A place to discuss and share Progressive Rock music, and anything prog-related.
What are the most moving prog rock songs not by Yes or The Moody Blues?
I love them both, but I know them like the back of my hand lol, so what else can y'all recommend?
Sort by:
Best
Open comment sort options
Best
Top
New
Controversial
Old
Q&A
I understand people can like different music and all, but... I also can't trust people who aren't in the verge of tears with that opening guitar line on Starless by KC
Especially when it comes back in right before the end. What a masterwork
No, it’s not the part at the opening. It’s when it comes back at the end that it really hits you.
Opening? More like when the sax takes it over at the very end of the song lol
Losing It by Rush
Starless by King Crimson
Ludvig & Sverker by Beardfish
Firth of Fifth by Genesis
Supper's Ready by Genesis
Ice by Camel
For Today by Camel
Rose of Sharon by Camel
Think of Me with Kindness by Gentle Giant
To a Close by Steve Hackett
Serpentine Song by Steve Hackett
The Garden by Rush
The Pass by Rush
Bravado by Rush
Losing It by Rush
For Rush, Marathon and Manhattan Project always get to me.
Firth of Fifth has garbage lyrics. Instrumentally one of my favorites though.
They hate you because you speak the truth. “The mountain cuts off the town from view, like a cancer growth is removed by skill…” Awful
Yeah, that's pretty bad, but the thing I really dislike is the pseudo-religious nonsense.
Epitaph - King Crimson
Firth of Fifth - Genesis
Lucky Man - ELP
Yep Epitaph gets me every time
Exiles by King Crimson
Marillion - "Script For A Jester's Tear"
This is the best answer I have seen on this thread next to King Crimson's Starless and Epitaph.
Pretty much anything from Fish-era Marillion and a lot of stuff from Hogarth-era Marillion would be a suitable answer for this question. Incubus, Blind Curve, The Last Straw, Beyond You, Care (all parts) are some of my favorites.
Fish and Steve Hogarth are both lyricists/poets that are not afraid to dig deep and get vulnerable, in addition to being emotionally expressive vocalists. But what often gets overlooked is how Steven Rothery can carve out an amazing guitar lead that hits like a freight train. His solos on Incubus and The Web are the best examples of this.
Indeed. "Warm Wet Circles" is another favorite of mine that fits the bill.
“Going Under” off the same album, gave me a mild breakdown when I was going through a really rough period. It was really felt.
Also the H era: The Great Escape into Made Again; Estonia; Man of a Thousand Faces; The Space, etc
Marillion I’ve always felt was one of the more “straight from the heart” kinda prog bands, not just the pure cold calculation like some groups tend towards (not that that’s always a bad thing).
Neverland, Fantastic Place, This Strange Engine, Ocean Cloud, The Sky Above The Rain, Sugar Mice and so many more. “Or you could love”.
Love the Marillion love here.
Rock Bottom by Robert Wyatt hands down is the most intimate, personal and rawly emotional prog album ever. Specifically, Sea Song and all of side 2.
For whole albums this is the answer.
Starless - King Crimson
Ripples - Genesis
Surprised that nobody mentioned Shine on you Crazy Diamond by Pink Floyd.
Rudy and Asylum by Supertramp
Lets throw Babaji in the mix as well
Also Brother Where You Bound. Insane vocal from Rick.
No Inbetween and Ever Open Door from the same album make me feel...things. Such an underrated album in my opinion.
Happy cake day! And I agree.
Don’t forget about Two of Us
“Titties and Beer” by Frank Zappa
Or “I Have Been In You” by Frank Zappa
Or "Uncle Remus" by Frank Zappa (like, legitimately)
Or "Weasels Ripped My Flesh" by Frank Zappa
Why has no one mentioned the most stirring Lee beautiful Zappa song Bobby Brown goes down?
“Watermelon in Easter Hay”-Frank Zappa
Gets me every time…
For Zappa, it's the transition between "Charlie's Enormous Mouth/Any Downers?"
Forever Autumn by Justin Hayward on Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds
Such a crazy good album. I was so invested in the story the first time I listened to it, I cried whenThunderchild "died" .
Lazarus by Porcupine Tree
Add Trains to that
This song has been in my head all morning.
I'm going with;
Transatlantic- We All Need Some Light
Camel- Long Goodbyes (or even Stationary Traveller itself)
Fish- Gentleman's Excuse Me
.........and for my wild card track..
Steve Walsh- Just How It Feels
If you’re going to Transatlantic, it has to be Rose Coloured Glasses, which is Neal Morse’s tribute to his recently deceased father.
Of course- that didn't occur to me when I posted, but good choice my friend 👍
Suppers Ready - Genesis
Alan Parsons - Old and Wise and Time
Camel - Ice
Rare Bird - Sympathy
Riverside - Time Travelers
“Book of Saturday” and “Exiles” by king crimson
Emerson, Lake, and Palmer (but mostly Greg Lake) - "C’est la Vie"
My brain stated playing this as I read the post title
Man-erg and A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers by Van Der Graaf Generator
ELP has several:
Take A Pebble
Still… You Turn Me On
From the Beginning
Trilogy
Lucky Man
really? Still you turn me on?
If 'moving' means 'from the record player to the bin', perhaps.
LOL I completely agree. Love some of their stuff but man they had a few crap ones
Differ of opinion, that’s one of my favorite ELP tracks
Here comes the flood
^this
Pretty much all of Hand. Cannot. Erase by Steven Wilson but specifically "Routine". That shit, especially the music video hits hard.
All by Rush:
Losing It, The Pass, Nobody's Hero, Bravado, War Paint, Resist, Different Strings, Available Light, Chain Lightning, Afterimage (has there ever been an opening couplet that went as hard as "Suddenly, you were gone / from all the lives you left your mark upon"?)
Can I sneak Ghost of a Chance into your fine list?
Absolutely! I'm ashamed that I forgot it.
Tears too
How has nobody said Routine by Steven Wilson yet
they haven't seen the music video, is why
Few of us has survived watching the video.
“Little Neutrino” - Klaatu
I would also throw in "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Crafts" its such a wonderful dreamlike opener and the vocals are quite emotional
Regarding little Neutrino, To think the vocals were an artificial Larynx.
Klaatu Interview .quote:
"As to "Little Neutrino", that's me, (Dee). In some sections I am singing through a Leslie rotating speaker. The grainy, electric razor like voice, is an artificial larynx. It's designed for people who have had their vocal chords removed, and is held against the neck to create the vibrations required for speech. We hooked it up to a moog synthesizer, and I played the melody on the synth, while mouthing the words."
3:47 EST is the kind of thematic concept that is prog, along with being fun to listen to.
Hard agree. Sub-Rosa Subway is a miraculously uplifting tune. and Anus of Uranus has one of my favourite guitar parts in all music. stupid fun to play
Its such a shame with Klaatu. When people talk to me about Progrock, They list all the big ones like Rush, Yes, and King Crimson. I've only come across 1 other person who knew who Klaatu was and loved them to such a degree they have the 1st 3 albums on Vinyl. That guy is now my Bass player in my Band. I Cant be more thankful for him
Possibly the best thing Klaatu ever did, behind giving us Hope.
Funny Ways by Gentle Giant
My Room (waiting for wonderland) by Van der Graaf Generator, the most understated work in their whole catalogue.
My lungs burst to cry: "Finally,
How could you leave me here to die?
I freeze in the chill of this place,
With no friendly face to smile goodbye.
How could you let it happen?"
Heartbeat - KC
Pendragon - If I Were the Wind (And You Were the Rain)
Arena - Tears in The Rain
Marillion have several, Neverland probably topping the list
Also Brave and Out of this World.
Farm on the Freeway by Jethro Tull
Strawbs - Midnight Sun, Out In the Cold or Benedictus
A first time listen through of an original mix of Genesis made me cry just a little: https://www.reddit.com/r/audioengineering/comments/1caj2xg/audio_engineering_seriously_made_me_cry_today/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
My favourite song of all time is Shine On, and the intensity of feels on the first dual leads chorus lines by Gilmour is just beyond everything else.
But I return to more Genesis. Duke above isn't as hard hitting as Peter Gabriel lyrics. Back In NYC have lyrics that are just so accurately true for the story. Carpet Crawlers is just hitting feels. Lyrics highlight it. That's more older era Genesis. But I'm really a fan of the realer and consistent story of The Lamb.
Matte Kudasai and Frame By Frame - King Crimson
The Hourglass by Savatage
Not famous, But Moundrag's "La Poule" is an incredibly grandiose piece of music by 2 brothers, 1 on drums and the other on a Hammond Organ and Moog Bass synth.
Other Contenders I would suggest:
"Xanadu" or "2112" by Rush
"Crumbling Castle" or "Change" by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Maybe not Prog but "Telegraph Road" by Dire Straits
Greg Lake - "I Believe In Father Christmas". That one gets me every time.
Matte Kudasai - King Crimson More Fool Me - Genesis Think of me with Kindness - Gentle Giant Nothing At All - Gentle Giant
King Crimson - Starless
Because it's There - Haken
Ticket to the Moon - ELO
Silence and I - Alan Parsons Project
White Russian - Marillion
Gentle Giant - Think of Me with Kindness
A couple from Alan Parsons Project: Old and Wise, and Don’t Let It Show.
Fripp/Gabriel, Here Comes The Flood.
"Two Suns In The Sunset" by Pink Floyd. It's about a nuclear holocaust. Pretty heavy stuff.
Firth of Fifth by Genesis
Hero and Heroine - Strawbs
Here Comes the Flood-Peter Gabriel
It’s All Over-Nektar
I legitimately cried a little during Thunderchild in Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of War of the Worlds.