I heard that one of my dearest friends, Aaron Hasson, was doing a piece on what he considered to be the "greatest classic rock bands." If you know me, my music pallet, though diverse as it may be, tends to mostly dabble in the broad subject area that is rock and roll. So considering those two facts, it is no surprise as to what I am going to be writing about. This article is going to be a short compilation of some of my favorite bands in the genre of progressive rock. This list is just my own personal opinions and I do have other favorite bands in this genre of rock and roll. However, like I said, this is a short compilation - which I thought would be appropriate given this is my first Listicle. Before I get started, I would like to thank my friend Aaron on presenting me this idea and I must say that I am looking forward to collaborating with you on other articles and lists in the future. Without further or due, here are my top five choices for greatest progressive rock bands:
1. Rush
Of all the groups listed, the Canadian trio Rush perhaps have the most intense and enthusiastic fan community of not just any progressive group, but any band period. While most of their peers have fallen apart or broken up over the years, Rush has consistently, up until this year, had the same line-up since 1975. A true hallmark of the staying power of the group. Over the course of those forty plus years, Rush's concerts and performances are just as memorable and spell bounding as they were when the band first appeared on Chum TV. This is part and due to Rush's musicianship, complex compositions, and eclectic lyrical motifs drawing heavily on science fiction, fantasy, and philosophy. This helped them craft gem's like "2112." It's also beyond dispute that Neil Peart is one of the greatest drummers on the face of the Earth. This band packs a punch and an atomic bomb.
2. Pink Floyd
No list of rock bands, progressive or not, would not be compete without these show stoppers from London. Often branded more as a psychedelic band, Pink Floyd have had one of the most, if not, the most impact on rock and roll. Everyone has either heard or heard of "Another Brick in the Wall", "Comfortably Numb" or "Wish You Were Here." But Pink Floyd's remarkable works spans more than just these great songs, but rather a multitude of excellent albums such as: Meddle, Dark Side of The Moon (which has the most charted weeks on the Billboard 200 of any album: 917), Wish You Were Here, Animals, The Wall, A Momentary Lapse of Reason, Division Bell- all of them have something unusual something special. The 'best of Pink Floyd' line up hadn't played together for 24 years, but after some hard work, Bob Geldof brought them to the stage for a glorious four-song set Truly a remarkable band for the ages.
3. Genesis
Genesis broke many of the conventional rules of rock & roll. Bands aren't supposed to get more popular as the decades go by. They aren't supposed to sell more records after their ultra-charismatic front man (Peter Gabriel) leaves for a solo career. The drummer (Phil Collins) isn't supposed to effortlessly take over as singer. But Genesis are trailblazers. The early records from their Peter Gabriel days – like "Foxtrot" and "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" – give them endless credibility in prog community. By the 1980's, Phil Collins had taken over and they were churning out pop songs like "Illegal Alien" and "In Too Deep." They were also headlining stadiums all over the world. It was a weird time, but one that will be remembered and cherished by fans like me for ages to come. And not just because of the Tarzan soundtrack.
4. Yes
Yes get their due from progressive rock fans, but overall I would consider them underrated simply because of what they did in their prime. 'The Yes Album' is the first of many amazing, consecutive albums for Yes including: 'Relayer,' 'Fragile,' and 'Close to the Edge' - voted the number one progressive rock album ever by Rolling Stone. Not to mention they also had a huge comeback with "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" in 1983, a song that, once you listen to its melodic melody, you will be transported to a simpler time. One of my personal favorites on this list.
5. Dream Theater
Though I would not put them as the greatest, Dream Theater is one of my personal favorite progressive rock bands and have a very compelling record of accomplishments. The band is well known for the technical proficiency of its instrumentalists, who have won many awards from music instruction magazines. For starters, guitarist John Petrucci was named as the third player on the G3 tour six times, more than any invited players. In 2009 he was named the second best metal guitarist by Joel McIver in his book The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists. He was also named as one of the "Top 10 Fastest Shredders of All Time" by GuitarOne magazine. Jordan Rudess is considered to be one of the greatest keyboard players of all time by many publications like MusicRadar. Former drummer Mike Portnoy has won 26 awards from Modern Drummer magazine and is also the second youngest person (at the age of 37) to be inducted into the Rock Drummer Hall of Fame. The band's highest-selling album is the gold-selling Images and Words (1992), which reached No. 61 on the Billboard 200 chart. On April 9, 2013, Images and Words won Loudwire's fan voted March Metal Madness for world's best metal album beating albums by Dio, AC/DC, Judas Priest, Megadeth and Metallica. As of 2011, Dream Theater has sold over 12 million records worldwide. And many of you are still asking "Dream Theater who?"
