Progressive Rock Epics: Are These Really the TEN BEST?
The epic is very much part of the prog genre. This video collects together the ten best progressive rock epics… To what extent do you agree?
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#prog #epic #classicalbum
@tullfan2560
August 19, 2025 at 12:58 am
Some others –
Fear of a Blank Planet – Porcupine Tree
Arriving Somewhere but Not Here – Porcupine Tree
Shadow of the Hierophant – Steve Hackett
Every Day – Steve Hackett
Lady Fantasy – Camel
*Child in Time – Deep Purple
*Life Speeds Up – The Church
*Funeral for a Friend – Elton John
Cheyenne Anthem – Kansas
*Kashmir – Led Zeppelin
*Achilles Last Stand – Led Zeppelin
Can You Understand – Renaissance
*Shine on You Crazy Diamond – Pink Floyd
Salisbury – Uriah Heep
Why – Uriah Heep
Ancestral – Steven Wilson
* Part prog
@jamiepastman5594
August 19, 2025 at 12:58 am
Gentle Giant didn’t do epic side long tunes, but they packed more musical goodness in a 5 minutes than Dream Theatre has in 5 albums. But if we’re doing epic I’d say Haken is doing monumental work.
@andypammenter8528
August 19, 2025 at 12:58 am
Close to the edge, Thick as a brick pt.1, Dogs, Kairn evil 9, Plague of lighthouse keepers, Echoes, Awaken, A Passion Play,
@eddhardy1054
August 19, 2025 at 12:58 am
I'd go for (in no particular order):
L'Auberge Du Sanglier
(Caravan),
Brother Where You Bound
(Supertramp),
The Fountain Of Salmacis
(Genesis),
Poseidon's Creation
(Eloy),
Fool's Overture
(Supertramp),
For Richard
(Caravan),
And You And I
(Yes),
The Musical Box
(Genesis),
Vivaldi
(Curved Air) &
Thick As A Brick
(Jethro Tull).
Mind you this list could easily be the start of my Top 20 or Top 50 or Top 100 😉🥰
@cozmicpfunk
August 19, 2025 at 12:58 am
One would always expect Crimson, Yes and Genesis in any list! I was surprised 2112 made it, this is one of my personal favorites. Mike Oldfield Tubular Bells?
@bobparr4723
August 19, 2025 at 12:58 am
Some obvious ones there, but a good list nevertheless👍
Just a nod to: song of scheherazade, The Underfall Yard & East Coast Racer by Big Big Train. Once around the world by It Bites, Eruption by Focus, El Dorado by Marillion and last but not least, Milliontown by Frost* 👍
@michaelkeudel8770
August 19, 2025 at 12:58 am
Magic Pie The Suffering Joy, epic opening 25 minue epic.
@drums122
August 19, 2025 at 12:58 am
There are a couple of albums on the list like animals 77, close to the edge 72, which are in bad taste to mention (yes, for sure) because they are very obvious favorites. It's nice to see Octavarium 2005, a really interesting album, unlike many of their other uninteresting albums. I want to recommend you a couple of albums that you may not have heard: Blackfield 2004;
Finally George – Life is a killer 2018
@gerryrafferty7500
August 19, 2025 at 12:58 am
Hard to disagree with anything , two days after Bloomsday references and Edmund Burke much appreciated
@MichaelRoy-hc3lz
August 19, 2025 at 12:58 am
Close To The Edge was Yes at the zenith of their talents. Myself and a group of my proggy 15 year old friends were discussing how awful Tales was and l recall saying "they had nowhere to go after Close To The Edge". It was that good, anything after it would be a let down. Proving my point they never approached that level of greatness again. For Van der Graaf Generator my song has always been Sleepwalkers and for King Crimson Fracture, though Wetton's excellent voice is absent l still find it captivating each time l hear it
@thekivster
August 19, 2025 at 12:58 am
Starless is amazing but it's too short to be an "epic" in my opinion.
@RogueReplicant
August 19, 2025 at 12:58 am
Since when did "That's not my cup of tea" turn into "That's not my bag of feed", lol. Good stuff 😁
@magiscichoam
August 19, 2025 at 12:58 am
Bravo! Your narrative on these selections are searingly brilliant, evocative and spot on. Thank you.
@vforvendetta7851
August 19, 2025 at 12:58 am
I love how verbose you are! I need a dictionary to find out if the track / album is any good????
@marciopainhas5828
August 19, 2025 at 12:58 am
Great choices, but an epic band was missing: Gentle Giant…
Greetings from Brazil!
@douglasstruthers8307
August 19, 2025 at 12:58 am
"Thick As A Brick" and "Dogs" and "Starless" are my favourites from your list. Pink Floyd's "Echoes" from MEDDLE would also get a nod from me. My favourite potential epic from ANIMALS are all three of the animals – "Pigs" and "Sheep" and "Dogs" – depending on the day of the week.
@Cosmowithflowers
August 19, 2025 at 12:58 am
Pink floyd is VERY GOOD.
@chrisbyrne5358
August 19, 2025 at 12:58 am
Prophet Song by Queen
Awaken by Yes
Echoes by Pink Floyd.
Tubular Bells by Mile Oldfield
Flight of the Snow Goose by Camel❤
@olofpalme63
August 19, 2025 at 12:58 am
I believe Genesis' The Return of the Giant Hogweed should've been included in this list
@olofpalme63
August 19, 2025 at 12:58 am
Excellent insight of Crimson's "Starless"!
@andrewgreen6429
August 19, 2025 at 12:58 am
Would have liked to see Marillion’s Misplaced Childhood in there ❤
@adampoll4977
August 19, 2025 at 12:58 am
I have to thank you for putting me onto Wobbler, all the elements of classic prog I love with just enough "excess" to truly give it validation.
@markastoforoff7838
August 19, 2025 at 12:58 am
Two of the albums I guessed that would be on here were 2112 and Close to the Edge, personally I would have put 2112 as the best prog album but that's just me. I would have put Wish You Were Here above Animals though.
@altair8598
August 19, 2025 at 12:58 am
Always interested in your views Barry and wouldn't argue much with your choices. Would you have placed Eruption by Focus anywhere near your top 10? I still enjoy it and think it is well structured.
@kippwieland6464
August 19, 2025 at 12:58 am
Supper's Ready and Plague of Lighthouse Keepers are closely related for me as I discovered them nearly at the same time. My friend had the honor of being called a "wanker" by Armando Gallo for not giving up his seat on Cruise to the Edge a few years ago.
@spiritualarchitect4276
August 19, 2025 at 12:58 am
Porcupine Tree's Arriving Somewhere But Not Here (12min), Anesthetize (17 min) and Moonloop (40 min) would all make my Top 10. The other 7 would all be by Yes.
@vmacart
August 19, 2025 at 12:58 am
super's ready. 9ft underground. the ikon.echos. ashes are burning. baker st muse. revealing science of god. brother where you bound. voyage 34. 2112.
@cloviskoba
August 19, 2025 at 12:58 am
Excellent selection, but there's room to include Camel as you mentioned Snow Goose in your other review. Also Mirage and Moonmadness are classics.
@bradleystone2623
August 19, 2025 at 12:58 am
I love the fact that you included the track from Octavarium, perhaps my fave album by D.T. (and not often considered as highly). Might I suggest the following alternative tracks (in no particular order): 1. "The Remembering", Yes (from TFTO); 2. "A Passion Play", Jethro Tull; 3. "Nine Feet Underground", Caravan (In the Land of Grey and Pink); 4. "Echoes", Pink Floyd (from Meddle); 4. "Duke" (entire suite), Genesis (from Duke); 5. "Mei", Echolyn (from Mei); 6."A Tab in the Ocean", Nektar (from A Tab in the Ocean); 7. "Illusions on a Double Dimple", Triumvirat (from Illusions on a Double Dimple); 8. "Crying for Help", Arena (spread over several albums). 9. "Karn Evil 9", ELP (from Karn Evil 9)' 10. "Down by the Sea", Strawbs (from Bursting at the Seams) – just had to include something by Strawbs, often overlooked as one of the early seminal prog rock bands, maybe because of their strong folk influence.
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