Last Updated on February 20, 2026 by Christian Adams
Progressive rock emerged in the late 1960s when rock musicians were empowered to move away from the singles format and into the album era, and likewise, allowed to explore conceptual and instrumental boundaries. This artistic and commercial freedom resulted in a tsunami of progressive rock albums during its peak between 1971–1976, when hundreds, maybe thousands, of albums flooded the record store bins.
I’m compelled to identify the best prog albums ever made because I’ve listened to more progressive rock than any other genre except maybe hard rock and alternative rock. I’m not so much a gatekeeper as a library docent.
Like many high-profile genres, prog is a melting pot of compatible and adjacent rock genres, so it isn’t necessarily “any one particular sound,” and it came in waves:
- First Wave: The Age of the Mellotron (1969–1974)
- Second Wave: Hard Rock Overthrow (1975–1981)
- Third Wave: Into the Alternative (1995–2003)
From Britain, With Love & Ideas
I used to wonder why the majority of great progressive rock came from a specific time period in Britain (and/or Europe in general). It boils down to culture and history. European rock music was a reaction to centuries of folk and choral music that didn’t (and still doesn’t) exist on the young American continent.
In the late 1960s, British pioneers like The Moody Blues, The Nice, The Move, and Procol Harum drew heavily from European classical traditions, utilizing orchestral arrangements and song cycles to expand rock’s conceptual boundaries. This “symphonic” approach was further refined with psychedelic elements by bands like Pink Floyd and Soft Machine, who used LSD-influenced experimentation to craft long-form, texture-heavy compositions.
By contrast, North American artists remained tethered to blues and jazz-fusion foundations. While British acts like King Crimson and Yes were building “high-art” symphonic suites, American groups like Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears focused on complex horn sections and jazz rock harmony. Even the most “progressive” American acts, such as Kansas or Rush, maintained a hard rock edge that appealed to the arena rock demographic.
This distinction explains why the “purest” prog remains a largely European export, while American bands found success with complex structures in familiar Southern rock and blues sensibilities.
The Big Six and Commercial Peak
The genre reached its commercial zenith between 1971 and 1976, with Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon (1973) becoming the era’s definitive global bestseller. While the British “Big Six” (Yes, Genesis, King Crimson, ELP, Pink Floyd, and Jethro Tull) dominated international charts, continental scenes in Italy and the Netherlands developed their own operatic and jazz-inflected variations. Ultimately, the progressive movement succeeded by transforming the rock LP into a sophisticated medium, even as the “classical vs. blues” divide dictated how different regions interpreted that complexity.
Progressive Rock Questionnaire: Is It Prog?
All BSM listicles are required to have a set of parameters or terms and conditions that consummate the list. In today’s post, we’re running a gauntlet of questions to determine the most prog-worthy artists.
1. Were they active between 1969–2003?
If YES, proceed to 2a. If NO, they belong to a different genre.
2a. Do they have a keyboard player?
If YES or SOMETIMES, skip ahead to 3, if NO, proceed to 2b.
2b. Does anybody play keyboards with their feet?
If YES, continue to proceed to 3. If NO, they’re probably not prog, but proceed.
3. Do one of the following conditions apply?
- Obvious classical influences (e.g., key and time signature changes, orchestration, arrangements, etc.)
- Intermediate to advanced psychedelic rock influences
- Thematic and conceptual ambitions (including pretentious album titles)
- Suite songs
- Lack of blues-based structures
- Auxiliary instrumentalists (e.g., woodwinds, strings, reeds, percussion)
- Do you see Roman numerals in the track list?
If you selected at least one of the above options, proceed to 4. If not, stop here.
4. Do at least two members have elite instrumental virtuosity?
If YES, they’re 100 percent prog. If NO, they’re likely adjacent to a different genre.
Top Progressive Rock Albums (1969–1974)
First wave bands emerged from the inspiration of orchestral pop and rock by The Beatles and The Beach Boys.
Yes – Close to the Edge (1972)
The best, most listenable, engaging, flawless, and fully realized work from the first wave of progressive rock. Soaring vocal harmonies, infectious melodies, frequent tempo (and key) changes, intricate guitar and bass interplay, moody instrumental intermezzi, songs within songs, and an overall epic quality that may have been matched by other artists but never topped. And above all, Close to the Edge is about big ideas. Three songs on the album. The 18-minute title suite emerges from birdsong into an incredible display of guitar prowess by Steve Howe—for my money, the best prog guitar player ever. Period.
Many prog rock albums suffer from a wealth of excess and a dearth of consideration for the listener, which is, in my opinion, the main problem with King Crimson. Many prog records have one or two great jams surrounded by “experimentation,” i.e., long, spacey, pastoral or contemplative instrumental sections that often—but not always—segue into a new section, also known as “filler” or “fluff.”
All Killer, No Filler
Close to the Edge is one of the only prog rock albums that doesn’t have any fluff, and it features one of my favorite tropes in the genre, something I call “The Anderson Break”—a jarring “ahhh!” in the middle of a hot jam—starting at the 2:10 point of the title track.
Genesis – Selling England by the Pound (1973)
Most veteran Genesis fans agree that Selling England by the Pound is the band’s best work. Its only semi-weak spot is a 4-minute instrumental on side 2, “After the Ordeal”.
Pink Floyd – Meddle (1971)
Meddle is a much better prog album than Dark Side of the Moon (1973).
Amon Düül II – Yeti (1970)
The German krautrock movement is considered a distinct genre, but (rightfully) welcome in discussions about progressive rock. While British prog bands like Yes and Genesis were mainly influenced by the symphonic and Romantic era of classical music, krautrock artists like Can, Faust, and Amon Düül II drew influences 20th-century classical music by Karl Stockhausen and Edgar Varese. Most importantly, krautrock was a huge influence on the emergence of space rock.
I’ve listened to countless krautrock albums and Yeti is by far—light years—my favorite, and it’s most closely related with the foundations of traditional prog. Trust me on this one.
Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention – Apostrophe (‘) (1974)
Zappa didn’t consider his music to be progressive rock, but my ears say otherwise. One Size Fits All (1974) is just as good.
Hawkwind – Space Ritual (1973)
The marriage of space rock, hallucinogens, and amphetamines produced a live double album by a band at their peak—figuratively and literally.
Yes – The Yes Album (1971)
Geddy Lee and I have something in common: this is our favorite Yes album. And theoretically, you could replace The Yes Album with Fragile (1972). Same-same.
Jethro Tull – Aqualung (1971)
Most people choose Thick as a Brick (1972) because it’s more of a true concept album, and thus, closer to “authentic prog,” but that’s the problem. Aqualung opens with the ubiquitous classic rock title track and systematically gets better as it goes along. You can’t say that about Brick, at least, with a straight face.
The Electric Light Orchestra – The Electric Light Orchestra (1972)
Released in the U.S. as No Answer, ELO’s debut album (and only record with Roy Wood) is an experimental fusion of rock and classical instrumentation—”Eleanor Rigby” on steroids. Unlike the slick, disco-adjacent pop for which the band later became famous, the debut features a heavy, “sawing” cello sound (aka cello rock) and a dark, baroque-and-roll atmosphere. The record is the only true ELO collaboration between founders Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood, with Lynne providing the Beatles-inspired melodicism of the hit single “10538 Overture” while Wood contributed more avant-garde, rock n’ roll, and eccentric textures.
Despite its notoriously muddy production and “wacky” song structures, the album was a bold mission statement that proved rock could be successfully integrated with a legitimate symphonic rock sensibility.
Nektar – A Tab in the Ocean (1971)
I’ll be honest with you. I hadn’t heard much of Nektar until very recently, and man, few albums have impressed me like A Tab in the Ocean. A British band based in Hamburg, Germany, huh? Kinda sad that I haven’t been listening to it all these years. Is this better than Remember the Future (1973)? You tell me. I’m still digesting this one.
Utopia – Todd Rundgren’s Utopia (1974)
The 14-minute “Utopia Theme” was recorded live at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, Georgia, giving Rundgren ample time to display some incredible guitar chops that many people didn’t know he possessed.
Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
Nearly every list of the best progressive rock albums has Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon (1973) at #1, and it’s hard to fight against the ocean of public opinion, but I’m going to try.
The Dark Side of the Moon is one of the most influential and successful progressive rock albums of all time, but it’s not the best. I’d put it in the top 5 of a best classic rock album list, but nah, man, it doesn’t cut it—Pink Floyd doesn’t have the chops. The main components of this (and most Pink Floyd) albums are monolithic tempos, entry-level sound effects and synthesizers, spacey guitar, and placid vocal melodies.
Track-by-Track Rundown of The Dark Side
Side 1
- “Speak to Me”: Moody instrumental musique concrete and a great setup for a non-concept album, but I feel like it prepares the listener for a mediocre experience.
- “Breathe (In the Air)”: I love this song, but it just sort of plods along. Great for bong sessions and late-night drives across the desert, but really kind of dumb. Breathe in the air?
- “On the Run“: More instrumental synthesizer tomfoolery.
- “Time“: OK, finally, something I can tap my toes to.
- “The Great Gig in the Sky“: Pink Floyd’s earlier catalog has several vibey moments in the same vein, but it’s the first time they had a female soul singer wailing over the top. I can’t listen to that Whitney Houston melismatic1 shit, man, all that, whoa-oh-whoa-ahh crap.
Side 2
- “Money“: The only solid, vaguely up-tempo rocker on the album, and it’s in 7/4 time.
- “Us and Them“: I mean, it’s nice. The chorus crescendos and juxtapositions are cool.
- “Any Colour You Like“: Pfffhhht. Nonsense.
- “Brain Damage“: One of the best things they’ve ever done.
- “Eclipse“: Pretty cool. I give it an 8 out of 10, Chuck.
King Crimson – In the Court of the Crimson King (1969)
In the Court of the Crimson King was a revolutionary prog album in 1969, but, like The Dark Side of the Moon, it’s modestly overrated, and not in the top 10 of all-time greatest prog albums. And I’m sorry, man, but it’s not that great. Two exceptionally amazing songs on here: the title track and “21st Century Schizoid Man.” Does that overrule the 12 minutes we lost on “Moonchild”? I don’t think so. But fear not…
King Crimson – Red (1974)
I’m not including Red because people might think I don’t know what I’m talking about if King Crimson isn’t featured prominently on the list. I’m including it because I genuinely like the record and the title track (“Red”) might feature the nastiest guitar riffs of the 1970s.
Over the past few weeks, I listened to the first seven studio albums from the King Crimson Mark I catalog (1969–1974) from start to finish, something I haven’t done in 10 years or longer. If you’re into progressive rock, what I’m about to say might ruffle your feathers or get under your skin, but that’s not why I’m gonna say it. I’m gonna say it because new fans of the genre should be warned.
About halfway through a full listen of the second album, In the Wake of Poseidon (1969), I was looking at the clock, thinking, “Jesus. How did they manage to bamboozle me into believing this was good?” Ha! Turns out, many critics spotted the problem from a mile away, too.
A Bold Opinion About King Crimson: Mark I
King Crimson was [insert superlative], but their early stuff is inconsistent. Five of the Mark I (1969–1974) albums have select moments of unparalleled musical transcendence, and I’m not going argue with history. Red is the most interesting of the lot, with the title track basically supporting the weight of the entire album. Two of those Mark I albums (Lizards (1970) and Islands (1971)) are dull and pretentious, almost anti-progressive jazz rock nonsense. The “good” King Crimson records like Red have one or two great tracks surrounded by improvisational jams or art rock filler like “Fallen Angel”.
I’ve nothing against improvisation in theory, but fuckin’ play something, man. I respect the Grateful Dead for having the courage to take chances—and fail sometimes. Pink Floyd, too. Most King Crimson improv tracks consist of aimless muddling around a tonal center. The musicians are palpably tentative. If you consider it “mood music,” the mood is bored. Without question, an album like Larks’ Tongue in Aspic (1973) is 20 percent genius and 80 percent waiting around for something that isn’t going to happen. Shit happens on Red.
I’m Not the Only One
Alan Niester of Rolling Stone wrote: “You can’t dance to [King Crimson’s music], can’t keep a beat to it, and it doesn’t even make good background music for washing the dishes.” Robert Christgau’s wrote: “Not only doesn’t it cook, which figures, it doesn’t quite jell either.”
So, for those who’re new to the prog rock world, do NOT go into King Crimson thinking they’re gonna “Wow!” you like Yes or Queen. And do NOT expect to hear anything with the polished, mass market appeal of Genesis or Jethro Tull.
Caravan – In the Land of Grey and Pink (1971)
Medieval folk meets pedestrian jazz at a pub in England. “Nine Feet Underground” and “Golf Girl” are prime prog, and In the Land of Grey and Pink is probably the best album from the Canterbury scene.
Gong – You (1974)
Surprisingly not the only band on this list with its own mythology—aka a whimsical collection of recurring characters and allegorical themes in their music—Gong was by far the most progressive band from the Canterbury scene. And, sometimes, the hardest to follow. Is it ableist to say “weird” anymore? If not, Gong was fuckin’ weird, man, and clearly not for the sake of art.
You is the final installment of the “Radio Gnome Invisible” trilogy of albums, following Flying Teapot (1973) and Angel’s Egg (1973), and easily their most sophisticated blend of jazz and space rock to date. It features spoken word meshed with long, jazzy, occasionally meandering instrumentals (“Master Builder”, “A Sprinkling of Clouds” and “Isle of Everywhere”), leading to the album’s payoff track, “You Never Blow Yr Trip Forever”. It’s also the last album with significant contribution from guitarist Steve Hillage, one of the great prog players.
Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974)
I love this record so much, but it’s a great example of a double album that would have been an incredible single album. And no offense to Peter Gabriel, one of the greatest lead vocalists to ever take the gig, but I agree with Tony Banks: the story of Rael is fuckin’ dumb.
Can – Tago Mago (1971)
Tago Mago is widely considered the pinnacle of the krautrock genre. Critic Ned Raggett describes the double album as a “dense, complex, and often terrifying” journey that successfully bridges the gap between structured rock and avant-garde experimentation. The record is anchored by the hypnotic, metronomic drumming of Jaki Liebezeit (aka motorik) and the unpredictable, improvisational vocals of Damo Suzuki, particularly on the side-long epic “Halleluwah.” By blending jazz-inflected rhythms, distorted electronics, and tape-editing techniques, the album created a blueprint for future generations of post-punk, ambient, and experimental musicians. It remains a essential listen for anyone exploring the outer limits of 20th-century music.
Soft Machine – Third (1970)
It’s a little too jazzbo and folky for me, but you gotta admire their effort to be different.
The Move – Message from the Country (1971)
Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood were magic together, and it’s a shame they went separate ways. Message from the Country is one of the most overlooked and entertaining albums of the early 1970s, and it’s fun picking out the influences from the music. For example, Lynne loves the Beatles and the Beach Boys, while Roy Wood digs Little Richard and Brahms. It’s all over the place.
Yes – Yessongs (1973)
In a way, I’m cheating with a “best of” collection.
One of three live albums on the list and I’m proud to say, the first live album I ever owned. In the mid-’70s, my family subscribed to Columbia Record House, so every month, my parents would say, “Yo, dummy. Pick an album.” And I didn’t know what the fuck I was doing, but I remembered hearing “Roundabout” and “Long Distance Runaround”, and those tracks were listed in the description. So, I said, “Gimme that one” and pointed at Yessongs. No idea it was a triple album or anything.
Wishbone Ash – Argus (1972)
Argus is one of my favorite “new discoveries” of 2026. As a band, Wishbone is traditional progressive rock-adjacent, just a little too pop and predictable for serious prog heads. The British version of Styx except they never had a big hit. One of the only bands on the list without a keyboard player, but Andy Powell and Ted Turner are one of the most underrated and influential guitar tandems in rock history. Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden, Scorpions, et. al, were huge fans of this album.
Supertramp – Crime of the Century (1974)
They had the hard rock and glam elements of Queen minus the pomp and the harmonic sophistication of Yes without the gymnastics. I find myself reaching for this album more frequently as the years go by.
Genesis – Live (1973)
They saved you the trouble of buying Nursery Cryme (1971), and Foxtrot (1972) by playing excellent versions of the best moments from those albums—with one exception: “Supper’s Ready” didn’t make the album.
Originally recorded for radio broadcast on the U.S. rock program King Biscuit Flower Hour, the album is from February 1973 during the Foxtrot tour.
The video is from a show recorded just after the release of Selling England by the Pound in late October 1973, and includes “Supper’s Ready”.
Van der Graaf Generator – Pawn Hearts (1971)
Like Pink Floyd’s Ummagumma (1969), Pawn Hearts is one of the more demanding albums of the progressive rock era, and by “demanding,” we mean, of course, you gotta sit there and wonder, “What the fuck are these guys doing?” Containing only three sprawling tracks, including the side-long, 23-minute epic “A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers”, the album has unmistakably claustrophobic vibe. Featuring guest guitar work from Robert Fripp, the album is celebrated for its jagged complexity and existential angst, making it a definitive—if “difficult”—landmark in the evolution of symphonic rock.
Queen – Queen II (1974)
This album marked the end of Queen’s first phase, and it’s definitely the most proggy and hard-rocking of their pre-News of the World (1977) stuff.
Pink Floyd – Ummagumma (1969)
A strange part-live, part-studio double album that somehow works, albeit with considerable effort on the listener’s part. There’s an awful lot of downtime between moments of greatness and tedious navel-gazing, but once you get past the birdsong intros, the echoes of Syd Barrett resonate with calm grace. It’s actually pretty funny to hear Roger Waters do his best Syd interpretation on “Grantchester Meadows”. I’ll take this album over anything by King Crimson because at least these guys seem to have a plan. They’re going for something.
Premiata Forneria Marconi – Per un amico (1972)
I don’t know, man. PFM has been somewhat of a closely guarded “secret” among prog fanatics, but Italian prog reminds me of American prog. It’s good enough, but they sound like they’re having too much fun.
Egg – The Polite Force (1971)
Another Canterbury record. Egg leans into classical music harder than ELP, but minus the high-speed histrionics. The record is anchored by the side-long epic “Long Piece No. 3,” a multi-part suite that exemplifies the Canterbury scene’s penchant for complex, organ-driven arrangements and sophisticated group interplay. Despite its technical wisdom, the album still retains a touch of the biting humor and whimsy.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Tarkus (1972)
Few bands leaned as hard into classical music, but there’s never a moment when I think, “This isn’t good,” and that’s because Keith Emerson, Greg Lake, and Carl Palmer were arguably among the top 3 players in the world on their respective instruments. For my money, Tarkus is much more enjoyable than Brain Salad Surgery (1973), but they’re two different experiences. Tarkus is intricate and detailed, while Brain Salad Surgery is almost a “live in-studio” recording.
Jethro Tull – Thick as a Brick (1972)
It’s got some great moments and some downtime too.
Triumvirat – Illusions on a Double Dimple (1974)
Triumvirat was the German version of ELP plus elements of Yes, leaning heavily into classical and modern jazz. Illusions on a Double Dimple is about as proggy as things get, and they drop a couple of Anderson Breaks at the 7:12 mark of the title track.
Each side of the album features one song in six movements. The keyboards of founding member Jürgen Fritz dominate the jam, but bass, drums, and guitar keep it groovy. Long instrumental sections are juxtaposed against pretty vocal melodies. Highlights include the hard rock rollercoaster ride of “Schooldays” and the psychedelic jubilance of “Lucky Girl”. You gotta be in the mood for 45 minutes of Hammond organ.
Camel – Mirage (1974)
Textbook prog.
Magma – Mekanïk Destruktïẁ Kommandöh (1973)
In the early 1970s, drummer Christian Vander established a subgenre of prog called zeuhl with his band, Magma. The musical movement was built upon an intricate fictional mythology and its own constructed language, Kobaïan, which translates to “celestial.”
The genre is characterized by a fusion of rock, jazz, and 20th-century classical influences, specifically echoing the rhythmic intensity of composers like Stravinsky and Orff. Rather than relying on lead guitars, zeuhl prioritizes a driving, martial rhythm section and operatic choral arrangements. The sound is oddly hypnotic and authoritarian, like dark clouds forming overhead.
While Magma’s 1973 masterpiece Mëkanïk Dëstruktïẁ Kömmandöh remains the definitive “rock requiem” of the genre, later groups such as Weidorje and Eskaton continued to iterate on its signature themes of repetition and grandiosity. The Wagnerian rock opus Bat Out of Hell (1977) by Meatloaf doesn’t exist without this Mechanïk record.
Kevin Ayers – Shooting at the Moon (1970)
The Syd Barrett solo album everybody was hoping for. An experimental longshot into the abyss of psychedelic, garage, and art rock.
Faust – Faust IV (1973)
If you were gonna dip your toes into the Faust waters, it should be here. Do NOT go with their first album.
Strawbs – Hero and Heroine (1974)
Prior to Hero and Heroine, the Strawbs were a progressive folk band, and not really part of the conversation. They decidedly didn’t rock until the group split following their sixth album, Bursting at the Seams (1973), leaving Dave Cousins and Dave Lambert to carry on.
This fuckin’ album takes two tracks to start cookin’ on the power poppy “Just Love”, which sounds more like Van Halen than ELP. From there, it’s a beguiling mix of contemporary pop, folk, and hints of country in a prog framework. I’ll give them this: It sounds like nothing else on this list. The concept is almost impossible to grasp, but I assume it’s about man versus woman or something like that. Oh yeah, one of the worst album covers I’ve ever seen, too.
Gentle Giant – Octopus (1972)
After decades of sifting through the Gentle Giant oeuvre, it’s safe to say that Octopus is their most approachable and hardest-rocking album, but it’s also not for everybody. Their first few albums are “weird” and complicated even by the most avant-garde standards of prog. Octopus features a wild blend of folk, jazz and oddly, soul with baroque and chamber music. I like that they pushed boundaries “at the risk of becoming very unpopular.” There are many “What the fuck are they doing?” moments a la Van der Graaf Generator’s Palm Hearts. But sometimes that’s a good thing in prog.
Matching Mole – Matching Mole (1972)
It’s on the mellow side of the spectrym, reeking of psychedelic free jazz, with very little “rock” involved, and reminiscent (or foreshadowing) parts of King Crimson’s Larks’ Tongue in Aspic (1973).
Matching Mole was formed by Robert Wyatt after he left Soft Machine and joined by David Sinclair (Caravan) on organ and piano, Dave MacRae on electric piano, Phil Miller (Delivery) on guitar, Bill MacCormick (Quiet Sun) on bass. In this quintet of Who’s Who on the Canterbury scene, Wyatt continued his role on drums and vocals, bringing his whimsical humor and soft resignation.
Much of the album manages to sound both pedestrian and static, but guitarist Phil Miller kills it on the space jazz jams, “Part of the Dance” and “Instant Kitten”.
Tangerine Dream – Phaedra (1974)
Ambient space rock way on the fringes of prog, but Phaedra is considered one of the most influential albums in electronic music.
Carmen – Fandangos in Space (1973)
During the pandemic lockdowns, like many people, I killed a lot of time on the internet, just browsing from one listicle to the next. And so, thanks to some “best progressive rock albums you never heard” list, I was 52 years old the first time I heard of Carmen and their 1973 debut album, Fandangos in Space, produced by Tony Visconti. Funny how life is humbling. Turns out, I didn’t know shit about progressive rock.
To the best of my knowledge, Carmen is the only first wave prog rock band to feature elements of flamenco, which might be your thing, I dunno. However, they’re not to be confused with flamenco rock artists like Jose Feliciano or whomever.
Honorable Mentions
Mike Oldfield – Tubular Bells (1973)
Renaissance – Ashes Are Burning (1973)
Emerson Lake And Palmer – Brain Salad Surgery (1972)
Yes – Fragile (1972)
Hugh Hopper – 1984 (1973)
Electric Light Orchestra – Eldorado (1974)
Premiata Forneria Marconi – Storia di un minuto (1972)
Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso – Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso (1972)
Focus – Moving Waves (1972)
Genesis – Foxtrot (1972)
Hatfield And The North – Hatfield And The North (1974)
Third Ear Band – Third Ear Band (1970)
Popol Vuh – In Den Garten Pharaos (1972)
Henry Cow – Unrest (1974)
Rick Wakeman – The Six Wives Of Henry VIII (A&M, 1973)
Gong – Flying Teapot (1973)
Gong – Angel’s Egg (1973)
Second Wave (1975–1981)
Queen – A Night at the Opera (1975)
What is “Bohemian Rhapsody” but the greatest progressive rock song ever recorded?
Rush – 2112 (1976)
British prog was an art school group with a flute player, while American prog was a bar band with a synthesizer. Rush represented the hard rock stylistic bridge that connected the two. By fusing the intricate, odd-metered “math” of King Crimson with the heavy metal thunder of Led Zeppelin, Rush avoided the phony-baloney that killed many American prog imitators. They played complex music with aggression that felt urgent, unapologetically blue collar, and sounded distinctly North American.
They pulled it off by being the ultimate utilitarians of the avant-garde. Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart stripped away the orchestral rock fluff—no 40-piece choirs or woodwind sections—and proved that a power trio could sound like a god-tier symphony just by working harder than everyone else—and playing keyboards with their feet.
While the U.S. bands like Kansas or Styx were constantly pressured by labels to write a “radio hit,” Rush famously doubled down on their eccentricity with 2112 after being told to go mainstream. That all-or-nothing integrity gave them a cult-like street cred that the more effete British bands lacked. And that’s why 10-year-old boys were wearing Rush T-shirts in 1978, and they’d grow up to start alternative rock bands.
Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here (1975)
If you like Pink Floyd, this album is a wonderful follow-up to Dark Side of the Moon. If you don’t like Pink Floyd, you’re gonna be in for a bad time.
Genesis – A Trick of the Tail (1976)
Peter who?
It’s almost sacrilegious but A Trick of the Tail is probably the second-best Genesis album after Selling England By the Pound. “Dance on a Volcano” is one of favorite opening tracks in prog.
Utopia – Ra (1977)
If we’re being honest, Utopia is the American “bar band with a synthesizer” mentioned in the entry for Rush’s 2112. Except they’re the best fuckin’ bar band you’ll ever hear, led by one of the most creative rock musicians of all time.
Rush – Hemispheres (1977)
It’s easy to forget that Rush was mostly a North American phenomenon and yet a “cult” band that could sell out London’s Wembley Arena for three nights with zero radio support. It’s also easy to forget that in 1977, punk rock was on a scorched earth rampage against prog rock. The American and British press hated Rush. Putting out an album like Hemispheres took balls, man, and it’s one of their top 5 albums.
Rush – Moving Pictures (1981)
The best Rush record, a personal top 10, and in some ways, the least prog album of their catalog to-date. “The Camera Eye” might be my favorite Rush song. Don’t quote me on that.
Crack the Sky – Crack the Sky (1975)
To my knowledge, few bands have been fucked harder by the music industry than Crack the Sky. With a mix of hard rock, baroque pop, art rock, and solid prog, the West Virginian-based quintet had the potential to be as big as Styx, Supertramp, Rush, Foreigner, Electric Light Orchestra, Yes, ZZ Top, Kansas, Edgar Winter, Frank Zappa, and/or Boston.
Their critically-acclaimed debut album on Lifesong Records in 1975 was praised by The New York Times and named the “debut album of the year” by Rolling Stone. Unfortunately, few people outside of Baltimore or Pittsburgh ever heard the record because Lifesong did a bullshit job of marketing and distribution. A surplus of albums was shipped to Baltimore and the record received radio play on WYDD in Pittsburgh.
Put it this way. I was 40 fuckin’ years old before I heard of Crack the Sky, and we’re all familiar with my pedigree.
Happy the Man – Happy the Man (1977)
Yet another album that takes five fuckin’ minutes to get rolling, but it’s an elaborate, jazzy gem when it does. Half of the record sounds like a downhill alpine event, there’s a little too much saxophone and flute for me, but guitarist Stanley Whitaker is one of the greatest unsung players in prog. “Stumpy Meets the Firecracker in Stencil Forest” is an epic track with killer guitar gymnastics.
Steve Hillage – L (1976)
Space prog with elements of folk and early rock n’ roll, produced by Todd Rundgren and featuring musicians from Utopia.
Steve Hillage – Fish Rising (1975)
Hillage is one of the most underrated prog guitarists, along with Roye Albrighton (Nektar) and Stanley Whitaker (Happy the Man).
I prefer Fish Rising to L, especially the 16-minute “Solar Musick Suite”, and “The Salmon Song”, both of which feature some ferociously innovative guitar work.
The solos get a little tedious after a while.
Pink Floyd – The Wall (1979)
Like Lamb Lies Down on Broadway and countless prog double albums, there’s a phenomenal single album spread across four sides of Pink Floyd’s magnum opus, The Wall.
Keepers (The Best of The Wall)
“In the Flesh?”
“The Thin Ice”
“Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2”
“Mother”
“Goodbye Blue Sky”
“Don’t Leave Me Now”
“Young Lust”
“Hey You”
“Nobody Home”
“Comfortably Numb”
“Run Like Hell”
Marginal Cuts
“The Happiest Days of Our Lives”
“Another Brick in the Wall, Part 3”
“Goodbye Cruel World”
“Is There Anybody Out There?”
“Vera”
Pure Filler
“Empty Spaces”
“Another Brick in the Wall, Part 1”
“The Show Must Go On”
“One of My Turns”
“In the Flesh”
“Waiting for the Worms”
“Bring the Boys Back Home”
“Stop”
“The Trial”
“Outside the Wall”
If you were 11 years old in 1979, this album blew the top of your head off. Retrospectively, “Another Brick in the Wall” didn’t need three parts and eight minutes of run time to get the point across.
Genesis – Duke (1980)
This album contains two of the coolest things they’ve ever done: “Behind the Lines” and “Turn It On Again”.
Steve Hackett – Voyage Of The Acolyte (1976)
Steve Hackett was one of the top 3 progressive rock guitarists and an integral part of the “Genesis sound,” which is hammered home by Voyage, and partially explains why Genesis sounded so different after Hackett left the band.
U.K. – U.K. (1978)
Featuring an all-star prog lineup of Allan Holdsworth (guitar), Bill Bruford (drums), Eddie Jobson (keyboards), and John Wetton (bass, vocals), this record had to be great. It didn’t have a choice. Unfortunately, like most supergroups, U.K. didn’t last very long. Originally active from 1977 to 1980, the band would release one more album, Danger Money (1979), before disbanding. Later reunions were lackluster, at best.
Peter Gabriel – Melt (1980)
Gabriel’s ambitious and innovative third solo album is considered his artistic and commercial breakthrough, while pushing the boundaries of art rock, post-punk, and progressive pop. Produced by Steve Lillywhite, “Melt” features guest appearances from Kate Bush, Robert Fripp, Dave Gregory (XTC), and Paul Weller (The Jam), and the first major use of the gated reverb drum sound made famous by Phil Collins on “In the Air Tonight”. In my opinion, Gabriel may have made more popular albums like So (1986), but he never made a better album.
Starcastle – Starcastle (1976)
I heard rumors of an obscure prog band from Champaign, IL, associated with acts such as R.E.O. Speedwagon and Styx, but never got around to hearing Starcastle until the very late ’90s. My friend Chris turned me on to “Lady of the Lake”, and I said it sounded like a lost track from one of the lackluster Yes albums of the late ’70s (talking ’bout Going for the One (1977) and Tormato (1978)). But at the 6-minute mark of a 12-minute track, I knew it wasn’t Steve Howe on guitar.
Like most American prog rock bands, what they lack in sophistication and production values, they make up for with a beady-eyed ambition.
Kansas – Leftoverture (1976)
I’ll give them “Carry On My Wayward Son”, but the rest of this album is very American prog. I feel like they’re singing about Jesus, and that doesn’t sit right. Nevertheless, it’s the best they can do.
Pink Floyd – Animals (1977)
I mean, I’m not gonna sit through it, but again, if you like Pink Floyd, you’re gonna love this record.
Honorable Mention
Marillion – Clutching at Straws (1987)
Theoretically, prog morphed into the mainstream with Rush’s Moving Pictures, and the genre disappeared completely with Asia’s debut album (1982). Post-punk, new wave, hard rock, and heavy metal rose to cultural dominance. Soon, alternative rock would emerge as the next rock zeitgeist. In the mid-1980s, nobody wanted your concept albums and medieval folk melodies. Well, almost nobody.
Formed in 1979 at the tail end of prog’s heyday, Marillion bridged the vast stylistic gap between post-punk and traditional prog, marking the emergence of a new subgenre: neo-progressive. They took a few bits from early Genesis and The Who, occasionally sounding like Rush. Clutching at Straws is their last album with original singer, Fish, and generally considered their best work.
Third Wave (1995–2003)
My interest in third wave prog was never very strong, but these are the albums I’ve listened to repeatedly.
The Mars Volta – De-Loused in the Comatorium (2003)
As a casual fan of At the Drive-In, I was curious to hear what Cedric Bixler-Zavala, Jeremy Ward, and Omar Rodríguez-López were gonna do as The Mars Volta. I wasn’t ready for their hardcore post-punk blend of art rock, classic rock, prog, psychedelic, space rock, and jazz fusion. You’ll hear elements of Zeppelin, Crimson, Miles Davis, and Fugazi.
Opeth – Blackwater Park (2001)
I used to listen to a college radio station (KUSF) in San Francisco, and they played cuts from this album all the time. I had a copy of the CD at some point, but I don’t know what happened to it.
Dream Theater – Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory (1999)
Not something I listen to every week or every month or even every year. But every now and again, I get a sweet tooth for this kind of thing.
Tool – Ænima (1996)
I saw them play at Lollapalooza ’93 (World Music Theatre, Tinley Park, IL), and boy, they were…we were not impressed. My friends and I were mocking everybody we saw wearing a Tool shirt.
“Tool. Ha ha. That sounds about right. Only a fuckin’ tool would like that band.”
And that’s all I could tell you about Tool or their music for a very long time.
Fifteen years later, I moved to Taiwan, where I used to hangout with a kid who was into alternative metal, and he asked if I ever listened to Tool. I told him the above story. He said, “No, no, no, man. You gotta hear their second album, Ænima.” My friend burned me a CD of the album and I liked it. Since then, I’ve learned to appreciate some of their other work, especially 10,000 Days (2007), and of course, this one.
Meshuggah – Destroy Erase Improve (1995)
Calling this progressive rock is a stretch. But I still think it’s fuckin’ hilarious music.
Ruins – Hyderomastgroningem (1995)
On first listen, this impossibly inaccessible and bewildering Japanese noise rock duo vaguely glances at progressive rock and jazz fusion on the way to avant-garde experimental fuckery. However, the band’s purported most important influence is Magma’s Mekanïk Destruktïẁ Kommandöh.
