Dream Theater have come top in a poll of Rolling Stone readers to identify the best prog rock albums of all time – leading home a list including Rush, Pink Floyd, Genesis, Yes and King Crimson.
The publication admits it received “a ridiculous amount of votes” for 1999 album Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From a Memory – the first to feature Dream Theater’s most successful lineup to date of singer James LaBrie, guitarist John Petrucci, bassist John Myung, drummer Mike Portnoy and keyboardist Jordan Rudess.
Rush’s 2112 came second, followed by Close to the Edge by Yes and Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon. The winning record was also the most recent release, with the rest of the list made up of seven from the 1970s and one each from the 1960s and 1980s.
Rolling Stone says: “Dream Theater posted this poll on their website – a totally kosher move, but it resulted in a ridiculous amount of votes. They are one of the few prog groups to start after the seventies and gain a massive global following. Unlike the rest of the groups here, they are a progressive metal group.”
Rolling Stone’s top 10 favourite prog albums
2. Rush: 2112 (1976)
3. Yes: Close to the Edge (1972)
4. Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
5. Genesis: The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974)
6. King Crimson: In the Court of the Crimson King (1969)
7. Genesis: Selling England by the Pound (1973)
8. Rush: Hemispheres (1978)
9. King Crimson: Red (1974)
10. Rush: Moving Pictures (1981)
source: classicrockmagazine.com