The 25 most important prog rock albums of all-time

In many ways, Pet Sounds is the solo work of original bandleader Brian Wilson. Not only did the album serve as a blueprint for later conceptual albums, but it was also a major experiment for band, who moved dramatically away from its surf rock origins. After this progressive journey, which included some unique accompaniment, the band was no longer considered a full-blown pop group — for better or worse. “Wouldn’t it Be Nice,” “Sloop John B,” and “God Only Knows" remain some of the greatest songs of all time. 

Though not a full-blown progressive album, this Beatles classic has been credited as highly influential on what would become the progressive rock movement. Revolver is known for its musical diversity, in terms of both sound and lyrics. Notable examples included the innovative string work on "Eleanor Rigby," the use of an Indian drone on "Tomorrow Never Knows" and the trippy "Yellow Submarine." Other gems from the record include George Harrison's "Taxman," "Good Day Sunshine" and "Got to Get You into My Life."

This Kinks' progressive gem should be considered one of the band's most underrated efforts within the Hall of Fame band's stellar catalog. Critics lauded the project, Ray Davies' tribute to the days of old in England, which also exemplified how truly in-depth his songwriting abilities could be. There is also a healthy blues influence on the record, highlighted clearly by the track “Last of the Steam Powered Trains." The record has long been considered to be one of the first true concept albums ever recorded.

King Crimson were among the pioneers of the progressive rock movement, and this debut album from the English band is often considered the gold standard from within the genre. The record features just four songs spanning nearly 44 minutes, and the complexity and ingenuity of the songs has been hailed as musical genius. "21st Century Schizoid Man," the album's opener — featuring an almost James Bond-theme vibe — is among the great prog rock songs of all time. Greg Lake's vocals on the album deliver an otherworldly listening experience.

When it comes to the great prog rock bands, the legendary trio of Keith Emerson, Greg Lake and Carl Palmer should be among the first that comes to mind. Among the supergroup's brilliance is Tarkus, its second studio album that is often regarded as one of the great blueprints for progressive rock records. The highlight of Tarkus, is the arduous opus title track, which spans nearly 21 minutes — or the entire side one of the vinyl version of the project. Meanwhile, side two features a series of unrelated songs, none spanning more than four minutes.

One of the earliest examples of when progressive rock hit the radio — or at least on a consistent basis. Yes, a band synonymous with the prog rock movement, pushed itself to the forefront of the mainstream amid the genre at the time, thanks to this record and its lead track, "Roundabout." Jon Anderson's increasingly unique vocals, as well as Rick Wakeman's addictive organ work on the track, made it a radio hit and, later, a classic rock staple. Its B-side, "Long Distance Runaround", is also one of Yes' most well-known tunes.

Perhaps the greatest part about Tull's most recognizable piece is that it's a conceptual project poking fun at concept albums, which were becoming all the rage at the time. The record is one continuous song (ultimately edited for radio play), divided into two parts, and, when listening to it on vinyl, it spans both sides of the record. A showcase for the brilliance of leader Ian Anderson, the original packaging for Brick declares that the album is a poem from the fictional 8-year-old boy genius Bostock. It's the epitome of  '70s progressive rock.

If the aforementioned Fragile put Yes on the mainstream musical map, then Close to the Edge vaulted them to the top of the prog movement internationally. It was a labor of love for the band, and even led to founding member and legendary drummer Bill Bruford's departure, after which he would eventually join King Crimson. Still, Close to the Edge is at the forefront of Yes' musical legacy. The nearly 19-minute opening title track is a prog-rock masterpiece that even casual music fans could, and still can, appreciate.

Eight albums into their illustrious career, the Floyd finally enjoyed breakout success. And it was massive. Considered one of the greatest albums of all time (spending 950 weeks on the Billboard charts), Dark Side took the band's past penchant for instrumental endeavors and added more bombast and polish, and coupled it with a more concise, yet in-depth lyrical approach. Classics like "Time," Money," Us and Them," and the underrated twofer finale of "Brain Damage"/"Eclipse" are at the forefront of the group's legacy. It's also widely considered by rock historians as the album that opened the door for the genre to flourish with mainstream listening audiences.

Was this England's Genesis throwing shade at America? Perhaps, but the subject matter of this unheralded and ambitious fifth studio album from the band does touch on the United States' growing influence on the U.K. Musically, Selling England by the Pound was another example of Genesis' maturity as a band, especially from a lyrical standpoint. A hit in the U.K., though not as well received commercially in the U.S., the album, paced by the single "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)," has grown in cult status as one of the group's best efforts.

Like the aforementioned Tarkus, Emerson, Lake and Palmer's classic Brain Salad Surgery is dominated by one, monumentally epic track. The highly ambitious and whimsical "Karn Evil 9" is perhaps ELP's most recognized and celebrated tune, one that spans roughly 29 1/2 minutes and is broken down into nine impressions. It also shows off the brilliance of drummer Carl Palmer. Meanwhile, the opening tune "Jerusalem" is one of the band's most underrated numbers, while the instrumental "Toccata" is a splendid gem.

ELO leader Jeff Lynne had been toying with the idea of a concept piece for some time. He finally made it happen with this masterful fantasy tale, in which the story's protagonist navigates through dreams to escape a disillusioned world. Critics quickly pointed out the Beatles' influence on the record. The project's centerpiece remains one of the group's biggest hits in "Can't Get It Out of My Head." Though ELO has always been a progressive rock outfit, Eldorado pushed Lynne and the band into a more pop-oriented direction, while hailed as being less convoluted as some of its past selections.

By the summer and fall of 1974, King Crimson was seven studio albums into its career, but at this point was down to a three-piece (John Wetton, Robert Fripp and Bill Bruford). Yet, when it comes to celebrating the band's catalog, "Red" is still considered a gem, though it did not sell well and was the record before Fripp ended the group — until it resurfaced with 1981's Discipline. It might also be the heaviest album produced by the band, and has grown in popularity over the decades.

This was singer Peter Gabriel's swan song with the band, but he certainly left his mark. Genesis became a household name with this album about a boy taking in all that New York City has to offer. While the making of the record wasn't easy for Gabriel and the rest of the group, it still stands up well from a lyrical, musical, and production standpoint. The title cut is an epic example of that. From here, however, Genesis' sound would trend toward a more mainstream, pop-oriented direction that would bring the trio of Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks massive commercial success.

While the underlying theme of the 1975 classic Wish You Were Here is an homage to the talented but tortured life of Floyd co-founder Syd Barrett (whose struggles with substance abuse and declining mental health saw him depart from the band seven years earlier), the album also touches on Roger Waters' opinion of the music business. The nine-part "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" — a tribute to Barrett — bookends the album, with a musically detailed journey that's creative, trippy, haunting, and quite sad. "Have a Cigar" amusingly describes how shady and greedy record labels can get. The highlight, however, is the famed title track.  David Gilmour's innovative, overdubbed 12-string guitar/acoustic intro is the song's defining moment. Meanwhile, Roger Waters' imaginative and self-reflecting lyrics add to the overall beauty of the song.

There is plenty to debate here, as if this is indeed a concept album, but 2112 might just be Rush's most progressive record from a band that has long been a contemporary poster child for the genre. Fans don't consider this a true concept album, but it has the feel and flow of one. It's a true listening experience. The seven-part title track opus is a futuristic ride that might be the band's most ambitious work within its stellar catalog. As usual, the brilliance of drummer Neil Peart, who wrote most of the lyrics, is evident.

These prog-rockers from America's heartland needed a hit. Kansas' previous three records were ambitious and pretty impressive from a compositional standpoint, but not radio-friendly. Then, something clicked. Guitarist Kerry Livgren wrote "Carry On Wayward Son" — the band's first top 40 Billboard hit — and Kansas finally enjoyed mainstream success. "The Wall" and "Miracles Out of Nowhere" don't get the credit they deserve when dissecting this special album, which opened the door for Kansas to thrive among the staples of classic rock.   

There's certainly a conceptual aspect to Animals. Within Roger Waters' critical-thinking mind, "pigs" represent the top rung of the social ladder within the album's theme. From a musical standpoint, "Pigs (Three Different Ones)" is arguably the standout moment of an underrated album, but both lead-off track "Pigs on the Wings (Part One and Part Two) and the brilliant "Sheep" are also examples of the Floyd's progressive brilliance.

The follow-up to A Farewell to Kings the year prior, Hemispheres only helped grow Rush's fanbase as the mainstream acclaim continued to consume the Canadian rockers. It can be argued that this record was the perfect balance to please both veteran Rush fans ("La Villa Strangiato") and the new ones ("The Trees"). The complexity and creativity of Neil Peart's lyrics only grew stronger through Hemispheres, the album that was a bridge to the band's official mainstream popularity waiting on the horizon.

By the early 1980s, Rush was among the most prominent rock bands on the planet, with a die-hard, almost cult-like fan base. However, Moving Pictures officially brought the band into the mainstream with its fusion of progressive rock, synth rock and even some metal. The four-song Side One might be the best in rock history with “Tom Sawyer,” Red Barchetta,” the exceptional instrumental “YYZ” and “Limelight.” The album sold five million copies in the United States, making it the band’s biggest-selling record in America.

Arguably metal/hard rock's most commercially well-known concept album, and the one that officially brought progressive tendencies of Queensrÿche's sound to the masses. While hair bands were dominating the Sunset Strip and MTV, these Seattle rockers were showing off their originality, creativity, and quality musicianship behind a dark tale involving a recovering addict sucked into a revolutionary organization. Geoff Tate's vocal range adds even more punch to the project, which produced Queensrÿche staples “Eyes of a Stranger” and “I Don’t Believe in Love.”

In terms of the progressive hard rock/heavy metal community, Dream Theater remains the king when it comes to notoriety and accessibility. Going back to the end of the 20th century, Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory still resonates as perhaps the band's best album, even after all these years. A prog-rock conceptual journey of intensity and passion, Metropolis remains a theatrical masterpiece for the ears, which highlights the brilliance of the band's key parts — notably guitarist John Petrucci and celebrated drummer Mike Portnoy. 

Though not necessarily a household name among metal fans in the United States, Swedish prog metal staple Opeth has long been one of the most respected and celebrated bands of the genre on the international front. This 2001 classic remains the band's masterpiece, an opus of heavy, intense, yet pleasantly melodic sound that has secured a rightful place on such a list as this. Its fifth studio release, Blackwater Park was the group's coming-out party of sorts in terms of global mainstream relevance within the genre.

The pride of Atlanta, Mastodon has done a solid of job of carrying the banner of progressive metal that remains a vital part of the movement. Leviathan, the band's sophomore effort, was its first concept album, and was at least partially based on the classic novel Moby Dıck. If there's one word to describe the project, it would be "epic," even though the album runs a little more than 45 minutes long. The structure and bombast that metal fans have come to love about Mastodon was truly on display for the first time. It paved the way for a confident, extremely talented band to excel. "Iron Tusk" and "Blood and Thunder" remain the highlights.

By the time Porcupine Tree's ninth studio album came out, this progressive English outfit, run by vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Steven Wilson, was already a successfully established progressive rock commodity. Yet, this 2007 effort is widely considered the best of the lot when it comes to Porcupine Tree's catalog. The album, which predominantly touches on the loss of innocence, was written in Tel Aviv and London, and earned a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Surround Sound Album."