Progressive rock was never about restraint.
At its peak in the late 1960s and 1970s, the genre thrived on audacity – epic song lengths, conceptual ambition, and musicianship that blurred the lines between rock, jazz, and classical traditions. For its champions, prog rock offered something far beyond three-minute singles: journeys through myth, madness, and musical landscapes few dared to imagine. For its detractors, it was indulgent excess. Yet half a century on, these sprawling works remain astonishing, their scale and daring unmatched in popular music.
The longform prog song was the movement’s most potent weapon. These weren’t just tracks but entire suites, often divided into movements, shifting from delicate acoustic passages to apocalyptic climaxes. They told stories of dystopias, wars, fairytales, spiritual quests, and cosmic revelations – all delivered with fearless experimentation. From Mellotron-drenched laments to sci-fi odysseys and psychedelic freakouts, prog’s epics defined the genre’s greatest achievements.
This list celebrates 15 of the most remarkable longform prog songs ever recorded, ranked not just by their technical brilliance but by their ability to transport the listener. Each one is a world unto itself: immersive, demanding, and ultimately rewarding. Strap in – this is prog at its boldest, strangest, and most transcendent.
31. Rush: 'Xanadu' (1977)
'Xanadu' is often cited as the 'proggiest' Rush song, an 11-minute masterclass in atmospheric storytelling. Based on Coleridge's Kubla Khan, it features a five-minute cinematic intro utilizing bird calls, Moog Taurus pedals, and tubular bells before erupting into a complex 7/8 groove. Its status is cemented by its technical audacity (recorded in a single, uninterrupted take) and its seamless blend of sci-fi philosophy with the high-register, multi-instrumental virtuosity that defines the genre's golden era.
30. Banco del Mutuo Soccorso: 'Il Giardino del Mago' (1972)
Prog rock was huge in Italy in the 1970s, and Rome's Banco del Mutuo Soccorso were among the big guns alongside Venetians Le Orme and Milan's Premiata Forneria Marconi. From BMS' 1972 masterpiece Darwin!, this track is a staggering display of complex arrangements. It features the incredible, operatic range of vocalist Francesco Di Giacomo. The song shifts from frantic, jazz-inflected keyboard runs to moments of delicate, pastoral beauty, capturing a sense of ancient mystery that defines the best of 'Rock Progresivo Italiano' (RPI).
29. Wobbler: 'From Silence to Somewhere' (2017)
Hailing from Norway, Wobbler delivers a masterclass in 'retro-prog' that feels startlingly authentic. This sprawling piece is a dense forest of vintage textures, utilizing the Mellotron, Moog, and Hammond organ to create a rich, analogue atmosphere. With its Rickenbacker-heavy bass lines and complex, shifting time signatures, it echoes the dark whimsy of first-wave prog giants such as Gentle Giant and King Crimson. It is a 21-minute odyssey that successfully bridges the gap between 1973’s golden era and the present day.
28. Mike Oldfield: 'Tubular Bells' (1973)
Released in 1973, prog rock's high water mark, Tubular Bells is a unique prog monolith: a 49-minute instrumental suite almost entirely performed and overdubbed by a 19-year-old Mike Oldfield. Its status as an epic stems from its radical rejection of rock song structures, favouring a 'rock symphony' format that shifts through folk, jazz, and classical textures. While famously associated with The Exorcist, its true prog power lies in the intricate layering of over 2,000 'punch-ins' and its legendary, instrument-by-instrument finale.
27. Kansas: 'Song for America' (1975)
'Song for America' is the ten-minute title track of Kansas’s 1975 sophomore album and stands as the definitive bridge between British symphonic prog and American arena rock. Opening with a brisk, violin-led overture, the song displays the band's signature 'classical-meets-bluegrass' complexity, weaving Robby Steinhardt’s soaring strings with Kerry Livgren’s intricate keyboard layering.
Lyrically, it is a sweeping, bittersweet reflection on the American landscape, contrasting the untouched 'virgin land' of the past with the industrial sprawl of the modern era. The track is notable for its expansive instrumental sections, shifting from pastoral melodies to high-energy, technical interplay in 7/8 and 9/8 time signatures. It remains a masterpiece of 'Heartland Prog', proving that Kansas could match the ambition of Yes while maintaining a uniquely American identity.
26. The Flower Kings: 'Stardust We Are' (1997)
This 25-minute epic from Sweden's The Flower Kings was instrumental in the late-90s progressive rock revival. Led by Roine Stolt, the track is a lush, symphonic journey that harkens back to the spiritual grandiosity of Yes. It navigates through whimsical melodies, complex instrumental interplay, and dramatic vocal sections, culminating in one of the most soaring and emotionally resonant finales in the genre's history. It proves that the 'classic' prog spirit could flourish with modern production and renewed optimism.
25. Genesis: 'The Cinema Show' (1973)
A standout from 1973’s Selling England by the Pound, itself a strong contender for Genesis's greatest album, 'The Cinema Show' is a pastoral masterpiece that evolves into a synth-led tour de force. It begins with lush, 12-string acoustic guitars and vocal harmonies inspired by T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land. The finale features Tony Banks’ legendary Arp Pro Soloist synth excursion, driven by a complex 7/8 rhythm that remains a pinnacle of symphonic prog.
24. King Crimson: 'Starless' (1974)
'Starless' begins with haunting melancholy – Mellotron swells, mournful sax, and John Wetton’s plaintive vocals – before gradually mutating into a tense, hypnotic build. Robert Fripp’s guitar leads a relentless crescendo that explodes into one of prog’s most devastating climaxes, with searing riffs slicing through chaos. Dark, tragic, and cathartic, 'Starless' is both a farewell to King Crimson’s sprawlingly experimental first few years, and one of progressive rock’s most emotionally powerful achievements.
23. Le Orme: 'Sospesi nell'incredibile' (1973)
The opening track of their wonderful 1973 concept album Felona e Sorona perfectly captures the Le Orme sound: a spacey, organ-drenched atmosphere that feels like a more melodic, Mediterranean cousin to Emerson, Lake & Palmer. 'Sospesi' introduces the album's concept: the story of two twin planets, one glowing and happy, the other dark and sorrowful. Featuring Aldo Tagliapietra’s distinctively gentle, soulful vocals set against Tony Pagliuca’s aggressive Hammond and Moog interplay, it's one of the most beautiful and structurally perfect examples of Italian Progressive Rock.
22. Dream Theater: 'Octavarium' (2005)
Closing Dream Theater's 2005 album, 'Octavarium' is a towering 24-minute tribute to the history of progressive rock itself. The track is famously cyclical, beginning and ending in the key of F, and is structured around the number eight. It opens with a cinematic, Pink Floyd-inspired Continuum lap steel solo before erupting into the technical, high-velocity metal the band is known for.
The lyrics and musical motifs pay explicit homage to giants like Yes, Genesis, and King Crimson, weaving together a narrative about the patterns of life. Featuring a full orchestra, a frantic 'Jingle Bells' keyboard freakout, and James LaBrie’s most powerful vocal climax, it is the ultimate modern prog epic: a self-referential masterclass in composition and instrumental virtuosity.
21. Caravan: 'For Richard' (1970)
This closer from Caravan's 1970 sophomore LP is Canterbury Scene jazz-prog at its finest – an extended, free-flowing jam built around shifting moods. It begins with gentle, melodic grooves before gradually building into surging instrumental crescendos, where organ, saxophone, and guitar intertwine in improvisatory brilliance. A live favorite, the piece captures Caravan’s unique balance of whimsical Englishness and virtuosic musicianship. It’s a masterclass in tension and release, embodying the warm, exploratory spirit of early progressive rock.
20. Emerson, Lake & Palmer: 'Tarkus' (1971)
Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s 'Tarkus' is the quintessential keyboard-led prog epic, a 20-minute suite dominated by Keith Emerson’s revolutionary Moog synthesizer and Hammond organ work. The song follows a surrealist narrative of a cybernetic armadillo-tank, representing the relentless cycle of war and technology. Musically, it is a relentless display of technical virtuosity, shifting through complex time signatures and aggressive, jazz-fusion arrangements that redefined the sonic possibilities of the rock trio.
19. Yes: 'Awaken' (1977)
While 1972's 'Close to the Edge' (of which more anon) is the technical blueprint, 'Awaken' is often cited as Yes's spiritual peak. Spanning 15 minutes on 1977's richly rewarding Going for the One album, it trades frantic aggression for a celestial, atmospheric grandeur. The centrepiece – a shimmering pipe organ and harp interlude – builds into a monumental crescendo that feels like a sonic sunrise. It is arguably more rewarding because it achieves a perfect, ego-free harmony between virtuosity and pure transcendence.
18. Eloy: 'The Apocalypse' (1977)
German symphonic prog at its grandest, Eloy’s 'The Apocalypse' delivers cosmic drama across its multi-part structure. Heavy, spacey, and majestic, it blends soaring synths, powerful guitar lines, and theatrical vocals into a vision of myth and grandeur. With its fusion of psychedelic atmosphere and symphonic sweep, the track encapsulates Eloy’s signature blend of cosmic rock and high-concept ambition. It’s a dark, celestial journey that remains a cornerstone of 1970s European prog.
17. Van der Graaf Generator: 'A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers' (1972)
A 'dark prog' cornerstone, Van der Graaf Generator’s side-long 1972 epic 'A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers' is a 23-minute odyssey into isolation and madness. What sets it apart is its harrowing psychological depth; while peers were exploring cosmic fantasy, Peter Hammill was screaming into the abyss. The track is a technical marvel of the era, constructed from fragmented studio sessions into a seamless, jagged suite.
It flows through haunting Mellotron washes, David Jackson’s frantic dual-saxophones, and Robert Fripp’s guest guitar work, creating a soundscape that feels genuinely dangerous. From the mournful opening to the chaotic, avant-garde, Olivier Messiaen-inspired 'Kosmos Tours' and the celestial resolution of 'We Go Now', it balances extreme discord with profound melody.
'Plague' is a genuine prog masterpiece because it captures the terrifying scale of the human psyche, making it the genre's most intense emotional journey.
16. King Crimson: 'In the Court of the Crimson King' (1969)
King Crimson’s 1969 title track is the "Big Bang" of progressive rock. It swapped blues-based structures for a symphonic, Gothic grandeur defined by its iconic, soaring Mellotron chords. The lyrics, written by Peter Sinfield, present a vivid tapestry of medieval imagery and surrealist dread. With its booming orchestral scale and eerie vocal harmonies, the song established the blueprint for the genre’s ambition, blending high-art sophistication with terrifying, majestic power.
15. Camel: 'Lady Fantasy' (1974)
Camel’s defining epic, 'Lady Fantasy' showcases the band’s flair for sweeping melodies and emotional depth. Andy Latimer’s lyrical guitar playing guides the listener through multiple movements –gentle passages, surging rock sections, and soaring instrumental interplay. The piece flows like a suite, effortlessly blending pastoral beauty with harder-edged power. Both technically impressive and emotionally resonant, it stands as a Camel signature, cementing their reputation as one of prog’s most melodic and heartfelt bands.
14. Premiata Forneria Marconi: 'L'Isola di Niente' (1974)
PFM was the most successful Italian prog rock band internationally, and this title track shows why. It opens with a stunning, multi-layered choral introduction before diving into a heavy, flute-driven groove. The technical interplay between the Moog synths and violin creates a lush, symphonic soundscape that rivals anything Yes or Genesis produced during the same era.
13. Genesis: 'The Musical Box' (1971)
A macabre Victorian fairytale set to music, the opener to 1971's Nursery Cryme established Genesis as theatrical innovators. Starting with delicate 12-string guitars, the piece swells into gothic drama as Peter Gabriel delivers a surreal story of childhood, death, and desire. Tony Banks’ keyboards and Steve Hackett’s guitar provide lush, shifting backdrops, while Phil Collins’ drumming anchors the climax. The final section –Gabriel howling “Why don’t you touch me?” – is one of prog’s most chilling crescendos.
12. Rush: '2112' (1976)
The title track from Rush’s breakthrough 1976 LP, '2112' is a seven-part sci-fi suite that perfectly fuses hard rock muscle with progressive rock’s grand conceptual scope. Loosely inspired by Ayn Rand’s Anthem, its dystopian tale follows a lone individual who discovers music in a future society where creativity is outlawed. Musically, the piece is exhilarating: Alex Lifeson’s towering riffs drive the action, Neil Peart’s drumming detonates with jaw-dropping precision, and Geddy Lee’s high-register vocals bring urgency and drama. Both ambitious and visceral, '2112' redefined what prog could be – heavy, imaginative, and unapologetically bold.
11. Gentle Giant: 'Knots' (1972)
Few prog tracks are as delightfully bewildering as Gentle Giant’s “Knots”. Built around complex vocal rounds and contrapuntal interplay, it feels like medieval madrigal colliding with avant-garde rock. The lyrics, inspired by psychologist R.D. Laing, add a cerebral, surreal layer to the chaos. Despite its intellectual density, the song bursts with energy, humour, and invention. 'Knots' epitomises Gentle Giant’s daring: uncompromisingly complex yet still thrilling, playful, and unlike anything else in rock.
10. Renaissance: 'Song of Scheherazade' (1975)
Renaissance’s most ambitious and fully realized work, the 24-minute 'Song of Scheherazade' weaves classical grandeur, theatrical storytelling, and symphonic rock into a seamless whole. Annie Haslam’s soaring vocals crown a piece rich with orchestral textures, intricate piano passages, and dynamic shifts that evoke both intimacy and spectacle. Unlike many prog epics, it feels cohesive rather than indulgent, capturing Renaissance at their creative peak. It’s the ultimate statement of their elegance, ambition, and unique symphonic vision.
- Renaissance's Scheherazade made our list of the 21 greatest prog rock albums of all time
9. Museo Rosenbach: 'Zarathustra' (1973)
This is the ultimate RPI 'holy grail'. Occupying the entire first side of the only album from Ligurians Museo Rosenbach, the suite is a dark, powerful retelling of Nietzsche's philosophy. It is defined by massive, aggressive Mellotron walls and jagged time signatures. It feels heavier and more 'Gothic' than its peers, making it a favourite for fans of King Crimson’s darker moments.
8. Yes: 'The Gates of Delirium' (1974)
From 1974's more aggressive, fusion-fuelled Relayer LP, 'The Gates of Delirium' is prog as battlefield. Inspired by Tolstoy’s War and Peace, Yes depict the chaos of war through furious instrumentation, crashing rhythms, and manic intensity. The song’s centrepiece is an extended instrumental passage – complex, violent, and breathtaking in its detail. Yet out of the storm emerges serenity: the 'Soon' section, Jon Anderson’s prayer-like coda, offering transcendence after carnage. It’s a 20-minute journey from destruction to peace, utterly overwhelming in scope.
7. Jethro Tull: 'Thick as a Brick' (1972)
Jethro Tull’s 'Thick as a Brick' is a landmark of the genre, primarily because it was conceived as the ultimate parody of a concept album. After critics labelled their previous album Aqualung 'progressive', Ian Anderson responded by writing a single, continuous 44-minute piece of music disguised as a poem by an eight-year-old boy.
Despite its satirical roots, 'Thick as a Brick' is a masterclass in composition. It seamlessly weaves together recurring folk-rock motifs, intricate flute solos, and complex jazz-fusion transitions without ever losing its melodic thread. Its status as an epic is cemented by its sheer audacity; it occupies an entire LP, demanding the listener's full attention as it shifts through moods ranging from whimsical British humour to explosive, virtuosic organ and guitar battles.
6. King Crimson: 'Epitaph' (1969)
A haunting meditation on doom and disillusion, 'Epitaph' captures the apocalyptic spirit of late ’60s prog. Greg Lake’s rich vocals deliver haunting lyrics over Mellotron waves and Michael Giles’ martial drumming. The track’s solemn, orchestral grandeur makes it both intimate and monumental, foretelling the darker, more complex Crimson works to come. 'Epitaph' remains one of prog’s most moving and majestic laments, embodying beauty amid inevitable collapse.
5. Emerson, Lake & Palmer:
'Karn Evil 9' (1973)
'Karn Evil 9' is prog excess at its most exhilarating. Across three movements, Emerson, Lake & Palmer conjure a dystopian circus of virtuosity and spectacle. Keith Emerson’s keyboards dazzle, Carl Palmer’s drumming astounds, and Greg Lake is the irrepressible master of ceremonies. Themes of technology, entertainment, and apocalypse swirl amid jaw-dropping musicianship. Both overblown and brilliant, it’s prog pushed to its theatrical extreme – an audacious, maximalist epic that remains jaw-dropping fifty years on.
4. Pink Floyd: 'Echoes' (1971)
The definitive turning point in Pink Floyd’s career: a 23-minute sonic bridge from their psychedelic roots to the stadium-filling mastery of The Dark Side of the Moon. It famously opens with Richard Wright’s single, high-frequency piano 'ping', fed through a Leslie speaker to mimic a sonar signal. This underwater atmosphere evolves into a soaring, synchronized guitar and bass melody that explores themes of human connection and empathy.
The track is celebrated for its mid-section –a terrifying 'whale song' created by David Gilmour reversing a wah-wah pedal – and its ultimate, triumphant crescendo. It remains a masterclass in tension, release, and the use of the studio as a canvas for deep-space exploration.
3. Pink Floyd: 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' (1975)
A requiem for Syd Barrett, 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' opens Wish You Were Here with glacial patience and heartbreaking beauty. David Gilmour’s four-note guitar motif hangs in the air like a ghost, while Richard Wright’s keyboards envelop the track in melancholy glow. Dick Parry’s saxophone adds a bluesy poignancy, deepening the sense of loss. Its grandeur lies in restraint: Pink Floyd build atmosphere through space, silence, and texture rather than bombast. Both personal and universal, it endures as one of rock’s most moving and timeless tributes.
2. Genesis: 'Supper’s Ready' (1972)
The quintessential progressive rock epic, 'Supper’s Ready' stretches across 23 minutes of shifting moods, mythic storytelling, and apocalyptic vision, cementing Genesis as masters of the form. Peter Gabriel guides listeners through a kaleidoscopic journey: pastoral whimsy gives way to grotesque satire, intimate reflection and, ultimately, thunderous, overwhelming climaxes.
Tony Banks’ keyboards provide both lush textures and jagged, dramatic flourishes, while Steve Hackett’s guitar weaves delicate acoustic passages alongside fiery solos. Phil Collins’ drumming alternates between subtle propulsion and explosive power, underpinning the suite’s dynamic shifts. The final section, 'Apocalypse in 9/8', erupts into a breathtaking crescendo before resolving into transcendent peace, leaving the listener both exhausted and exhilarated.
Supper’s Ready is more than a song; it is a microcosm of Genesis’ imagination, audacity, and theatrical brilliance. Few works in rock history so seamlessly fuse narrative, musicianship, and sheer ambition, making it a defining statement of early 1970s progressive rock.
1. Yes: 'Close to the Edge' (1972)
Monumental in both ambition and scope, 'Close to the Edge' stands as Yes’s crowning achievement. Structured like a symphony, the 19-minute epic unfolds in distinct yet seamlessly connected movements, taking listeners from chaotic, almost primordial beginnings into serene pastoral passages, reflective spiritual interludes and, finally, a climactic, triumphant resolution.
Jon Anderson’s mystical, poetic lyrics guide the journey, while Steve Howe’s virtuosic guitar navigates intricate melodies and soaring solos. Chris Squire’s thunderous, melodic bass anchors the piece, and Rick Wakeman’s keyboards add orchestral grandeur, harmonic depth, and dramatic flair. Despite its technical complexity, the composition never feels cold or inaccessible; it balances intellectual daring with emotional uplift, inviting the listener into a transcendent, immersive experience.
'Close to the Edge' is the archetype of progressive rock: epic, visionary, and endlessly inspiring, a touchstone for the genre and a pinnacle of 1970s musical creativity.
Top pic Rush, 1976
Pics Getty Images
