The Ultimate PA Album List - Results!!!

1800iareyay wrote: No one else voted Live at Leeds?! Fail, participants. Epic. Fail.

Unquestionably my favorite live album of all time. Had I voted, I most likely would have dropped it around 10 or 11.

schizoid_man77 wrote: el böthy wrote: Lateralus number 15? Im disapointed people...   I agree!

I also agree. How in the world did we let it get so high? 

AceBad wrote: What's your special album? Shakespeare: Eider Stellaire - I (#8)

I am a Zeuhl man through and through.

Shakespeare wrote: schizoid_man77 wrote: el böthy wrote: Lateralus number 15? Im disapointed people...   I agree! I also agree. How in the world did we let it get so high?

I would be more worried about Fear of a Blank Planet getting 20 than Lateralus getting 15...

The top ten albums of all time as voted by PA members, a morelistythanyou presentation:


#10 King Crimson - Larks Tounges in Aspic
(16 votes - 3363 points) Highest rating: #6 by Easy Money
What can I say about the greatest album KC has ever put out? With the coming of a completely new band, all at the height of they're game, Bruford, Wetton, Cross, Muir, and of course the only original, Robert Fripp set out to make one of the most musically challenging albums I've ever heard. All six songs are great, but the instrumentals are the greatest parts hands down, I still have yet to hear a band to surpass KC's musicianship. (schizoid_man77 #7)
Talk about a flawed masterpiece. This is, at least for me, King Crimson’s second best album, and probably also their second most important one, for it was the beginning of another era, arguably the best of their career. And the songs are all astonishing, and I mean all, specially the instrumental ones. (el böthy #16)
Truly an incredible album, The music on here is just so intense. This is, in my opinion, one of the greatest, most powerful albums of all time and truly a masterpiece of progressive music, and I truly do not throw the term around. There are albums that I give 5 stars because they are extremely good, but this is a masterpice, it's a whole 'nother story. (King Crimson776 #21)


#9 Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
(18 votes -3566 points) Highest rating: #1 by Oceansizzle
There's nothing i can say to really add to how great and revolutionary this album is. If any album deserves 5 stars, Dark Side does without any questions or doubts! It has changed my life, and millions of others...including many of the bands on this site. almost perfect. (Oceansizzle)
Dark Side of the Moon is one of the top ten albums in music. End of discussion. Every song is a gem of psychedelia. This album stayed on the Billboard Top 200 for over a decade. That is simply stunning. The album goes from paranoia to hilarity at the drop of a hat. DSOTM is essential for any fan of music. It is an album that belongs in your CD collection and probably already does. Simply stunning. (1800iareyay #4)
One of those albums you HAVE to have in your collection to make it perfect. This is a milestone of modern music. This album features such amazing production techniques for it's time that it turned out being far before it's time, and musically it flows well without losing energy and keeps the listener interested throughout the whole album in a way rarely experienced before to me. A very unique and great listening experience, use your best speakers or headphones for this one. Highly recommended! (Bj-1 #28)


#8 King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King
(18 votes - 3582 points) Highest rating: #1 by El Böthy
There are times in life where certain events change one for ever, be it a great love, the birth of a child …etc… While my turning point was not as epic as the birth of ones child, I hold it just as important in this moment in time. That turning point, that great event was listening to “In the court of the Crimson King” for the first time. I knew right then and there it was the single greatest piece of music I had yet heard (even if I didn’t realize it that much at the time, looking back I know I knew it right away). It was truly love at first sight. It literally opened up the doors of my personal perception. I knew there had to be music more adventurous, with more arrangements and not just soloing, with a more intelligent approach, I just could not put my finger on it and say “this is it”… not until “In the court of the Crimson King”. (el böthy)
This is the album that introduced me to Prog-Rock. The album is a masterpiece and it have no weak songs on it. Do yourself a favour and buy this album.....NOW!!!!! (Bj-1 #3)
I think it's personally the most emotive album I own, surely not my favorite, but very exciting. It's also one of the only albums I'll pop in my cd player more than once a month. It's just too amazing to disregard no matter what kind of prog fan you are.(Schizoid_Man77 #11)


#7 Porcupine Tree - In Absentia
{17 votes - 3638 points) Highest rating: #1 by asimplemistake
Porcupine Tree is truly an amazing band. By listening to this album, I've grown an appreciation of many musical genres, especially ambient and psychedelic/space rock. The theme for the rest of the album is kinda odd for such beautiful music, but I'm used to the odder themes and in fact like the way Porcupine Tree does it a lot. The lyrics are amazing, very well thought out. Steve does a great job with the harmonies, and sings very well in his upper range. As for the other musicians, I really love Gavin and his drumming - he does a perfect job of creating a groove that the other musicians can then fit into. This album is full of the use of ambient sounds during the quieter parts which I find really adds to the album. The production on this album is amazing, and the songwriting is even better. Out of all of Porcupine Tree's works, this is my favorite album. This CD is absolutely worth buying. (asimplemistake)
I had seen the name a few times before, so I was curious and I bought the album in late August 2005. After I listened to this album, I realized that it was one of the best albums I had ever heard. Overall, I would say this is a flawless album. It is one of my personal favorite albums. I don't listen to a lot of older progressive music, but I would recommend In Absentia to any person who enjoys listening to rock or metal. Highly recommended. (darkmatter #2)
One of the first prog albums to really capture my attention, and how could it not! The melodies are unforgettable and the performance on this album is top-notch. This is an accomplishment of modern prog, one of the first masterpieces of the 2000s. It doesn't matter if you only listen to 70s prog, all music lovers are guaranteed to find something they enjoy on this album (Moreitsythanyou #24)


#6 King Crimson - Red
(18 votes - 3735 points) Highest rating: #2 by Draconean, King Crimson776
Red is the greatest King Crimson album, this is where it all came together for them. Starless is in my opinion the greatest Crimson song and one of the greatest songs ever. It goes from a universal epic lament to what is perhaps the greatest tension build in any song ever, which is released in an apocalyptic meltdown of sax and burning guitar and rumbling bass. When it comes to a close I picture the end, the last peak covered in molten rock... the planet left to start over differently. If I had to take one album with me to a desert island, it would probably be this. Truly a masterpiece of music. (King Crimson776)
Red was the last Crimson album of the 70s, and was intended to be the final KC album period. Thus, Robert Fripp went to great lengths to craft a fitting swan song. The result was one of KC's greatest works. The album also is perhaps the heaviest in Fripp's discography. The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal dubbed Red the greatest heavy metal album made by a non heavy metal band. The album seems to be founded upon the tritone, which had been successfully resurrected by Sabbath's Tony Iommi. (1800iareyay #9)
Fripp's edgy and unpredictable playing pioneered the genre of what was then called "art rock," and this album is a prime example of Fripp and the gang (which changed every album, it seems) blazing through more uncharted territory. uperb work from all three instrumentalists (and the guest artists), setting a new standard for progressive rock (yet again) and also somewhat birthing, in a sense, the whole metal genre. Fripp intended this to be KC's last album (though it clearly wasn't), and it was, it would have been one hell of a way to go out. (Heyitsthatguy #14)

This is getting cool!

Zappa88 wrote: 3 great albums, one decent, and only one didn't make my list. Very pleased!

No actually you were missing two. But still....I like it.

#5 Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick
(19 votes - 4193 points) Highest rating: #1 by Markosherrera, Moreitsythanyou
"Greatest album of all time" is not a title that can be distributed lightly. After all, ethically, only one album should have it. For me, this is that album, the singular greatest compilation of recorded music. In my years of music-listening, I have yet to find an album which has convinced me otherwise. This album is perfection of ideas, perfection of execution, perfection of being a musician and a songwriter. The anti-concept adds a layer of lightness around the album which adds a refreshing spin to an album too tongue-in-cheek to take itself seriously but to perfect to be ignored. This is an absolute joy to listen to, not a single musical experience has matched it in levels of enjoyment or musical prowess. (moreitsythanyou)
Thick as a Brick is creativity, beauty, emotion: essentially, poetry, in a concentrated form. The music has an overwhelming amount of power, evoking emotion, unearthing dormant memories, and etching new ones. This is more than music; it's more than a journey even. It's as if the thing is a living force, offering emotions to the listener. Whether it is an acoustic guitar section with clear vocals and thought-provoking vocals, or a bluesy bass-led section, the entire album is exhilarating, contemplating, ethereal, even psychedelic. Every time I listen to it, new thoughts are discovered. The entire idea is in certain ways distant and unknown, but it extremely clear that there is some concept behind the music. This is truly a moving piece of music: it's progressive rock at one of its greatest moments. (Shakespeare #28)
Ian Anderson is without a doubt an extremely talented musician. I think it’s safe to say that you will adore this album. Even for those who don’t necessarily care for the way Anderson utilizes his talents (like me), this album is intriguing enough to please the ear. I find the music very unique, with a good mix of acoustic and electric guitar mixed in with solid percussion and Anderson’s flute which comes and goes throughout the entire album. I will not hesitate to strongly recommend this album as it clearly is a worthy addition to any prog collection. (Lofcaudio #26)

Edited by moreitsythanyou - February 16 2008 at 23:36

#4 Genesis - Foxtrot
(20 votes - 4320 points) Highest rating: #2 by Sleeper
The test of time is one of the hardest things for an album to pass. Is it possible for an album that was adoured 30 years ago to sound just as good today or again in 10 years time. Well with Foxtrot Genesis seems to pull it off, though we'll have to wait 10 years for second bit. From the intro of Watcher Of The Skies to the outro of Suppers Ready there isnt one dull moment on this record and that is quite impressive. In short, this is one of the greatest albums I have ever heard, it is essential to all prog fans and must be given the time it deserves to be fully apreciated (sleeper)
One of my first Genesis albums listened, and still remains my favorite with them many years on. Actually, I can with no doubt say that this one is among my personal favorite albums of all time,t his album has an adventurous style and feeling to it that Genesis never quite reached again, and together with Peter Gabriel’s wonderful lyrics, this is in overall an unique and hugely creative release, especially for it’s time (1972). Very competent and confident song writing with some of the best musical ideas Genesis ever did, and there’s no really weak spots here, just great quality progressive rock all the way.If you’re new to prog, this one is an excellent starter. It’s definitely essential in any prog collection, and you can’t really go wrong if you purchase this one. (Bj-1 #4)
Part of a good album is its ability to bond something of a relationship with the listener, and linger within him or her. Genesis’ Foxtrot, to me, is one of the most personal albums ever concocted, and when I hear its name mentioned, I can’t help but feel some form of an owner’s pride rise in me. Foxtrot is truly a magnificent piece of music, exploring many levels of intensity, but always epic, always gripping, always special. The entire album is flooded with beauty: whether it's interesting/quirky/strange lyrics, or absolutely epic soundscapes. Musical perfection is impossible, yes, but the nearest an group had come can be seen on the track Supper's Ready. Every song is very fascinating and compelling, and the overall intrigue of this album is undeniable. It jumps from soft, sweet parts, to complex, powerful segments. It's Genesis' best effort, methinks, and should be owned by every proghead. (Shakespeare #5)

Wowbagger wrote: Wow, I think thick as a brick deserved to be way higher.

You know I do!

Damn, I knew it. Top three: WYWH, CTTE, SEBtP.