Chronological Comparison: Genesis, JT, KC, PF, Yes

Comparing the albums of Genesis, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Yes by order of release.

Feel free to cover as many of these, and more, if you like, and you need not do all five albums from each. I plan to do a second edition with some other big names like VdGG and GG. I chose 11 for my cgoices to go up to The Wall specifically. Pink Floyd and King Crimson are my favourites generally of these, but of course it also depends on which specific releases we are comparing. In some cases choosing the order was a toss-up. Some years I love all, others only one or two.

Here are the first 12 albums per band in chronological order for reference:

Genesis:

From Genesis to Revelation
Trespass
Nursery Cryme
Foxtrot
Selling England by the Pound
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
A Trick of the Tail
Wind & Wuthering
...And Then There Were Three...
Duke
Abacab
Genesis (aka Shapes)


Jethro Tull:

This Was
Stand Up
Benefit
Aqualung
Thick as a Brick
A Passion Play
War Child
Minstrel in the Gallery
Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die!
Songs From the Wood
Heavy Horses
Stormwatch


King Crimson:

In the Court of the Crimson King
In the Wake of Poseidon
Lizard
Islands
Larks' Tongues in Aspic
Starless and Bible Black
Red
Discipline
Beat
Three of a Perfect Pair
THRAK
The ConstruKction of Light


Pink Floyd:

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
A Saucerful of Secrets
More
Ummagumma
Atom Heart Mother
Meddle
Obscured by Clouds
The Dark Side of the Moon
Wish You Were Here
Animals
The Wall
The Final Cut


Yes:

Yes
Time and a Word
The Yes Album
Fragile
Close to the Edge
Tales From Topographic Oceans
Relayer
Going for the One
Tormato
Drama
90125
Big Generator

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Here are my choices in favourite (1st) to least favourite potition.

Debuts

1. In the Court of the Crimson King
2. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
3. This Was
4. Yes
5. From Genesis to Revelation

Seconds

1. A Saucerful of Secrets
2. In the Wake of Poseidon
3. Trespass
4. Stand Up
5. Time and a Word

Thirds

1. Lizard
2. Benefit
3. More
4. The Yes Album
5. Nursery Cryme

Fourths

1. Islands
2. Ummagumma
3. Aqualung
4. Fragile
5. Foxtrot

Fifths

1. Atom Heart Mother
2. Larks' Tongues in Aspic
3. Selling England by the Pound
4. Thick as a Brick
5. Close to the Edge

Sixths

1. Meddle
2. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
3. Starless and Bible Black
4. A Passion Play
5. Tales From Topographic Oceans

Sevenths

1. Red
2. Relayer
3. Obscured by Clouds
4. A Trick of the Tail
5. War Child

Eighths

1. The Dark Side of the Moon
2. Wind & Wuthering
3. Minstrel in the Gallery
4. Discipline
5. Going for the One

Ninths

1. Wish You Were Here
2. Beat
3. ...And Then There Were Three...
4. Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die!
5. Tormato

Tenths

1. Animals
2. Songs From the Wood
3. Three of a Perfect Pair
4. Duke
5. Drama

Elevenths

1. The Wall
2. Heavy Horses
3. THRAK
4. Abacab
5. 90125

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Hope to see some other list covering as many of these albums as you know and like. :)

Thanks, Mira.    You're formatting looks so much better and more economical than mine, by the way. And while my list only went to 11, yours goes two higher! Nigel Tufnel approves.

Debuts
1. In the Court of the Crimson King
3.  Yes, From Genesis to Revelation, Gates of Dawn

Seconds
3. A Saucerful of Secrets, In the Wake of Poseidon, Time and a Word

Thirds
1. Lizard
Fourths
1. Aqualung
2. Fragile, Foxtrot
3. Islands

Fifths
1. Atom Heart Mother
1. Larks' Tongues in Aspic
1. Selling England by the Pound
1. Thick as a Brick
1. Close to the Edge

Sixths:
1. Meddle
2. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
3. Starless and Bible Black
4. A Passion Play
5. Tales From Topographic Oceans

Sevenths:
1. A Trick of the Tail
2. Red, Relayer
3. Obscured by Clouds

5. War Child

Eighths;
1. The Dark Side of the Moon
2. Wind & Wuthering
3. Minstrel in the Gallery
4. Discipline
5. Going for the One

Ninths:

1. Wish You Were Here

3. ...And Then There Were Three...
4. Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die!
5. Tormato
Tenths:

1. Animals
2. Songs From the Wood

4. Duke
5. Drama

richardh wrote: I could have ignored the thread I suppose and it may well that my post will be considered trolling. I'm not having a good week though and now a bit pissed that ELP are no longer considered important enough to be incuded in a discussion like this. They are still very much a 'big six' band. I think it is possible to include them on the basis that Pictures at An Exhibition and Emerson,Lake and Powell are in the running order. That still only makes 11 albums so maybe Three To The Power Of Three could be a twelth as 2 of them were in that band. So it could be 1. Emerson, Lake and Palmer 2. Tarkus 3. Pictures At An Exhibition 4. Trilogy 5. Brain Salad Surgery 6. Works Volume One 7. Works Volume Two 8. Love Beach 9. Emerson,Lake and Powell 10. 3 To The Power Of 3 11. Black Moon 12. In The Hot Seat on that basis Debuts In The Court Of The Crimson King Emerson,Lake and Palmer Yes Seconds Stand Up Trespass Tarkus Thirds Nursery Cryme Benefit Trilogy Fourths Foxtrot Aqualung Fragile Fifths Brain Salad Surgery Close To The Edge Thick As A Brick Sixths Lamb Lies Down On Broadway Meddle A Passion PLay Sevenths Red A Trick Of The Tail Relayer Eights Dark Side Of The Moon Minstrel In The Gallery Going For The One Ninths Wish You Were Here And Then There Were Three Tormato Tenths Animals Drama Duke Elevenths The Wall Abacab Black Moon Twelths Stormwatch The Final Cut Shapes It is ironic that just maybe I could be exiting PA after 20 years when I've just handed in my notice of my job of 30+ years

Richard,

If ELP is included, their debut album and 2nd album, Tarkus would take the top spot in my list with the other bands included in this poll. I will come back to respond, but starting with the Yes Album, Yes is going to run up a number of top rankings per release.

Hi, and sorry, Richard. No offence or sleight was intended in omitting ELP. It wasn't because I didn't consider them important enough, and I do consider it to be one of the most seminal and quintessential bands in Prog, but it's more about my ignorance as after the first five albums my knowledge becomes very spotty. And frankly, beyond the first five albums I didn't think that many others would be that interested. Personally, I would only want to consider the Emerson, Lake & Palmer albums. That is ELP to me.

I thought covering five of the big names with long careers would be good to start and more would be onerous for this exercise. This was not intended to be about what's most important (I did aim to cover five big names with many albums) and certainly not about what's most important to me. I would have loved to include Tangerine Dream, Van der Graaf Generator, Magma etc.

I think what I should have said in the OP is feel free to add any other classic bands to the mix. By the way, I also considered adding Rush, but then that wasn't there at Prog's beginning. Please don't read too much into it from me, as I usually make less than satisfying topics (I am often not pleased with how they turn out), and I have received many complaints due to omissions over the years. I expect others could do much better. Maybe I should just do topics that focus on my particular favourites, but I do have this desire to reach out to more diverse tastes.

I am sorry that time's have been so tough for you, you handed in your notice after so many years and are now considering leaving PA. I've felt like you've been a good forum friend to me here, someone I have enjoyed having many discussions with over the years, and have really appreciated your presence. I wish you well. And if you ever want to vent about life or talk about problems, my PM box is open. Take care of yourself and all the best. If this forum is an added stress, it does make sense to at least take a break from it. I've needed to before, and yesterday was a pretty horrible day for me too due to some family business. I like to unwind and refocus here, but this forum definitely can be a significant added source of stress, especially when dealing with complaints and dissatisfaction.

- Greg

By the way, I really like ELP's debut. And Trilogy was one of the the first Prog albums I heard as a child and is an album I was in love with when I returned to Prog in a big way in the early 2000s. It's not a band I listen to much now, but then I can say that of Genesis, Yes and Jethro Tull (unlike, say, VdGG, Tangerine Dream, Magma, KC, Pink Floyd, a later one like Art Zoyd, and many others).

Edited by Logan - 36 minutes ago at 04:55