The most coveted prog-rock albums of all time
Cover your ears, prog-rock fans, but the reality is that it is a subgenre of rock which is never going to be everyone’s cup of tea.
Indeed, by the fact that the very genesis of prog is based on the unconventional, unfamiliar, and unexpected, it is always going to fall outside the comfort blankets of the listening habits for certain demographics. And you’ll have to forgive the pun on that, because Genesis were actually one of the biggest progenitors of the genre.
However, at the same time, what makes prog so unpalatable to some is exactly the same thing which makes it so beguiling and alluring to others. It’s the weirdness, the skewed view on music and on life at large, that often ironically makes the outcast feel at home. Bands like Yes, Pink Floyd, and King Crimson, among so many others, all command the power to do that.
To this end, it’s no surprise that albums by all these artists, as well as the litany of their prog cronies, make up some of the most delectable collectables for their respective fans. Of course, it goes without saying that not everyone is going to be completely over everything, but when it comes to certain sales figures, there’s no denying the popularity.
So, answers on a postcard: what’s the most successful prog album of all time? Well, to be fair, even the haters might be able to correctly punt on that one, so there’s no prizes for saying that Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon takes the biscuit on that front. But even still, having sold over 50 million copies, it’s one of the best-selling albums in history, let alone just from the prog microcosm.
What are the best-selling prog-rock albums ever?
That much may have been pretty obvious, but away from the 1975 heights of Roger Waters and Co., there are still plenty of prog gems to uncover and get your teeth into. Take Aqualung by Jethro Tull, In The Court of Crimson King by King Crimson, or Moving Pictures by Rush as the prime examples.
All of the above sold well over 100,000 copies at the time of their release, making them coveted artefacts for prog fans and essential items in any collection. Joining them would be the likes of Fragile by Yes and Invisible Touch by Genesis, both of which hit the shelves in very different timeframes, but collectively were pillarstones in furthering the prog cause.
Despite this, the mention of the latter record may still raise a few eyebrows. Of course, love him or loathe him, Phil Collins seemed to be at the centre of everything in music for a time – and by this very virtue, although Invisible Touch was a worldwide success, he was accused in doing so of steering prog too much in a mainstream direction.
In many ways, that exhibits the flawed tension of prog rock down to a tee. The more commercially successful something becomes, the more you could argue that it loses its warped, twisted, and deeply textural roots. As such, is there even really a coveted prog album? It seems the best ones are actually better revelled at while hidden away.
