PROG - Ten Albums - An Introduction to Progressive Rock

Here are ten albums I feel are perfect to introduce somebody to the weird and wonderful world of progressive rock.

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#prog #ranking #classicalbum

[stevecowder]

Without a doubt, The Yes Album should be a unanimous choice. It’s the album that really put them on the map, but also the one that ultimately made me a fan. And I love your choice of ELP’s debut. That piece is rock solid and never seems to get enough credit. Definitely would raise some eyebrows among the beginners.

[UncleTonyGuitar]

The “progressive” movement began with the idea that artists could play whatever they felt. As with all genres, it is the critics and the fans that codify the parameters and set the rules in stone.

[madsoxx]

Outstanding list of LPs here. Well done, sir!

[kratino]

Greg Lake had beautiful pipes almost his entire life. His voice thickened and deepened, but it was magnificant to the end. He re-recorded Closer to Believing not long before his death, and it was gorgeous.

[thekeywitness]

Starship Trooper was one of the tracks that got me into Yes and prog

[RZmedia]

Couldn't agree more about Steve Hackett! Nice that he's still out there, playing Genesis songs the way they should be played.

[garyh.]

Great list - definitely the gateway albums for newbies to the genre, before heading into deeper waters. Other honourable mentions would be FOCUS'- Moving Waves and KANSAS' - Leftoverture.

[elliotwalton]

What a perfect list. Going back the the 1970s, Pink Floyd was an obvious gateway, as well as The Moody Blues, but also the album art of Barry Godber and Roger Dean. Even if it would be years later that I finally 'discovered' King Crimson and Yes, I did so because the art was so memorable.

[davedrummer]

Trick of the Tail, what a wonderfull collection of gems. *Edit- and F.E.A.R i had an excellent experience driving with this album, starting the album near Cambridge going to Brighton, rotherys solo near the end of New Kings was as i was climbing the dartford bridge which was amazing in itself, but being overtaken by a loud motorcycle right on the overhead airplane part just bought the experience to a new high, a proper hair tingling moment. 2 excellent albums

[Barbaste]

Late 70's it was all about the live albums: yessomgs, genesis love, bursting out, made in japan, pompeii, etc, exit stage left...

[ilabelle]

I’m pretty sure that every prog fan can sing all of these albums forwards, backwards and inside out. You are absolutely right, these are the bricks and mortar of prog. (Umm…Marillion kinda sticks out a bit. But whatever. Onward!)

My intro was Meddle (I started mainlining right away!) Back when I was a kid One of These Days was the theme to the six o’clock news. Somehow I found out it was Pink Floyd. I saved up my paper route money and bought the album.

I remember sitting on the bus just mesmerized by the album cover. I got home and slapped that sucker on to my mother’s turntable. There it was! The news theme! I was surprised by the mellow acoustic numbers that followed after such a walloping opener, but found them to be….soothing? A reprieve of sorts.

Then I flipped the record over and that my friend was the end of Yummy, Yummy I Got Love in My Tummy. It was also the beginning of my very long and strange trip.
🤘😵‍💫🤘

[BananaBrainsYYZ]

As someone who was introduced to prog with Moving Pictures, I have to agree with its placement on this list. Great list overall too.

As much as I adore Rush, I would pick Dark Side of the Moon as the first starting point for getting into prog, though not necessarily because of the music. While musically, I think there are more fitting albums to serve as an introduction, I would pick Dark Side of the Moon purely because of its cultural impact. It's perhaps the most iconic rock album of all time, certainly near the top. It's become a staple of music culture. You see the cover art for DSOTM everywhere. It's instantly recognizable, and for that, I would say it should be the first prog album someone is introduced to, as they're more than likely to be at least somewhat familiar with the record.

[richardstuebe]

This is one of the main reasons I listen to you and other prog enthusiasts: discovery. For some reason, I had never heard of FEAR. So, I bounced over to Spotify, and started to listen...this is a GREAT album! I am shocked (disappointed?) that I had never heard it (or even heard of it!) before. Thank you so much for introducing me to a wonderful piece of music!

[rushbravado]

Now this is a damn good list. If you are going to start with Rush and throw in Genesis, Supertramp, ELO and Marillion for starters you are off to a great start. I would agree with most of these albums. You could probably change around A Trick of The Tail with Wind And Wuthering and Moving Pictures with Permanent Waves but I would say overall a great list. I would include Queen II, Queensryche's Operation Mindcrime and Styx II. I like the reach with A New World Record but I would suggest On The Third Day or Eldorado as more of an in-between. You can still hear some progressive styles on both of those albums. Really enjoyed this video.

[Superbokka]

This is the best video intro I've ever seen on You Tube Barry lol.

[bongolong]

An excellent list to lure the novice into the vast world of progressive rock...

[CarlMonday]

ELO II and Eldorado are as prog as prog can be, I would say. Then Jeff Lynne heard the siren song of the pop charts. And who can blame him? The dude is a pop-rock genius. So A New World Record would be a great way to get one's feet wet in at least prog-adjacent waters, but then to go back and discover the earlier stuff is the key. And In The Court... is quintessential prog. Great #1 choice! Moving Pictures to start off, too. Nice bookends.

[gwangi]

I love ELP's debut, the way it mixes the dark, classical and gothic - The Barbarian, Knife Edge, The Three Fates - with the softer and more romantic Take a Pebble and Lucky Man. Very atmospheric.

[countdebleauchamp]

What makes 'The Yes Album' so great is its almost Houdini - esque escape/freedom from the otherwise unavoidable trap of prog pretense.

[DeGuerre]

The quibble I have with the premise is that the best albums to introduce someone to prog depends on where they're coming from.

If someone knows their classical music, what could be a better gateway album than "Pictures at an Exhibition"? Or if they're coming from metal, perhaps Queensrÿche's "Operation Mindcrime" might be a better choice. I mean, the umlaut is right there.