Rolling Stone: 50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums

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Interesting list...I do struggle with the so called music "experts" when they classify bands and genres...the term "progressive rock" is like the word "civil war"...to me it's kind of a contradiction... calling some progressive bands "rock" is really a stretch..
 

I just have to say, that if anyone has ever demonstrated a pedigree that shows their utter lack of knowledge to publish such a list, it's Rolling Stone. And regardless of the fact that a cursory glance shows a pretty good (if often predictable) list, I still maintain that all such lists are utterly subjective and amount to nothing more than opinion- and RS had earned negative points from me re: their opinion on "Progressive Rock." (Even the term Prog has certain negative connotations, which attitude the "taste-makers" at RS can't deny having been a part of)

I didn't even want to click on it, but I just had to (if for no other reason than to feed the rant I knew was coming- and is now over).

Lurker mode reactivated
 
Love the list, and I think I own everything on it. Fandango doing Carmen is a very obscure LP (do not have on CD) I didn't not know has made inroads into the annals of progressive anything.

I like that there is Can and Amon Duul, but not the same albums as usually seen. They flipped a few titles here out for other albums.

I'd have liked to see Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come, one of their three albums.
 
In a cosmic ripple of synchronicity, I came to this thread directly from pulling a 2005 Mojo / Q Special Edition "Pink Floyd & The Story Of Prog Rock" off the bookshelf.
(Was organizing 20 years of Mojo back issues)

Here is their list: http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/q_mojo_se.htm

40 Cosmic Rock Albums To Blow Your Mind
Q Special Edition ~ July 2005

1. Pink Floyd – Dark Side Of The Moon
2. Genesis – Foxtrot
3. Yes – Close To The Edge
4. King Crimson – In The Court Of The Crimson King
5. Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Brain Salad Surgery
6. Rush – A Farewell To Kings
7. Jethro Tull – Aqualung
8. Hawkwind – Space Ritual
9. Mike Oldfield – Tubular Bells
10. Radiohead – OK Computer
11. Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here
12. Yes – The Yes Album
13. Frank Zappa – Hot Rats
14. Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
15. Van Der Graaf Generator – The Least We Can Do Is Wave To Each Other
16. Gentle Giant – Octopus
17. Marillion – Misplaced Childhood
18. The Mars Volta – Frances The Mute
19. Caravan – The Land Of Grey & Pink
20. Soft Machine – Third
21. Tool – Lateralus
22. King Crimson – Larks’ Tongues In Aspic
23. Camel – Moonmadness
24. Focus – Moving Waves
25. Queen – A Night At The Opera
26. Pavlov’s Dog – Pampered Menial
27. Sigur Ros – Agaetis Byrjun
28. Steve Hillage – L
29. The Nice – Five Bridges
30. Family – Music From A Dolls House
31. Roxy Music – Roxy Music
32. Golden Earing – Moontan
33. Argent – All Together Now
34. Hatfield And The North – Hatfield And The North
35. Gong – Flying Teapot Radio Gnome Invisible Radio Part 1
36. Amon Duul II – Dance Of The Lemmings
37. The Moody Blues – In Search Of The Lost Chord
38. Tangerine Dream – Phaedra
39. Barclay James Harvest – Once Again
40. Aphrodite’s Child – 666
 
I just have to say, that if anyone has ever demonstrated a pedigree that shows their utter lack of knowledge to publish such a list, it's Rolling Stone. And regardless of the fact that a cursory glance shows a pretty good (if often predictable) list, I still maintain that all such lists are utterly subjective and amount to nothing more than opinion

Who ever claimed otherwise?
 
That's a cool listing from MOJO , dave~.

They get my concurrence on the vast majority of those titles . I find it's unique they list Zappa's Hot Rats as it's one of my fave Zappa's. (y)
 
Read these lists while listening to Tomita's PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION. Seems as "proggy" as anything on those lists!

And yes, it is classically-based, but so was ELP's version. Hmm. Just might play that next! Haven't opened the Manticore box yet, but I heard it has a 5.1 section of PAAE. . . . .
 
In a cosmic ripple of synchronicity, I came to this thread directly from pulling a 2005 Mojo / Q Special Edition "Pink Floyd & The Story Of Prog Rock" off the bookshelf.
(Was organizing 20 years of Mojo back issues)

Here is their list: http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/q_mojo_se.htm

40 Cosmic Rock Albums To Blow Your Mind
Q Special Edition ~ July 2005

1. Pink Floyd – Dark Side Of The Moon
2. Genesis – Foxtrot
3. Yes – Close To The Edge
4. King Crimson – In The Court Of The Crimson King
5. Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Brain Salad Surgery
6. Rush – A Farewell To Kings
7. Jethro Tull – Aqualung
8. Hawkwind – Space Ritual
9. Mike Oldfield – Tubular Bells
10. Radiohead – OK Computer
11. Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here
12. Yes – The Yes Album
13. Frank Zappa – Hot Rats
14. Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
15. Van Der Graaf Generator – The Least We Can Do Is Wave To Each Other
16. Gentle Giant – Octopus
17. Marillion – Misplaced Childhood
18. The Mars Volta – Frances The Mute
19. Caravan – The Land Of Grey & Pink
20. Soft Machine – Third
21. Tool – Lateralus
22. King Crimson – Larks’ Tongues In Aspic
23. Camel – Moonmadness
24. Focus – Moving Waves
25. Queen – A Night At The Opera
26. Pavlov’s Dog – Pampered Menial
27. Sigur Ros – Agaetis Byrjun
28. Steve Hillage – L
29. The Nice – Five Bridges
30. Family – Music From A Dolls House
31. Roxy Music – Roxy Music
32. Golden Earing – Moontan
33. Argent – All Together Now
34. Hatfield And The North – Hatfield And The North
35. Gong – Flying Teapot Radio Gnome Invisible Radio Part 1
36. Amon Duul II – Dance Of The Lemmings
37. The Moody Blues – In Search Of The Lost Chord
38. Tangerine Dream – Phaedra
39. Barclay James Harvest – Once Again
40. Aphrodite’s Child – 666

one thing that impresses me is just how many of these albums have been remixed in Quad or 5.1 over the years.. by my reckoning, 20 albums out of 40 are in some form of surround sound.. and 8 of those are in the top 10..!! :yikes

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 19, 22, 24, 25, 31, 37, 39


..that's half the list you can enjoy in surround sound..!!! :worthy
 
Read these lists while listening to Tomita's PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION. Seems as "proggy" as anything on those lists!
And yes, it is classically-based, but so was ELP's version. Hmm. Just might play that next! Haven't opened the Manticore box yet, but I heard it has a 5.1 section of PAAE. . . . .

That would be a 1993 re-recording for Dolby Surround; I like it, haven't heard it in ages as I sold off the box set promo sampler that included it.
 
one thing that impresses me is just how many of these albums have been remixed in Quad or 5.1 over the years.. by my reckoning, 20 albums out of 40 are in some form of surround sound.. and 8 of those are in the top 10..!! :yikes

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 19, 22, 24, 25, 31, 37, 39


..that's half the list you can enjoy in surround sound..!!! :worthy

Which ones are likely to be added our surround collections?

I'm not to familiar with most the 20 non-surrounds listed but I'd love to hear those Radiohead and Tangerine Dream albums in quad or 5.1.
 
To me progressive rock (prog) means "something more" than 4/4 with slight variations on I IV V chords (blues based). That encompasses a lot. Something once considered prog could be perceived as rock decades later, if the ideas they had became more common.
 
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