Tarkus
by Emerson, Lake & Palmer
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Condition: New
Emerson, Lake & Palmer bestography
Tarkus is ranked 3rd best out of 15 albums by Emerson, Lake & Palmer on BestEverAlbums.com.
The best album by Emerson, Lake & Palmer is Brain Salad Surgery which is ranked number 1448 in the list of all-time albums with a total rank score of 1,166.
(N.B. Bestographies include all albums by an artist (and their variations), but do not include albums ranked outside the top 100,000).
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Tarkus track list
The tracks on this album have an average rating of 78 out of 100 (all tracks have been rated).
Top-rated track as rated by BestEverAlbums.com members.
Tarkus rankings
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Tarkus ratings
Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AVwhere:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.
Showing latest 5 ratings for this album. | Show all 316 ratings for this album.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Album ratings | Avg. album rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 01/04/2026 12:53 | Exist-en-ciel | 7,397 | 70/100 |
| ! | 01/04/2026 04:27 | Skerns | 5,065 | 80/100 |
| ! | 11/20/2025 21:40 | Jakor | 5,006 | 68/100 |
| ! | 11/08/2025 09:36 | stareaterogni0n | 296 | 72/100 |
| ! | 10/19/2025 14:41 |  Ilolahti | 71 | 79/100 |
Rating metrics:
Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some albums can have several thousand ratings)
This album is rated in the top 5% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 76.2/100, a mean average of 75.7/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 76.3/100. The standard deviation for this album is 15.6.
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Tarkus comments
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Now having listened to each of the first three ELP albums, I'd have to pick this quite easily as my favorite of the bunch. Self-titled and Trilogy are good, each with some really fantastic moments, but this is great, maintaining a better sense of rhythm, melody, cohesiveness, and musicality all throughout, as opposed to the other two records which can feel a bit stagnant and unmelodic in moments. The highlight here is obviously the stunning side-spanning title track, one of the great prog epics, maybe a short step below the likes of Close to the Edge and Supper's Ready. I hadn't heard many good things about the B-side going in, but I quite liked it—Bitches Crystal and Time and a Place giving a spot for ELP to put the "rock" in prog rock, Jeremy Bender and Are You Ready Eddy showing the band's more playful side, and The Only Way/Infinite Space being a rather profound tune. I like this album in totality from start to finish, which I couldn't say about the other two ELP records I've completed. Will be listening to this offering more often.
IlMala 01/27/2022 13:33 | #280166
Frankly... never enjoyed so much ELP: Brain Salad Surgery i really don't like, sounds like an exhibition in itself rather that an album; despite this, Tarkus and Trilogy are 2 excellent albums, of course extremely well played and "easy" to listen.
great, not their best
Enjoyed the title track - the rest is a mix bag of stuff
really good prog rock
Fischman 12/02/2018 19:54 | #226056
This album is the epitome of prog greatness. It is complex, epic, virtuosic, challenging... yet listenable and compelling.a seminal masterpiece of the genre.
I much prefer this album to 'Pictures at an Exibition'. It is a more melodic and cohesive affair. I particularly like 'Battlefield' which give 'Yes' and 'Genesis' a run for their money. I am not so keen on the way Keith Emerson chose to play his Moog, for example 'Aquatarkus' is a very 'plinky plonky' affair, great on a honky tonk piano but not on a Moog.Great honky took piano on 'Bitches Crystal' by the way. ELP albums don't really flow given that tracks move from Church organ led to honky tonk piano led to plinky plonk Moog led. Fantastic musicians, but I often get a sense they all wanted to showcase their singular abilities rather than gel as a unit.
Jbalbinolr 11/22/2017 20:46 | #201873
Great, but if wasn´t for the title track tha album would be nothing.
All very competent but slightly overrated. Still, it is one of their best records, although could you honestly get away with this today?
flamingyesdept 01/24/2017 18:39 | #184151
Their most consistent by far. Probably their best overall.
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