The 411 Music Top 5 07.29.08 Top Prog Rock Bands

Posted by Blake Lauderback on 07.29.2008

We are dissecting our Top 5 Progressive Bands. So, "Yes," you should come in as we discus the "Genesis" of the genre up to the present day. Don't be a "Tool," "Rush" in! And by the way, which one's Pink?


Welcome once again to the coolest place in town to be a music fan, as you have just entered an asylum's worth of music fanatics. We may all be a bit odd, maybe some a little touched in the old noggin, but we all come to play, ready to go to war for our opinions on the world's most important art form.

To get us started, let's knock out a little recap, as last week's Top 5 list of the greatest punk bands saw a new writer step into the winner's circle… Jesse Coy! Well, assuming that you can declare any of us a winner after the punk masses laid waste to most of us, proof that there is no making everyone happy! We had too many old bands, too many new bands, too many overrated bands, and too many bands that just weren't good enough.

With all of that said, we are going to be adding a new feature each week. Since you all seem to have your own opinions (which trust me, is a great thing) we are going to give you, the reader, the opportunity to have your list published here in the Music Zone Top 5. Send in your Top 5 lists (explaining your picks will certainly help your case) and we, the writers of the Music Zone, will vote on YOUR lists. The winner each week will receive his or her own space the following week. Right about here…

YOUR LIST HERE

So read up on our lists, write your own, and send it in along with your vote for which writer you think got it right. Sound good? Good. Moving on.

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Alright, the time has come. Time to take a look at one of the longest tenured sub-genres in rock and roll, a style of music that many have dabbled in, but only a select few have truly perfected. So, turn on the black lights and light a little incense, because talking about these guys is the same as listening to one of their songs… we are going to be here a while. That's right boys and girls… the Music Zone is proud to present…

The Top 5 Progressive Bands of All Time

Dan Halen
[Reviewer, occasional columnist]

HONORABLE MENTION: Jethro Tull (70s era), Kansas (70s era), Deep Purple Mk II (hey, 30 minutes of "Space Truckin'" on Made In Japan counts as prog), Queen (think "Prophet's Song"), Moody Blues, Hawkwind, Genesis (Gabriel era on into late 70s), Asia (first prog supergroup?), Dream Theater, Electric Light Orchestra (early 70s era), Utopia (anything up to and including the excellent Ra album containing the epic "Singring & the Glass Guitar"), Gentle Giant, Soft Machine, UK (relatively unrecognized but included Bill Bruford, John Wetton and Allan Holdsworth), Marillion, Saga, Alan Parsons Project, Traffic, Styx (pre-Tommy Shaw), Journey (seriously, pre-Steve Perry), Uriah Heep (early 70s era), Focus, Spock's Beard

5. King Crimson - KC set the template for all the self-indulgent concept albums and side-long epics to come. Also, they were a fertile spawning ground for numerous other bands as seemingly every member that departed ended up either in or formed another successful band or contributed to some piece of musical history. Greg Lake ended up being a third of ELP. Boz Burrell ended up in Bad Company. Ian McDonald ended up in Foreigner. John Wetton replaced Lake and then ended up in Roxy Music, UK and Asia on down the road. Even Mel Collins, the brass/woodwind player ended up playing with a who's who in the music business

4. Rush - The only non-UK entry on my top 5, but it's obvious they gained some influence from the UK. Geddy playing a Rickenbacker bass (ala Chris Squire from Yes), Alex playing the hollow-bodied Gibson (ala Steve Howe from Yes) and Peart's massive drum kit all screamed "progressive". Add to that, their stage presence and penchant for using crazy projections on the screen behind them, then toss in some choice song titles/lyrics ("By-Tor & The Snow Dog" anyone?). And 2112 is a classic concept album as is A Farewell To Kings/Hemisperes (joined by the former's final song "Cygnus X-1" into the latter's opening song, the 20+ minute title track – a journey into a black hole only to come out on the other side in the presence of Gods – how can this NOT be prog heaven?).

3. Pink Floyd - While they were more psychedelic rock on the first couple of albums, one can't deny that by the time they got around to putting out Ummagumma, Atom Heart Mother and Meddle, they were full blown prog. Cuts such as the sprawling "Echoes" solidified their prog status. And while the songs are a bit more radio-friendly than most prog albums, Dark Side of the Moon speaks volumes in the concept albums department. If you really want to experience them at their prog best though, check out Animals which is basically three long songs about dogs, pigs and sheep and their roles in the corporate world.

2. Emerson, Lake & Palmer - I mentioned Asia possibly being the first prog rock supergroup, but it was ELP. Emerson had played with The Nice, Lake with King Crimson and Palmer with Atomic Rooster (The Nice and Atomic Rooster weren't exactly huge names in prog, but prog nevertheless…). Powered by Emerson's mastery of piano, organ and the massive Moog modular synthesizer, ELP cut a slew of classically influenced albums including Tarkus and the seminal Brain Salad Surgery. There onstage antics were pretty incredible including Emerson's rotating, spinning grand piano and his penchant for ramming knives into the keys of his organ. They were also one of the first bands to carry a full blown classical orchestra on tour (as opposed to today's trend of using the local orchestra in whatever city the artist is performing in). This was a financial disaster for the band and that coupled with the emerging punk scene at the time, effectively derailed the band at the end of the 70s.

1. Yes - Yes may not have been the first, but certainly they are the most recognized of the prog bands. They've been around since the late 60s and are still going strong today with at least two of the original member still on board. Having weathered the changing scene of the 80s that effectively killed off most prog bands at the time, Yes simply morphed into a more radio-friendly prog band and released one of their most successful albums in 90125. In the early 90s, they embarked on a tour supporting their Union album that included the two most successful lineups of the band on stage, playing choice selections from the Yes catalog simultaneously. A list of the band members is a who's who of prog rock and over the course of their career, only one member has remained constant: Chris Squire on bass. Along the way, they've had two completely diverse guitarists (Steve Howe and Trevor Rabin), two excellent drummers (Bill Bruford and Alan White), two singers (Jon Anderson and for one album/tour Trevor Horn) and three master keyboard players (Rick Wakeman, Tony Kaye and Geoff Downes who toured with them at the same time Trevor Horn did – the two together had their own band, The Buggles). When you factor in the amazing artwork that graced most of their albums, courtesy of Roger Dean, and amazing conceptual pieces such as and Tales From Topographic Oceans and the classic Fragile that contains probably the most recognized prog song in rock history in "Roundabout", one can see why Yes would have to be considered one of if not the top prog rock band.

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Dan Haggety
[The Mosh Pit, Fact Or Fiction, Reviewer]
**1x Champion**

HONORABLE MENTION: Marillion (part of the neo-prog revival of the 80's, and an outstanding act. Anything with Fish on leads is gold) Queen (although you could pug their 70's work into just about any category – talk about breaking molds!) Kansas (When a band writes non-pop songs that become radio staples, you know they're good) Uriah Heep (Their influence is across multiple genres, and terribly underappreciated today) Moody Blues (Orchestra arrangements anyone?) Alan Parson's Project (You don't know how bad I wanted to put them on the list below…)


5. King Crimson - Classical, jazz, folk, hard rock, psychedelic, and bucket loads of experimentation is the hallmark of this largely off-the-radar band. The reality is they are one of the foundations of progressive music and one of the bands that was it's symbol during the height of the progressive movement of the 70's. More interested in seeing what was over some explored hill in music-land than getting on the radio, King Crimson none the less developed a cult following like no other in that era. They were part of a journey and you were just damn happy to come along and discover where you might end up next. The band even experimented with funk later in the decade and new wave when they reformed in the 80's. Check out In the Court of the Crimson King and be prepared to have several conventions broken. The fact the band members went on to have successful careers is just further proof of the talent this jewel of a band was hiding.

4. Genesis - While not the top of the prog genre, they were major players and always managed to evolve within the prog framework to become one of the biggest bands of all time. Sure, you can point to things like "Invisible Touch" to point out that the band was also a pop band and doesn't deserve to be so recognized, but event that album had great deep cuts like "Domino". When you put it on the balance scale, from their Peter Gabriel days of conceptual stories to intricate work (and notably high achievements like The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway), to the early days of Collins (Trick Of The Tale and Wing And Withering), to even the hidden deep cuts of the band's mainstream pop days ("Home by the Sea", "Domino", and "Driving The Last Spike"), pound for pound Genesis has left us with a lasting mark in many ways including prog – something they recently encouraged on tour by not only admitting it but ending their encore set with "Carpet Crawlers". This is not to even mention the pure skill the men bring to the table. Collins drum work is well documented, but Rutherford is well accomplished on acoustics and the twelve string, and Banks is amazing to watch with his legendary cross handed style of playing (truly, catch a video of him playing – It's amazing how easy he makes it look).

Final Note: Each of the band members has had independent successful careers: Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins need no comment, but Mike Rutherford (Mike and The Mechanics), Tony Banks (Film scores and original symphonic compositions), and Steve Hackett (solo career) all enjoy great success.

3. Yes - Yes is well under the radar these days, but their influence is everywhere. They became one of the biggest prog bands of the 70's, and defined the prog sound. But Yes didn't stop there and managed to update their sound into the 80's while maintaining it's backbone to their greatest success yet (an amazing feat when you consier the complete paradigm shift music took in the 80's). By the 90's, they reunited with both successful line-ups of the band to record and tour. Even today, they still tour with several original members.

If you want to talk pure progressive chops, Yes should be seen higher on the list - They are that good; but the combination of notoriety and endurance hurts them when compared to the next two. But seriously, early albums like Fragile and Closer to The Edge along with later albums like Union are classics. You can add the mainstream but interesting 90125 to that list as well. Like the backbone you can't see but is essential for mammals to walk, Yes is a primordial cornerstone of the Progressive sound.

2. Rush - Three men from Canada that would turn metal, hard rock, and prog on its ear; from the over indulgence of their 20+ minute conceptual stories to the slick and accessible keyboard leads of the 80's, to their continued presence on the new release isle today and on tour, Rush has staked out their name in this genre like few others. While not always popular and even critically panned early on, Rush has always done what they wanted to do, and delivered something for everyone along the way: You want metaphysical fables - "The Fountain of Lamneth". You want philosophic Sci-Fi – "2112". You want sociological statements – the combo of "Farewell To Kings" and "Closer To The Hear" should do the trick. You want musical recreation of poetry – "Xanadu". Political statements – "Manhattan Project" and "Territories". Tales of individual isolation – Pick up Moving Picture. Hell, if you like something more mainstream and easier to digest just pick up their late 80's material.

The fact is, out of all the prog bands of that time, few have weathered the storm to still stand tall today, still releasing good albums and touring to packed shows. From humble beginnings they have endured and evolved into an iconic staple of the genre. All around not as quintessential as Yes to progressive music as a genre into itself, but the bands ability to make highly textured music, if over the top stories makes them for me one of the top bards in any gathering on the subject.

1. Pink Floyd - They were one of the first, with songs like the 10 minute "Interstellar Overdrive" (1967s Piper At The Gates Of Dawn), and they certainly became the biggest. From lyrical analogy to conceptual metaphors, musical complexity combined with memorable melodies, Pink Floyd is the biggest progressive band ever. Not only did they have a concept album that sat on the charts longer than any other album in history: Dark Side Of The Moon (741 consecutive weeks – 14 years on the Billboard Top 200 chart), but they have a second classic concept album with The Wall (the highest selling multi-disc album of all time). Let's not forget their other albums are also conceptual or at least thematic to their sound and lyrical approach. Animals and Wish You Were Here also being outstanding albums and examples. The music of Pink Floyd sounded like it transcended time and space to be relevant within its imagery, and ironically in doing so the band has also transcended that time and space to become one of the most iconic rock and roll bands of all time. Being the top of the genre they helped create and repeatedly defined is a forgone conclusion.

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Jeff Modzelewski
[B-Sides, Reviewer]

5. Dream Theater - Dream Theater is an absolutely amazing technical band. They have a tremendous amount of talent, a great live show, and one of the best drummers in the business

4. Rush - I'm not a Rush fan, but you can't deny the talent of these Canadians. Once again, they are amazing musicians, and they've been able to remain in the public eye for four decades.

3. Frank Zappa - A true musical legend, Zappa is the model for "progressive" music. A guy who did whatever he wanted musically, Zappa is one of the most famous musicians never to have a hit.

2. Genesis - Before they became over-Collinized, Genesis was the premier progressive rock band. The Peter Gabriel-led band was eccentric, with amazing live shows. The pre-Invisible Touch Collins-led era kept these progressive roots while moving towards more accessible music. A tremendous, legendary band.

1. Pink Floyd - The very definition of a "progressive" band. Pink Floyd started out as a leader in the British psychedelic music scene, and went on to release some of the most influential music ever written. Classic albums such as The Wall, Wish You Were Here, and Dark Side of the Moon along with earlier albums like Piper at the Gates of Dawn and Ummagumma are still amazing to listen to today.

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Jesse Coy
[Starship Exile]
**1x Champion**

[note- first of all, I just want to point out to some of you out there who may have commented on bands lacking in the Top 5 Heavy Metal Bands list , my assessment was quite simple. Bands like Metallica, Megadeath, Slayer, and Anthrax did not qualify. Why? They aren't heavy metal. They're Thrash, a genre that has PLENTY of excellent bands to support it's own category. Thrash, yes; heavy metal, no.

That said, progressive rock? What exactly is it? To me, it has far more judgment calls than heavy metal. So while I was strict with heavy metal, I will go broad here. And the numbers are not indicative of ranking, but rather, group formation dates. Since it was okay for some to extend heavy metal into thrash terrain, which I disagree with, I'll extend this progressive rock genre into progressive metal]

5. Type O Negative (‘90) - so, yes, progressive rock purists might say, "What the hell?" Yet these guys are described as heavy metal with doom, punk, hardcore, melodic, goth, and blues touches. They're known to pen tunes with incredibly long names (Unsuccessfully Coping with the Natural Beauty of Infidelity) or tunes that slur into one another forming very long tracks. In a word, progressive. These guys are very innovative, unique progressive metal artists.

4. Queensryche (‘81) - One of the best progressive metal albums of all time can be slotted under their belts, Operation: Mindcrime. One of the best and underappreciated sequels to a concept album, no matter who will argue with me (absolute gold casting Ronnie Dio as Dr. X), is also under their belt. Here's a progressive metal act who went through many stages of morphing, and while I think they grew weaker into the 90's, their strong finish was redemption, even if not widely recognized.

3. Rush (‘68) - Speaking about concept albums, or more precisely, very long concept tracks, "2112" (the similarly named album containing 6 other great tracks) how much do I need to say about them? Not much, I'd say. Less of a band and more of an institution nowadays, personally I was oversaturated with Rush's Chronicles while growing up (some of my partying friends). I'm not always in the mood for them, but when I am, and when those certain tracks hit, here's your classic example of progressive rock.

2. Frank Zappa (‘66) - Not only do I mean good, old Frank, that lovable Lithuanian, but I'm also referring to his initial act, the Mothers of Invention. I only have a few Frank Zappa albums, but if he and the other musicians who gravitated toward him weren't doing something progressive beyond, uh, well, beyond warp speed and in a dimension very far away, I don't know who else was.

1. Pink Floyd (‘65) - Experimentation with sound designs, concept albums, keyboards, other eclectic instrumentations, often free-roaming, thought-provoking compositions, as if there weren't two obvious things I can say, they have plenty of other excellent releases to prove the point. Still, I'll say the two most obvious. Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall.

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Blake Lauderback
[Ask 411 Music, Reviewer]

HONORABLE MENTION: Dream Theater (Narrowly misses out because I gave them some love on my "Metal" list. These guys are amazing, and very well could have taken a spot.) Genesis (Like number 4, these guys were crucial to the foundation of prog. I prefer the early days with Gabriel up front and Collins behind the kit.) Traffic (Proof that prog rock isn't all about space age effects. Great mash up of blues, folk, and progressive rock.) Jethro Tull (Severely underrated musically. The flute has never rocked harder.) Frank Zappa (This brilliant musician brought the insanity to the genre. Plus, he managed to get one of his instrumental songs banned for lyrical content. You've got to give him points for that.) Tool (Has kept the world of progressive rock going into the new millennium, even if it sounds very little like their predecessors.) Kansas (To me, they skate the fine line of progressive rock, but they certainly have the chops to hang with the rest. A fantastic and under appreciated act.)

5. Yes - Let me start by saying that Yes is far from being my "cup ‘o tea." I don't dislike them, but I do see almost every overblown stereotype of progressive rock in them… effect laden, brutally long, keyboard rock. But let's face it; there is no denying the influence and the talent of these guys. Rick Wakeman was an undeniable force on the keyboards, opening up the eyes of the industry to just what the instrument was/is capable of. Plus, as a drummer I have to give a little love to the jazzy drumming of Bill Bruford.

4. King Crimson - I believe that far too many of you will be reading this column and seeing/hearing the name King Crimson for the first time. Every genre has it's originators, but more often than not, the originator goes on to stardom with countless bands following in their footsteps. While the later is true, as these gentlemen laid the groundwork for the world of progressive rock, they never truly found "success" in the like of other genre founders like Black Sabbath or The Ramones. Instead, these guys churned out music like nothing anyone had ever heard before and secured themselves a cult following. Their album In the Court of the Crimson King is still regarded as a landmark album for progressive rock.

3. Emerson, Lake, and Palmer - This "super group" made up of Greg Lake, Carl Palmer, and Keith Emerson set out to create something new after splitting with their former band mates. This amazingly gifted trio would go on to produce some of the most essential work in the world of prog rock, including the critically acclaimed album Brain Salad Surgery, which many still believe to be their shining moment. Their sound hinged on the musical creativity of Emerson and his Hammond Organ and Moog Synths, but the equally talented Carl Palmer and Greg Lake were never ones to be outdone. Their music helped usher in classical and jazz styles into popular music once more. Imagine what might have happened if they had worked it out with their original choice to play guitar… some guy named Jimi, or something like that. Read more about that HERE.

2. Rush - While there are many insanely talented acts on this list, I am not sure that any one of them can go toe to toe with these guys when it comes to aptitude on their instruments. Rush exemplifies most all of the defining qualities of a great prog rock act, from their fantasy themed lyrics and richly orchestrated arrangements to their face-melting guitar work coupled with some of the best drumming in any form of music. I maintained my distaste for these guys for quite a while, citing the often unappealing vocals of Geddy Lee and the over-the-top lyrics of Neil Peart as my reasoning, but in time I was swayed by their brilliance. I can't deny it, I love me some Rush. From their 1974 self-titled release, to the seminal classic Moving Pictures, and all the way up to last year's Snakes and Arrows, Neil, Alex, and Geddy never disappoint.

1. Pink Floyd - Oh where to begin with these guys… They might not have been their at the birth of progressive rock, but they certainly picked up the ball and ran all the way with it. The boys started of with a much more psychedelic sound on their late 60's debut Piper at the Gates of Dawn, and I don't think that the band made the full transition to progressive nirvana until Syd Barrett's departure from the group. It was this lineup, bassist Roger Waters, guitarist David Gilmour, drummer Nick Mason, and keyboardist Rick Wright, that brought for the golden era of Floyd, and of progressive rock.

These guys near the top in just about every way you can measure greatness in a band. Good albums? Some of the very best… Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall, Wish You Were Here, Atom Heart Mother, Meddle, Animals… these guys are the kings of album rock, with a back catalogue filled with some of the most critically and commercially successful albums of all time. Great songs? How about "Comfortably Numb," "Wish You Were Here," "Another Brick in the Wall," "Money," "Time…" the list continues on and on. Great instrumentalists? Gilmour is massively underrated as a guitar player, Waters is a top notch bass player, and Mason and Wright are often overlooked because of how seamlessly the fit into the music.

However, there is one thing that, in my opinion, truly sets them apart from most other bands, both in progressive rock and in general. To me, their music takes on a life of it's own, an amazing organic quality that differs from everyone else. When I listen to Rush, I find myself saying, "Wow, what a drum part." The same goes for Yes and ELP… and even bands like Led Zeppelin and The Jimi Hendrix Experience. What I hear is the individual pieces. With Floyd and a very select few other bands, I catch myself saying, "Now THIS is some amazing music," while other times, they simply leave me speechless.

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Okay prog rock fanatics, that wraps up our exploration into the deepest corners of the progressive movement, so now emerge from your black light lit basement and rejoin the world.

It would appear that Floyd has a fan or two on the panel this time around, getting at least top 3 in every list, including gaining the top spot on multiple lists.

Make sure to join us back here next week as we take a step or two off of the beaten path and delve into the world of alternative rock.

Don't forget to send in your personal Top 5 lists! Your list could be featured in the intro next week! Make sure to include your vote for your favorite writer as well.

Until next time, shine on you crazy diamond.