Top 10 Prog Rock Bands

These iconic bands all broke the mould. For this list, WatchMojoUK counts down Top 10 UK Prog Rock Band Albums. We're looking at the all-time greatest progressive acts and their masterpieces. Let us know in the comments what your favourite prog rock band is.

Check out these other brilliantly British videos from WMUK:

Subscribe for more Brilliantly British Content:

Challenge friends and family on our multiplayer Trivia!

Have Your Idea Become A Video!

WatchMojoUK is your source for British Top 10s, covering popular shows like Doctor Who, Strictly Come Dancing, Great British Bake Off, Coronation Street, This Morning, Good Morning Britain, The Graham Norton Show, Sherlock, and more! We also cover the latest in British Movies, Music and Pop Culture - We Top 10 it all!

#ProgRock #BritishMusic #Genesis #KingCrimson #PinkFloyd

[garrygrasinski]

Interesting to note that the wonderful percussive touch of Bill Bruford graced three of these bands! The man got around!

[igorkatsiev]

1 - Pink Floyd
2 - Yes
3 - Genesis
4 - King Crimson
5 - ELP
6 - Jethro Tull
7 - Gentle Giant
8 - Camel
9 - Caravan
10 - The Moody Blues

- Rush
- Traffic
- Fruupp
- The Flower Kings
- Asia
- Kansas
- Van der Graaf Generator
- Soft Machine
- Procol Harum
- Marillion

[deadmanrunning]

Where was I when prog rock took hold? I was in high school 1969-73, but it all hit me at the same time. King Crimson, ELP, Tull, and Yes. Great thing about those times were the other bands and genres that were evolving. Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, ZZ Topp, Allman Brother's, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Traffic to name a few.

[oppi]

These are personal preferences and really hard to put them in order:

1. King Crimson, Gentle Giant, Van Der Graaf Generator, Peter Hammill
2. Genesis, Jethro Tull, Yes
3. E.L.P, Pink Floyd, Renaisance,
4. Deep Purple
5. Led Zeppelin
6. Santana
7. Mahavishnu Orchestra
8. Supertramp
9. Harmonium
10. Camel

Really great mentions:
Porcupine Tree, Steven Wilson, Mike Oldfield, Tool, Anglagard, Marillion, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Dream Theatre, Styx, Caravan, Rush, Opeth,

[bookhouseboy]

50 Best Prog Rock Bands Ever (uDiscover Music): 1. King Crimson 2. Yes
50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums Of All Time (uDiscover Music): 1. Close to the Edge – Yes
100 Greatest Prog Artists of All Time (Louder Sound): 1. Yes
The 150 Best Prog Rock Bands (Ranker): 1. Pink Floyd 2. Yes
100 Greatest Progressive Rock Artists (DigitalDreamDoor): 1. Yes
Best Prog Rock Band (Talk Classical): 1. King Crimson 2. Yes
Prog Magazine 100 Greatest Artists: 1. Yes
Prog Magazine Top 100 Albums: 1. Close To The Edge – Yes

[davidlly]

Probably YES in the mid-70's. They took hold and have remained my musical Gold Standard ever since.

[donovanemery]

Marillion emerged in the 1980s as part of the UK neo-prog movement, with concept albums such as "Misplaced Childhood" and "Brave"

[MichaelSheffield-oxyd]

I heard 'In the Court of the Crimson King' on the radio and knew something new had arrived. Something fresh, not yet more R&B.

[jesserussell]

My favorite program groups are number one Genesis and they also love Emerson Lake and Palmer king crimson and yes those are great bands. One of my favorite songs by us is awake and I was absolutely blown away not only how epic it is 15 minutes long and my other favorite song prank Roxanne would have to be supper’s ready by Genesis it’s an absolute masterpiece one of the best in the world.

[emari]

1- Genesis 2- Jethro Tull 3 Moody Blues 4- Yes 5- Pink Floyd 6-E:L&P-7 Supertramp 8-Gentle Giant 9- Dream Theater 10 Haken

[loftlegacy]

Apart from Queen the first "proper" prog band that caught my imagination was Rush when I heard "The Trees" on The Friday Rock Show on BBC Radio 1, hosted by the legendary Tommy Vance.

[МаксРогозин-ею]

Once again Renaissance is forgotten. A string of excellent albums between 1972 - 78. I could easily live without Caravan and Soft Machine. Genesis were great only till Steve Hackett's departure.

[JAM]

saw Yes in the round in NYC three times in the late 70s as a shows always

[kencory]

Good to hear you mention my favourite band, Gentle Giant.

[RossHMay]

grew up in Detroit and Windsor. left home to play Jr hockey, @ 15. 1st concert that i ever went to was; Floyd, Crimso, yes and Rennaissance, @ the Maple Leaf gardens, with my teamates, and then the next year, 73, with my highschool mates from Farmington Michigan. a year later, saw Gentle giant, Soft Machine and Roy Woods Wizard with the great unknown UK band Audience, at The red Wings old Barn, The olympia. Cheers from SpoCanada

[roygaiot]

All of these bands, except for one, have one thing in common -- they have the 70s sound. And this is why Yes deserves to be #1 - their sound and compositions are always fresh sounding, which makes them timeless. And this is beside the fact that every one of the core members was a musical genius.

[Locomamonk]

It's impossible not to agree with these, though every one of us has a different order for these. THANKS for including the hidden gem CARAVAN which is one of my favorites and STILL making albums! "It's None of your business" was released on 2022!

[delby]

Moody Blues and Renaissance could definitely have been added. You could also add Strawbs post Grave New World album.

[DoodleDeer-sbhi]

If you want to include modern prog, Porcupine Tree are modern classics as well!

[hansmoerenhout]

King Crimson!! Without doubt my all time fav. Number one talking about being progressive going forward. Yet as a genre, Yes would be my nr1 pick progrock band. Sadly missing: the amazing Renaissance!