been better and could have allowed the addition of some other artists. ------------- 
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Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: June 21 2009 at 04:00
49. Marillion - Afraid of Sunlight
------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: Paper Champion
Date Posted: June 21 2009 at 04:03
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My God, they say Systematic Chaos (#20?!) is better than Scenes From A Memory, don't they? I'm sure the people from CR haven't the faintest idea of what Dream Theater are... Though, I've been purchasing CR magazine since it was issued for the first time in Russia - April 2001 (if I'm not mistaken). I am led to wonder why they put back lots of Porcupine Tree stuff - their albums gained rather low score in this list. It seems that PT is the one Prog band CR knows of and writes about monthly (according to the latest issues PT deserved lots of praise by CR staff). P.S. Thanks God, no Zep here. Suppose it's the first CR Top-50 where there are no Zep albums presented as absolute winners. |
Posted By: fuxi
Date Posted: June 21 2009 at 04:25
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A fun list, but unforgivably anglocentric.
These chaps seem to have no idea that much of the best prog comes from non English speaking countries. Or have they purposely limited themselves to the U.K. and its former colonies? |
Posted By: Hercules
Date Posted: June 21 2009 at 04:54
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I think their list is a lot closer than ours to what I think. There are some very odd choices (Systematic Chaos, Duke should never be in the list in a million years) and a few I would disagree with (Ever, Dark Matter and The Seventh House are IMO much better than The Wake) but they have done a pretty fair job. ------------- A TVR is not a car. It's a way of life. |
Posted By: rosenbach
Date Posted: June 21 2009 at 07:12
Your right, i don't see not english sung albums. |
Posted By: akamaisondufromage
Date Posted: June 21 2009 at 07:28
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All rock is pretty well biased towards the English speaking bands, not just Prog so its not a surprise.
I do find the lack of Script an odd one with the no of Marillion in the list. And as a lot have said 'Duke' ? Its possibly due to the average age of the voters?
I do love 'Going for the One' though so that pleased me. My favourite Yes album - Is that wrong?
------------- Help me I'm falling! |
Posted By: J-Man
Date Posted: June 21 2009 at 07:52
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I almost completely agree with this list.
------------- 
Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime |
Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: June 21 2009 at 13:09
The vast majority of purchasers/readership is in the UK, so it's hardly surprising that there is an English bias. It's a shame, but not surprising. GFTO is a mighty LP, and I'm overjoyed at its inclusion. I will also defend Duke to the hilt. The perfect fusion between prog and pop of all time and the album that introduced a whole new generation to prog rock - it was so popular, that many went out and brought earlier albums by the band. ------------- Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time! |
Posted By: rdtprog
Date Posted: June 21 2009 at 13:17
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Yes a good list! ,but a big omission for Anglagard Hybris, that could be in the top 10. ------------- Music is the refuge of souls ulcerated by happiness. Emile M. Cioran |
Posted By: progrules
Date Posted: June 22 2009 at 03:29
The Magazine is exactly right here ! Stop bashing Systematic Chaos or you will have to deal with me !!
I'm more worried about the absence of our no.8: Animals by Pink Floyd. Maybe these people were mixing it up with The Wall ? ------------- A day without prog is a wasted day |
Posted By: St.Cleve Chronicle
Date Posted: June 22 2009 at 03:35
WHERE IS GENTLE GIANT?! That said, I think Duke deserves it's place in the list as a brilliant combination of prog and pop. |
Posted By: Rocktopus
Date Posted: June 22 2009 at 04:10
Except that my comment would have been far more insulting, this sums up the essence of what I was going to write. Crap list. Classic Rock readers shouldn't be allowed to have a say a about genres they have no knowledge about. Newbies might believe this list is the "truth". Even PA's list is better than this. ------------- Over land and under ashes In the sunlight, see - it flashes Find a fly and eat his eye But don't believe in me Don't believe in me Don't believe in me |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: June 22 2009 at 04:28
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This list is better than ours! ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Rocktopus
Date Posted: June 22 2009 at 05:00
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^Its better for people who thinks everything good is made in UK or Northamerica, but not for people who knows better.
------------- Over land and under ashes In the sunlight, see - it flashes Find a fly and eat his eye But don't believe in me Don't believe in me Don't believe in me |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: June 22 2009 at 05:18
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^ You saying you know better? ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Rocktopus
Date Posted: June 22 2009 at 05:44
Indeed. ------------- Over land and under ashes In the sunlight, see - it flashes Find a fly and eat his eye But don't believe in me Don't believe in me Don't believe in me |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: June 22 2009 at 05:45
No...you don't. Sorry about that. Hard to take I know. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Rocktopus
Date Posted: June 22 2009 at 06:14
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^I don't know why you think you know what I know, but you don't. I'm not surprised a Classic Rock-guy from UK (I gather?) like yourself is pleased with it. It looks like you practically made the list. ------------- Over land and under ashes In the sunlight, see - it flashes Find a fly and eat his eye But don't believe in me Don't believe in me Don't believe in me |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: June 22 2009 at 06:15
I don't know why you think you know better than me, because you don't. Am I a Classic Rock guy, what does that even mean? And if I had made the list, it wou;ld be different. So you don't know me at all either! Your turn.... ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: June 22 2009 at 06:38
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I was just about to reply to your very good post but you deleted it! ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Rocktopus
Date Posted: June 22 2009 at 06:39
I just looked at your Progfreak playlist, and most bands in CR's top 50 are among your most played (or the Prog or Rock that Classic Rock Magazine generally writes about). So I would think this magazine must be just perfect for you. Thats what it meant. I know the Progscenes in Germany, Italy, Canada, France, Japan, Scandinavia etc.. just as well as the British scene. The makers of this list most certainly don't. That's why I claim to know "better" (not than you, but the the makers of the list). If they do know all this prog from other places in the world, and still believe that four Marillion-albums are better than everything from Germany, they're wrong. ------------- Over land and under ashes In the sunlight, see - it flashes Find a fly and eat his eye But don't believe in me Don't believe in me Don't believe in me |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: June 22 2009 at 06:49
No. I haven't bought it for years. Its not for me. No-one made the list. They were votes by British people ina British Magazine. So what do you expect? If the top 100 in PA didn't have international usesrs it would also be very different. I don't why anyone would expect any different to be honest. How would a Poll just in Germany look for example? No. The reason I prefer this one is that ELP are beter represented. I agree that there a re some odd omisions though. But they are not wrong about 4 Marillion albums being better than anything from germany. There is no wrong or right about it. KIts just opinion. Perhaps by Prog they don't mean Zeul or elecrronic? I knmow when I bought Rubycon in tyhe seventies, I didn't think it was prog. Still don't really. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: rdtprog
Date Posted: June 22 2009 at 06:57
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Oh, this list has create a little war on this site... It's just show you how any list, poll is subjective even if it's made by many subjects that are trying to be objective. For me those lists are simply a reference point to enlagre my knowledge of music. It's not a defenitive point of view on the subject. There always will be some bands that are underated and some that are overated, but again it's only my point of view at the moment. And allpoint of view could change with time.
------------- Music is the refuge of souls ulcerated by happiness. Emile M. Cioran |
Posted By: Rocktopus
Date Posted: June 22 2009 at 06:59
I know. You asked me if I thought I knew better than these british magazine readers. I explained why I think I do. I said I think this list is crap (actually the worst I've seen yet) I have no high expectations for readers lists like these, but I'm sure a german one wouldn't be filled with just German, or germanspeaking albums. I've bought that magazine a couple of times myself, and by looking at your playlist its perfectly natural to think it would suit you well. It wasn't meant as an insult or anything, just an observation. ------------- Over land and under ashes In the sunlight, see - it flashes Find a fly and eat his eye But don't believe in me Don't believe in me Don't believe in me |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: June 22 2009 at 09:35
A German list wouldn't be filled with German acts of course, because the like of Genesis, Yes etc are worldwide mega bands! But I'm sure it would still be vary different. As for my Progfreak listening list? Well I have a wide taste of music from all countries. I don't know why it doesn't show. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: manofmystery
Date Posted: June 22 2009 at 20:03
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this isn't a very solid list at all -------------  Time always wins. |
Posted By: Rocktopus
Date Posted: June 23 2009 at 06:32
You confuse lack of knowledge with opinion.
It doesn't show because you don't play music from all countries as much as the bands that do show (your top artists equals your most played). ------------- Over land and under ashes In the sunlight, see - it flashes Find a fly and eat his eye But don't believe in me Don't believe in me Don't believe in me |
Posted By: KingCrimson250
Date Posted: June 23 2009 at 13:01
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I think we're overlooking the obvious: Pawn Hearts came in at #15! I NEVER thought I would see that in ANY magazine poll! I agree that there are some baffling choices (Systematic Chaos, Snakes and Arrows are way off, but they're probably only on there because they're the bands' most recent albums, making them stand out more in peoples' minds, Duke also probably shouldn't be there but it's at #48, I can live with that), and it is woefully anglo-centric, but neither of those comments is saying anything that someone else hasn't said already, and I think overall it's a pretty good list. I'm just glad to see VDGG getting some love EDIT: Okay, I just noticed that Duke is actually at #43, putting it ahead of Nursery Cryme. That's not nearly as acceptable |
Posted By: rushfan4
Date Posted: June 23 2009 at 13:32
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I'd say that it is a pretty good list from my point of view. I can also see why Rocktopus would think otherwise given his tastes. It definitely appears that the entirety of Zeuhl, RIO/Avant, Krautrock and RPI have been ignored in this list, but I mostly ignore those genres too, and hence why the list would mostly work for me.
I love Snakes and Arrows, but I would replace with Permanent Waves.
I'm surprised that King Crimson's Larks Tongue wasn't on the list.
And for Jim, what, no Pallas? ------------- 
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Posted By: mourningknight
Date Posted: June 23 2009 at 13:40
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For me,about half the list works,the other half definitely doesn't. These "polls" and "lists" used to really annoy the crap out of me but I've grown to just laugh them off and ignore them. There's nothing definitive about things like this anyway. Just think about how many albums or bands are missing from this list. Also,
the fact that Tool,Queensryche and THREE Porcupine Tree albums are on this list make it totally invalid for a start. Again,it all comes down to opinions.  Although, if I had been reading the magazine and saw this list,I would've definitely thrown it across the room ,hahaha! ------------- 
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Posted By: KingCrimson250
Date Posted: June 23 2009 at 15:37
| Well, judging from reading it, it seemed like more of a readers' choice poll, so I guess it makes sense that there's a lot of repeats and very little zeuhl/RPI |
Posted By: ghost_of_morphy
Date Posted: June 24 2009 at 13:05
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Marillion gets 4 of the 50 best albums? And Script isn't even one of them? Something is seriously wrong here. ------------- 
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Posted By: rdtprog
Date Posted: June 24 2009 at 15:01
Loss of Memory, amnesia??? ------------- Music is the refuge of souls ulcerated by happiness. Emile M. Cioran |
Posted By: J-Man
Date Posted: June 25 2009 at 09:47
Yes thank you for defending Duke. I find it a very underrated album. This is my review of it... http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=221345 - http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=221345 -------------
Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime |