20 Watts

CLASSIC PROG:

Yes — Fragile

A relatively tame effort by Yes’ standards (this, after all, is a band who wrote 20-minute songs on numerous occasions), Fragile still stands out as being Yes’ first truly progressive album. With a mix of long and short pieces, folk guitars offset with sci-fi-style organs and even a prog interpretation of a movement of a Brahms symphony (“Cans and Brahms”), the album remains a landmark release for progressive rock — and for rock in general.
>>Key track: “Roundabout”

Rush — 2112

Canadian power trio Rush pulled out all the stops on 2112, a six-song opus that became the definitive release of its career. The album’s 20-minute title track tells the story of futuristic planetary rule by evil priests. Later tracks like “A Passage to Bangkok” and “Something for Nothing” have also remained fan favorites in concerts over the years. And while Rush would find similar success on later releases, they would never again be this epic, or this progressive.
>>Key track: “2112”

Rush — Moving Pictures

Moving Pictures continued Rush’s move toward a more radio-friendly sound, with the FM and concert staples “Red Barchetta” and “Limelight.” And though the band still did bare its progressive rock chops with the instrumental “YYZ” and the 11-minute epic “The Camera Eye,” in the end it was the radio hit “Tom Sawyer” that best summed up the album — less intensely progressive, but more lasting than anything Rush had ever done.
>>Key track: “Tom Sawyer”

Genesis — Selling England by the Pound

Before Genesis’ oft-maligned transition to more radio-friendly material with Phil Collins, Genesis had Peter Gabriel on vocals, and was as progressive a rock act as any. Selling England by the Pound best showcases the band’s influence on the genre, with virtuoso performances from guitarist Steve Hackett and keyboardist Tony Banks. “Firth of Fifth” remains a concert staple to this day, but it’s the album’s stunning opener “Dancing with the Moonlight Knight” that truly steals the show.
>>Key track: “Dancing with the Moonlight Knight”

Pink Floyd — The Dark Side of the Moon

The Dark Side of the Moon needs no introduction. It’s one of the finest rock albums in history and a true rock masterpiece. From its use of synthesizers and sound effects to its exploration of conceptual themes like greed, death and mental illness, the album immediately forged itself (and Pink Floyd) a place atop the progressive rock plateau and has never looked back. With each song as haunting and vital as the last, The Dark Side of the Moon is truly an album to lose oneself in.
>>Key track: “Time”

>>CLASSIC PROG (CONT’D)