This month we asked you to nominate your best prog rock album of all time. And, spoiler alert, the winner is a bit of a doozy.
Prog is a diverse, genre-hopping school of rock, which flirts with everything from flamenco to goth, depending on which band you’re listening to.
On top of that, having read your comments over the years, we know many of you aren’t even agreed on what counts as “prog”. The war about Rush’s status rages to this day…
But – proving sod’s law is the only eternal constant we can rely on – having expected a divided response to the question, there was in fact a consensus, and one clear top dog.
Yes! We have a winner
Among your replies, there was one consistent choice that kept popping up: Close to the Edge by Yes (1972).
And we couldn’t sum up why any better than YouTube subscriber waymire5, who succinctly told us: “Close to the Edge. The musicianship, visuals, and weirdness. YES.”
A sea of likes and similar comments followed, with Yes fans coming out in force.
We wholeheartedly agree, which is why you’ll also find the album in the team’s pick of the best prog rock albums of all time.
Described by the band as “a torturous experience” akin to climbing a mountain, there’s no denying that the hard work paid off – the album is a masterpiece.
From its 18-minute opener through to its closing note, it shows the band's musicianship and everything that makes prog rock such an exciting genre.
But it was one of many classics to get frequent mentions. Just behind it, King Crimson’s In the Court of the Crimson King also proved to be a favourite.
“For me, the two greatest Progressive Rock albums are: In the Court of the Crimson King by King Crimson and Close to the Edge by Yes. If you include Fusion as a sub-genre, then I would add Bitches Brew by Miles Davis,” commented reader, ArtR.
“King Crimson definitely, because I heard it growing up from a really young age. I'm 47, so grew up in the 80s but listen to it still,” added adambrown8615.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s iconic Brain Salad Surgery proved another popular choice, especially, as noted by reader Phillip Hall, with older readers: “If you were lucky enough to see Brain Salad Surgery in concert, then you know who's right up there on the top tier!”
Our editor’s personal favourite, Marillion, Clutching at Straws, also proved a hit, with reader, baronvonripper, mirroring his feelings: “Clutching at Straws! My top album. What a journey, clearly coming from a deep, dark place. I play it every day since the Incommunicado video was on the John Menzies advert in ‘87.”
As expected, Rush also proved to be a reader favourite, though you weren’t quite as united on which specific album.
Our hot take
We were blown away by the sheer volume and variety of answers you gave to this month’s Ask The Reader column, so forgive us if your choice didn’t get a mention.
However, it’s hard not to agree with the top choices.
Yes – iconic. King Crimson are viewed as prog royalty for a reason. And Emerson, Lake & Palmer are incredible. Oh, and our editor is personally very attached to any Marillion album with Fish at the mic.
So all told, it's a hard "Yes" to all your suggestions!
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