Symphonic Prog Appreciation Thread - Progressive Rock Music Forum

Psychedelic Paul wrote:

The Top 37 Symphonic Prog albums of all time, as voted for in a recent poll by the good members of ProgArchives. Smile

1. YES - Close to the Edge (316 points)

2. GENESIS - Foxtrot (140 points)

3. YES - Tales from Topographic Oceans (112 points)

4. GENESIS - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (110 points)

5. EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER - Emerson, Lake & Palmer (93 points)

6. GENESIS - Selling England by the Pound (90 points)

7. CAMEL - Moonmadness (80 points)

8. KANSAS - Leftoverture (75 points)

9. HARMONIUM - Si on avait besoin d'une cinquieme saison (72 points)

10. ANGLAGARD - Hybris (67 points)

11. FOCUS - Hamburger Concerto (64 points)

12. WOBBLER - From Silence to Somewhere (62 points)

12. RICK WAKEMAN - The Six Wives of Henry VIII (62 points)

14. YES - Relayer (49 points)

14. CHRIS SQUIRE - Fish Out of Water (49 points)

16. SPOCK'S BEARD - V (46 points)

16. RENAISSANCE - Ashes Are Burning (46 points)

18. DISCIPLINE - Unfolded Like Staircase (43 points)

19. GLASS HAMMER - The Inconsolable Secret (42 points)

20. NEAL MORSE - Sola Scripture (41 points)

21. CAMEL - The Snow Goose (40 points)

21. YES - Fragile (40 points)

21. GENESIS - Trespass (40 points)

21. CAMEL - Mirage (40 points)

21. SOLARIS - Marsbeli Kronikak (40 points)

26. GENESIS - A Trick of the Tail (38 points)

26. REFUGEE - Refugee (38 points)

28. EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER - Tarkus (35 points)

29. FANTASY - Paint a Picture (34 points)

30. CRESSIDA - Cressida (32 points)

31. GENESIS - Duke (30 points)

31. SPOCK'S BEARD - Snow (30 points)

31. ECHOLYN - The End is Beautiful (30 points)

31. GENESIS - Wind & Wuthering (30 points)

31. NEAL MORSE - Similitude of a Dream (30 points)

31. TRANSATLANTIC - Bridge Across Forever (30 points)

37. ALL TRAPS ON EARTH - A Drop of Light (29 points)

Unfotunately this list does not contain one of the best part of the Symphonic Prog. The one developed in Italy, also known as Rock Progressivo Italiano.

RPI is pure symphonic prog. Tongue

Amazed that Nursery Cryme isn't on that list. Symphonic is definitely my favorite genre. I'd like to see Barclay James Harvest better represented, great band and, like the Moody Blues, properly symphonic (incorporating orchestra or orchestral sounds in most of their music).

Ronstein wrote:

Amazed that Nursery Cryme isn't on that list. Symphonic is definitely my favorite genre. I'd like to see Barclay James Harvest better represented, great band and, like the Moody Blues, properly symphonic (incorporating orchestra or orchestral sounds in most of their music).

Nursery Cryme didn't make it onto the list on account of the fact that I only allowed PA voters to include one album from each artist in their respective Top 10's. Smile

If it wasn't for that rule, I probably would've chosen ten albums by Renaissance for my Top 10. Tongue

By "some Italian album" you of course mean Cherry Five - s/t (1975). xD The lyrics are in English and it doesn't sound very RPI to my ear. I personally believe it's a Symphonic Prog record, except... well... Italian. Let me know what you think.

Edited by Hrychu - February 24 2021 at 05:34

“On the day of my creation, I fell in love with education. And overcoming all frustration, a teacher I became.”
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Hrychu wrote:

By "some Italian album"" you of course mean Cherry Five - s/t (1975). xD The lyrics are in English and it doesn't sound very RPI to my ear. I personally believe it's a Symphonic Prog record, except... well... Italian.

Cherry Five over PFM? I believe they are still considered RPI. I personally don't care if it's italian sounding or not. What does Italian sounding even mean? It has to have Italian vocals? Hey, let's all only listen to music with english vocals then. Why pretend prog only appeals to english people and is not a global phenemenon(which of course it is).

Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - February 24 2021 at 05:36

Sorry to ask a (new?) question within a thread, but if IQ weren't labelled as neo-prog, would they fit into Symphonic? And if not, why not?

Hrychu wrote:

I think that IQ's debut is 100% symphonic. The rest is Neo.

the roots of neo are in symphonic prog. That's why you'll see some people saying neo-prog doesn't exist, it's all symph-prog. Big smile

Edited by Cristi - February 24 2021 at 07:31

Hrychu wrote:

Yeah, but Neo Prog to me is more modern sounding than Symphonic, features heavier guitars and more synths.

sometimes

heavier guitars later on though, stating with Arena in the mid 90s.

Hrychu wrote:

The lines between Symphonic and Neo are sometimes a bit blurry. Take The Watch for instance.

they are not neo-prog IMHO.

AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

I don't hear much symphonic in Marillion(not even in the early stuff so much). IQ seems much more symphonic to me.

I kinda agree here, although there is an obvious Genesis influence on the early Marillion work.