Top Ten Progressive Rock and Metal Bands

The Top Ten
1 Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English progressive rock band formed in 1965 in London, England. They achieved international acclaim with their progressive and psychedelic music. The band consisted of 5 members - David Gilmour (Vocals and Guitar), Syd Barrett (Vocals and Guitar), Nick Mason (Drums), Roger Waters (Vocals and Bass), and Richard Wright (Vocals and Keyboard). Barrett was replaced by Gilmour in 1968. ...read more.

Floyd beats rush in terms of albums

2 King Crimson King Crimson were a British progressive rock band that was formed in 1969. While the band has had numerous lineup changes, the head of the band has always been Robert Fripp (guitar). However, the most notable lineup is between 1972-75, consisting of Fripp, John Wetton (bass/vocals), Bill Bruford (drums), and David Cross (strings/keyboard). The band is most well-known for their debut album "In the Court of The Crimson King", with which they made a large impact on the progressive rock genre.
3 Rush Rush was a Canadian progressive rock band that was formed in 1968. The band has had an iconic lineup since 1975, which included Neil Peart (Drums, Percussion), Geddy Lee (Vocals, Bass, Keyboards), and the guitarist, Alex Lifeson. Peart passed away after a 3 year battle with brain cancer in January of 2020. Because of this, Lee says there are no plans to keep the band going, so Rush is most likely defunct. The band has become one of the most well-known progressive rock bands in the world, with such albums as "2112", "Hemispheres" and "Moving Pictures". More than half of their albums have gone gold or platinum, as certified by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America).

I think rush beats Pink Floyd in terms of production quality... but they are both exceptionally talented bands

Rush beats Floyd in terms of talent

Rush is better than Pink Floyd!

I Prefer Rush Over Pink Floyd

4 Dream Theater Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band from Boston, Massachusetts. The band was formed in 1985 under the name of "Majesty", only to change its name to Dream Theater later.

The members of the band’s original lineup consisted of John Petrucci (Guitar), John Myung (Bass) and Mike Portnoy (Drums). The band had multiple keyboardists and singers, but as of and since 1991, the band's lead vocalist has been James LaBrie.

The band released their debut album "When Day and Dream Unite" in 1989, but only gained success and notoriety after the release of their second album, "Images and Words" in 1992. ...read more.

One of the top 3 bands of all time

5 Porcupine Tree Porcupine Tree are an English progressive rock band formed by musician Steven Wilson in 1987. The band began essentially as a solo project for Wilson, who created all of the band's music.
6 Opeth Opeth is a Swedish progressive death metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990 by David Isberg, who invited Mikael Akerfeldt into the band as a bassist. Isberg ended up leaving the band, which lead to Mikael becoming the band's vocalist, guitarist, principal songwriter, and driving force. Along with Edge of Sanity, Opeth is credited with being the first progressive death metal band, although they now play progressive rock. Akerfeldt is good friends with Jonas Renkse of Katatonia, and Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree.

I love Opeth a lot. However I have to put them last because they are also Death Metal.

7 Yes Yes is an English progressive rock band formed in 1968 by bassist Chris Squire and singer Jon Anderson. They first achieved success in the 1970s with a progressive, art and symphonic style of rock music. Their best known song is their 1971 hit "Roundabout" off of their album Fragile.

Versatile, groundbreaking, experimental, adaptable, virtuosic, iconic, accessible - everything that progrock is about, these guys possess with flying colors. Jon's voice is unlike any others in rock and is hard to imitate. Same goes with Chris's thundering bass. Bruford AND Alan are both super drummers. Wakeman's keyboard wizardry is unmatched, same with Kaye's stylings on the hammond organ. Howe and Rabin both star players and contributed greatly to the material. Chris and Alan are both sorely missed.

One of the most underrated rock bands to get a popular song on MTV (Owner of a Lonely Heart). I mean, come on! They written some of the most complex pieces of rock (Heart of the Sunrise, Roundabout),as well as some of the lengthiest (The Gates of Delirium, Close to the Edge) pieces in the genre. Despite being one of the greatest prog-rock bands walk the earth, they also have created some of the most accessible melodies (I've Seen All Good People, Starship Trooper, Long Distance Runaround) in the genre. Simply put, heir season's witch will dive into the depths of your disgrace.

8 Symphony X Symphony X is an American progressive metal band from Middletown, New Jersey. Founded in 1994, the band consists of guitarist Michael Romeo, keyboardist Michael Pinnella, drummer Jason Rullo, lead vocalist Russell Allen and bassist Michael Lepond.
9 Genesis Genesis are an English rock band formed at Charterhouse School, Godalming, Surrey in 1967. The most commercially successful and long-lasting line-up includes keyboardist Tony Banks, bassist/guitarist Mike Rutherford and drummer/singer Phil Collins.

Should be in the top 5

10 Anathema
The Contenders
11 Jethro Tull Jethro Tull are a British rock group, formed in Luton, Bedfordshire, in December 1967. Initially playing blues rock, the band soon developed its sound to incorporate elements of British folk music and hard rock to forge a progressive rock signature.

Thick as a Brick walked so Topographic Oceans could run.

12 Fates Warning Fates Warning is an American progressive metal band, formed in 1982 by vocalist John Arch, guitarists Jim Matheos and Victor Arduini, bassist Joe DiBiase, and drummer Steve Zimmerman in Hartford, Connecticut.
13 Tool Tool is an American alternative metal/progressive metal band, that was formed in 1990. ...read more.
14 Queensryche Queensrÿche is an American progressive heavy metal band formed in 1982 in Bellevue, Washington, out of the local band the Mob. They released their self titled EP in 1984, but didn’t gain notoriety until the release of their critically acclaimed album Operation: Mindcrime in 1988. As of now, they ...read more.
15 The Pineapple Thief The Pineapple Thief is an alternative rock/progressive rock band, started by Bruce Soord in 1999 in Somerset, England. The band has released eleven studio albums.
16 Airbag
17 In Mourning In Mourning is a progressive melodic death metal band from Falun, Sweden. They are currently signed to Agonia Records.
18 Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (lead vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards), Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments), Colin Greenwoood (bass guitar), Phil Selway (drums), and Ed O'Brien (guitar).

This ain't progressive. It's alternative rock.

19 Kansas Kansas is an American rock band that became popular in the 1970s initially on album-oriented rock charts and later with hit singles such as "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind".
20 Gentle Giant Gentle Giant was a British progressive rock band active between 1970 and 1980. The band was known for the complexity and sophistication of its music and for the varied musical skills of its members.
21 Ayreon Ayreon is a musical project by Dutch songwriter, singer, multi-instrumentalist musician and record producer Arjen Anthony Lucassen. Ayreon's music is described as progressive rock, progressive metal and power metal sometimes combined with genres such as folk, electronica, experimental and classical ...read more.
22 Mastodon Mastodon is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in early 2000 and composed of bassist Troy Sanders, guitarists Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher and drummer Brann Dailor.
23 Gojira Gojira is a progressive metal band from Bayonne, France. The band was known as Godzilla until 2001. Gojira is composed of Joe Duplantier on vocals and rhythm guitar, his brother Mario Duplantier on drums, Christian Andreu on lead guitar, and Jean-Michel Labadie on bass.
24 Emerson Lake and Palmer
25 Riverside Riverside is a progressive rock/metal band from Warsaw, Poland. It was founded in 2001 by friends Mariusz Duda, Piotr Grudziński, Piotr Kozieradzki and Jacek Melnicki, who shared a love for progressive rock and heavy metal.
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