The Top Progressive Rock Albums of the 1970s

Join Host Pete Pardo of Sea of Tranquility as he runs down some of his favorite prog albums of the '70s! Including albums by King Crimson, Rush, Supertramp, UK, Frank Zappa, Kansas, Yes, Genesis, Styx, Jethro Tull, ELP, Camel, Gentle Giant, Flash, Focus, Eloy, Le Orme, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, The Dixie Dregs, Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM), Van Der Graaf Generator, Wishbone Ash, Todd Rundgren's Utopia, Pink Floyd, Nektar, Max Webster, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, and Il Billetto Di Bronzo

We now have SoT Merchandise!

[ThatsMrPencilneckU]

No band made more than one album on your list, but one drummer made three: Bill Bruford: Yes, King Crimson, and UK. That says something.

[johnrambo]

Camel is definitely underrated. Snow goose and mirage are incredible albums.

[cosmicraysshotsintothelight]

Yes, the Gabriel era of Genesis... "A time when honor meant more to a man than life" Another perfect choice!

[guitarmon]

The Moody Blues get overlooked in this (and many other categories), but To Our Children's Children's Children is a progressive masterpiece. A sonic journey, and a perfect blend of emotion, intellect, light, shadow, joy, melancholy...and on and on. A true concept album, where every song blends into the next like shades in an impressionist painting.

[wesmorgan]

Foxtrot is a work of art! Suppers Ready still to this day is

[bemvindosaprosperidade]

Close to the Edge brings me an inexplicable wonderful sensation! Nicest album of all time!

[pyro]

Glad you mentioned Gentle Giant, they really don't get enough props

[TheAgeOfAnalog]

Close to the Edge will always be #1 for me. I've had it on vinyl for 30+ years and it probably gets more spins than any other record in my 1000+ LP collection. So good.

[RickBenbow]

Thank you THANK you for including Focus. This album got me into rock music in the early 70's. I agree so much with your choices in many of your videos.

[matthewhetzler]

Clicked on this just to see if Camel made the list.

[Hawk]

Thanks for mentioning Max Webster! I have been a fan since 1977's 'High Class In Borrowed Shoes' and it's been frustrating that almost nobody mentioned them or knew about them. One of the gems of the 1970s hard rock/ prog rock genres and really a brilliant band.

[sambates]

So thrilled to finally see some love for Kansas...of course loved Leftoverture, but Kansas, Song for America and Masque...such amazing musicianship both instrumentally and vocally. Thanks for acknowledging their greatness!

[eribaldoyes]

You deserve an award for picking Jethro Tull´s Minstrel in the Gallery! my favourite album of all time, and gets so little recognition! Very well done!

[marcm]

OMG you are the greatest---Wishbone Ash Argus, one of the greatest albums of all time.

[TheAerovons]

ELP's "Brain Salad Surgery" (as well as Tarkus) should be on the list....

[thetid]

You missed the entire Canterbury Scene!!! Soft Machine, Caravan, Robert Wyatt, Matching Mole, Hatfield & The North, Kevin Ayers .. and their links with Gong. How could you! They were the best progressives ever.

[thefuturefactory]

"The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" is by far, the greatest Genesis "prog rock" album and one of the greatest of all time."Fly on a windshield"."Back in NYC", "Carpet Crawlers", "Lilywhite Lilith"."The Lamia"."The Colony of Slippermen", etc.Gabriel's lyrics surreal.Before that "Supper's Ready" set the scene.

[mvancha]

Focus is one of the most underrated bands who made truly beautiful prog music.Also underrated is Harmonium

[nathanisaksson]

I love Todd Rundgren’s Utopia. Most people never mention it. The finale of Todd Rundgren’s album Initiation, “A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, ” is wild as hell, too.

[civilian]

I discovered one of my favorite albums on this video... A Farewell To Kings. Thank you so much Pete, for introducing me to great new music!!!