Top of the Progs I: The Classic Era
by 
Robert Anton Wilson 
OK, major refitting. This chart will become 3 charts. This one which will be the classic prog era. The next one will cover what came after 1989, band-wise not album-wise. 1989 being chosen as cut-off year because that is the year Marillion released their first album without Fish (hence Marillion will be cut in half). My other option had been 1991 as the release year of the first Porcupine Tree album but 89 it is. The third chart will be for lesser known but highly deserving prog bands/albums.
The current classic prog era will be categorized as follows:
1-20: The top album from my Top 20 prog bands of the classic to neo-prog era (no duplication)
21-69: The other albums from my Top 20 bands deserving mentions
71-86: Other top prog bands and albums that I, personally, never had time to get into properly.
87-97: Crossover prog, from pop, jazz, classical
98-100: the Kébec Konnektion
- Chart updated: 02/26/2024 23:15
- (Created: 11/09/2012 01:55).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 11 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top of the Progs I: The Classic Era has an average rating of 92 out of 100 (from 22 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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This chart is currently filtered to only show albums from the 1980s. (Remove this filter)
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An utterly unique album by an utterly unique artist. Kate Bush`s music is usually dominated by the beauty of the melody and the angelic sound of her voice. NOT on this album. The Dreaming is crazy, nightmarish and absolutely masterfully performed and produced. This is for the die-hard prog fan.
For the melodic/angelic Kate Bush, see positions 55 & 56. [First added to this chart: 11/08/2012]
For the melodic/angelic Kate Bush, see positions 55 & 56. [First added to this chart: 11/08/2012]
Year of Release:
1982
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,326
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Rush liked to release 4 albums followed by a double live album. Their first 4 albums were hard rock until the epic 2112 full side song. Their next four albums were prog. Then they became slightly more pop but never fully gave up their edge.
Moving Pictures was likely their most popular album of their full-fledged prog period. I mostly stopped following Rush in 1987 when the released the unforgivably horrendous album "Hold Your Fire", some people tell me they got good again, I trust it is trust but I cannot comment. However, for more details about their classic era prog albums, let's meet again in positions 57 to 60. [First added to this chart: 11/09/2012]
Moving Pictures was likely their most popular album of their full-fledged prog period. I mostly stopped following Rush in 1987 when the released the unforgivably horrendous album "Hold Your Fire", some people tell me they got good again, I trust it is trust but I cannot comment. However, for more details about their classic era prog albums, let's meet again in positions 57 to 60. [First added to this chart: 11/09/2012]
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
8,939
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The only Neo-prog second generation band which I feel fully deserves to stand along its forefathers. Yes, Marillion started off attempting to copy-cat Genesis, but they developed their own sound, image and mystique very quickly (using a very distinct iconography through their album covers and the use of picture disks). They brought a level of energy and anger to neo-prog that set them apart. While most neo-prog was born of the angels and faeries of Yes, the moody organ of wish You Were Here or the melody of "The Cinema Show", Marillion was born out of the energy and anger of "The Knife", "Apocalypse in 9/8th" or "The Gates of Delirium". ... The Fish started to whine about his childhood (this album) and his love of strong spirits (Clutching at Straws).
For more about the Fish-era Marillion, see this chart positions 65-67. Non-fishy Marillion will be covered in the next Prog chart. [First added to this chart: 01/25/2013]
For more about the Fish-era Marillion, see this chart positions 65-67. Non-fishy Marillion will be covered in the next Prog chart. [First added to this chart: 01/25/2013]
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,835
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Symphonic space rock. I never gave Eloy the listen they deserved. I got nearly their whole collection at a time when i was getting way more music than I could digest and this albums is nearly the only I gave a fair spin. If you are new to prog or agrandising your horizons, give them a peak, they are pretty good and reliable in their output, you will know quickly whether they are for you or not quickly.
[First added to this chart: 11/09/2012]
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One of the thing that the classic era proggers never managed to do is supergroups - groups that sound like a dream-team from players which are already legend in their own rights. Out of all of the supergroup attempts I can think of (UK, GTR, Asis), this album is the only one deserving a spin. The contemporary prog rockers have been much more successful at inter-breeding and cooperation.
[First added to this chart: 11/09/2012]
Year of Release:
1982
Appears in:
Rank Score:
574
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Comments:
25. (=)
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Other than Rick Wright's Zee Identity venture, all PF members' solo albums are interesting. I have decided to highlight this one because I find that having Roger's visionay compositions and concepts backed by the guitar work of Eric Clapton is the only really worthy replacement of David Gilmour's atmospheric. The vluesies anything related to Floyd ever got, but it still is more prog than blues.
[First added to this chart: 11/09/2012]
Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
731
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To me Genesis post-Gabriel, or at the very least post-Hackett. is a new band. I've always had a tough time to accept that they continued under the name Genesis once they were 3. While a different beast, Genesis as a trio still gave us good prog material even if it is their pop material that brought them an immense influx of new fans, But prog was no longer their main sound. They became a pop-rock band with prog tendencies and capacities. Duke is an album dominated by Phil Collins and written to expurge the pain following his difficult divorce. Much easier to listen to and digest than the good old truly prog Genesis, but slightly less satisfying for a hardened prog-head like me.
[First added to this chart: 11/09/2012]
Year of Release:
1980
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,808
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To me the real continuation of the Genesis prog sound is found in Peter Gabriel's solo career. He quit Genesis to avoid the grandiosity prog had reached. His first 2 solo albums were intimate endeavours. With his 3rd and 4th solo albums, the prog vibe returned. He aged and matured, even attempted pop on the album So, but then I aged and matured in parallel with him so as far as an individual musician is concerned, Peter Gabriel is the one I am most in tune with. I recommend all his albums, they're all good. From a "prog" point if view, his 4th album (known as Security is the US), is the high point of his solo career. Then the 80s did to him what they did to all the other dinosaurs but he survived through it with the most grace and the less damaging pop-ification (Sledgehammer & Steam on the album So were quite out of character). And BTW, Shock the Monkey is by far the least interesting song on this album.
[First added to this chart: 11/08/2012]
Year of Release:
1982
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,732
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Comments:
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King Crimson went on hiatus in the mid-seventies and did not reappear before the 80s with a quatuor this time and a second trilogy of albums (Discipline, Beat, Three of a Perfect Pair). Once again, KC totally reinventing themselves both in sonority and compositional structures. The only predictable thing about the Crims is their unpredictability. This trilogy sounds more modern and the instruments are electronic instruments rather than more “organic” ones they had in their previous incarnation (particularly at the drum) but given the energy and the crazy syncopated sense of rhythm of the Crims it works every time. The high pitched droning electric guitar of Fripp which evolved dramatically after his experimentation in the 70s (he invented Frippertronics) dominates the instrumental tracks but the overall musical offering is tainted and reflexive of the personality and flavour of the 4 individual members. KC reinvented themselves ‘a la 80s. and for them it worked. This trio of albums feels dynamic, creative and
[First added to this chart: 11/08/2012]
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,191
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Average Rating:
Comments:
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Selecting an album to be typical of Peter Hammill solo is not an obvious thing to do. I have chosen this album mainly because it includes the full vinyl album side epic song « Flight » which I have finally had the privilege to see performed live in 2012.
PH’s down and dirty discography review :
Top notch prog albums : Fool's Mate; The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage; In Camera; Over (ideal for post-break up cry); pH7; A Black Box; Patience; Out of Water; The Noise (unequal, 3 amazing songs);
Poppier but still good : Sitting Targets, Skin;
Little more experimental : The Future Now, Enter K; ... to be continued [First added to this chart: 11/08/2012]
PH’s down and dirty discography review :
Top notch prog albums : Fool's Mate; The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage; In Camera; Over (ideal for post-break up cry); pH7; A Black Box; Patience; Out of Water; The Noise (unequal, 3 amazing songs);
Poppier but still good : Sitting Targets, Skin;
Little more experimental : The Future Now, Enter K; ... to be continued [First added to this chart: 11/08/2012]
Total albums: 19. Page 1 of 2
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Top of the Progs I: The Classic Era composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 6 | 6% | |
| 1970s | 68 | 68% | |
| 1980s | 19 | 19% | |
| 1990s | 2 | 2% | |
| 2000s | 5 | 5% | |
| 2010s | 0 | 0% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| King Crimson | 8 | 8% | |
| Rush | 5 | 5% | |
| Pink Floyd | 5 | 5% | |
| Yes | 4 | 4% | |
| Genesis | 4 | 4% | |
| Marillion | 4 | 4% | |
| Van Der Graaf Generator | 4 | 4% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
 |
67 | 67% | |
| |
8 | 8% | |
| |
8 | 8% | |
 |
6 | 6% | |
 |
4 | 4% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top of the Progs I: The Classic Era chart changes
| New entries |
|---|
| For Girls Who Grow Plump In The Night by Caravan |
| Hatfield And The North by Hatfield And The North |
| Once Again by Barclay James Harvest |
| Leavers |
|---|
| In The Land Of Grey And Pink by Caravan |
| The Rotter's Club by Hatfield And The North |
| Time Honoured Ghosts by Barclay James Harvest |
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Top of the Progs I: The Classic Era 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.
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Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 22 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 09/15/2025 17:44 | Johnnyo | 2,548 | 80/100 |
| ! | 01/28/2025 04:24 |  Repo | 558 | 100/100 |
| ! | 01/27/2025 16:08 | C0NB9NN | 20 | 85/100 |
| ! | 01/27/2019 16:36 |  Graeme2 | 213 | 94/100 |
| ! | 02/10/2018 00:54 |  Onater | 458 | 90/100 |
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).
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This chart is rated in the top 1% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 92.0/100, a mean average of 94.8/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 94.8/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 6.5.
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Top of the Progs I: The Classic Era comments
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From Johnnyo 09/15/2025 17:44 | #310928
Great chart.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From C0NB9NN 01/27/2025 16:12 | #307269
Wow. Just wow. I’m not a big prog-rock fan, but I have always wanted to get into it, and just never knew where to start. I’m going to be using this to a very large extent, as you really seem to be knowledgeable and know exactly what you’re talking about. I love the way this chart is set up, it reads more like a review than a chart. Thanks for this.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Graeme2 01/27/2019 16:38 | #230834
Graeme2 01/27/2019 16:38 | #230834
Great notes. Fragile my choice for Yes too.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
ExTeaSea 08/26/2018 16:59 | #220126
ExTeaSea 08/26/2018 16:59 | #220126
Hell of a chart. Gotta respect a true prog fan. Love how much Van Der Graff Generator there is plus Peter Hammil! I really need to check his stuff out.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From ruquito124 01/30/2018 22:55 | #206875
Great Chart. Most of the choices are obvious but a lot of them are very clever.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
indieshins 01/02/2018 21:38 | #204444
indieshins 01/02/2018 21:38 | #204444
This is cool! I keep trying to enjoy prog and with the exception of a few classics, like Dark Side, I've found it difficult. Maybe this chart will change my mind! Thanks!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From manurock 01/02/2018 12:21 | #204417
Fantastic. As a prog-rock fan, I still have lots to check in here.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
ForegroundNoise 01/02/2018 11:59 | #204414
ForegroundNoise 01/02/2018 11:59 | #204414
Such a cool idea!! Don't know half as much about prog as you (other than the heavyweights) but would be interested to see the crossover (if any) in your next chart between neo-prog and post-rock (my favourite musical movement). :)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Gionzi 11/20/2015 19:55 | #153230
Very nice chart, but for me it's very missing italian prog, one of the best movements for this genre, bands like Banco del Mutuo Soccorso and Area and other PFM works too.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
ffudnebbuh 06/22/2013 11:59 | #79594
ffudnebbuh 06/22/2013 11:59 | #79594
what he said, except I would have put "close to the edge" before "Fragile"
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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| Best Artists of 1985 | |
|---|---|
| 1. Kate Bush | |
| 2. Tom Waits | |
| 3. Dire Straits | |
| 4. The Smiths | |
| 5. The Jesus And Mary Chain | |
| 6. Tears For Fears | |
| 7. The Cure | |
| 8. The Replacements | |
| 9. Prefab Sprout | |
| 10. The Pogues | |
| 11. Marillion | |
| 12. New Order | |
| 13. Hüsker Dü | |
| 14. The Fall | |
| 15. The Waterboys | |
| 16. R.E.M. | |
| 17. Talking Heads | |
| 18. Prince | |
| 19. Prince And The Revolution | |
| 20. The Cult |
