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Celebrating 50+ years of Progressive Rock with the Top 70 prog songs of the 1970s (1 Viewer)

Along with Dream Theater, the biggest and best "progressive" band of the last 30+ years has been Porcupine Tree and by extension Steven Wilson's solo career.
Thanks, and I probably agree. It's just that I've never really delved into Porcupine Tree and Wilson's work though I've heard a ton about him. Seems like an apt New Years resolution for myself.
He has A LOT of material, but with both Porcupine Tree and Steven Wilson solo, I would go with the studio albums from the start (save the EPs, b-sides, etc. for later if you like what you hear), except avoid On the Sunday of Life by Porcupine Tree for a while (the technical debut, it was basically Wilson by himself; it has its moments, but is far too primitive and a bit weird).

In Absentia, Signify or Stupid Dream are great places to start with Porcupine Tree.

Hand. Cannot. Erase., The Raven That Refused to Sing or The Harmony Codex are great places to start with solo Steven Wilson.
 
Along with Dream Theater, the biggest and best "progressive" band of the last 30+ years has been Porcupine Tree and by extension Steven Wilson's solo career.
Thanks, and I probably agree. It's just that I've never really delved into Porcupine Tree and Wilson's work though I've heard a ton about him. Seems like an apt New Years resolution for myself.
Wilson has also made a name for himself remixing various albums from the “classic rock” era, some prog, some not.
Artists who have had at least one Wilson remix include:

Caravan
Chic
Gentle Giant
Jethro Tull
King Crimson
Marillion
Van Morrison
Roxy Music
Sister Sledge
Suede
Tears for Fears
Ultravox
The Who
XTC
Yes
 
Along with Dream Theater, the biggest and best "progressive" band of the last 30+ years has been Porcupine Tree and by extension Steven Wilson's solo career.
Thanks, and I probably agree. It's just that I've never really delved into Porcupine Tree and Wilson's work though I've heard a ton about him. Seems like an apt New Years resolution for myself.
Wilson has also made a name for himself remixing various albums from the “classic rock” era, some prog, some not.
Artists who have had at least one Wilson remix include:

Caravan
Chic
Gentle Giant
Jethro Tull
King Crimson
Marillion
Van Morrison
Roxy Music
Sister Sledge
Suede
Tears for Fears
Ultravox
The Who
XTC
Yes
I cannot recommend the Wilson remix of Tull's Aqualung enough. The original had that kind of early 70s rough around the edges sound, but the Wilson remix retains the feel and vibe of the record while making it sound crystal clear. His best remixing job, I think.

Funny thing about Tears for Fears as well is that when he did the 5.1 for The Seeds of Love (which sounds awesome), he didn't remix the original album because, in his words, there was no way to make it sound any better. And he was right.
 
Thanks for indulging me, everyone, and hope you have a wonderful new year with plenty of inspiring music!

#SongArtistAlbumYear
7Inca RoadsFrank ZappaOne Size Fits All1975
6Atom Heart MotherPink FloydAtom Heart Mother1970
5Take a PebbleELPELP1970
42112Rush21121976
3The Court of the Crimson KingKing CrimsonIn the Court of the Crimson King1969
2Supper's ReadyGenesisFoxtrot1972
1Close to the EdgeYesClose to the Edge1972

#7) Band: Frank Zappa, Song: Inca Roads, Album: One Size Fits All (1975)

I suspect a couple songs in this last group of seven may be considered controversial with this Frank Zappa song being one of them. This is a unique song. Nobody writes music like Frank. It contains more different time signatures than overall minutes of running time. Frank had the luxury of having percussionist Ruth Underwood in his band. I tend to believe he wrote this piece because of her ability to play it, not unlike Duke Ellington who wrote to accentuate the strengths of his band members. And with tongue firmly in cheek, Zappa used the lyrics to skewer the absurdity and pretension of prog rock. Ironic that he should do that so well as to have the song land on lists like this. Certainly over-rated on mine because of its ingenuity, originality and fun–the whole One Size Fits All album is a masterpiece..

Inca Roads by Frank Zappa

#6) Band: Pink Floyd, Song: Atom Heart Mother, Album: Atom Heart Mother (1970)

The other controversial pick, “Atom Heart Mother” places the orchestra at the forefront with a full choir, horns, and strings. The band provides more of a backing track so this piece sounds more classical than rock by a lot. Several other songs from Pink Floyd may be better placed at this lofty ranking but from a prog rock focus, Atom Heart Mother fits due to its classical bones. Personally, I just love the melodies especially in sections one and four (Father’s Shout and Funky Dung). In the more atmospheric moments, you can hear shades of The Wall and Dark Side of the Moon which would come in a few years. There’s just enough freeform meandering in the fifth section to create the tension which is resolved beautifully as the piece moves to its culmination. Believe it or not, the band played this song live in the early 70s, mostly without an orchestra. It becomes a totally different piece of music. Still great but the strings and the brass are what make this song the epic that it is.

Atom Heart Mother by Pink Floyd

#5) Band: Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Song: Take a Pebble. From the Album Emerson, Lake & Palmer (debut) (1970)

I have a soft spot for this song from the many years of hearing my brother practicing at the piano, trying to emulate Keith Emerson. He makes these runs sound so easy and musical (Keith, not my brother). Though the piano is featured throughout this track, including moments where Keith reaches under the hood to strum the piano strings manually, it was written by bassist and vocalist Greg Lake. The middle section is consistent with that factoid as the hoedown on acoustic guitar is all Lake. The piece then comes back to its piano roots in the third section as Emerson plays a lovely recital for all of us lucky listeners. Carl Palmer adds some nice color on the drums leading into the final verse. Such a tasteful and mature tune, pretty amazing that this is from the debut album of ELP. But the members were all grizzled veterans having been in significant bands already. A beautiful encapsulation of ELP especially the rich vocals from Lake and the ever-brilliant stylings of Keith Emerson on keys.

Take a Pebble by Emerson, Lake & Palmer

#4) Band: Rush. Song: 2112. From the Album 2112 (1976)

No Rush fan will argue with 2112 landing towards the top of any list. It is Rush’s greatest piece of music. Nitpickers could claim it is overwrought and overlong. Or that the lyrics are hokey (about a distant future, though my daughter may see that year, when folks live under tyranny, need to rediscover music for themselves and eventually launch a revolution.) They’re wrong. It’s exactly the piece of music Rush needed to make in 1976 to put the band on solid footing. They had cut their teeth with the ambitious “Fountain of Lamneth” but this time around, they nailed it. This song and this album forms the heart of the lore of Rush, with its images carrying across the decades. Rush had found themselves. This song gave them the clout to carry their message into the next forty years.

2112 by Rush

#3) Band: King Crimson. Song: The Court of the Crimson King. From the Album In the Court of the Crimson King (1969)

As it should, this song features a regal, stately melody. Patient and grand, we get to hear young Greg Lake once again with his soothing voice. I love the sparse but colorful drumming of Michael Giles, especially in the opening movement (“Return of the Firewitch”). The flute interlude is pretty but it’s all about this expansive melody which begins and ends the song. Right out of The Book, this song grounds the entire debut album which set King Crimson on their half-century path through music-making.

The Court of the Crimson King by King Crimson

#2) Band: Genesis. Song: Supper’s Ready. From the Album: Foxtrot (1972)

There was never any question in my mind about the top two songs on this list. They are my go-to tracks on brilliant go-to albums (Foxtrot by Genesis and Close to the Edge by Yes). It’s more a question of mood rather than quality. These are both finely crafted, intricate and interesting songs. “Supper’s Ready” began as a patchwork of tunes which were stitched together to form the whole. Only “Willow Farm”, the pop digression in the middle, feels somewhat out of place as it could have been released as a standalone single. The catchiness and lightness don’t fit as well in “Supper’s Ready” though the generous listener could credit the band with ensuring that this long song contains sufficient variety. It works, don’t get me wrong, but the shift to “Willow Farm” is jarring (indeed, Peter yells out “All Change” at its outset.) The rest of this piece contains allusions to relationships, religion and war, right out of the Book of Revelation. So much to sift through and with so many interesting musical choices, I’m truy jealous of those who get to hear this piece for the first time. In addition to the studio version, you might track down the example of a fan who set it to an animated video or also any live performance from the band.

Supper's Ready by Genesis

#1) Band: Yes. Song: Close to the Edge. From the Album: Close to the Edge (1972)

The river is right out of Siddhartha, that much is certain. The rest of the lyrics? Well, Jon Anderson says that he employs words based on how they sound more so than what they mean, so deriving meaning from these lyrics can be elusive. I hear this song as an embrace of nature (with the opening and closing sounds of water and birds) with man’s imposition on it beginning at the :56 second mark. And what an imposition it is. The guitar screams in an odd-time, odd melody that kicks off the first section (“The Solid Time of Change”). Of course, Squire’s bass just barrels us over. But Steve Howe is front and center with a completely off-kilter guitar solo right away, demanding our attention. At 2:00 and also at 2:10, Jon Anderson would like to be heard so the whole machine comes to a complete stop for less than a second when a single chord of three-part harmony interjects. So completely weird and wonderful. Resolution comes at the 3-mimute mark when the band finally settles into what could be called a normal groove with a hummable melody of this first section. This main melody will suffuse the rest of the piece, through the sections “Total Mass Retain” and “I Get Up, I Get Down.”

After some downright catchy moments, the piece settles into an ambient section around the nine-minute mark. Nice patience with the slow crescendo on the back of Anderson’s wonderful singing along with harmonizing from others in the band. Very evocative and patient, pretty stuff. The church organ emerges around the 12-minute mark with a simple solo that ends with some fancy runs on the synthesizer. Then come those three notes at 14:14. All hell breaks loose once Wakeman intones those three notes, kicking off the last section of the piece. We return to the cacophony of the opening, crazy as before and then finally the resolution back to nature at the end. An amazing piece of music on a seminal album. The LP only contains three songs; “And You and I” made this list earlier and only “Siberian Khatru” is missing due to its relatively straightforward structure. Similar to their subsequent release Relayer which contains three worthy songs, two of which are represented here. Those two albums combined, six total songs, represent the apex of progressive rock from the 1970s.

Close to the Edge by Yes
 
#SongArtistAlbumYear
6Atom Heart MotherPink FloydAtom Heart Mother1970
I’m surprised you had AHM this high and even more so, above the other Floyd selections. It’s a very polarizing song/album even among PF diehards - I happen to like it more than most myself.

Anyway, many thanks for this journey - you had some great insights and I need to go listen to several I am not overly familiar with.
 
Thanks for indulging me, everyone, and hope you have a wonderful new year with plenty of inspiring music!

#SongArtistAlbumYear
7Inca RoadsFrank ZappaOne Size Fits All1975
6Atom Heart MotherPink FloydAtom Heart Mother1970
5Take a PebbleELPELP1970
42112Rush21121976
3The Court of the Crimson KingKing CrimsonIn the Court of the Crimson King1969
2Supper's ReadyGenesisFoxtrot1972
1Close to the EdgeYesClose to the Edge1972

#7) Band: Frank Zappa, Song: Inca Roads, Album: One Size Fits All (1975)

I suspect a couple songs in this last group of seven may be considered controversial with this Frank Zappa song being one of them. This is a unique song. Nobody writes music like Frank. It contains more different time signatures than overall minutes of running time. Frank had the luxury of having percussionist Ruth Underwood in his band. I tend to believe he wrote this piece because of her ability to play it, not unlike Duke Ellington who wrote to accentuate the strengths of his band members. And with tongue firmly in cheek, Zappa used the lyrics to skewer the absurdity and pretension of prog rock. Ironic that he should do that so well as to have the song land on lists like this. Certainly over-rated on mine because of its ingenuity, originality and fun–the whole One Size Fits All album is a masterpiece..

Inca Roads by Frank Zappa

#6) Band: Pink Floyd, Song: Atom Heart Mother, Album: Atom Heart Mother (1970)

The other controversial pick, “Atom Heart Mother” places the orchestra at the forefront with a full choir, horns, and strings. The band provides more of a backing track so this piece sounds more classical than rock by a lot. Several other songs from Pink Floyd may be better placed at this lofty ranking but from a prog rock focus, Atom Heart Mother fits due to its classical bones. Personally, I just love the melodies especially in sections one and four (Father’s Shout and Funky Dung). In the more atmospheric moments, you can hear shades of The Wall and Dark Side of the Moon which would come in a few years. There’s just enough freeform meandering in the fifth section to create the tension which is resolved beautifully as the piece moves to its culmination. Believe it or not, the band played this song live in the early 70s, mostly without an orchestra. It becomes a totally different piece of music. Still great but the strings and the brass are what make this song the epic that it is.

Atom Heart Mother by Pink Floyd


#4) Band: Rush. Song: 2112. From the Album 2112 (1976)

No Rush fan will argue with 2112 landing towards the top of any list. It is Rush’s greatest piece of music. Nitpickers could claim it is overwrought and overlong. Or that the lyrics are hokey (about a distant future, though my daughter may see that year, when folks live under tyranny, need to rediscover music for themselves and eventually launch a revolution.) They’re wrong. It’s exactly the piece of music Rush needed to make in 1976 to put the band on solid footing. They had cut their teeth with the ambitious “Fountain of Lamneth” but this time around, they nailed it. This song and this album forms the heart of the lore of Rush, with its images carrying across the decades. Rush had found themselves. This song gave them the clout to carry their message into the next forty years.

2112 by Rush

#3) Band: King Crimson. Song: The Court of the Crimson King. From the Album In the Court of the Crimson King (1969)

As it should, this song features a regal, stately melody. Patient and grand, we get to hear young Greg Lake once again with his soothing voice. I love the sparse but colorful drumming of Michael Giles, especially in the opening movement (“Return of the Firewitch”). The flute interlude is pretty but it’s all about this expansive melody which begins and ends the song. Right out of The Book, this song grounds the entire debut album which set King Crimson on their half-century path through music-making.

The Court of the Crimson King by King Crimson

#2) Band: Genesis. Song: Supper’s Ready. From the Album: Foxtrot (1972)

There was never any question in my mind about the top two songs on this list. They are my go-to tracks on brilliant go-to albums (Foxtrot by Genesis and Close to the Edge by Yes). It’s more a question of mood rather than quality. These are both finely crafted, intricate and interesting songs. “Supper’s Ready” began as a patchwork of tunes which were stitched together to form the whole. Only “Willow Farm”, the pop digression in the middle, feels somewhat out of place as it could have been released as a standalone single. The catchiness and lightness don’t fit as well in “Supper’s Ready” though the generous listener could credit the band with ensuring that this long song contains sufficient variety. It works, don’t get me wrong, but the shift to “Willow Farm” is jarring (indeed, Peter yells out “All Change” at its outset.) The rest of this piece contains allusions to relationships, religion and war, right out of the Book of Revelation. So much to sift through and with so many interesting musical choices, I’m truy jealous of those who get to hear this piece for the first time. In addition to the studio version, you might track down the example of a fan who set it to an animated video or also any live performance from the band.

Supper's Ready by Genesis

#1) Band: Yes. Song: Close to the Edge. From the Album: Close to the Edge (1972)

The river is right out of Siddhartha, that much is certain. The rest of the lyrics? Well, Jon Anderson says that he employs words based on how they sound more so than what they mean, so deriving meaning from these lyrics can be elusive. I hear this song as an embrace of nature (with the opening and closing sounds of water and birds) with man’s imposition on it beginning at the :56 second mark. And what an imposition it is. The guitar screams in an odd-time, odd melody that kicks off the first section (“The Solid Time of Change”). Of course, Squire’s bass just barrels us over. But Steve Howe is front and center with a completely off-kilter guitar solo right away, demanding our attention. At 2:00 and also at 2:10, Jon Anderson would like to be heard so the whole machine comes to a complete stop for less than a second when a single chord of three-part harmony interjects. So completely weird and wonderful. Resolution comes at the 3-mimute mark when the band finally settles into what could be called a normal groove with a hummable melody of this first section. This main melody will suffuse the rest of the piece, through the sections “Total Mass Retain” and “I Get Up, I Get Down.”

After some downright catchy moments, the piece settles into an ambient section around the nine-minute mark. Nice patience with the slow crescendo on the back of Anderson’s wonderful singing along with harmonizing from others in the band. Very evocative and patient, pretty stuff. The church organ emerges around the 12-minute mark with a simple solo that ends with some fancy runs on the synthesizer. Then come those three notes at 14:14. All hell breaks loose once Wakeman intones those three notes, kicking off the last section of the piece. We return to the cacophony of the opening, crazy as before and then finally the resolution back to nature at the end. An amazing piece of music on a seminal album. The LP only contains three songs; “And You and I” made this list earlier and only “Siberian Khatru” is missing due to its relatively straightforward structure. Similar to their subsequent release Relayer which contains three worthy songs, two of which are represented here. Those two albums combined, six total songs, represent the apex of progressive rock from the 1970s.

Close to the Edge by Yes
Great stuff. Everything in the top 4 is absolutely amazing.

I'm an Atom Heart Mother detractor but I do love the "Funky Dung" section.

Inca Roads is a piece I've heard a few times before but I need to spend more time with it. There is SO much Zappa material out there that keeping track of it is impossible.

Thanks for taking us on this journey!
 
Fun thread. Well done!

To me, 2112, Close to the Edge and Supper's Ready feel like THE three definitive "sidelong" epics of the 70s, and all three being in the top 5 feels right. All three are fantastic, 2112 is my favorite, even though I rarely listen to it anymore (verses back in the 90s when I seemingly listened to it once a day for years).

Take a Pebble is all kinds of awesome, so great pick there!

Atom Heart Mother being the highest ranked Floyd song seems rather odd, but I won't quibble.

I don't genuflect at the alter of the King Crimson debut, but I get that that song was an important one, so I get why it is so high.

I like Inca Roads, but 7th overall?? Interesting.
 

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