Prog Archives Top 100

Ojai Sam

Ojai Sam

Staff member
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Prog Archives (www.progarchives.com) modestly bills itself as "Your Ultimate Prog Rock Resource". With "music discographies from 9,945 bands & artists, 52,936 albums (LP, CD and DVD), 1,412,180 ratings and reviews from 58,396 members", I'm sure not going to argue the point. Using this huge database, they compile the "Progressive Rock Top 100 Albums" based on average user ratings. We will present that list as of June 2017 counting up from #100 to #1 for your enjoyment and comment.

To give credit where due, the idea for this thread came from Evil Gnome 6, the old board's expert on all things prog. I don't claim his expertise but did learn from him to appreciate this complex genre.

MG Prog Archives Top 100 Spotify playlist is here:


Having problems with Spotify? Please post them here:
https://musicgourmets.org/index.php?threads/spotify-problems.64/

100. Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime (1988)
99. Riverside - Anno Domini High Definition (2008)
98. Santana - Abraxis (1970)
97. Santana - Caravanserai (1972)
96. Phideaux - Doomsday Afternoon (2007)
95. Edge of Sanity - Crimson (2008)
94. Kansas - Leftoverture (1976)
93. Tool - Lateralus (2003)
92. Pain Of Salvation - Remedy Lane (2002)
91. Miles Davis - Bitches Brew (1970)

90. Le Orme - Felona e Sirona (1973)
89. Steven Wilson - Grace For Drowning (2011)
88. Birds and Buildings - Bantam To Behemoth (2008)
87. Al Di Miola - Elegant Gypsy (1987)
86. Premiata Forneria Marconi - L' Isola di Niente (1974)
85. Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element, Pt. 1 (2000)
84. Steve Hackett - Voyage of the Acolyte (1975)
83. Marillion - Script For A Jester's Tear (1983)
82. Anabelas - Bubu (1978)
81. Gong - You (Radio Gnome Invisible, Vol. 3) (1974)

80. Tangerine Dream - Rubycon (1975)
79. Return To Forever - Romantic Warrior (1976)
78. Area - Arbeit Macht Frei (1973)
77. Caravan - If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You (1970)
76. Anglagard - Viljans Oga (2012)
75. Magma - K.A. (2004)
74. Focus - Hamburger Concerto (1974)
73. Billy Cobham - Spectrum (1973)
72. Mahavishnu Orchestra - The Inner Mounting Flame (1971)
71. Marillion - Misplaced Childhood (1985)

70. IQ - The Road Of Bones (2014)
69. Khan - Space Shanty (1972)
68. Hatfield & The North - Hatfield & The North (1974)
67. Porcupine Tree - Fear Of A Blank Planet (2007)
66. Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Emerson, Lake & Palmer (1970)
65. Porcupine Tree - In Absentia (2002)
64. Opeth - Ghost Reveries (2005)
63. Gentle Giant - Acquiring The Taste (1971)
62. Riverside - Second Life Syndrome (2005)
61. Opeth - Blackwater Park (2001)

60. Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - s/t (1972)
59. Museo Rosenbach - Zarathustra (1973)
58. Robert Wyatt - Rock Bottom (1974)
57. Steven Wilson - Hand. Cannot. Erase. (2015)
 
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100. Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime (1988)

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I enjoyed this one a lot but will spare you my feeble attempt to review prog metal. Don't let that label scare you. This record is full of guitar wizardry and melody (imagine that!) with appeal to any mainstream rock fan.

:5.0: on the Sam-O-Meter. RIYL U2. :O Spin it and you'll see why I say this.

Say, I'd better get going on adding some decent emojis. :(
 
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Nice reboot! I fell so far behind on the original thread.

Ojai Sam said:
100. Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime (1988)

MI0002439918.jpg


I enjoyed this one a lot but will spare you my feeble attempt to review prog metal. Don't let that label scare you. This record is full of guitar wizardry and melody (imagine that!) with appeal to any mainstream rock fan.

:5.0: on the Sam-O-Meter. RIYL U2. :O Spin it and you'll see why I say this.

Say, I'd better get going on adding some decent emojis. :(
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Fantastic album!
 
Ojai Sam said:
100. Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime (1988)

MI0002439918.jpg


I enjoyed this one a lot but will spare you my feeble attempt to review prog metal. Don't let that label scare you. This record is full of guitar wizardry and melody (imagine that!) with appeal to any mainstream rock fan.

:5.0: on the Sam-O-Meter. RIYL U2. :O Spin it and you'll see why I say this.

Say, I'd better get going on adding some decent emojis. :(
Click to expand...
I've had this for years, and never considered it prog.
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lpfreak1170 said:
Maybe every approximately 3 or 4 days? Weekly would give enough time for everyone interested to give the new pick a listen or two, but 100 weeks is a long time.
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Thanks, that makes very good sense, LPF. The idea is to expose folks to a lot of music, some of it unfamiliar (at least to me), not to discuss each record in great depth.
 
99. Riverside - Anno Domini High Definition (2008)

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The Top 100 continues with more prog metal, this time from a Polish band. I found ADHD to be a more conventional record than Operation: Mindcrime. Good musicianship, decent songs, atmospheric production, but nothing to make me sit up and take notice. Am I missing something?

Added to our Spotify playlist.
 
98. Santana - Abraxis (1970)
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97. Santana - Caravanserai (1972)
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One of the dividends of this series is that it forces us to consider the eternal question "what is prog?" If we accept the expertise of the huge fan base voting for the Top 100, we find ourselves listening to music that I, at least, never placed in that genre.

These two Santana albums are a case in point. Abraxas was the second of the three albums that defined the group's early sound. Classic salsa rock from the Woodstock era but is their psychedelic cover of Tito Puente's "Oye Come Va" really prog?

However, Caravanserai, the group's fourth album, is a camel of a different color. Carlos Santana installed a whole new band and took that band in a correspondingly new direction. Gone were the pop singles with catchy hooks, replaced by long, intricate instrumental passages. I never paid much attention to this album until I spun it for the first time in a long while to write this post. Viewed in the context of this series and juxtaposed with Abraxas, I enjoyed Caravanserai a lot more. It's less accessible for sure, but it definitely has the prog ethos. Play it yourself and see what you think.

Both albums are on our Spotify playlist.
 
96. Phideaux - Doomsday Afternoon (2007)
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New Yorker Xavier Phideaux makes records that echo the melodic prog of the 70's. This one sounds great, reminding me mostly of late period Moody Blues. However, what sounded portentious 40 years ago seems a bit pretentious now ("the Doctrine of Eternal Ice"?) Obviously some folks really love this one, though; it gets 4.5 stars on Amazon. It's also on our Spotify playlist for you to consider.
 
Ojai Sam said:
99. Riverside - Anno Domini High Definition (2008)

220px-Riverside_ADHD_Cover.jpg


The Top 100 continues with more prog metal, this time from a Polish band. I found ADHD to be a more conventional record than Operation: Mindcrime. Good musicianship, decent songs, atmospheric production, but nothing to make me sit up and take notice. Am I missing something?

Added to our Spotify playlist.
Click to expand...

Giving this a second listen. Don't think you're missing anything...it's a good album, but I can't see myself going back to it a third time.
 
95. Edge of Sanity - Crimson (2008)

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This album-length suite is ostensibly death metal but has a lot going on, including melody, harmony and creative instrumentation. Maybe Pops can weigh in from a fan's perspective. As an outsider, I found a lot to like here and will spin it again soon. It's lying in wait for you on Spotify.
 
Ojai Sam said:
Edge of Sanity - Crimson (2008)

MI0000102628.jpg


This album-length suite is ostensibly death metal but has a lot going on, including melody, harmony and creative instrumentation. Maybe Pops can weigh in from a fan's perspective. As an outsider, I found a lot to like here and will spin it again soon. It's lying in wait for you on Spotify.
Click to expand...
Has Pops ever weighed in on anything prior to now?

Honestly, I would read what he had to say. :rolleyes:
 
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