The Ultimate PA Album List

Just so you know, some of you made errors such as repeating a number/skipping a number or repeating an album. In cases like that I'll just keep going in the order listed and just skip over any repeats of an album and take the higher as where it's supposed to be.
Great lists so far guys!

Well...I'm finally done getting the albums I want on the list.

Hi Moreits,

I updated my list I posted on December, 21st.
What shall I do with this update? Shall I edit the original post (that will be an awful lot of work because I did add almost 100 new albums) or shall I make a new post of the latest version of my list?

Excellent thread, I can't wait to see the final list. The most interesting part for me is seeing which non-prog albums make people's lists.

I think this experiment could lead to a much more accurate ranking of albums than PA's rating-based top 100 list. I think too many people throw around 5-star ratings on this site. Almost every album you look at, the majority of the votes are "5- A masterpiece of progressive music". Not every single album can be a masterpiece! The system in this thread should make it easier to differentiate scores between the great albums and give a good idea of what the members really think are the "best of the best".

Of course, for it to reflect the members opinions accurately, we need to have a large number of people submitting lists!


Anyway, after much deliberation, here are my Top 50 Albums...

01: Kayo Dot - Choirs of the Eye
02: Yes - Close to the Edge
03: Tool - Aenima
04: Sigur Ros - Agaetis Byrjun
05: Between the Buried and Me - Colors
06: Magma - Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh
07: Symphony X - V: The New Mythology Suite
08: Jaga Jazzist - What We Must
09: Yes - Relayer
10: Godspeed You Black Emperor! - Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada
11: Anglagard - Epilog
12: Anglagard - Hybris
13: Joanna Newsom - Ys
14: Dilute - Grape Blueprints Pour Spinach Olive Grape
15: Tool - Lateralis
16: Magma - K.A.
17: Symphony X - The Odyssey
18: Between the Buried and Me - Alaska
19: Sigur Ros - ()
20: Megadeth - Rust in Peace
21: Faith No More - The Real Thing
22: Akron/Family - Akron/Family
23: Radiohead - Hail to the Thief
24: Kayo Dot - Dowsing Anenome With Copper Tongue
25: Rush - Hemispheres (26)
26: Metallica - ...And Justice for All (25)
27: Pearl Jam - Vs.
28: Radiohead - OK Computer
29: Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 2
30: Do Make Say Think - Winter Hymn, Country Hymn, Secret Hymn
31: The Dillinger Escape Plan - Miss Machine
32: Silencio - Dead Kings
33: Mr. Bungle - California
34: Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - In Glorious Times
35: Opeth - Ghost Reveries
36: Blind Guardian - Nightfall in Middle-Earth
37: Blind Guardian - A Night at the Opera
38: Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
39. Sufjan Stevens - Greetings From Michigan (unranked)
40: Unexpect - In a Flesh Aquarium (39)
41: The Mars Volta - De-loused in the Comatorium (40)
42: Rush - Moving Pictures (41)
43: Rush - Permanent Waves (42)
44: Hella - Hold Your Horse Is (43)
45: Jaga Jazzist - A Livingroom Hush (44)
46: Metallica - Master of Puppets (45)
47: Return to Forever - Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy (46)
48: King Crimson - Red (unranked)
49: Radiohead - Kid A (48)
50: Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Yanqui U.X.O. (unranked)

Dropped off: Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy (47), Godspeed You Black Emperor! - Lift Yr Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven (49), Bohren & Der Club of Gore - Sunset Mission (50)


I was tempted to follow a few other people's leads and include stuff like Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" and Holst's "The Planets", because I think those are some of the all-time greatest musical works. But in the end, those are pieces of music, not "albums", and I do think there is a huge difference, so much so that you can't really compare the two.


Edited by AceBad - January 29 2008 at 19:45

Why is this topic listed under "Topics not related to music"? Seems a bit inaccurate...

Easy Money wrote: Good point about the classical pieces. If you list a specific recorded performance and the performers ie (SF Symphony Orchestra) then you have listed an album. ...nag nag nag...

Hi Moreitsy,

Here’s my update on the list I posted on December 2007, 21st (so that list can be considered obsolete). I decided to post a complete new list because I did add almost 100 new albums.

It was both great fun and frustating making the list. Great fun because it made me listen to albums I hadn’t heard for ages. Frustrating because I’ve still got dozens and dozens of albums I would like to include in the list (but I haven’t enough time to give them a proper listen/rating right now). So bands I’ve only just discovered recently (like Nektar and Bacamarte) have to wait for a next time.

Good luck with compiling all the lists. I’m really looking forward to your compilation of the top albums of the site’s members!


1     Van Der Graaf Generator     -     Godbluff
2     King Crimson     -     Red
3     Jethro Tull     -     A passion play
4     Machine Head     -     Burn my eyes
5     Queen     -     A night at the opera
6     Tourniquet     -     Psycho surgery
7     Rush     -     A farewell to kings
8     Jethro Tull     -     Minstrel in the gallery
9     JT Bruce     -     Anomalous metal
10     Blue Öyster Cult     -     Fire of unknown origin
11     Metallica     -     Master of puppets
12     Van Der Graaf Generator     -     World record
13     Pain of Salvation     -     The perfect element
14     Queensrÿche     -     Operation: Mindcrime
15     Thought Industry     -     Songs for insects
16     Pink Floyd     -     Animals
17     Satan     -     Suspended sentence
18     Alice Cooper     -     Killer
19     Jethro Tull     -     Aqualung
20     Jethro Tull     -     Bursting out
21     Anacrusis     -     Manic impressions
22     Sepultura     -     Arise
23     Meliah Rage     -     Solitary solitude
24     Crumbsuckers     -     Beast on my back
25     Dream Theater     -     Images and words
26     Supertramp     -     Crime of the century
27     Earth and Fire     -     Song of the marching children
28     Doors     -     The soft parade
29     Skyclad     -     A burnt offering for the bone idol
30     Sepultura     -     Chaos A.D.
31     Marillion     -     Script for a jester’s tear
32     Raven     -     Live at the Inferno
33     Queensrÿche     -     The warning
34     Dream Theater     -     A change of seasons
35     Moonspell     -     Irreligious
36     Hawkwind     -     A space ritual
37     Carcass     -     Necroticism - Descanting the insalubrious
38     JT Bruce     -     The dreamer’s paradox
39     Styx     -     The grand illusion
40     Fear of God     -     Within the veil
41     Sound     -     From the lions mouth
42     Anathema     -     Alternative 4
43     Psychotic Waltz     -     A social grace
44     Slayer     -     Reign in blood
45     Crimson Glory     -     Transcendence
46     Tool     -     Lateralus
47     Death     -     The sound of perseverance
48     Queen     -     Queen II
49     Yes     -     Yessongs
50     Pink Floyd     -     Wish you were here
51     Wishbone Ash     -     Argus
52     Cheap Trick     -     Live at Budokan
53     Metallica     -     Ride the lightning
54     10cc     -     Sheet music
55     Rush     -     2112
56     Queen     -     Live at the Beeb
57     Styx     -     Pieces of Eight
58     Stranglers     -     Rattus Norvegicus
59     Mann's Earth Band, Manfred     -     Solar fire
60     Hawkwind     -     In search of space
61     Pink Floyd     -     Ummagumma
62     Obituary     -     Cause of death
63     B-52's     -     Wild planet
64     Depressive Age     -     Symbols for the blue times
65     Threshold     -     Wounded land
66     10cc     -     How dare you
67     Golden Earring     -     Live
68     Mindscape     -     Mindscape
69     Led Zeppelin     -     Led Zeppelin
70     Tiamat     -     Wildhoney
71     Anthrax     -     Among the living
72     Blue Öyster Cult     -     Cultösaurs Erectus
73     Deep Purple     -     In rock
74     Peter Gabriel     -     Gabriel plays live
75     Face Down     -     Mindfield
76     Galactic Cowboys     -     Machine fish
77     Queen     -     Queen
78     Type O Negative     -     Slow, deep and hard
79     Therion     -     Lepaca kliffoth
80     S.O.D.     -     Speak English or die
81     Pixies     -     Doolittle
82     Trust     -     Trust (1983 version)
83     Snowy White     -     Bird of Paradise
84     Faith No More     -     The real thing
85     Black Sabbath     -     Heaven and hell
86     Cars     -     The Cars
87     Orphanage     -     Oblivion
88     Amorphis     -     Tales from the thousand lakes
89     Rammstein     -     Sehnsucht
90     Golden Earring     -     Seven tears
91     Van Halen     -     Van Halen
92     Yes     -     The Yes album
93     Pink Floyd     -     Meddle
94     Guano Apes     -     Proud like a God
95     Led Zeppelin     -     The song remains the same
96     Def Leppard     -     Pyromania
97     Black Sabbath     -     Paranoid
98     Iron Maiden     -     The number of the beast
99     Heart     -     Dreamboat Annie
100     Sepultura     -     Beneath the remains
101     Cheap Trick     -     Cheap Trick
102     Hawkwind     -     Warrior on the edge of time
103     Screamin’ Mother     -     Screamin’ Mother
104     Megadeth     -     Peace sells ... but who’s buying?
105     Megadeth     -     Countdown to extinction
106     Gillan     -     Double trouble
107     Madder Mortem     -     Mercury
108     Dead Kennedys     -     Fresh fruit for rotting vegetables
109     Golden Earring     -     Golden Earring
110     Manowar     -     Battle hymns
111     Savatage     -     Gutter ballet
112     Boston     -     Boston
113     Mike Oldfield     -     Discovery
114     Celtic Frost     -     Into the pandemonium
115     Sound     -     Jeopardy
116     Coroner     -     Mental vortex
117     Metal Church     -     Blessing in disguise
118     Coroner     -     Grin
119     Mekong Delta     -     The principle of doubt
120     ELO     -     Eldorado
121     Believer     -     Dimensions
122     King of Kings     -     King of Kings
123     Sieges Even     -     Steps
124     Queen     -     News of the world
125     Anacrusis     -     Screams and whispers
126     Sex Pistols     -     Never mind the bollocks
127     Propaganda     -     A secret wish
128     Magellan     -     Hour of restoration
129     Anacrusis     -     Reason
130     Shirts     -     The Shirts
131     AC/DC     -     Dirty deeds done dirt cheap
132     Queen     -     Sheer heart attack
133     ELO     -     Face the music
134     Voivod     -     Dimension hatröss
135     AC/DC     -     Let there be rock
136     Wire     -     154
137     Queen     -     The game
138     Rose Tattoo     -     Assault & battery
139     Skunk Anansie     -     Paranoid & sunburnt
140     Joy Division     -     Unknown pleasures
141     Krezip     -     Nothing less
142     Queen     -     Jazz
143     Queen     -     The works
144     Queen     -     The miracle
145     Blondie     -     Parallel lines
146     Queen     -     Innuendo
147     King Crimson     -     In the court of the Crimson King
148     Queen     -     A kind of magic
149     Pink Floyd     -     Dark side of the moon
150     Queen     -     Made in Heaven
151     Queen     -     Flash Gordon
152     Queen     -     Hot space
153     Carmel     -     Set me free
154     Anacrusis     -     Suffering hour


Edited by Draconean - January 21 2008 at 10:32

1. One (Neal Morse)
2. Remedy Lane (Pain of Salvation)
3. The Human Equation (Ayreon)
4. Octopus (Gentle Giant)
5. Second Life Syndrome (Riverside)
6. ? (Neal Morse)
7. Brave (Marillion)
8. Snow (Spock's Beard)
9. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (Genesis)
10. Out of Myself (Riverside)
11. Be (Pain of Salvation
12. Free Hand (Gentle Giant)
13. Sola Scriptura (Neal Morse)
14. Lofcaudio (Mastedon)
15. The Perfect Element (Pain of Salvation)
16. Before Became After (Proto-Kaw)
17. Snakes in the Playground (Bride)
18. In the Kingdom (Whitecross)
19. Into the Electric Castle (Ayreon)
20. Freedom (White Heart)
21. Tales of Wonder (White Heart)
22. Ziltoid the Omniscient (Devin Townsend)
23. Afraid of Sunlight (Marillion)
24. Fear of a Blank Planet (Porcupine Tree)
25. Powerhouse (White Heart)
26. Thick as a Brick (Jethro Tull)
27. Lex Rex (Glass Hammer)
28. Culture of Ascent (Glass Hammer)
29. Testimony (Neal Morse)
30. Equilibrium (Whitecross)
31. Synchestra (Devin Townsend)
32. In the Land of Grey and Pink (Caravan)
33. Moonmadness (Camel)
34. Hinterland (Wobbler)
35. In Absentia (Porcupine Tree)
36. It's A Jungle Out There (Mastedon)
37. Entropia (Pain of Salvation)
38. Crime of the Century (Supertramp)
39. Unveiled (Whitecross)
40. A Farewell to Kings (Rush)
41. High Gear (Whitecross)
42. A Time of Day (Anekdoten)
43. Wild Orchids (Steve Hackett)
44. Still Life (Opeth)
45. SMPT:e (Transatlantic)
46. Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd)
47. Bridge Across Forever (Transatlantic)
48. Leftoverture (Kansas)
49. Uomo di Pezza (Le Orme)
50. Oddities (Bride)
51. Ghost Reveries (Opeth)
52. The Wait of Glory (Proto-Kaw)
53. Blackwater Park (Opeth)
54. Marbles (Marillion)
55. Per Un Amico (PFM)
56. In the Court of the Crimson King (King Crimson)
57. Fragile (Yes)
58. Red (King Crimson)
59. As the World (Echolyn)
60. A Place in the Queue (The Tangent)
61. Scarecrow Messiah (Bride)
62. The Snow Goose (Camel)
63. The Kindness of Strangers (Spock's Beard)
64. V (Spock's Beard)
65. Close to the Edge (Yes)
66. The Dream Sequencer (Ayreon)
67. Moments of Clarity (Cryptic Vision)
68. Spock's Beard (Spock's Beard)
69. Meddle (Pink Floyd)
70. Hemispheres (Rush)
71. In A World (Crypic Vision)
72. Moving Pictures (Rush)
73. Tommy (The Who)
74. Permanent Waves (Rush)
75. Deadwing (Porcupine Tree)
76. Shadowlands (Glass Hammer)
77. Misplaced Childhood (Marillion)
78. Awake (Dream Theater)
79. Relayer (Yes)
80. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (Dream Theater)
81. In a Glass House (Gentle Giant)
82. Night (Gazpacho)
83. The Power and the Glory (Gentle Giant)
84. Highlands (White Heart)
85. Tales from Topographic Oceans (Yes)
86. Selling England by the Pound (Genesis)
87. Three Friends (Gentle Giant)
88. Larks' Tongues in Aspic (King Crimson)
89. Interview (Gentle Giant)
90. The Inconsolable Secret (Glass Hammer)
91. Pawn Hearts (Van Der Graaf Generator)
92. Signify (Porcupine Tree)
93. Rapid Eye Movement (Riverside)
94. My River Flows (IZZ)
95. The Yes Album (Yes)
96. Mirage (Camel)
97. Counterparts (Rush)
98. Animals (Pink Floyd)
99. Damnation (Opeth)
100. Atom Heart Mother (Pink Floyd)

So far only one of your predictions are correct.     BUT ONE SHOULD BE
TIME IS RUNNING OUT - Lists due Sunday!
(TAAB fans get your votes in )

moreitsythanyou wrote: So far only one of your predictions are correct.     BUT ONE SHOULD BETIME IS RUNNING OUT - Lists due Sunday! (TAAB fans get your votes in )

I forgot to mention that Lark's Tongue may be the next best shot at numero uno.