DT's 'Images & Words' crowned best Prog album of the last 25 years!

[Rufus]

Images And Words crowned best of last 25 years by The Prog Report – ahead of work by Tool, Porcupine Tree and Steven Wilson
Dream Theater's Images And Words has been named the best prog album of the last 25 years.

The 1992 release came top of The Prog Report's Top 50 Prog Albums 1990-2015 list, beating Spock's Beard, Opeth and Porcupine Tree to the accolade.

The Prog Report say: "With the end of hair metal and the rise of Nirvana and grunge, this progressive metal band from Berklee found themselves with a gold record and a hit single with their 1992 sophomore album, Images And Words.

"For prog and metal fans left out in the cold with mainstream music, this album was critical. Dream Theater were the first band to master and find success in the new era of progressive music, combining the technicality of Yes with the heaviness of Metallica for a completely new sound."

Second place goes to Steven Wilson's 2013 album The Raven That Refused To Sing, while Dream Theater also claim third place with Metropolis 2: Scenes From A Memory.

Transatlantic, Queensryche, Neal Morse and Tool also score highly. Rush come in at number 31 with 2012's Clockwork Angels, while Australian outfit Karnivool claim 43rd place with their 2009 album Sound Awake.

The Mars Volta and Mastodon also sneak into the top 50.

The Prog Report they wanted to create a list that prevented more recent work being overshadowed by classics from earlier decades. They say: "All lists of top prog albums are dominated by bands from the 70s like Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd and King Crimson – and rightfully so, as those are the originals and some of the best ever made.

"There has been incredible music made since those bands have stopped making music. These bands are often left off those lists and not recognised."

Prog last year published a list of the 100 best albums of all time, as voted for by readers.

TOP 10
1.Dream Theater – Images And Words
2.Steven Wilson – The Raven That Refused To Sing
3.Dream Theater – Metropolis 2: Scenes From A Memory
4.Porcupine Tree – In Absentia
5.Transatlantic – Bridge Across Forever
6.Opeth – Blackwater Park
7.Spock's Beard – The Light
8.Porcupine Tree – Deadwing
9.Tool – Lateralus
10.Spock's Beard – Snow

[TheLoony]

Best? Maybe not but most instrumental in bringing any type of prog to the mainstream? Yeah, I can see that.

SFAM kills it but I won't argue the list. Snow seems a bit high on the list but many have a different opinion of it than I do.

Got's a linky to the whole list?

[bob_32_116]

As usual with these lists, some of the inclusions I agree with, some I don't, and some I am not qualified to judge.

For SW I would have picked either Grace For Drowning or Hand. Cannot. Erase.; for PT, Fear of a Blank Planet; for Opeth, Damnation.

It's just another opinion, like my opinion.

[Scrotum Scissor]

Perhaps they should know what they are talking about first. One can agree and/or disagree with most such endeavours, but for GOD's fucking sake introduce yourself to the subject beforehand. Know your matter or accept a limiting precondition of the "narrow".

Grasping 3-7% does not allow you to judge the remaining 93+. Ludicrous.

[Baribrotzer]

Perhaps they should know what they are talking about first. One can agree and/or disagree with most such endeavours, but for GOD's fucking sake introduce yourself to the subject beforehand. Know your matter or accept a limiting precondition of the "narrow".

Grasping 3-7% does not allow you to judge the remaining 93+. Ludicrous.

It probably wouldn't change their opinion. Play Thinking Plague or Comus - or even SGM or Kayo Dot - for them, and they'll just go, "What is this shit?" and vote for Dream Theater again. You know the line: they know what they like and they like what they know.

[Rufus]

Got's a linky to the whole list?

http://progreport.com/top-50-prog-albums-1990-2015/

[Roth-Handle Studios]

That is great. Now we know.

Super.

// Mattias

[Scrotum Scissor]

You know the line: they know what they like and they like what they know.

All true. Whis is exactly why it is and will remain essentially pointless to talk about a "prog community" or even "genre". If there's no progressive ethos to music in the first place, then forget about it.

Progressive rock music has been made all around the world, with dozens of various angles to it; now check that "list" of theirs - it's embarrassing, and not only for their ignorance but for their alleged sense of *logic*.

[Jay.Dee]

What are the next 40 entries? Let's see the whole list before we pass the judgements; any top 10 out of top 50 is usually stuffed with music industry's darlings.

EDIT: ok, the link has just appeared above.

[Nearfest2]

Looks like a DPRP list. That list is hilarious. You nearly can't view a single page without seeing DT, PT, or Transatlantic.

[Rune Blackwings]

Images And Words crowned best of last 25 years by The Prog Report – ahead of work by Tool, Porcupine Tree and Steven Wilson
Dream Theater's Images And Words has been named the best prog album of the last 25 years.

The 1992 release came top of The Prog Report's Top 50 Prog Albums 1990-2015 list, beating Spock's Beard, Opeth and Porcupine Tree to the accolade.

The Prog Report say: "With the end of hair metal and the rise of Nirvana and grunge, this progressive metal band from Berklee found themselves with a gold record and a hit single with their 1992 sophomore album, Images And Words.

"For prog and metal fans left out in the cold with mainstream music, this album was critical. Dream Theater were the first band to master and find success in the new era of progressive music, combining the technicality of Yes with the heaviness of Metallica for a completely new sound."

Second place goes to Steven Wilson's 2013 album The Raven That Refused To Sing, while Dream Theater also claim third place with Metropolis 2: Scenes From A Memory.

Transatlantic, Queensryche, Neal Morse and Tool also score highly. Rush come in at number 31 with 2012's Clockwork Angels, while Australian outfit Karnivool claim 43rd place with their 2009 album Sound Awake.

The Mars Volta and Mastodon also sneak into the top 50.

The Prog Report they wanted to create a list that prevented more recent work being overshadowed by classics from earlier decades. They say: "All lists of top prog albums are dominated by bands from the 70s like Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd and King Crimson – and rightfully so, as those are the originals and some of the best ever made.

"There has been incredible music made since those bands have stopped making music. These bands are often left off those lists and not recognised."

Prog last year published a list of the 100 best albums of all time, as voted for by readers.

TOP 10
1.Dream Theater – Images And Words
2.Steven Wilson – The Raven That Refused To Sing
3.Dream Theater – Metropolis 2: Scenes From A Memory
4.Porcupine Tree – In Absentia
5.Transatlantic – Bridge Across Forever
6.Opeth – Blackwater Park
7.Spock's Beard – The Light
8.Porcupine Tree – Deadwing
9.Tool – Lateralus
10.Spock's Beard – Snow

It's like Prog Archives did this. It's pretty much the same three groups of musicians over and over. Why not just make the claim "If it doesn't have Steven Wilson, Neil Morse or the dudes from Dream Theater on it, it ain't prog"? And I say this with one of my favorite bands in the list too.

[Jay.Dee]

Looks like a DPRP list. That list is hilarious. You nearly can't view a single page without seeing DT, PT, or Transatlantic.

...or Spock's Beard. If you add to this all the side/solo/co-produced projects included it looks like a family congregation.

BTW, what has happened to the Flower Kings? Only one entry at #49 - aren't they considered contemporary prog stars anymore?

[Morpheus]

Meshuggah and Cynic are cool, though that is not the album I would choose as Meshuggah's best.

Everything else I either don't care about or actively despise.

[Scrotum Scissor]

Everything else I either don't care about or actively despise.

[Gerardo]

...or Spock's Beard. If you add to this all the side/solo/co-produced projects included it looks like a family congregation.

BTW, what has happened to the Flower Kings? Only one entry at #49 - aren't they considered contemporary prog stars anymore?

I agree with you. Interesting list but it seems it was a personal fan list. I was also puzzled by the The Flower Kings choice at #49 (Desolation Rose). So where is 'Stardust We Are'? I mean, 'Desolation Rose' is a good record but 'Stardust We Are' is The Flower Kings magnum opus, imo.

[Rune Blackwings]

Test for Echo? Seriously??

There were quite a few notable albums that were suspiciously absent to make room for the main three obsessions of DT, PT, and Spock's Beard and all their incarnations and side projects.

Some examples:
Opeth-Pale Communion
Opeth-Deliverance
Opeth-Damnation
Ulver-Blood Inside
Ulver-Shadows of the Sun
Arcturus-The Sham Mirrors
Arcturus-Aspera Heims Symfonia
Aryeon (How can you forget Aryeon???)
Guapo


I know this is a voters' choice list, but who the hell voted? All the Steven Wilson fanboys on PA???

[Scrotum Scissor]

what has happened to the Flower Kings? Only one entry at #49 - aren't they considered contemporary prog stars anymore?

Oh, they're only from Sweden - albeit that country's best stab at sounding as similar as possible to those other bests. Swedes, whose "best kept secret" - according to Prog Mag - apparently is some ultra-obscure combo by the name of Ængligurb or something like that. And here am I thinking the latter were relatively legendary within that equally legendary "prog community" - with "best kept secret" rather being bestowed on someone like Lach'n Jonsson, Simon Steensland or St. Mikael. Boy, I should have read this list before drawing such conclusions.

[Rune Blackwings]

Oh, they're only from Sweden - albeit that country's best stab at sounding as similar as possible to those other bests. Swedes, whose "best kept secret" - according to Prog Mag - apparently are some ultra-obscure combo by the name of Ængligurb or something like that. And here am I thinking the latter were relatively legendary within that equally legendary "prog community" - with "best kept secret" rather being bestowed to someone like Lach'n Jonsson, Simon Steensland or St. Mikael. Boy, I should have read this list before drawing such conclusions.

Darn you! Don't you know the only Swedish Prog band is OPETH?

[Jay.Dee]

Darn you! Don't you know the only Swedish Prog band is OPETH?

They have been guided and produced by the Reverend Steven Wilson, haven't they? They belong to the Family.

[Scrotum Scissor]

They have been guided and produced by the Reverend Steven Wilson, haven't they? They belong to the Family.

Are you by this trying to insinuate that there hasn't been elaborate comparative and theoretical analysis involved in producing these important findings?!!

[Rune Blackwings]

I am still assburned over the fact that Tuomas Holopainen's Music Inspired by the Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck is not on the list...

[chalkpie]

Where are all the Bob Drake albums?

[Scrotum Scissor]

Where are all the Bob Drake albums?

Oh, they were *meticulously* considered, Frankie - but sadly fell a bit short of those three or four Transsexdick records.

[100423]

I am still assburned over the fact that Tuomas Holopainen's Music Inspired by the Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck is not on the list...

I say we start a petition.

[Rune Blackwings]

Oh, they were *meticulously* considered, Frankie - but sadly fell a bit short of those three or four Transsexdick records.

Not to mention that Steve Wilson did not have his hand in a single one of them