Isaac Asimov was asked once 'When was the Golden Age of Science Fiction?' His answer, 'When you were sixteen.' Perhaps the best Prog. Rock albums are those you listened to when you were similarly young, which is why The Moody Blues 'Days of Future Passed' and 'To Our Children's Children's Children' will always make my top ten.

"Eclipsed by Dark Side of the Moon and overshadowed by The Wall"... brilliant

Tales from topographic oceans is and always will be my favorite album of all time. Such a beautiful, lush and inspirational album.

Great review! Camel "Long godbyes"...just amazing!

Nice to see Jethro Tull come in No.1 for once, though I think they were ranked best band in the world for 5 minutes sometime around 1972 -73.

So glad you included STATIONARY TRAVELLER - I love this overlooked masterpiece concept album. ANIMALS has never rung my bell, although DOGS is a good track. It's not a patch on the PF albums either side of it.

Thank you so much. I must admit, my primary reason to listen to your videos is because you really love Tull. Seeing Thick as a Brick at the top of your list made my day. I wouldn't put any other album there myself. another delightful surprise for me is Stationary Traveller. I almost never ever heard anybody else mention that album before. ı also have the LP, which I bought in Vienna many years ago. I live in Turkey and it is not easy to buy rock albums here. twenty years ago you could find some more, but not anymore. Anyway, I think Stationary Traveller is fab. I love the title track. Andy Latimer's guitar sound and riffs are so haunting. I share very similar feelings towards the album. Never heard of number ten. I'll try to listen to it on the net. Stay safe.All the best from Turkey.

"The Snow Goose " by Camel , "666 " by Aprodities Child , " Remember the Future "by Nektar , "S .F Sorrow " by The Pretty Things, "Dark Side" By Floyd are all great albums but my favourite concept album is " Three Friends " by the wonderful Gentle Giant . The music and the story that inspired it produced a classic album .

These are some really great choices. You have an excellent way of describing music and an amazing sounding voice to get your ideas across. Keep up the great work!

I'm absolutely with you on "Clockwork Angels" and "The Garden" in particular. That guitar solo! Some of Rush's finest work. I'll make a pitch for Steven Wilson's "Hand Cannot Erase". It's a stunning album both musically and conceptually.

TAAB is my top pick as well and I need to give a few of these another spin. But I'm right there with you on Clockwork Angels. The Garden is an amazing song and who would have guessed the last notes we'd ever from this amazing band would be from...a cello.

Great list. Well thought our. Kudos for putting my favorite band Camel at number 5. Many of their albums are worthy of this list. "disappear up their own aspic" - I see what you did there. :)

Good call for Stationary traveller , a classic underrated album, that is special to me as well, from the early 80’s 👍🏻

I'm happy to hear such a high opinion of Stationary Traveller by Camel. I think it's a brilliant album, and I love the playing on it. Also very happy to see Animals by Pink Floyd listed. It's my favourite Pink Floyd album. Thick of a Brick by Jethro Tull is well deserving of the number one spot on a list like this. Always loved it. Some of my personal favourites not on this list would be the War of the Worlds album by Jeff Wayne from 1978. I'm also fond of several of the concept albums by Ayreon, such as The Human Equation, Into the Electric Castle, and 01011001. It's always a pleasure listening to you. Thank you for this awesome Top 10 list!

Days of Future Passed and To Our Children’s Children’s Children by the Moody Blues always overlooked

Very interesting list indeed. I was very glad that you considered Camel's Stationary Traveller in your list. This is also a very special album for me because I bought it a year before I decided to leave my country and live in Europe. The Song Long Goodbyes gave me a lot of strength and inspiration. Thank you very much

For me it's The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway......And then the rest! Great selection again Barry.

Just stunning reviews. You sir are a genuis and wordsmith and I love your reviews!

Your YT-channel just popped up, I watched and felt instantly in love with it. Great reviews, thumps up and subscribed. Thank you!

Thanks for the intriguing insight on the Spock's Beard album. I've been wanting to explore their material for a while now but I think it's time I actually make a move on it.

I'm not going to say it deserves to be on a list of GREAT concept albums, but I think Camel - Nude is pretty darn good and worth the listen.

Nice you mentioned Camel "stationary traveller"...still have the original album. The melodic bass still gives me goosebumps.

The power of TULL !

A really interesting post. Your variety of prog is phenomenal, way greater than mine. Animals is indeed a masterpiece, a great shout. Personally, really struggled with Topographic Oceans, but not for the want of trying! I do normally find that I agree with most of your comments, but having followed Camel from their humble beginnings, I do think that Music Inspired by The Snowgoose is way ahead of Stationary Traveller, but, hey, we're all different! Jethro Tull, Marillion, Rush & Dream Theatre, I can listen to, but have little affinity for any of them. Bo Hanssons' Lord of the Rings deserves a mention & I would have that in my personal top 5, for sure, but this is the beauty of us all having different tastes and preferences of sound & style. Your posts are always thought provoking & yet again, this is a winner!

“Vanish up their own Aspic”-genius!

Thank you for another excellent music experience. I'm a minor prog-rock fan, but I really appreciate how you describe the music, and you may make me a fan of the genre yet!

Great top 5, though I prefer A Passion Play to TAAB. I probably wouldn't include 6-10 myself. Nice shoutout for Magenta, Seven is my favourite of theirs.

It's a pleasure to listen to your verbal gymnastics and subtle puns. Your delivery looks unscripted and off-the-cuff (although that would be unlikely) and is impressive indeed. Kudos for a great video and well-researched, thoughtful opinions.

Topographic is what it is. You have to listen to it many times, in darkness. Its just beautiful. I agree with you absolutely. My favorite of theirs? Maybe not, but they have a very tough roster to deal with.

great T-shirt. Good to see your Marillion preference :-)

“Stationary Traveller” is a great album.

Total Pressure - Hammersmith Odeon, 1984. A playlist that cannot be beat of memorable music from a terribly underrated band. I can’t even find a place to start other than the final track the astonishingly memorable and beautiful Lady Fantasy, so deeply moving it would always bring me to tears, yes a grown man in tears listening to music, no not music, a beautiful story with some of the best guitar playing you will ever see and hear, you can see the pain in his face as he recreates this story live. A story I will never ever become tired of hearing. If you have not seen the concert take the time to watch, listen and learn, great musicians abound in this treat for ears and eyes.

Huge respect for including stationary traveller when most people in your position would never touch it - it's personally one of my top 3 favorite albums. Sure it may not really be prog, and it's definitely very 80's, but it conveys the malaise of the DDR very well. The 80's camel concept albums are very good imo - Stationary Traveller and Nude, the one about Hiroo Onoda, the holdout Japanese soldier comes closer to prog .

Thanks for making this list. Some i already love; some i haven't heard. Will be correcting that this week.

LOVE the shout out to Camel on the thumbnail 😃

If Jethro Tull, then it's Passion Play for me. Honorable mentions: Jeff Wayne - The War of The Worlds, Moody Blues - Days of Future Passed

Not always thought of as a prog rock album, but for me as good as any, is ELO's 'Eldorado'. From the breathtaking cascade of strings in the Eldorado Overture to the enchanting beauty of 'I Can't Get It Out Of My Head', the fabulous orchestral blues of 'Laredo Tornado', and the melancholic grandeur of 'Mister Kingdom' and the title track, it's an emotive powerhouse of a creation. Also worthy of a mention: 'Tyranny' and 'Room V' by Shadow Gallery.

Moody Blues made some of the greatest concept albums IMO.

Your channel is amazing pal

For ultimate prog conceptual bombast, '666' by Aphrodite's Child. A far cry from their rather sappy/soppy Euro hit stuff, this one has all the trappings of prog excess but used to great effect - the choir droning on some heavy recitations in unison, a tween reciting more heavy words, a section in 17/16 time, sections of the album reappear mixed in under later sections, an actress moaning & shrieking playing the part of the biblical Beast, and a 19-minute track that encompasses nearly everything that came before it for an explosive climax. Vangelis pre-Chariots doing the bible in heavy form. Used to see it listed on Mercury innersleeves & going 'what's THAT?", it's one HELL (get it) of am album.

Stationery Traveller is such an underrated gem...

It looks like you had a lot of fun making this video Barry! Lots of excellent choices indeed and you #1 is most certainly at least a top 3 for me. I would maybe change Misplaced Childhood with another classic Marillion concept album. However which to choose??? It's either Brave, Marbles or F.E.A.R! Finally, thanks for pointing out at least 3 albums that will now indeed be due my precise attention 👍🏼

Superb video. Cheers.

brilliant list...knew the top three before you started...but gentle giant was the nicest surprise of all...good on ya'...peace...roicky

Thanks for all this and especially for Stationary Traveller which I've always loved.. Such a mood, sad mood with intensity.. People should definitely run and buy (so to speak 😄) the live Pressure Points, even better now extended with a few bonus notably Lady Fantasy... aaaah fantastic! And Chris Rainbow on vocals... RIP...

Thoughtful and well ranging selection.

I usually consider myself a prog fan, but when I listen to folk who know a lot more than I about it, I realise my tastes are rather limited. I really like ELP, Camel, Renaissance, early Genesis, Yes, Focus etc. Actually, that’s about it.

Thanks for recommending camel, which is a bandconsistently of high standard! I would recommend an album by Fairfield parlour, white faced lady, a double album and concept album about Marilyn Monroe ‘s life. This is a stunning and beautiful album by a band previously called the kaleidoscope.gong’s flying teapot trilogy is also one of the best concept trilogy albums of all times.

I now need to go back and listen to each of these albums.

Thank you...very interesting and intelligently presented. Well done...

Great video as usual! Every 6 months I take out my mint German 1st pressing Tales album by Yes and try again to see if it grows on me...unfortunately listened to about a week ago and sadly only got to side 3 again before filing back away in my vinyl collection for another attempt down the road😴😴😴 I am in the minority but I find this album self indulgent and tedious....maybe someday I will appreciate 🤔 The only omission in my opinion is a band I discovered a year ago that has moved into my top 10 of all-time..... Nektar! I think Remember the Future could have been on your list...at least honorable mention? A brilliant brilliant album! Another is Snow Goose by Camel....although an instrumental I can see why it might not have met the criteria. Lastly Solar Fire by Manfred Mann's Earth Band (is it a concept album and is it Prog?) either way also an AMAZING album regardless! Keep up the great work with your videos 👍

I think _"Stationary Traveller"_ by Camel is a great concept album. I think it'd get more credit it had been released during a time which was friendlier towards prog rock music. I'd love to see a deluxe edition of this. It's somewhat ironic that you reference the book _"Pilgrim's Progress"_ when talking about the album _"Snow"._ Neal Morse had *not* read _"Pilgrim's Progress"_ at the time he was writing this. Years later he was reading it, and that book was the inspiration for the album he does with NMB (The Neal Morse Band) in 2016, called _"The Similitude of a Dream"._ Personally I think that later album is a much better album.

Brilliant! My favourite Yes album has changed over the the years and Tales from Yes remains up there among their best in my books. Animals is in my top 3 from the Floyd. My first Rush show after being a fan as a kid from the 70’s onward wasn’t until the Clockwork Angels tour. Amazing!

"30 year old Millionaires in Capes......" Good one.

Maximum respect for mentioning Clockwork Angels and Stationary Traveler. I love both albums. Killer tracks include The Anarchist, Headlong Flight, Vopos, and Long Goodbyes.

There is a book by George Macdonald, named Lilith, written in 1895. There are many thematic elements in The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway that I suspect inspired Peter Gabriel. As a contemporary of Lewis Carroll, MacDonald had an extraordinary imagination! Interested to know if this connection is documented anywhere? Thank you for another great video!

First of all, thank you for doing these! For the RUSH album, Hemispheres takes the cake, second 2112 :-)

Your choices are legit. I think Tull's Passion Play deserves an honorable mention. The reviewers hated it and used it to kick Tull to the floor, which was only natural after the one two-punch of Aqualung then TAAB. The people who saw the tour as one raved about how good it was, and it's grown into kind of a "cult favorite" among more than a few Tull fans. And it is simply a cornucopia of exotic passages, highly textured vocal free amalgams of all five members busily playing their asses off, and playing well. And conceptually the "main character" dies and journeys into Hell. Played live, all this with a "intermission" (and beer and piss break for the band) in the form of a short live action film of all the band members in children's television animal costumes and acting out a story narrated by Tull bassist, Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond, dressed as Lucifer in a dapper linen suit: The Hare Who Lost His Spectacles. John Evan played the Hare and IA played a Newt. Barre played the Owl. Barlow played a Bee. And assorted Charisma records flacks and office staff were in a number of other costumes, including the scuba diver from the TAAB tour. One more note on the live show - the show would begin with a very soft but growing louder heart beat. On the screen above the stage appeared the same dead, blood trickling from her mouth, ballerina in the same position as on the album cover. Head back, on her back, and looking with opened but dead eyes at the audience - they painted open eyes on her eyelids. Minutely her hands starts to twitch with the heart beat until she's up and dancing, and she ultimately jumps through a looking glass as the band, already sawing away at this point, appear on stage. It was brilliant.

Now I know I’m going to have to listen to Camel’s “Stationary Traveller” after your description of the album.

Thanks for an interesting discussion. Concept albums as such have been around before prog, for example the Pretty Things "S.F Sorrow", a great album with a narrative, but not prog. You could make a case for Schubert's " Winterreise" being the first song cycle with an overall story. Unfortunately at the time there was no means of recording it!

That was a great journey. Music is so subjective, especially in this genre. I missed out on most of the prog rock bands of the seventies but I had a close friend, a music teacher, who unveiled all of this music for me. After listening to Pink Floyd, Yes, Genesis, Bowie and Tull I was hooked. Rush was my era so I already had the seed. Joe just grafted me onto the tree of prog that was already there. 😉✌️❤️🇺🇲

Oh and I'm particularly psyched about you giving " Clockwork Angels " some love. Rush went out like a lion with that album. And I think Headlong Flight is one the finest, ripping scorchers that band had done since Moving Pictures.

I totally agree with your number 1 pick . A Passion Play might be a consideration for this list as well . Stationary Traveller is a great pick . It might be Camel’s most under appreciated album . Andrew Latimer is certainly an under appreciated guitar player . Great choices !

TAAB is undoubtedly the GOAT. Good on ya for getting it exactly right!

Nice top! I know all the bands but not all the albums. I have to listen to them. Thanks!

I certainly would have different choices, but I have a lot of respect for the list. Animals, Tales, and Lamb I know well, but there are a few that I will dive into. Thanks!

To me a prog concept album was usually, but not always, a 2 LP affair with either a story to tell or a connecting idea in all the tracks. One could also expect recurring themes heard throughout the album which cemented the idea of the whole album being a single work. And, for all the hype the idea of the concept album gets as something ridiculously common to prog, there weren't that many of them. And the ones that were really exceptional didn't come from artists normally thought of as prog. The one that immediately comes to mind which I always put up there with The Lamb and Topographic Oceans was Stevie Wonder's Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants, which has all the required elements in an astounding presentation of proggishness from an artist you'd never expect something like that from. In fact, it was the only Stevie Wonder album out of print for a long time because the artist's normal audience doesn't know what to do with it, and Motown has no way to market it to a prog audience. Another is the triple LP concept album by Godley & Creme of 10cc, "Consequences," which I only know about because I rescued a copy from somebody's trash can in 1978. It is, again, something so beyond the expectations of 10cc fans at the time that no one knew how to market it. But, in terms of the off the wall experimentation that prog is also notorious for, it made Topographic Oceans seem comfortably normal. This one would leave even most experienced prog fans having difficulty processing it. Of course, back in the day there was one artist who did hardly anything but double concept albums, and that was Andrew Lloyd Webber. In the 70's every show he did was first realized as a rock concept album, Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita being two of the most exemplary of the double concept album formula. But not all double concept albums were operatic of nature. There were instrumental double concept albums as well, Dave Greenslade's "The Pentateuch Of The Cosmogany" jumps immediately to mind. In a way it validates Ian Anderson's comment on proggishness in that the cover for Thick As A Brick took longer to create than the music. Greenslade's album was 2 LP's laid inside a massive 12 by 12 hard back art book gratuitously illustrating the concept. Again creating confusion as to where to sell it, in a record store or a book store. I also had a tendency to think of Mike Oldfield's "Incantations" as a double concept album. Of course, I never knew what the concept was, but that is also true of Topographic Oceans. I know it's inspired by some scriptures from somewhere, but as I've never read these scriptures, that tells me nothing about the concept. So I assumed you didn't need to know what the concept was, as long as the recurring themes were there. If all else failed you could imagine your own concept to go with it. It seems worth noting that both the Stevie Wonder album and the Greenslade album came out the same year as The Wall. They form a trifecta finale to the era of that kind of creativity. But it was The Wall that would dominate any prog creativity that followed. Interesting, amusing, uplifting and comical concepts would no longer be seen. From that point great double concept albums were exclusively made for the theatrical market. Lloyd Webber still had Cats and Starlight Express to do before Phantom Of The Opera marked his departure from rock. And members of the then defunct Abba got together with Lloyd Webber's former lyricist to create "Chess." This, I think, demonstrated that the prog community simply was not interested in this format, and it really needed a venue where a great double concept album could be explored theatrically to have a saleable product. Any concept albums I have heard since, starting with Misplaced Childhood, were extremely dwarfed in ambition and scale. Not to mention musically subdued into a Pink Floyd mood of depressing concepts. Note that, even though Misplaced Childhood ventured to offer some attempt at a happy ending, it's overall mood is quite Floydian. And at the point where Marillion put out "Brave," it had become suicide inducing. Certainly not the same thing that I had held great affection for back in the day. So I just gave the idea of theatrical concept prog up for dead. And I've heard nothing since to give me hope that it could live again. All these albums were products of their times. To want things of a comparable nature to start happening again is to wish those times to return. And, sadly, the world mentality is not going to come out of its state of mental illness just so we can have good music and creative whimsy again. Instead it will call those past interesting projects "cheese," and work to insure "depression" is the only word worth honoring from now on. Not that I mind the music that was once very important to me being called cheese. It's kind of hard to make a good pizza without cheese. And to me a good prog album is like a good pizza, lots of different elements combining, with any toppings you might like. I regard Floydian depression chords and negative subject matter as optional toppings. Hot peppers and anchovies. Two things I never order on my pizza. So if you know anybody making prog pizzas without these toppings, I'd admire to be pointed in their direction.

Animals at 2???? WOOOOOOOOOWWW! I did not see that coming! I ABSOLUTELY ADORE Animals, but i think the Lamb trumps it.

Excellent choice for #1

Thank you for some great shout out to Stationery Traveller, Topographic Oceans and Animals. Very true about The Us+Them concert, the Animals section was outstanding. I ended up wearing the pig at Hyde Park!!!

Nice list. Top 10 is damn near impossible, but I’ll give it a shot, in no particular order: Arjen Anthony Lucassen - Lost in the New Real Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick Pink Floyd - Animals Genesis - Selling England By The Pound Camel - Mirage Rush - A Farewell To Kings Porcupine Tree - In Absentia Grobschnitt - Rockpommel’s Land Renaissance - Sheherazade Gentle Giant - Octopus

Fantastic choices and pleasant surpirises true loving this music

I'll take Camel thanks! I'd say (only because I flogged them so much during the time and beyond I'd pick Pink World by Planet P Project as my favourite Progressive rock concept album).

great list, I would put Animals on top, but it is just me.

You could easily slot in Argus by Wishbone Ash as a Top Ten classic rock concept album as well. Now that you mention the theme behind the Stationary Traveller album, it prompts me to think it might have been inspired by ABBA's The Visitors song/album, which was about the East German secret police. And do you think these songs were part of the same strand of inspiration: West Berlin (1984), Budapest by Jethro Tull (1987) and Leningrad by Billy Joel (1989)? I recently heard the suggestion that Thick As A Brick was penned just after Jethro Tull toured Australia, where the band heard the phrase and apparently loved it. Not only is it a great song, it gets the gong for the greatest anti-pomposity song rendered most pompously for the longest period of time. PS, if the Germans were ever wondering where the rest of their wall got to, there's a piece of it, covered with contemporaneous graffiti, about 5 minutes drive from my place in Canberra.

Excellent reviews , my favorite mentions for me would be gentle giant acquiring a taste, Camel mirage, genesis live 73, Tull stand up , check them out they are massive

Always full of interesting choices and insights. My first reaction was WOT NO WALL! but then I would deprived of insights into.albums I know little or nothing about. I will now check out Snow. I can never figure out what counts as prog. I would certainly have a Sky Of Honey on Ariel by Kate Bush at No.1 Whether or not it's prog I have no idea , (the songs may not be but the album feels like it is) but it's simply wonderful so it beats the rest.

Glad you put Snow in the list. It is my fav spocks beard!

Even 'Rajaz' and Harbour of 'tears' are very good concept albums' by Camel. 'The Snow goose' has a storyline as well despite it's just instrumental

Interesting list some predictable albums on there, but also some I didn’t expect, great job all in all.

Was about to switch your program off...until you nailed it with Tales From Topographic Oceans! Outstanding call, Sir! 👏

Great selections. I listen to all of these on a regular basis. I have found “Story Of Edward VanBrink” by this band McMillan. Story of a found weapon of mass distraction.

People might ignore Neal Morse for his Christian themes, but One is a brilliant album, and more recently The Similitude Of A Dream and The Great Adventure, both double albums, are all about John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. Sit down for an afternoon if you want to listen to them back to back. Awesome stuff, you won't be disappointed. I grew up on Topographic Oceans. I used to put it on when I was reading because I thought it was good music to read to. But after a while I couldn't help putting the book down and listening. Such a sweeping series of musical landscapes. In some places not well performed, but I call it a flawed masterpiece.

"They just had a tendency to vanish up their own aspic"...nice one!

After watching this I checked out Spock's Beard 'Snow' and 'I'm surprised at how much I am enjoying it - must be the influence of the channel

I would pick Brave over Misplaced Childhood, though both would make my top 10. Excellent List!

As you were wrapping up #2, I couldn't decide whether you would choose A Passion Play or Thick as a Brick for the #1 spot. Great list!

'An Existentialists picnic !' I love that phrase Barry. Tremendous stuff as usual - chapeau sir. A few random thoughts: It's not Prog but Joe's Garage is a really great concept album. The Snow Goose didn't make your list ? I thought from previous videos that you rated Passion Play higher than Thick As A Brick ? I think TAAB works much better with its English pastoral nonsense lyricism and the flowing circus tricks and turns of the music that never gets too leaden. It has that lightness of touch that made early Tull so affecting. It's boring to repeat it but I think that Dark Side of the Moon is far and away the finest ever Prog concept album though. Nothing even comes close. Great video and thanks for all you do.

It's nice to see I'm not the only one that truly enjoys Tales from Topographic Oceans.

My top 5: 1- L'Heptade - Harmonium 2- Tommy - The Who 3- Thick as a Brick - Jethro Tull 4- Animals - Pink Floyd 5- Selling england by the pound - Genesis * Dishonorable mention: Killroy was here - Styx ("you tried and you failed. The lesson is: never try" - Homer Simpson)

Wonderful trip down prog lane. It is hard to argue against Jethro Tull. What a great choice for number one. But I would have to place Genesis 'Lamb' as not only the best prog album created, but the best rock album ever recorded. Listening from front to back, the musical adventure is exquisite and has some of the best drumming of Collins career, which is claiming a lot. The musical composition and quality of musicianship is unmatched. While the story and lyrics are sometimes muddied the concept is not and this album delivers with a soul satisfying climax of redemption.

I'm not a big fan of Metropolis Pt. II. But I agree with the rest of your picks. Thanks for an awesome video!

I'm a big fan of "Animals", however, I feel "Wish You Were Here" deserves more attention than it gets these days.

Played Animals just last night. First time in over 20 years. As I've added to my years, the calming of my soul had taken a needed effect, and the album remains on the turn table for further ingesting later. Think as a brick has been a favourite for many years now, and I'm convinced the song was penned for my daughters dog. As for the Camel inclusion, I might have gone for Mirage. The room almost smells of spilled beer when I hear it. As with animals, I heard it just last nigh. And still love it.

Great list, but as you gather more dissenters, maybe a part 2? You did mention one on my list, the Mars Volta, but no Pulsar mention, nor VDG's seminal Pawn Hearts.

Another great prog(metal) concept album comes to mind - Queensryche "Operation Mindcrime"

thanks, I will check out "stationary Traveler"

Snow is a MASTERPIECE

Very good 5.1 mix of Misplaced Childhood, though it's OOP and expensive now!