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siLLy puPPy View Drop Down
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    Posted: August 07 2023 at 15:30
Inspired by the recent thread that someone posted with the top 50 prog artists of all time.


I started obsessing on what i didn't like it then i said screw it and decided to make my own :D

My list goes all the way to 100 artists with a list of near misses that would end up on a top 200 list if i decided to expand it

This list also includes prog folk, jazz-fusion, prog electronic and of course prog rock

Hopefully my choice of ranking won't trigger anyone but i did put a lot of thought into why i chose the artists i did and ranked them accordingly

Also included are the essential albums i deem relevant

What do you think? Did i miss anyone or rank certain artists badly?

It's all just good fun. Of course opinions will vary :)




Edited by siLLy puPPy - August 07 2023 at 15:52

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Grumpyprogfan View Drop Down
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Thanks for sharing this. Nice list, as you mentioned these are not your faves but those you consider influential and original. Gotta disagree that you didn't include Allan Holdsworth (solo material) or Pat Metheny. Both are the most innovative and original musicians I've ever heard. They didn't make the top 200 list either? Otherwise, it's nice to see Dixie Dregs, National Health, and Kansas mentioned.

Yet, Wobbler made the list. What have they done that's original?

Edited by Grumpyprogfan - August 07 2023 at 16:21
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siLLy puPPy View Drop Down
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^ you're probably right about Allan Holdsworth and Pat Metheny. I'm honestly just not overly familiar with them although i do have a few Metheny albums.

Wobbler may not be the most original but included because they are very popular and they do retro prog extremely well. Originality is only one factor. Enjoyability and longevity as well as dedication to a progressive paradigm also weighs in. This isn't a scientific analysis, just the best i could do with my experience and perception of prog, fusion and electronic music. All suggestions are quite welcome because if i do expand to 200 then i'm sure i'm missing something :)

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^Both Allan and Pat are quite popular.

Anyway, excellent list. Thanks!
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Originally posted by siLLy puPPy siLLy puPPy wrote:


What do you think? Did i miss anyone or rank certain artists badly?

Great job! There's about 20-25 bands/artists you included that I wouldn't have, but that's only natural. 

From my point of view the first glaring omissions that stood out to me was Kraftwerk, Brian Eno, Captain Beefheart, Weather Report, Embryo* and Radiohead. I quess Neu! as well. I would also have counted Post-Rock as a prog genre - which to me means that Talk Talk, Tortoise, Swans, GY!BE and perhaps Sigur Ros would find a place the in favour of all Neo Prog bands sans Marillion and UK. It's a sub genre that didn't bring anything new to the table anyway. I would also cut down a little on all things metal as well (but include Vektor). + One more from the  so-called Indo-Raga sub in addition to Shakti*. Either Andre Fertier (Clivage), Brother Ah, Ananda Shankar or Codona.

Some album-inclusions and exclusions I found particularely strange: You found a place for Genesis Revisited 2 but not Shamal, Contrappunti, Big Fun, Camel's debut or Rain Dances? With PFM I would not count their english versions as essential, as they're italian original versions are much, much better - and infact the originals.

Not to be taken as complaints, just my opinions based on .

*surely more essential than Frumpy:)

*I might have replaced Shakti with another too
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Saperlipopette! View Drop Down
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Originally posted by Saperlipopette! Saperlipopette! wrote:


Not to be taken as complaints, just my opinions based on .
Seems I got bored and forgot to finish starting the obvious blahblah personal subjective, imo etc...
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David_D View Drop Down
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With all respect and recognition, this list is very good for discussion, but I find this kind of lists to be most interesting when done 
on some specified inter-subjective basis like this one Top 100 all-time as rated on RYM and PA .
                      quality over quantity, and all kind of PopcoRn almost beyond
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David_D View Drop Down
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Looking at the list though and considering your criteria which are "....artists ...who i deem to be the most INFLUENTIAL, 
most ENDURING and most ORIGINAL. ", I don't understand the high position of black midi (#35).
                      quality over quantity, and all kind of PopcoRn almost beyond
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Saperlipopette! View Drop Down
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^+^^ Black Midi are relevant enough for a list like this imo. They represent a whole scene really. But your post reminded me the the missing King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard are a much bigger. Probably the biggest progband of the last five-ten years.

Also I don't see any problem with a curated list based on one persons knowledge such as this one.

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While I would rank Marillion (#28) higher.
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richardh View Drop Down
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My usual cut and paste comment is ELP too low and Camel too high but no problem with Crimson top.

WIthout trying to study it in great length I did specifically look for Anathema. Weather Systems on it's own would put then in my top 100, the last four together is enough for my top 50 and the whole catalogue easily makes them a top 20 prog artist of all time. Entirely subjective but they have brought something new to the table in my opinion, not just 'copy and paste' (like my comments)!
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I will settle this once and for all with a future video...
The Prog Corner
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siLLy puPPy View Drop Down
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Originally posted by Saperlipopette! Saperlipopette! wrote:

Originally posted by siLLy puPPy siLLy puPPy wrote:


What do you think? Did i miss anyone or rank certain artists badly?

Great job! There's about 20-25 bands/artists you included that I wouldn't have, but that's only natural.

Thanks :) And yep, we'd all do this differently :D

From my point of view the first glaring omissions that stood out to me was Kraftwerk, Brian Eno, Captain Beefheart, Weather Report, Embryo* and Radiohead. I quess Neu! as well. I would also have counted Post-Rock as a prog genre - which to me means that Talk Talk, Tortoise, Swans, GY!BE and perhaps Sigur Ros would find a place the in favour of all Neo Prog bands sans Marillion and UK. It's a sub genre that didn't bring anything new to the table anyway. I would also cut down a little on all things metal as well (but include Vektor). + One more from the  so-called Indo-Raga sub in addition to Shakti*. Either Andre Fertier (Clivage), Brother Ah, Ananda Shankar or Codona.

Well, Krautrock itself is not progressive rock in my opinion and i don't consider Kraftwerk prog at all. They are experimental synthpop really. Likewise Brian Eno and Captain Beefheart aren't prog either. They are experimental rock. You do have a point for Embryo and Weather Report. I'll add them to the tag on list along with Pat Metheny. Radiohead to me is art rock not prog. Post-rock is not prog either. It's prog related but i never understood why anyone considers a cyclical loop based musical structure as progressive. Metal is the most popular form of prog in the modern era and i love metal so i had to keep myself from adding more but Vektor is a worthy addition. I love both Clivage and Codona etc but to be fair  absolutely no Indo raga / Indo jazz artists were very popular other than Shakti. Neo-prog was very relevant. It kept prog popular during the 1980s. I didn't add many of them but Marillion, IQ and Pendragon are very much top players in the prog scene.

Some album-inclusions and exclusions I found particularely strange: You found a place for Genesis Revisited 2 but not Shamal, Contrappunti, Big Fun, Camel's debut or Rain Dances? With PFM I would not count their english versions as essential, as they're italian original versions are much, much better - and infact the originals.

I don't find any of those albums essential. You may be right aboiut PFM but i based inclusions on ratings from RYM and then added some i deem essential by my own standards.

Not to be taken as complaints, just my opinions based on .

*surely more essential than Frumpy:)

*I might have replaced Shakti with another too

Both Frumpy and Shakti were innovative and popular. They are both two of my favorite bands as well :)

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siLLy puPPy View Drop Down
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Originally posted by miamiscot miamiscot wrote:

I will settle this once and for all with a future video...


You go! As long as anyone doesn't take these things too seriously, it's kinda fun to see how others interpret things

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Nice list, great work! Thumbs Up
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siLLy puPPy View Drop Down
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Originally posted by richardh richardh wrote:

My usual cut and paste comment is ELP too low and Camel too high but no problem with Crimson top.

WIthout trying to study it in great length I did specifically look for Anathema. Weather Systems on it's own would put then in my top 100, the last four together is enough for my top 50 and the whole catalogue easily makes them a top 20 prog artist of all time. Entirely subjective but they have brought something new to the table in my opinion, not just 'copy and paste' (like my comments)!





I considered the ELP and Camel thing. The truth is ELP's popularity has declined significantly since their heyday. Only the debut album has ranked well. If they weren't so innovative and important to history they probably would've been ranked lower. I used to feel the same about Camel but they really got under my skin in the last few years. Too high? Possibly but their popularity seems to have increased in the last few decades and their first four albums are just divine. And you're right about Anathema. Added to tag on list at the end.


Edited by siLLy puPPy - August 08 2023 at 07:26

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Saperlipopette! View Drop Down
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As a general, short reply. Ok we think differnetly as to what we consider Progressive Rock, and that's fair enough I guess. If you'd heard all Kraftwerk (including their three first) you wouldn't just think of them as experimental synth pop. I disagree with everything you claim about genres like Post Rock and such. But as you don't even think Krautrock is Progressive Rock, we have very little common ground and we might as well just continue to disagree. To me Neo isn't genuine Progressive Rock, but Tortoise and late Talk Talk (obviously) etc... is.

-I don't like Shakti very much so that's the reason I'd replace them with something I enjoy more and that I think would represent the "sub genre" better. That's all. But Frumpy innovative? How?
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siLLy puPPy View Drop Down
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^ I wouldn't call Frumpy innovative but rather popular and instrumental for making German prog popular across its boarders which subsequently gave Krautrock a larger audience.

I'm on the PSIKE team and we've had this debate over the years. Krautrock MAY or MAY NOT be progressive rock. There have been many Kraut bands rejected here because they are grounded in basic blues rock or not rock at all. Kraftwerk is an excellent band but they're not prog rock. The first three albums do have some rock elements but it mixes with droning, electronica and experimentalism. The popular albums were more synthpop based. Same for Neu! Not really prog rock. I've heard all of their works. To me they are experimental but not prog much like post-punk.

This is the only site i know of that considers post-rock as prog. To me they are cousins but not siblings. Of course there is crossover with some bands clearly fitting into both camps but how anyone can call Mogwai prog is beyond me. Post-rock is its own genre with some bands that happen to be prog as well.

Whether you like Shakti or not (i happen to) they were the only significant Indo-jazz band that caught any public attention and the only such band that has albums that sold significantly and are now considered classics. They also were the best at their game. While most Indo-raga-jazz bands were more on the psychedelic side of things, Shakti was a powerhouse of virtuoso musicians that blew the roof off the house.

If i was going to do a list for experimental rock that is more broad than prog rock / folk / metal i would definitely include Kraftwerk, Neu! and post-rock bands like Godspeed You! Black Emperor. The few prog electronic bands on my list are there simply because they did venture into prog rock at some point and were too popular not to include basically.


Edited by siLLy puPPy - August 08 2023 at 08:13

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Originally posted by Saperlipopette! Saperlipopette! wrote:

^+^^ Black Midi are relevant enough for a list like this imo. They represent a whole scene really. But your post reminded me the the missing King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard are a much bigger. Probably the biggest progband of the last five-ten years.

Also I don't see any problem with a curated list based on one persons knowledge such as this one.



Black Midi are totally original and has given prog a big creativity boost in a sea of retro worship.

I considered King Gizzard but most of their stuff isn't prog at all and their prog creds are rather thin really. They are basically a heavy psych garage band that adds a bit of prog every once in a while but hasn't really established itself as a prog band. Polygondwanaland is probably the only primarily prog album i can think of. That's not a prog band for me. Led Zeppelin and Queen had prog songs but they ain't prog either.

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Originally posted by siLLy puPPy siLLy puPPy wrote:

Neo-prog was very relevant. It kept prog popular during the 1980s. 

I agree, together with the emerging Prog Metal. I find also Neo-Prog to be innovative to some degree.
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