Today, there are 6,236 tracks in ProgActive's iTunes collection. We know - it is not particularly much but we have always been very picky in what to include, in order to avoid mediocrity as well as the need to skip tracks while playing in shuffle mode. What are the most played tracks in the collection after approximately 98 months of listening? We decided to find out.
We stopped the clock and made a copy of the situation in the morning of 6 June, 2014, at 6:06 in the morning. We collected the data to form a Top 250 of most played songs at that particular point in time and will start listing it here, starting from the bottom. This will be a nice additional series in addition to the ongoing annual Best of series that will probably still continue for well over a year.
The first two entries, this one and the next, will list 25 tracks each and give only relatively short introductions for each one of them. After that, there will be five entries with 20 tracks each, with perhaps slightly longer introductions. Following these seven blog entries, we will have reached the Top 100. Starting there, it will be 10 tracks per entry, with much more thorough introductions and embedded links to songs whenever possible that you will then be able to check out instantly.
When we reach Top 30 there will be only five tracks per blog entry. Songs will be written about at length: there will be as much background as possible and of course the songs themselves will be embedded to accompany their introductions. All this will add up to 20 entries in this series. A nice way to spend summer is to reminisce the finest music that has been made during the past decades. Let us begin right away.
250. Which Way the Wind Blows, by Anthony Phillips
(The Geese and the Ghost, 1977)
This beautiful song from original Genesis guitarist's first solo album has the name of that group written all over it. In addition to Phillips, Mike Rutherford is involved, and it is none other than Phil Collins in vocals.
249. Pagan, by Porcupine Tree
(Signify, 1996)
We must admit that we were surprised to find this particular Porcupine Tree track this high on the list, but sure, it's a good song. Signify was the first PT album where the guys started working as a real group, as opposed to the earlier albums that had been almost completely Steven Wilson's solo efforts.
248. Blackfield, by Blackfield
(Blackfield, 2004)
Another Steven Wilson project in a row, this is one of only two songs in our iTunes collection where the title of the song, the album where it's from, and the artist have the exact same name. The other being Lunatic Soul by Lunatic Soul from Lunatic Soul - which however didn't make it to the Top 250.
247. Sail to the Moon, by Radiohead
(Hail to the Thief, 2003)
Overall, Radiohead's 2003 album Hail to the Thief was a disappointment to us, especially following the masterpiece that was Kid A (2000). But its third track is a real stunner that fully deserves its place in the Top 250. Very, very beautiful song from immensely talented musicians.
246. Clair de Lune, composed by Claude Debussy
(1890)
Another surprise to us was that there is even one classical track that has made it to the Top 250. One of the most beautiful piano pieces ever written, Clair de Lune has been heard in many a movie and is, as the name of its genre already implies, a true classic.
245. The Tale of Taliesin, by Soft Machine
(Softs, 1976)
The 1976 album Softs represents a later incarnation of avant garde / jazz / prog group Soft Machine. Future Adiemus man Karl Jenkins has begun to dominate the group's artistic development, but in The Tale of Taliesin there is a nice combination of old and new.
244. Abacab, by Genesis
(Abacab, 1981)
Most of the eighties output of Genesis varied from meaningless to downright embarrassing, but the title track of their 1981 album is one exception. A simple, straightforward rock track with an ominous atmosphere and a kick ass two minute "jam session" at the end.
243. Stagnant, by Devin Townsend
(Terria, 2001)
One of the foremost names in progressive metal since the late nineties, Canadian Devin Townsend released one of his best albums Terria in 2001. The powerful Stagnant is not the only track taken from it that made it to the Top 250.
242. Summer's Lease by Big Big Train
(The Difference Machine, 2007)
One of the prettiest songs by the British progressive rock group is our number one favorite in their catalogue; there won't be any others further up on the list. The Difference Machine features Pete Trewavas of Marillion and Nick D'Virgilio of Spock's Beard as guest musicians - the latter has since joined as an official member.
241. Mike Mills, by Air
(Talkie Walkie, 2004)
In addition to progressive rock, this Top 250 will also be populated by a pop music sub genre that is oddly called shoegazing. The French duo Air is one representative of that genre and there will also be another that is going to be wildly successful...
240. Take a Look Around, by Limp Bizkit
(Mission: Impossible 2 soundtrack, 2000)
Now we are really non-progressive! Mission: Impossible 2 may have been a crappy action movie, but its rap / nu metal main theme excited us so much back then that it is still in the top 240 of our iTunes collection! Talk about guilty pleasures...
239. Symbol of Life, by Paradise Lost
(Symbol of Life, 2002)
Another metal track from roughly the same era, Symbol of Life is a much easier choice to defend. The British metal heads Paradise Lost began with much more doom laden output, then transformed into a mainstream rock band, and here is where they began their return to purer metal in 2002.
238. Serenity, by Lisa Gerrard
(The Silver Tree, 2007)
Having reached international fame as one half of Dead Can Dance, Lisa Gerrard's music was always more ethereal and leaning towards ethnic soundscapes than that of his DCD collaborator Brendan Perry. Serenity is one of the most beautiful relatively recent examples of that.
237. I Could Say, by Lily Allen
(It's Not Me, It's You, 2009)
Now here is the definition of a guilty pleasure, one that could cause us to lose what little credibility we still may have. But there's no denying that I Could Say is a near perfect piece of modern pop music with a heartwarming message. We aren't above liking things like that. There is no need to be.
236. Humdrum, by Peter Gabriel
(Peter Gabriel, 1977)
The short, extremely powerful song from Peter Gabriel's very first solo album has always remained our favorite song of his entire career, regardless of his later excellence. Perhaps it is the impressive wall of sound of the last part that finally convinced us of the song's greatness.
235. Don't Give Your Heart to Anybody, by Europeans
(Recurring Dreams, 1984)
Marillion singer Steve Hogarth's former band played melody driven art rock which, we think, has also labelled Marillion as well since his introduction as its new frontman. Not progressive, but a fine example of eighties rock music nonetheless.
234. Ready Steady Go, by Paul Oakenfold
(Bunkka, 2002)
This is the hypnotic techno / trance song that plays in the background during the jaw dropping night club scene of Michael Mann's outstanding crime film Collateral (2004). Sources also say that it is Oakenfold's best known track. Fully understandable.
233. The Slow Wait Part 1 (Ambient), by The American Dollar
(Ambient One, 2009)
The American Dollar is, you guessed it, an American group. Its two members play post rock, which we don't care much about, but have also released some successful compilations of their songs in ambient versions. This excellent track is from the first of three collections released so far.
232. The 'in' Crowd, by Bryan Ferry
(Another Time, Another Place, 1974)
Bryan Ferry's delicious cover version of the sixties song has been a favorite of ours ever since it was first released. The rich arrangement works perfectly by giving the listener a feel that the singer really knows what he is singing about. He really sounds like he belongs to that crowd.
231. Asian River, by Brian Eno
(Music for Films III, 1988)
The solo effort of Bryan Ferry's one time bandmate is a delicate instrumental work that originates from the third part of his Music for Films series. Oddly enough, there is another track from the same album only a short way up on the list, suggesting that we have listened to them at the same time.
(Progress?, 2007)
The second album by the British progressive rock group Combination Head contains a couple of our favorites. This one is a peaceful and lovely instrumental track that actually fits really well between the couple of Brian Eno tracks we also have here.
229. Awaken, by Yes
(Going for the One, 1977)
Here it is, the all time greatest Long Prog Masterpiece as chosen by us two years ago. We must have listened to it three or four hundred times at least but since counting began in April 2006, only this is how far up on the list it was able to get. At least it is in Top 250, so that's something.
228. Theme from 'Creation', by Brian Eno
(Music for Films III, 1988)
The companion piece to Asian River (#231), this is another one of Brian Eno's lovely short instrumental tracks. We seem to have listened to both mostly in the same playing session, since they are located this close to each other on the list.
227. Belle de Jour, by Steven Wilson
(Grace for Drowning, 2011)
Overall, ProgActive was not particularly thrilled about Steven Wilson's second solo album Grace for Drowning, but it did have its moments and this is one of them: a three minute guitar instrumental that has a genuinely enigmatic atmosphere.
226. Outside, by David Bowie
(Outside, 1995)
David Bowie's mid-1990's album release Outside is a mixed bag: it contains some of the most creative and interesting work that the legendary singer has recorded during the latter half of his career. A good example of that is the title track. But there are plenty of forgettable inclusions as well.
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