100 Greatest Progressive Rock Albums by Deckiller 
This list is strictly a ranking of the greatest Progressive Rock and Progressive Metal albums. I stuck to Prog Rock/Metal in its purest sense, and didn't include related genres such as:
- Space Rock (so no Pink Floyd or Hawkwind)
- Protoprog (so no Beatles, Moody Blues, the Nice, etc.)
- Alternative Metal/"Art Metal" (so no Primus, Fates Warning, King's X, Queensryche, etc.)
- Art Rock/Progressive Pop (so no Peter Gabriel, Anathema, Talk Talk, Queen, or specific releases like 90125, Lightbulb Sun, or To the Bone)
- Fusion (no Miles Davis, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Brand X, Bruford, Planet X/Derek Sherinian, etc.)
- Symphonic/Power/Neoclassical Metal (this is not purely prog rock; sorry Nightwish fans)
The emphasis is on complete, cohesive progressive rock albums. For instance, I prefer Hand. Cannot Erase. over The Raven that Refused to Sing, but the latter is more of an overall representation of the genre than the former. The same goes for Fragile and Close to the Edge.
I tried to include some albums by lesser known artists as a way to suggest new music.
- Chart updated: 02/09/2019 20:15
- (Created: 02/09/2019 13:01).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
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The Holy Trinity of classic prog rock is pretty much set in stone. Playful yet elegant at times, Genesis were a little quirkier, eclectic, dynamic, and folksy than their counterparts in Yes, though not quite as symphonic or melodious.
[First added to this chart: 02/09/2019]
Year of Release:
1973
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Rank Score:
11,642
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Comments:
92
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The Holy Trinity of classic prog rock is pretty much set in stone. Yes had a bigger, more bombastic sound than Genesis, who were a bit more delicate. Most of this comes from Yes' emphasis on melodic vocals and beautiful, highly produced harmonies. Yes took as many cues from The Beach Boys and the Beatles as they did King Crimson and classical music. As Bruford said, they were an artsy pop group: this is not a bad thing.
[First added to this chart: 02/09/2019]
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
14,447
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Comments:
6. (=)
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A great prog rock statement for the late seventies. Rush (along with King Crimson) was the bridge between Progressive Rock and Progressive Metal, and this album perfected the formula.
[First added to this chart: 02/09/2019]
Year of Release:
1978
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,928
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Arguably the best Genesis album. I put Selling England ahead of it simply because it's so close in quality to this one, yet came three years prior. Three years was an eternity in the 70s music scene.
[First added to this chart: 02/09/2019]
Year of Release:
1976
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Rank Score:
3,472
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Loses points for the short little solo compositions, which tend to break up the flow. Otherwise it's just as strong conceptually as Close to the Edge.
[First added to this chart: 02/09/2019]
Year of Release:
1971
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Rank Score:
7,019
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One of the most underrated Progressive Rock bands - Kansas had the chops to match any of their British contemporaries, yet they could also write mega hit singles on the very same albums. I think the Brits and their fans were simply jealous of this fantastic band.
[First added to this chart: 02/09/2019]
Year of Release:
1976
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Rank Score:
1,093
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ELP were never quite on the same tier as King Crimson, Yes, Genesis, or even Kansas, but they came very close at times. Tarkus gets points for being the first truly exceptional 15+ minute suite in the genre (unless you count Lizard by King Crimson, which is a bit uneven).
[First added to this chart: 02/09/2019]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
947
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Self-aware parodies are fun. Nobody was as ridiculous as Jethro Tull, and it's hilarious that they tried to hide it with tongue in cheek.
[First added to this chart: 02/09/2019]
Year of Release:
1972
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Rank Score:
6,168
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A dense, if conceptually ridiculous release with a few incredible pieces that are far better than the sum.
[First added to this chart: 02/09/2019]
Year of Release:
1974
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7,427
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The third album from the band on this list is also their third most influential: it helped lay the foundation for Progressive Metal, Alternative Metal, 80s Heavy Metal, and a lesser-known genre called Metal Fusion. King Crimson in their early years were scarier and heavier than any metal band, culminating in the songs Red and One More Red Nightmare. Of course, the band could also create the dynamic extended suites that defined prog - Starless is one of the genre's best pieces.
[First added to this chart: 02/09/2019]
Year of Release:
1974
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Rank Score:
10,415
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Total albums: 53. Page 1 of 6
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100 Greatest Progressive Rock Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 2 | 2% | |
| 1970s | 53 | 53% | |
| 1980s | 8 | 8% | |
| 1990s | 11 | 11% | |
| 2000s | 17 | 17% | |
| 2010s | 9 | 9% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| King Crimson | 7 | 7% | |
| Dream Theater | 7 | 7% | |
| Genesis | 6 | 6% | |
| Porcupine Tree | 6 | 6% | |
| Yes | 5 | 5% | |
| Rush | 5 | 5% | |
| Kansas | 5 | 5% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
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58 | 58% | |
| |
24 | 24% | |
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6 | 6% | |
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5 | 5% | |
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3 | 3% | |
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2 | 2% | |
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1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
100 Greatest Progressive Rock Albums chart changes
| New entries |
|---|
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100 Greatest Progressive Rock Albums ratings
88/100 (from 2 votes)
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Showing all 2 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
95/100  | 10/12/2021 12:22 | eldaddio | | 88/100 |
100/100 | 12/02/2020 05:53 | leniad | | 85/100 |
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95/100
From eldaddio 10/12/2021 12:22
Excellent list! I especially like the well defined scope of the albums.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From leniad 12/02/2020 05:54
Love the albums
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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