Top 10 best prog albums of all time

I'm sure there's got to be a thread like this already. 

Edited by Cristi - April 03 2024 at 12:21

1. Yes - 90125

I don't do best, and I left off some fave JRF (Miles Davis, Hancock, because to me it's a rather different beast and ten feels too limiting. I mean, would I want want to limit myself to ten fingers and ten toes? Of course not. I'll stick with 11 and 12 for that. Here is a top ten based on my tastes and what I do think great in the Progiverse staright off the top of my head and based on my interests.

Magma - Kobaia
Can - Ege Bamyasi
Comus - First Utterance
King Crimson - Red
Van der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts
Robert Waytt - Rock Bottom
Art Zoyd - Generation Sans Futur
Tangerine Dream - Phaedra
Pink Floyd - Meddle
Swans - To Be Kind

My list looks like this (one per artist rule in effect!)

I won't put them in any order, but here would be 10 desert island disks from the classic era for me:

Cristi wrote: I'm sure there's got to be a thread like this already.  edit: https://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=122983&KW=Top+10 https://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=127094&KW=Top+10 https://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=118480&KW=Top+10 https://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=127717&KW=Top+10

Don't worry about it Gnik (aka nice anagram of kinG crimsoN). The forum search takes some getting used to. You need to use advanced search and then play with the parameters. many fail to notice that the default is Find Posts -> Last Week. I set it to all-time, and look for topics specifically.

These are always interesting as one gets different results, and I always like to share that which I care about. While I did a top 10 (no specific order) and eight of those were from the 70s, I will follow the above and come up with, well I decided on post 80s and no band I mentioned already (lots I love from the 80s), in this case a baker's dozen (I prefer 13 to 12, and 12 to 10, but I guess it can depend on how many limbs one has to count - j/k).

In no particular order

Godspeed You Black Emperor! - Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven! (2000)
David Bowie - Blackstar (2016)
Tortoise - Millions Now Living Will Never Die (1996)
Guapo - Black Oni (2005)
Anna von Hausswolff - Dead Magic (2018)
North Sea Radio Orchestra - I a Moon (2011)
Mr. Bungle - California (1999)
black midi - Cavalcade (2021)
Talk Talk - Laughing Stock (1991)
Cardiacs - Sing to God (1996)
Current 93 - Thunder Perfect Mind (1992)
William D. Drake - Briny Hooves (2007)
Kayo DOt - Hubardo (2013)

Great to have you onboard, and I look forward to having you here in a wide variety of discussions and topics.

Going with my 10 favorite, no one album per artist rule.

1) Yes: Close to the Edge
2) Yes: Relayer
3) Yes: The Yes Album
4) Genesis: Selling England by the Pound
5) Genesis: A Trick of the Tail
6) Gentle Giant: Three Friends
7) Rush: A Farewell to Kings
8) Emerson Lake and Palmer: Brain Salad Surgery
9) King Crimson: Red
10) Steven Wilson: The Raven that Refused to Sing

Honorable Mentions:

UK: UK
Kansas: Leftoverture
Big Big Train: The Underfall Yard
Steven Wilson: Hand Cannot Erase
Rush: Moving Pictures
Yes: Fragile
Genesis: Foxtrot
Porcupine Tree: Deadwing
Brad Mehldau: Jacob's Ladder *
Tigran Hamasyan: Red Hail *

* Mehldau and Hamasyan are two of the brilliant Jazz artists of our time. Red Hail is as much a Prog album as it is a Jazz/ Fusion album. Jacob's Ladder is a incredible reworking of Prog Classics such as Rush's Tom Sawyer, Yes' Starship Trooper, Gentle Giant's Cogs in Cogs among others.

Personal list

Magog2112 wrote: 1. Marillion - Brave 6. Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element, Part I 8. IQ - Subterranea