We all know there is no such thing as “perfect” but today I will attempt a fool’s errand and rank the most perfect of all Prog albums!!! (One per artist rule applies…) #progrock #prog #progressiverock
With A Little Hell From My Friends is 9.9/10. Sorry!!! Not good enough!!! Try a little harder next time maybe. I’m kidding, obviously. You are a treasure and I am so glad I discovered your music!!! ❤️❤️❤️🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽
Hey Scot, new to the channel, but I'm so glad you mentioned PFM Per Un Amico! I rarely see it get brought up in any conversations, and it deserves a lot more attention than it receives!
I’m a huge fan of Italian Prog: PFM, Le Orme, Banco, Area, etc I think Per Um Amico is a masterpiece. The only Italian album I rate higher is Museo Rosenbach’s “Zarathustra.” 👍👍👍
I’m one of those crazy people who would say Tales from Topographic Oceans is perfection… it’s just a perfectly structured rock symphony… but certainly the perfection of Close to the Edge is indisputable. Great selections overall!
You just keep getting better and better . I look forward to all your videos . I can appreciate all these bands but of course the best of the best will always be YES . ROCK ON SCOTT 🎉🎉👍👍💪
Great video Scot! Fascinating list, and some albums for me to go out and discover. I only bought my first Styx album last year which was 'Pieces of eight' i must pick up 'The grand illusion' soon, and some Steven Wilson solo work. No arguments with the no.1 choice!
This was a perfect list! Ommadawn is my favourite Mike Oldfield album too! Love the little horse song at the end haha.. Can Tago Mago =🔥 Awesome video Scot! Peace! :)
Scot, my wife (Lizzy) asks that you stop encouraging me to buy more vinyl! I just ordered Similitude and The Great Adventure after watching perfect prog albums. Please don't listen to her. I love my prog and my vinyl!
Love your enthusiasm for prog! Feel the same way about so many of these albums! Of bands not listed I would include: Anyone's Daughter - Adonis, Spirogyra - St Radigunds, Amon Duul II - Wolf City, Jan Dukes de Grey - Mice and Rats in the Loft, Magma - Kohntarzosz, Nektar - Remember the Future, Dom - Edge of Time, Popol Vuh - Hosianna Mantra, Agitation Free - Malesch, Asia Minor - Between Flesh and Divine
Thanks for going with Wish You Were Here over the other ones. Dark Side is the obvious choice and Animals is a personal favourite of mine (and you too apparently), but Wish You Were is phenomenal. The best sounding album - production wise - of the 70s.
Great list and a fantastic starting point for new prog fans, a fantastic mix of classic and newer prog. One more perfect album i would like to mention is Il bacio della medusa - Discesa Agl'Inferi d'un Giovane. Cheers my friend and prog on.
#1 for me is Yes "Relayer" but I totally get the number one choice. Hot Rats (and The Grand Wazoo!) , Crime Of The Century, Dark Side Of The Moon, Hand Cannot Erase etc... all fantastic albums!
It’s like trying to pick a favorite child ,you can’t. I do agree with #1 , I’ve spent a great part of my 62 years listening to it. On a side note about 20 years ago Jon Anderson moved into our little town on the coast of California ( He’s really friendly and very social) it’s really cool to see him in Trader Joe’s or Starbucks. Thanks for the video.
Great video! Prog rock is my favorite sun genre of music and I know I good amount of prog bands but I’d like to know more. This video helped out thanks!
Great selections! You were down to the final few and I was wondering where King Crimson, Genesis and Yes were - and you didn't let me down. Thanks for some suggestions of albums I've never heard, also! And not that it matters to anyone, I was hoping to see Fish Out Of Water (Chris Squire), which would have been my number one. I'd hoped prog would go more in that direction, but I guess I'm in the minority. A masterpiece.
Scot! I'm going through the list listening to each album, in turn - either again (in some cases for the 200th time!) or for the first time (Hatfield and the North S/T). Right now, I'm listening to "Hand Cannot Erase". First time. It's beautiful! I am enjoying it even more than, "TRTRTS". A re-listen to "Ommadawn" is next. Thanks, yet again, for opening our eyes and ears to new listens.
Great list! I agree on the surprise that Scenes from a Memory wasn't suggested, that gets a pick from me. My Rush pick would probably be Moving Pictures. Whirlwind and Similitude will always be there. Lastly, I really think the Asia debut album is perfect, though it might be more prog adjacent.
The second and third albums by Caravan , the second third and fourth by Gentle Giant and all the early 70's output by Van der Graf Generator are Prog / Rock perfection . So much good music came out in the early 70's that the great music and albums from this genre is impossible to list but the ones l've mentioned instantly sprung to mind .
What a perfect show, you are awesome man!! When I saw the title of this show, two albums immediately jumped to mind and after thinking about it for several minutes, could only come up with two others I would qualify as perfect. It's tricky because perfect doesn't necessarily mean the ultimate favorite or the best...but darn close! I'm so stoked to see that 3 of the 4 were on your list...Leftoverture and The Grand Illusion (the first two Prog Albums I ever owned) and Thick as a Brick. The other album I consider perfect is the Snowgoose....Moonmadness or Mirage may be a bit better, but the Snowgoose is perfection to me!
I'm not sure what the criteria for "perfect" is, but IF it means "love every song/track on it" then my list would probably be VERY different from most others. Usually the FIRST one that pops into my head is Images and Words by Dream Theater. If I chose a Pink Floyd album, it would probably be Animals. I think you already know that my favorite albums by Kansas & Rush are Point of Know Return & Moving Pictures. For Genesis, I most likely would include Trick of the Tail. Not because I have ANYTHING against Peter Gabriel, but Like with most of my other choices, I think this album was the culmination, or peak of where they were heading, or "progressing'," and their sound really GELLED on this one. They had all of the elements that made them great: The PROG sound, the melodic sound, but it was quite a bit more "accessible" or "mainstream" then anything they had done before, so it was the kind of sound that could reach a wide audience without compromising what made MADE them Genesis. As for Yes, I would have a hard time deciding between The Yes Album, Close to the Edge, and 90125, as eclectic as that may sound. For ELP, I pretty much see their first album as something that they never surpassed. I'm not really much of a Styx fan these days, but in my younger years I ALSO would have picked The Grand Illusion.
Cool beans, Scot! I'll have to try to compile my own personal top 25 list at some point. Sorry I missed your Friday tweet or I might have made a suggestion or two. The first one that comes to mind for my list that you didn't mention would be Ambrosia's debut. I love that record! But always fun to hear someone run through the classics, even the ones that give me bitter beer face like Can. LOL
Hey Scot! I'm back. Great vid. The Prog people got it right and so did you with CTTE being number 1. To think that it was only the 5th album from the greatest band on this or any other planet!! Genesis and Peter in the two spot where they belong! Lol! FOREVER YES❗️❗️❗️😎
I agree. My favorite of all time album, any genre, any group is The Children’s album for a host of very personal reasons not to mention the very coherent theme of space, solitude, loneliness that could be set millions of years in the past or the future or even right now.
Glad you have Ommadawn so high on your list ! I bought it when it came out ( I had to get a replacement copy because the needle kept jumping - those were the days ! ), I also got it on cassette and CD. Still one of my top comfort albums. Musical bliss.
Hello, I’ve been listening to Prog for about a year, and since then, Rush has become my favourite band of all time. I’d love to see a video where you rank the albums if possible, but no worries. Great video!
I like how you kept stressing favorites verses perfection. When I started listening to more and more prog experts they always seem to sight Close to the Edge as Yes' most perfect album. My favorite has always been "The Yes Album" It was the first prog album I ever heard. On 8-track no less, think I was 8😂. I still listen to it today, but have to agree CTTE is perfection.
The Yes Album holds up very well, especially as it was a new direction for the band. I think the first two albums as heavily influenced by the Beatles, as so many bands were. I first heard the Yes Album while driving around Maryland and every time I heard one of the songs I said "What is that?" In much later live recordings these songs hold their own
Great selection! I have a crazy question for you: what is the font used on the countdown? I am an artist and I just love it! I love your channel, watch all the time, thanks!
Great list although I’d personally pick In the Court of the Crimson King over Larks because that album to me is the definition of perfection.. including the artwork of course.
@@TheProgCorner I get where you’re coming from but to me the dreamy, surrealistic improv section on Moonchild actually adds to the eclecticism of the LP.. the first of its kind in Prog too.. sort of paved the way for Larks and Tongues.
Again a brilliant list! And yes, Larks' Tongues in Aspic kinda creeps me out to this day. And then King Crimson followed that up by sledge hammering me with Starless and Bible Black!
My #1 prog album of all time is also "Close to the Edge". It's really the meaning of perfection! Nice video, man. Thanks for sharing this! Greetings from Brazil!
Yes some great albums in there and some that made me applaud: Crime of the Century, Foxtrot, Thick As a Brick, any Rush from ‘75 to ‘78. I thought I knew all the old stuff but you mentioned a few bands I never heard of. Finally you mentioned that polarizing slate Tales From Topographic Oceans; people love it or hate it. I could never get into it (blasphemy?). But hey it took me several listens until I finally warmed up to Larks Tongue in Aspic. Nice list!
Great list. As regards VDGG. Got to be Pawn Hearts or H to He for me though Scot. Surprised Nektar's Remember the Future, Gong's - You and more contemporary albums like Porcupine Tree - In Absentia and Riverside - Second Life Syndrome, didn't make it, but so much good stuff to choose from.
Love how the top 5 are also my personal favorites of all time as well. I must confess a few on this wonderful list I am unfamiliar with, going to be listening to some new music this week!
I've been watching your videos for some time now and I still hadn't realized that I wasn't subscribed to your channel. Now, I am! Sorry about that, good man. Btw I agree with you, Foxtrot has always been my favorite Genesis album.
Nice list. Do you like Zeuhl? In a top prog album list by me, there would definitely be Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh or K.A by Magma, and Viva Koenji or Angherr Shisspa by Koenjihyakkei. But I know it's not everybody's cup of tea.
So I looked up Foxtrot from Genesis and all I can find on Apple is the remastered 2007 version. Am I missing anything or do you "approve" of these remastered versions? Should I dig deeper and find the orginal?
Thanks for this. I never got into Camel enough. I’ll look for some of your others and give ‘em a try. I’ve never been a “collector” of Prog, probably because for most of my life I’ve never been part of a Prog ‘community’, I didn’t know anyone else that liked Genesis. Or King Crimson. (I’m 70 HS class of ‘71, Pasadena) Started off w/ Moody Blues and hopscotched around from there. And I LOVE Porcupine Tree ! Carry on, Brutha !
Superb energy as usual! I was curious regarding the prog-professor's own position on a band like Kansas, with a somewhat "sullied" reputation for 80's missteps.I got my answer 👌 I was/am a huge Kansas-fan.They don't seem to have the coolness or cult factor of a band like King Crimson and often tend to get overlooked imo. Also, as a somewhat conservative prog fan, it's nice to widen my horizon a bit with newer bands from your list. I was also prompted to check out Camel (had passed me by) after your episode, very good stuff!More immediate than Gentle Giant who i'd also missed.
Hi Scott, I will agree with YES, Genesis, Crimson, ELP, Gentle Giant, Floyd, Wobbler, Van der Graaf, Supertramp, PFM, Zappa and CAN... Though not necessarily with the same album choices. Hamburger Concerto by Focus on my list, as well as the 1st Wakeman and Squire's solos
It deserves way more attention but the Prog elite aren’t really sure what to do about Todd. Too much talent (and genre-hopping?) But yeah, that debut Utopia album is among the greatest things these ears have ever heard!!!
Thanks, Scot. My prog rock collection tends to be somewhat limited as far as artists are concerned but I am attempting to expand it. At the moment I'm a big Camel, ELP, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Supertramp and Yes fan. I have Gentle Giant's "Octopus" on order
Could you name a handful of these as recommendations for me? Love Genesis and Pink Floyd, but looking for something else like Marillion's misplaced childhood. Any more prog concept albums in the same sort of style?
wonderful list, scott. plenty here that i love (and that fits the “perfect” label, like foxtrot over SEBTP. the latter is my fav from genesis but i agree it ain’t perfect because of more fool me. Foxtrot wins there), and plenty that i don’t know well enough or at all. love new suggestions to seek out. 3 others come to mind that are perfection to me: 1)Focus, Moving Waves 2) Nektar, Remember The Future 3) Renaissance, Scheherazade don’t think there’s a wonky note on any of these. oh, and it’s Relayer for me at the top. sublime and not of this world. cheers and keep up the Prog work:)
Scot..some of my choices..Close To The Edge, Hand Cannot Erase, In The Court Of The Crimson King, Hot Rats, Aqualung, Dark Side Of The Moon…glad to see Larks Tongue get a high ranking..love King Crimson..hey BB Canada starts next week👍..great video👍❤glen
Great list! My only adds would be David Bowie - Ziggy, The Alan Parsons Project - Turn of a Friendly Card (or I Robot or Tales), all three are perfect in my book. =) Any Moody Blues Days of Future Past is pretty darn perfect for me.
A fascinating list and I'll be checking out some of the albums I haven't heard yet. There do seem to be some rather glaring omissions though: Alan Parsons "Turn of a friendly card", Golden Earring "Moontan", Manfred Mann "The roaring silence", Rick Wakeman "Journey to the centre of the earth", Roger Waters "Amused to death", Santana and Moody Blues have claims as well. I also question whether Styx can really be considered prog rock, the seem pure pop to me...
Styx is definitely on the Prog borderline!!! I didn’t consider live albums so Journey was excluded. And I would say Alan Parsons is in the exact territory as Styx: kinda Prog but AWESOME!!!
I know you had Steve Wilson as a solo artist but did that eliminate an entry for Porcupine Tree? Signify and Fear of a Blank Planet deserve consideration.
Great list, as always, Scot! Love to see that some of your pics are the same as my pics. I have to say...though am a bit afraid to say it on this channel, in this "corner"...I'm listening through the tracks on Can Tago Mago...and have stopped on Peking O...and just can't do anymore. Experimental? Sure? Progressive? Sure? Genius? Maybe? Pleasing to the ears?? Um...er... Sorry, man!
Great list and amazing enthusiasm! I share your opinions about the merits of Mirage vs Snowgoose, Foxtrot vs SEBTP- seriously would any perfect album have More Fool Me on it? But I've always felt that Close to the Edge and Supper's Ready were over-rated, and that Selling England and Tales (or Relayer, or even Fragile) are overall superior albums. I've generally felt that Passion Play and SFTW are the best JT albums, but having recently re-viewed the complete performance of Brick pt 1 & 2 on the 2012 Iceland DVD I agree that the 1972 JT is closest to perfection. I've recently listened to the GG surround remixes, and though IAGH was my first acquisition (in 1976, a week before I bought BSS) and I highly enjoy all the '70-6 albums- Octopus sounds closest to professional perfection. Lizard will always be my fav KC, and the first album my pick for most perfect. For ELP I find it hard to choose between Trilogy and BSS (never having appreciated the hype of the overplayed KE9 pt 2), but having listened to the instrumental mix and reminisced about the awesome cover I agree that the latter deserves the ranking. As for neo-prog music discovered in my middle years, I enjoy the second Transatlantic, but I saw the band live performing Whirlwind which was truly wonderful. As for VDGG, I've always loved Pawn Hearts because I enjoy experimentation and dissonance, and consider it a monumental work of perfection! Tubular Bells was the first prog album I ever bought, in 1974, and though I saw Oldfield perform Ommadawn it ranks lower for me. Museo and Banco I agree with, although I have a soft spot for Sinfield's wonderful remixes of the anglicized PFM albums which I bought in the mid 70s. Good picks for Rush, Marillion, Wobbler, Kansas, PF, DT, Can... some might find Crime of the Century trite and wimpy, but Hide in Your Shell helped keep me sane when I was 14. I recommend Zappa's Lather as his overall best, but for a conventional album that was released in the 70s that didn't feature too much silliness and features great progrock you can't do worse than Hot Rats (or the albums released in the same period). I had forgotten about how good Utopia is, and will re-listen to that after finishing with your picks for Morse and Wilson. Carry on!
Hi, only just found your channel, have you EVER mentioned the great English band FAMILY with the amazing singer Rogar Chapman? Give them some love, they deserve some attention 😊. They never cracked the US/Canada, but were one of the most popular live bands around 1968 to 1973 in the U.K./Europe! In fact Rogar Chapman is still performing and has a great blues song recorded recently which is fantastic!🎉
Agree 100% about Selling England By the Pound, More Fool Me lets it down big time. If that track were not on it, then it would have been perfect. Thanks for this, you’ve given me a whole bunch of stuff to start listening to. Oh, and so glad Gentle Giant in there. So badly underrated as a band, and I bought Octopus on the day it was first released, still have it on my iPod to this day.
Did you get any requests for The Mars Volta? I figured Deloused in the Comatorium would be on this list. You mentioned Dream Theater in the beginning, so would have taken more metal requests? I would have put Mastodon and Opeth in the list. I'm not even trying to criticize. Your list is filled with great albums, and music is subjective. I'm just curious what your thoughts are on the groups I mentioned.
I had one nomination for Deloused and one for Frances. I’m a huge fan of TMV!!! And I am a clean vocal Opeth fan. The early records are so good musically but well, you know. And Mastodon is fantastic!!!
@@TheProgCorner Cool to hear. I've been enjoying going back and watching some of your older videos, since I just discovered your channel. Always interesting hearing someone talk about prog that has obviously spent more time with the genre than I have.
@@TheProgCorner I didn't mean it that way. I can just tell from how thoroughly you talk about prog that you have a much deeper knowledge of it than I do. It helps me kind of organize where I'm going to broaden my horizons.
I need to get myself back to vynil. Completely fed up with listening to spotimusic, plastic cds et al. I remember back in the day taking Relayer from my collection, pulling out the vynil and protective sleeve from the album cover. Such fantastic artwork. Dropping the tactile record onto the deck, sitting back with a cold beer, the Wharfdales start to hum, a moment of anticipation, turn the amp up, sod the neighbours. The pure sound of recorded music in ALL its glory. My top 5, no particular order : Tarkus, Tago Mago, Close to the Edge, Ommadawn, Hall of the Mountain Grill.
