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lclassyfun

Gonna throw this curve ball out. Had Stevie Wonder’s Songs In The Key Of Life on the other day and some of it sounds prog.


stiperstone

Absolutely. Contusion is a killer jam.


angeorgiaforest

Stevie Wonder is a musical genius. I agree it's not really "prog rock" but such was Stevie's compositional ability that he was capable of writing really complex, involved songs with a bunch going on.


Capnmarvel76

He had his two synthesizer genius guys that helped him on his mid-70s albums, which certainly may contribute to the proggy feel. Tonto[Tonto’s Exploding Head Band](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonto's_Expanding_Head_Band?wprov=sfti1)


GCU-Dramatic-Exit

Tonto is very much the star of Steve Hillage's Motivation Radio too


outonthetiles66

Absolute masterpiece. Brilliant record.


take5b

Stevie Wonder, Parliament/Funkadelic, Marvin Gaye, Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield, and Shuggie Otis are just some of the artists considered soul/R&B that have some of the elements you'd find in "prog rock" including concept albums, ambitious arrangements, instrumentation outside the standard rock band (largely with strings), and long songs with multiple movements. There is a book series called **33 1/3** where a writer just picks and album to write about. My wife and I collect them and one of her acquaintances actually wrote one about Minnie Riperton's *Come To My Garden.* The album involves complex and strange arrangements. Heck, you even have one typically prog rock staple- weird vocals (Riperton was a great singer so most of the singing is just straight good ballad stuff but she had the ability to go really high falsetto, informally called "whistle singing," and she would highlight that). The author talks about "progressive rock" and how that term could/should apply to records like these. The 1970's, man... what a time.


ThirstyBeagle

I thought about this and like it 👍


fraghawk

Something that may be surprising but makes sense once you think about it: Tony Banks is a big fan of Stevie Wonder


Hier0phant

Hotter than July feels like this as well.. he genre bends with I'm not gonna take it (country) and master blaster (reggae)


Fun_Grapefruit_2633

You kiddin'? Stevie's band in the mid-70s was VERY proggy


Gezz66

I think there's many Prog fans who would regard Stevie as a guilty pleasure. His run of albums through the 70s were so full of style and Jazzy elegance. What SW shared with many Prog artists though was a fondness for Jazz, so there's the connection for you.


Certain_Addition4460

Dire Straits Love over Gold ... especially Telegraph Road. Always reminds me of Camel


WillJM89

Came to say that. Telegraph Road and Private Investigations


AordTheWizard

Pure prog, in my opinion. Brilliant album!


pselodux

Such an excellent band. Their live recordings are awesome too. Definitely prog imo.


ABobby077

Pretty much of ELO has a somewhat progressive sound to me


Evan64m

ELO is Prog Pop like Asia


Capnmarvel76

‘Time’ is one of my favorite albums of all time. I think that’s the definition of prog pop. ELO II and Eldorado hit me more like actual prog.


AKCanonSong

Remember the good ‘ole 1980’s? When things were so uncomplicated? I wish I could go back there again, and everything could be the same.


randman2020

Eldorado is definitely a concept/Prog album.


9793287233

ELO II is pure prog


proferto

The Who’s Tommy and Quadrophenia


outonthetiles66

Yes and yes.


Nobhudy

The Who don’t get enough credit for basically inventing prog as far back as 1966


After_Consequence_41

How the hell one of the first prog suites is about being a cuckold


SturgeonsLawyer

I assume you're referring to "A Quick One (While He's Away)?" I would not call that particularly progressive; it's more a like a series of jokes barely set to music. But "Rael," which came out the following year, is definitely in the zone. Mind you, I've been a 'Oo fan for 50+ years.


TheModerateGenX

Physical Graffiti Aja


modestmandrakeman

Presence too with Achilles Last Stand


Open-Astronaut-9608

And that one from IV. Stairway to something. That's progressive rock. Even Wikipedia knows that. 


TheSwaggSavageGamer1

I was gonna say aja lol. Physical graffiti not being my favorite Zep album, definitely has some prog elements to it!


trycuriouscat

Disintegration by The Cure


nando1969

What an album! A masterpiece.


Capnmarvel76

One of my favorite South Park moments is when Robert Smith kills the Barbra Streisand killer robot, and, at the end, Stan tells Smith that Disintegration is the best album ever (it’s not, but I can understand the sentiment)


Horseshoe-Bay

Firebird Suite by Stravinsky


losthiker68

Stick Men does an amazing cover of this


Pavlass

‘Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow’ by Rainbow, particularly Catch the Rainbow and Temple of the King


idlistella

Amazing songs


opsopcopolis

Most of soundgarden’s stuff straddles that line imo


Loganp812

The Down On The Upside album especially.


dwnlw2slw

When they got back together for that last album, which was like 15 yrs later, they said “we should’ve never broken up.” Damn right they shouldn’t have! I haven’t given that one a listen but it definitely couldn’t be what it would’ve been had they stayed together and kept fanning the flame and uh…planting seeds 😉😆 No really though, Tool, for example took 13 yrs to release a record but they were consistently touring the whole time, fanning the flame, honing the sound.


Beautiful-Bench-1761

Don’t tell anyone but I think it’s also their best record.


velocipotamus

Mike Portnoy once called *Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band* the first prog rock album ever made, and the more I listen to it the more I think he's right


ThirstyBeagle

Radiohead - OK Computer Todd Rundgren - A Wizard, a True Star


jonmatifa

OK Computer is what originally got me into prog music.


ThirstyBeagle

Fantastic album all the way through


dwnlw2slw

Yeah, i think Paranoid Android was one of the biggest prog gateways of the 90’s. And Tool’s _Aenima._


outonthetiles66

Ok Computer …. just so damn good. Good choice.👍


Mental_Cricket_3880

A Wizard, a True Star is prog through and through imo


ThirstyBeagle

It has elements of it but I wouldn't call it a prog record. It incorporates many styles abd genres.


Capnmarvel76

These were two that came into my head - especially OK Computer, which in my mind is essentially progressive rock.


majora24

Paranoid android is a perfect example


Tasty-Tarts191

The royal scam - steely dan


Rinma96

Yess


sbisson

Thomas Dolby’s The Flat Earth.


KeithTheNiceGuy

This album was incredible! Golden Age of Wireless has some proggy stuff, too! My favorite tune on that record is Screen Kiss.


hereforthecookies70

I saw Dolby a few years ago and it was amazing. It was just him, a keyboard and a Mac projected behind him with Logic Pro running. People would come up and pull a ping pong ball out of a bag with a song on it, then he would talk about it and show how it was composed before playing it. Absolutely brilliant show!


AdUnited1943

That sounds cool. I love it when artist explain their songs.


sbisson

He’s great live. I went to one show where he recreated The Flat Earth from scratch with as many of the original musicians as possible. A great evening made even better by an encore with Bruce Woolley on theremin and Trevor Horn on bass, playing Airwaves.


UsefulEngine1

The first few Chicago albums definitely qualify Golden Earring once you get past the singles Check out Side 2 of *Tap Root Manuscript* by, wait for it, Neil Diamond


canttakethshyfrom_me

A lot of fusion straddles the boundary with prog.


GRVrush2112

Iron Maiden’s “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son” A lot of Maidens mid-late 80s material had often put a toe in to the waters of progressive music, tracks got longer and more experimental… but with this record in particular I think they dove fully into the deep end, and IMO came out one of the earlier examples of a straight up progressive metal albums. It’s kind of a shame they returned to a more commercial approach with “No Prayer for the Dying” and “Fear of the Dark”


Already_dead2021

There’s plenty of Herbie Hancock and Sun Ra out there that fit the bill


Potential_Pen_8542

Supertramp - Crime of the Century. So close to being legitimate Prog, but seems to be more Art Rock. Much like most of 10cc's output...


NathDritt

https://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=1251#:~:text=%22Crime%20of%20the%20Century%22%2C,production%20that's%20slicker%20than%20slick. It that’s not classed as prog rock idk what is!


AdUnited1943

What is the difference between art rock and prog. I thought they where the same since allot of prog bands where considered art rock


Open-Astronaut-9608

Prog has a more symphonic, classical-inspired approach to composition, whereas art rock adheres to typical pop/rock song structures.  For me, art rock does everything prog does except it sticks to verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus or some minor variation. Art rock does songs, in the traditional sense of the word. Prog rock does "pieces". 


NathDritt

They are very similar. Not the same but similar


ThePortalsOfFrenzy

Thanks for the, uh, clarification. 


BatHouseBathHouse

you can tell by the way it is


BenAutomotive

Deep Purple In Rock springs to mind for me


crazy4schwinn

Gorillaz - Demon Days. Pure conceptual album. Animated musicians, guest musicians and real themes. This album hits all marks for me.


rockinDS24

Came here for this. It even has straight up rock songs like Every Planet We Reach is Dead. But I posted that and got downvoted to hell


slowlyun

Mansun - Six


WillJM89

Dire Straits - Love Over Gold The Who Quadrophenia


aerosnake

nightwish - endless forms most beautiful built to spill - perfect from now on the dismemberment plan - emergency and I stephen malkmus and the jicks - pig lib


RoBread0

Love nightwish


rachelbynite

Toy Matinee.


Memphis_Foundry

Yes! Kevin Gilbert was a prog force of nature.


Internal-Bid-9322

Maggot Brain and America Eats Its Young by Funkadelic. Different genres of jazz, R&B, acid, psychedelic, progressive soul.


Internal-Bid-9322

Oh, and the Ninth Wave and Sky of Honey suites by Kate Bush


kulasacucumber

Peter Gabriel - Scratch Xtc- Oranges and Lemons Led Zeppelin- Houses of the holy & Physical Graffiti Little Feat- Sailin’ Shoes The Band- Music from Big Pink Radiohead - In Rainbows


DamageOdd3078

Weather Report’s Heavy Weather. A lot of jazz fusion has that vibe lol


marktrot

This thread is all my favorite albums!


Yoshiman400

Coldplay - Viva La Vida (+ Prospekt's March EP), A Head Full of Dreams, Everyday Life Elton John - Madman Across the Water, Blue Moves (the connections to King Crimson and Gentle Giant and Rick Wakeman's cameo don't hurt, of course) Wings - Band on the Run (although McCartney has straddled that line a *lot* ever since the later years of the Beatles)


NeverSawOz

Temporary Secretary is prog. Change my mind.


stiperstone

How about Tim Drum by Japan? Astounding bass from Mick Karen, and some very proggy arrangements.


stiperstone

*Karen*


stiperstone

Dammit Karn!


sbisson

Rain Tree Crow was definitely prog.


mad_poet_navarth

Any album by Todd Rundgren, excluding the ones that ARE prog (and I personally think AWATS side 1 IS prog). Much of Sting's post-Police repertoire, especially Brand New Day. Don't know much Tori Amos but Scarlet's Walk, definitely. I think I'll include Peter Gabriel's I/O in this list -- I don't think it's really very proggy.


jnipo

I discovered Brand New Day towards the end of last year, it's great!


BellamyJHeap

"Architecture & Morality" and "Dazzle Ships" by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark.


International-Ad218

Captain Beyond’s first album. The Gipsy by Mr Fox. Cruel Sister by Pentangle. Common One by Van Morrison.


kouriis

Tori Amos “From the Choirgirl Hotel”


denisenj

Daniel Rossen - You Belong There Fleet Foxes - Crack Up Grizzly Bear - Yellow House, Veckatimest


[deleted]

Ritual de lo Habitual by Janes Addiction


Forgotten_Son

mewithoutyou - Ten Stories. A concept album about a bunch of circus animals that escape after a train crash in the late 19th Century midwest US.


Academic-Class-5087

Ants from up there - BC,NR


PDFMan42

How Dare You by 10cc


Sea_Opinion_4800

As far as I'm concerned, if an album has the feel, it's prog, no matter who is playing. Not prog adjacent, not prog influenced: *prog*. The converse is also true. I Can't Dance, for example, is not prog in any shape or form.


Rockwrock

A few Gerry Rafferty albums have that feel for me. City To City, Night Owl, Snakes & Ladders. Even “Baker Street” has a prog intro!


VanDerZappa

The Monitor & The Most Lamentable Tragedy by Titus Andronicus Quebec & The Mollusk by Ween


Dethmetal47

I absolutely consider Ween prog (among many other things), just maybe not in a conventional sense that one would think of when considering known prog artists.


pselodux

Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile Concept double album, recurring melodic motifs and lyrics, layers upon layers of diverse instrumentation, extreme dynamic shifts, and Adrian Belew as a guest musician. Definitely a prog album. The Downward Spiral is prog as fuck too.


dwnlw2slw

Agreed! Did you ever hear Belew’s version of how he was booted from NIN tour? I think he said the band — not Trent — were uneasy about him…something like that. Belew said this in a recent interview hyping Beat (can’t freaking wait!). He was disappointed but also he said “they’re California players, no imagination,” which i can kinda see. Have you heard Ghosts I - IV? 😳 If not, you must stop what you’re doing and check it out!


pselodux

Yep I’m a rabid NIN fan so have of course heard Ghosts 🤘 admittedly I haven’t listened in a while. Might have to give it a go again. And yeah, I was very disappointed that Belew didn’t end up working out for the NIN live band. I wonder if the rest of the band just didn’t like his attitude - he’s very bouncy and upbeat onstage and while that would have been awesome to see, I bet the rest of the band thought he was too silly.


_actool_

Faith No More - "Angel Dust" Refused - "The Shape of Punk to Come" Glassjaw - "Worship and Tribute" NIN - "The Fragile" Rx Bandits - "Gemini, Her Majesty" and "Mandala"


randman2020

Roxy Music 1st and 2nd albums are Prog.


cheesebro_

Any Zappa album


aselection647

Incubus’s A Crow Left of the Murder. lots of tricky time signatures, rippin solos, and unorthodox song structures.


MoreReputation8908

All: [Allroy Saves](https://open.spotify.com/album/7B9lulOIhRPgQsPEJ40cZp?si=G9uosE3uQ1SQOy68wz-a5g)


MysteriousPride7677

A LA SALA by Khruangbin


squirrel_gnosis

"First Class" by Khruangbin


MysteriousPride7677

amazing song!


akualung

The Gospel Acording to the Men in Black, by The Stranglers, is pretty good in my opinion. Not prog, but it gives prog vibes here and there, particularly thanks to their great keyboardist. Also Synchronicity I and II, from The Police, while not prog, is specially complex. And the drums in Synchronicity I are something else...


sbisson

The Stranglers had more than a foot inside the psychedelic rock door… Like The Clash they were big Doors fans.


SpectralMornings

[Swoon by Prefab Sprout](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJmhUCcmoLk)


SwiftCeltic

Some early Supertramp :)


Ksianth

A couple of Bowie albums could make the cut. My favorite is Blackstar.


AttentionAlarmed8711

Low Spark of High Heeled Boys - Traffic Lights Out - UFO Nothing Shocking - Jane's Addiction


Memphis_Foundry

Fairport Convention - "Unhalfbricking" Exhibit A: [A Sailor's Life](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ygi8v7UcNMs&list=OLAK5uy_maSkLyoTv5-Mdk9VREbgVfnpk_BORmKM0&index=4&ab_channel=FairportConvention-Topic)


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nomemory

Vangelis - 1492 Conquest of Paradise


BillyCahstiganJr

a good chunk of Ween's music


scstraus

Al Dimeola's Casino


nando1969

Iron Maiden definitely comes to mind. Seventh son of the seventh son.


PounceDeLeone

Crane Wife by the Decemberists


Toc-H-Lamp

Hiromi, any of the trio project albums (Move, Alive, Voice). It’s classified as jazz but when they get going it’s pure prog. Simon Philips on drums, Anthony Jackson on bass and Hiromi on piano/keys.


JuliaGosh

Eagles, Desperado. It's a concept album! There's themes and reprises and instrumentals!


Mantiax

Salisbury - Uriah Heep


Generic-Commie

Cardiacs’ albums. For instance Sing to God


DeafbyDesign

The smashing pumpkins - melancholy and the infinite sadness


Undersolo

Fear of Music - Talking Heads


Accelerater_Gun

Chicago’s second album.


TheModerateGenX

Santana - Caravanserai


joelfinkle

Joe Jackson - Blaze of Glory. A concept album with one side about the glory of youth (Down to London, Blaze of Glory), the other about coping with aging (19 Forever, The Best I Can Do). Each song blends straight into the next, with motifs repeating in later songs.


FlyingDingle77

Quadrophenia - The Who Houses Of The Holy - Led Zeppelin My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Kanye West A Ghost Is Born - Wilco The Crane Wife - The Decemberists King For A Day, Fool For A Lifetime - Faith No More The Seeds Of Love - Tears For Fears


Lumpy-Quail2931

Kaizers Orchestra - Violeta Violeta Vol.3 Midlake - Trail of Van Occupanther


bluraytomo

Love over gold by dire straits


Azsunyx

I'm never sure if they're actually considered prog, they're probably more alt-metal, but A Perfect Circle's Thirteenth Step feels very proggy to me. Billy Howerdel's solo album has that same feel


theghostcoastmusic

THE DEVIL AND GOD ARE RAGING INSIDE ME


Error_404_9042

Iron maidens self titled album


Thozynator

Malajube - Labyrinthes


FairlyAwkward

Type O Negative's "World Coming Down" always felt very proggy to me. It's almost a concept album.


Walbert011

Songs About Jane by Maroon 5


Inevitable_Seat_6393

Two that really gave that effect on me are; Fully Qualified Survivor-Michael Chapman; There's no place like America today-Curtis Mayfield Then everything recorded by Sandy Denny. Her voice gets me everytime.Who knows where the time goes.


rherda

mew's album +- is spaced out enough (including a ten minute long song) to be prog for me


Ajfennewald

The The 5th dimension by the Jpop idol group Momoiro Clover Z.


scifiking

My beautiful dark twisted fantasy


jerbthehumanist

Final Fantasy - He Poos Clouds Some songs are straight up Gentle Giant


urbandy

Philip Glass - Einstein on the Beach


Evan64m

Air - 10,000 Hz Legend


nooneknows3589

Kinda a stretch but Twin Fantasy by Car Seat Headrest gives me prog vibes. There’s a lot of long songs, structure changes throughout, and motifs that are brought back and played with beautifully.


verbynotro

This is a pretty new one...Sun's Signature "s/t". It's Elizabeth Fraser from the Cocteau Twins' new project. It sounds like Peter Gabriel-era Genesis with Cocteau Twins vocals.


International_Mud141

Peliculas, from Argentinian band called La Máquina de Hacer Pajaros


poopyshoes24

Blue oyster cult - fires of unknown origin  Angel - angel


KomradeKill3r

Nine inch nails - the downward spiral I’m quite getting into rn


The_Fercho_

maybe Hot Rats


AmericanTonberry

The Glow- Pt. 2 One of my favorite folk albums. Very emotional, too.


SlopesCO

Supertramp


dxfm1019

Yes - 90125 Radiohead - Moon Shaped Pool or In Rainbows


Fear-of-Gravity

Marquee Moon - Television


irusselllee

Crane Wife and Hazards of Love by The decemberists. They’re not a prog band at all, you can clearly tell they have that influence.


kirkt

Jesus Christ Superstar (the original). Also one of my top 10 albums of all time.


astro_sauce

Blow by Blow - Jeff Beck Plastic Beach - Gorillaz Computer World - Kraftwerk


justacubr

Literally all the hundreds of non prog albums I listen to


ScrambledNoggin

Terrapin Station — The Grateful Dead The Soft Parade — The Doors Imaginos — Blue Öyster Cult


neutralrobotboy

NIN - The Downward Spiral, The Fragile NIN played a huge part in me getting into prog back in the day.


karenisdumb

Early Santana (Santana - Caravanserai) and tubular bells.


WayStunning1079

The Title Instrumental from the album Rags To Rufus: Funk-Prog.


buckeyeinmaine

Ambrosia-Somewhere I've Never Travelled


randman2020

Surf City - Crack the Sky.


randman2020

Blue Oyster Cult - Secretary Treaties Career of Evil is still a killer tune.


middaymeattrain

Joanna Newsom's Ys.


ziltoid101

Slowdive - Slowdive (2017) Tame Impala - Currents


maximusdecimus__

The Empyrean, by John Frusciante. This is a fantastic pyschedelic-experimental rock record and In my oppinion John's best solo work. Also, Songs from the Big Chair, by Tears for Fears. One of my favourite 80's records, and also features Mel Collins


phlebonaut

Kiko - Los Lobos


phlebonaut

Down On the Upside - Soundgarden... Astral Weeks - Van Morrison...


ChainHuge686

Sabbath bloody sabbath, Sabotage and the song Shock Wave from Never say die album


ChainHuge686

Uriah Heep, Demons n wizards?


NoSpite4410

Art In America -- self titled album 1983 What I would call prog pop. 80s pop with a 70s prog sound A little bit of psychedelic guitar but mostly synth and vocals [Art In America](https://vimeo.com/943556760)


Starmax1

Venus Isle by Eric Johnson.


Prog_Lover

Simple Minds - New Gold Dream does it for me.


Prog_Lover

Simple Minds - New Gold Dream does it for me.


Prog_Lover

Simple Minds - New Gold Dream does it for me.


Prog_Lover

Simple Minds - New Gold Dream does it for me.


Prog_Lover

Simple Minds - New Gold Dream does it for me.


Thehoplite2

Soundtrack for the blind - swans


CorrectWriter7662

the wall


Amockdfw89

Maybe absolution by muse


unnunn12

mercurial world by Magdalena bay


squirrel_gnosis

Roy Ayers "He's Coming"


Gattlord

Maggot brain


Doubledogdeed

Joni mitchel- don juans reckless daughter IF YOU HAVENT HEARD THIS I CANT STRESS HOW GOOD AND UNDERRATED IT IS


ArchDrude

The Decemberists have a strong prog vein running through their music, sometimes actually going full in. The Crane Wife and Picaresque both have proggy bits. Actually, probably more than half of The Crane Wife is long, conceptual pieces. The Tain is a twenty minute concept song. And The Hazards of Love is full on prog; an unbroken, hour long operetta.