Top 20 Best Instrumental Progressive Rock Songs

[pedrokropotkin]

My top 25:

1) Yes - Wurm
2) Genesis - The Waiting Room
3) King Crimson - Red
4) King Crimson - Larks' Tongues in Aspic - p.1
5) Camel - Dunkirk
6) Mike Oldfield - Ommadown -p.1
7) King Crimson - Fracture
8) Pink Floyd - One of These Days
9) Camel - Earthrise
10) King Crimson - Larks' Tongues in Aspic - p.2
11) Rush - La Villa Strangiato
12) Pink Floyd - Atom Heart Mother
13) ELP - Fanfare for the Common Man
14) Genesis - Los Endos
15) Camel - Rhayader Goes to Town
16) Rick Wakeman - Anne of Cleves
17) Porcupine Tree - Signify
18) Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells -p.1
19) Camel - Ice
20) Alan Parsons - Lucifer
21) Camel - Migration
22) Pink Floyd - Marooned
23) Camel - The Snow Goose
24) Rush - YYZ
25) Camel - Fritha

[darrenbennion]

Karn Evil 9 2nd impression is the greatest prog instrumental PERIOD

[ruben]

Some of my favourites that didn't appear:
Gentle Giant - The Boys in the Band
Soft Machine - Out-Bloody-Rageous
Pink Floyd - Insterstellar Overdrive
Faust - Krautrock
Neu! - Negativland
King Crimson - Larks (Pt. I)
Genesis - Duke's Travels
Mike Oldfield - Ommadawn (Pt. I)

[IanTheGreat-xcgo]

Almost got me there with "the clap" being the best

[bobparr]

Might I also suggest.
Focus - House of the king
Jeff Beck - Never alone
Big big train - Bats in the belfry
The Lens - To the power of five
Fernando Perdomo - De Borderij
Steve Hackett - The Phoenix flown
Big big train - Apollo
Genesis - Los Endos

[peterlaszloszasz]

I like all these songs but here are a few less popular recommendation:

Artcane - Odyssée
Carpe Diem - Voyage du Non-Retour
Métabolisme - Tempus
Patrick Vian - Grosse Nacht Musik (Yes, he is son of Boris Vian...)
Pell Mell - Moldau
Mythos - Mythalgia
Mythos - Quasar
Mythos - Mythoett
Dominique Guiot - Wind Surf Ballad
Dominique Guiot - La Danse des Meduses
Alphataurus - Croma
Catharsis - 32 Mars
Celeste - Sinai
Charisma - Street Theater
Ultimate Spinach - Sacrifice of the Moon (In Four Parts)

or go deeper, like:

Wapassou - Melopee
Jacques Blais - Ascencoeur
Dragon - Introduction (Insects)

Witthauser & Westrupp - Illusion I

etc... Enjoy, Music Lover!

[folker]

If Firth of Fifth (Genesis) didn't have the lyrics, definitely this song would be the best instrumental one.

[chrisfehn]

HOW isn't "Atom Heart Mother" not in here...

[TheGamecock]

I would have included Lucifer by The Alan Parsons Project.

[einarassipavicius]

Not that big of a Tubular Bells fan, but Fracture in 2nd is a great choice. I personally think Fracture is the most mindblowing prog rock instrumental. Actually, many of KC instrumentals qualify as such, but Fracture is exceedingly complicated and breathtaking at the same time.
Also nice to see Mahavishnu Orchestra. Many of their compositions would be high on my list.

[bobparr]

Focus- house if the king
The Lens - To the power of five
Fernando Perdomo - De Borderij
Rick Wakeman - Catherine of Aragon
Steve Hackett - The Phoenix flown
Big Big Train - Bats in the belfry
Big Big Train - Apollo
Camel - Lunar sea
Tangerine dream - Force Majeure
Steven Wilson - The harmony codex
Jean Luc Pointy - Egocentric molecules
Simon Phillips - Long road home

[hombrerusodeanos]

awesome video!!! i higly recommend "Tarka y Ocarina" from "Los Jaivas" 15 minute long instrumental suite that fuses the virtuisoty and theatrality seen in prog rock with the overall sounds, textures and weather from andean rock music!!!

[zackzallie]

Watermelon in Easter Hay never failed to make me emotional. I used to put Zappa's work as emotionless until I listened to thr music. Its so moving.

[grumpydickus]

Well, I own copies of everything, but the Zappa, so I guess we'd survive a long car trip

[extrullorgd]

LVS is #1 for me, it has one of the best guitar solos and drum sections I've ever heard.

[fenderstratocastertelecast]

Wot Gorilla GENESIS
Aqua part 1 ASIA
pipeline ALAN PARSONS PROJECT
los endos GENESIS
In that quiet earth GENESIS
The brazilian GENESIS
Sketches in the sun GTR
Masquerade YES
Fly from here overture YES
Cinema YES
Ace of.swords ALAN PARSONS PROJECT
Aura ASIA
Child's Anthem TOTO
Leave that thing alone RUSH
where's my thing RUSH

[petercena]

I only like the last 90 seconds of Larks Tongue in Aspic, but it's damn good.

[bentons]

The great gig in the sky should be number 1

[bozajungle]

Los endos, hairless heart and after the ordeal are the perfect genesis trilogy and they are not there. and to think that pink Floyd are being that they are not the best examples of progrock out there.

[fernandolarrea]

"When the water breaks", Liquid Tension Experiment.