Top 250: #41 - #50

We are now entering the Top 50 on our list, which can mean only one thing. The songs are getting greater and greater and the list turns into a long succession of masterworks. We strongly recommend that you check out everything embedded here, as well as in all of the following entries - if you are not doing so already.

50. Saint Tom, by Brian Eno
(Music for Films III, 1988)
In the late eighties, Brian Eno released already the third part to his Music for Films series whose first part had come out a full decade earlier. The original Music for Films (1978) was a solo album; More Music for Films (1983) was a joint effort between Brian Eno, Roger Eno and Daniel Lanois that partially overlapped Apollo by the same trio. Music for Films III was an even more of a joint effort: there were several additional artists performing on the album, and only three of its 15 tracks were Brian Eno's solo works. Saint Tom is the album's stunningly beautiful opening track, one of the most memorable compositions the man ever made.

49. Chair Father, by Yasushi Yoshida
(Secret Figure, 2006)
And then it's Yasushi Yoshida time again! Chair Father fits in this slot particularly well since it is quite a lot like Brian Eno's Saint Tom: an exceptionally beautiful instrumental track that moves at a leisurely pace. Judging by the number of Yoshida tracks, it is easy to see that the man is a major favorite of ours. Within the space of only 25 tracks, there have been Parade (#56), Little Hands (#65) and Picture of Three Life (#72). This is the point where we run out of Yoshida tracks, however; Chair Father managed to climb highest up of them all. They are not too dissimilar, all of them are lovely, and it should be pretty easy to guess that all except one come from the same album.

48. Get All You Deserve, by Steven Wilson
(Insurgentes, 2008)
We remember having written in our previous blog something like this about Steven Wilson's masterpiece Get All You Deserve: had it been recorded in the seventies by King Crimson, it would already be hailed as a classic today. Wilson's song employs just about the entire dynamic range available, starting with deceptively restrained, quiet sounds and then going on to gradually fill the room. The cacophony in the end borders between actual music and plain loud noise, but by that point the difference has no significance. You have already understood the composer's master plan and can only listen in awe.

47. The Dividing Line, by Frost*
(The Philadelphia Experiment, 2010)
There have been several Frost* tracks from their second album Experiments in Mass Appeal (2008) on the list recently. Here is something even more recent: the all new studio track from their live album The Philadelphia Experiment; a hard rock / symphonic progressive rock masterwork that runs nearly 17 minutes and has managed to climb quite high up on the list. Such great fun and skilled musicianship! Apparently the track is a dedication to the American internet radio station that used to play a lot of prog in their programs and was most active during the couple of years both before and after the decade turned.

46. Through the Other Side, by Riverside
(Rapid Eye Movement, 2007)
The Polish progressive rock group Riverside has always liked to tread the thin line between symphonic prog and progressive metal. There is, however, no trace of metal on this beautiful track that remains our number one favorite in their output, even after all these years. Through the Other Side is a lovely, peaceful song that is dominated by vocals and acoustic guitar. Yet there is also a pounding tempo: percussion played with what could be a bass drum (?). And cymbals, of course. Great song from a group of rising talents that still seem not to be getting quite the attention they'd deserve.

45. Black Light Machine, by Frost*
(Milliontown, 2006)
Then it's Frost* again, and this time we return to their golden age. Black Light Machine is a ten-minute orgy of greatest modern progressive rock there is. In particular, it showcases the talent of the musicians: John Mitchell's electric guitar wizardry and Andy Edwards' drumming magic are both peerless. The only slightly weaker link here is the songwriting itself: there is nothing particularly mesmerizing in the lyrics or composition of Black Light Machine, although the song is played extremely well. On the album Milliontown, it works as the link between shorter tracks and the massive 26-minute title track - a sort of preparation for a really long form.

44. Never the Same, by Echolyn
(As the World, 1995)
Now we have really entered masterpiece territory. The most beautiful and moving song ever recorded about the promise of everlasting life has been called the greatest song of the 1990's in the comments section of this YouTube video, and we have to agree that this might just be a true statement. Echolyn, who have appeared on the list several times already, don't associate their life after death song with any religion. They simply sing touchingly about the hope of seeing your loved ones again "on the other side, some day". Even though Mei is easily the group's best album, and in its 50-minute glory also one of their best individual songs, this must still be their number one achievement in the song category. An absolutely stunning piece of work.

43. I Love You Always Forever, by Donna Lewis
(Now in a Minute, 1996)
The second nineties song in a row is very different from the first one. It has nothing to do with progressive rock but everything to do with our peculiar fetish of enjoying grown up women singing in a little girl's voice. And even that's not all. Actually I Love You Always Forever has been used as a theme song in our weddings, which has given it plenty of additional playtime. And last but not least, it is a great pop song, one of the very best in the decade during which it was released. Before this, it never occurred to us that the song might have an official music video, but here it is, embedded above. Those were the days.

42. Significant Other, by Steven Wilson
(Insurgentes, 2008)
Here comes a "single hit" Steven Wilson style! This track is as far removed from the extremely challenging Get All You Deserve as you can get: basically a pop song but played as rock'n roll with an incredibly wide and high soundscape. The chorus is an ear worm waiting to happen, and electric guitar work is nothing short of striking. The album Insurgentes has been a major favorite of ours: so far, we have listed this track, Get All You Deserve (#48), Insurgentes (#51), Harmony Korine (#61) and Twilight Coda (#76). How many more can there be? Will Steven Wilson be the artist with most entries on the list?

41. Deadwing, by Porcupine Tree
(Deadwing, 2005)
The answer is almost certainly yes, if you count into the total number both his solo work and the songs from all the groups he has been a member of. Here, Wilson leads Porcupine Tree into one of its greatest successes. The title track of their 2005 album Deadwing is a nearly ten minute long fusion of progressive rock and metal, impeccably composed and played. It is not only a great song, but the whole album is considered by many the pinnacle of PT's career. We agree in part - there are several outstanding songs on Deadwing, and it is definitely one of the group's best, but we have always preferred In Absentia.

Top 250: #51 - #60

60. Dayvan Cowboy, by Boards of Canada
(The Campfire Headphase, 2005)
Back in 2005, Dayvan Cowboy was selected as the track for which Boards of Canada's first ever music video was created. That is it, embedded above. One of the Scottish brothers' best and grandiose compositions has been a long time favorite of ours, and it still plays occasionally. This is the third appearance for Boards of Canada on the list, following Julie and Candy (#168) and Satellite Anthem Icarus. One more appearance is likely, because we still haven't listed the most impressive track from their masterpiece The Campfire Headphase.

59. Where Am I Going, by Manfred Mann Chapter Three
(Manfred Mann Chapter Three, 1969)
The oldest track in the entire Top 250 and the only one to originate from the sixties is Where Am I Going by Manfred Mann Chapter Three. During the seventies, Mann would go on to become famous heading his Earth Band, but we don't think he ever quite surpassed this early masterpiece he made with Chapter Three. We are in a particularly reflective mood here; the slow song sounds like mellow jazz and has surprisingly existential lyrics considering its place on a pop album. It's like the last slow piece of the night, inviting people to one last dance before the smoke stained night club closes its doors.

58. Tender Claim, by Nosound
(A Sense of Loss, 2009)
The Italian group Nosound's Tender Claim represents to us just about the best and most beautiful contemporary art rock there is. A Sense of Loss, out almost precisely five years ago, is a bit uneven but luckily contains such pinnacles as this song and Constant Contrast (#211). On this album, as well as on its predecessor Lightdark (2008), Giancarlo Erra's talent for composing beautiful, ethereal melodies shines and elevates these two the best recordings they have released - Lightdark possibly the true pinnacle. The finale of Tender Claim is arguably the high point for the group so far.

57. Rose, by A Perfect Circle
(Mer de Noms, 2000)
Even this far up on the list, there are still artists that appear on it for the very first time. (In fact, we could reveal already that even Top 3 contains a certain artist's one and only track on the list!) A Perfect Circle released this outstanding experimental / progressive metal track back in 2000. As most readers probably know, the singer here is Maynard James Keenan, even better known as the vocalist for one of our favorites Tool. Mer de Noms was the first album of this supergroup featuring also other musicians from other bands.

56. Parade, by Yasushi Yoshida
(Secret Figure, 2006)
Here, however, comes yet another repeat offender. For Japanese composer Yasushi Yoshida, this is already the fourth appearance on the list. Two of the previous tracks were from his debut album Secret Figure which now offers us yet another soothing and pleasant moment of peaceful instrumental music. Parade is a longer, separate track from Parade (For Closure, #149). In fact, For Closure appears first on the album, as a kind of a prologue to this Parade. It takes you to a wonderfully calm and lovely place - just close your eyes and relax.

55. Once Again, I Revert to That Perspective, by Maju
(Maju-2, 2000)
The second Japanese artist in a row, Maju has already appeared on the list once, with I Drew a Final Breath in the Dream (#106) from this very same album. The electronic music group from Tokyo, led by Hosomi Sakana, has released five full length albums. Of them, the second one that came out in 2000 seems to be our biggest favorite. That said, our number one favorite individual track in their output is from one of the other albums and might well appear further up on the list... Once Again, I Revert to That Perspective is a magical, atmospheric masterpiece of electronic music.

54. Dear Dead Days, by Frost*
(Experiments in Mass Appeal, 2008)
Following the previous track by Frost* that appeared on the list, Toys (#63), Dear Dead Days marks an abrupt change from light entertainment to heavyweight art. Everything about this song is to be taken seriously: the seething, almost unpleasant lyrics about unthinkable conditions in a sick family unit, to the outstanding, even aggressive symphonic / neo-prog composition bordering on genuine hard rock and even carrying faint traces of heavy metal. It is serious songs like this that truly prove that, within its chosen field, Frost* is a force to be reckoned with.

53. October Language, by Belong
(October Language, 2006)
October Language is an awesome instrumental track from an album carrying the same title, recorded and released by New Orleans experimental musicians Turk Dietrich and Michael Jones in February 2006. The duo call themselves Belong and have released only one full length album since, in 2011, in addition to three EP releases. In October Language, they are treading a fine line between post rock and ambient - in much the same way as fellow Americans Caspian or Explosions in the Sky - and do it with undeniable style. We don't really care much about the rest of the album but its title track is pure genius.

52. A Given Right, by Engineers
(Folly, 2004)
This is it: the genesis of Engineers. Their first published recording containing more than just a couple of songs was not a full length self titled debut album that came out in 2005, but an EP called Folly, out a full decade ago - 27 September 2004, to be precise. Prior to it, they had released two singles but this collection contained six songs, so it was like half an album. A Given Right is the opening track, their first true masterpiece. First, there is a quieter sequence that introduces us to the song, then a massive wall of sound with no lyrics; something the group has always done well. Then, the quieter sequence is repeated. Fade out. Enter goosebumps.

51. Insurgentes, by Steven Wilson
(Insurgentes, 2008)
For the second time in a row, we close our blog entry with something taken from Steven Wilson's debut album. Last time, we listed its opening track Harmony Korine (#61); now, it is time to discuss its closing track (or, if you own the Deluxe Version, the last track of Disc 1). The title track brings the album to its peaceful conclusion which is a relief following the aggressively noisy Get All You Deserve that precedes it. Mr. Wilson sings most of the song backed with only a piano, until near the end a moody acoustic guitar is added to the mix. The result is simply brilliant. We can guarantee that Steven Wilson will be back further up on the list.

Top 250: #61 - #70

70. False Start, by OSI
(Blood, 2009)
OSI, the American prog metal outfit led by Fates Warning guitarist Jim Matheos and original Dream Theater keyboardist Kevin Moore has been a ProgActive favorite for several years already. We failed to discover the group until after the release of their third album Blood, which we think remains their finest effort to date. Released in late April of 2009, the album features Porcupine Tree drummer Gavin Harrison, with Mikael Åkerfeldt of Opeth and Tim Bowness of No-Man as guest musicians. Talk about a stellar lineup! False Start is our favorite track on the album, but there are several other excellent tracks on it as well. It is a short, three minute prog metal masterwork.

69. Music in the Typewriting Room, by Jem Godfrey
(2001?)
Now here is a true rarity. We originally found this gem at the web site Frost* used to have around 2008 - this song and several others - that was closed soon after and the tracks stored there went missing. Now, Music in the Typewriting Room can be found in YouTube! What begins as a rap track soon turns into a massive progressive rock masterpiece with an enjoyable time signature, whatever it is. Whoever uploaded this to YouTube claims that it is a Frost* track but if our memory serves right - and we're quite certain it does - , it was credited as having been recorded in 2001 - years before Frost* was even formed. So, we believe it is Jem Godfrey who deserves the sole credit here.

68. Locust to Bethlehem, by Echolyn
(Echolyn, 2012)
American symphonic progressive rock group Echolyn has already appeared on the list a few times. Their most recent album came out in June 2012 and was already their second self titled release. We feel it is their second best following the unbeatable Mei (#95) that came out a decade earlier. From this recent release, longer tracks Island (#125) and Speaking in Lampblack (#202) have already appeared on the list but it is this shorter song that made it a lot higher up than those other two. Locust to Bethlehem is a five minute work of art that deceptively begins like a country song, then transforms itself to full progressive bloom with a lovely string section in the background.

67. Vapour Trails, by The Pineapple Thief
(Variations on a Dream, 2003)
Another group that has also appeared a few times on the list by now is The Pineapple Thief. They have successfully navigated the borderlands of guitar driven art rock and genuine symphonic prog for the best part of two decades. Vapour Trails is from their 2003 album Variations on a Dream which we feel still remains their best. There have been two other songs from the album already listed further down: Remember Us (#113) and Resident Alien (#206). Vapour Trails is very reminiscent of the downbeat sounds of those two, although it isn't actually a sad song; only melancholy.

66. In Search of Peter Pan, by Kate Bush
(Lionheart, 1978)
The second track from the second album by British singer Kate Bush has always been ProgActive's number one favorite in her entire recorded output. No wonder then that this stunningly lovely song has climbed this high. This is Kate's first appearance on the list and this song being a favorite of ours, it would seem quite unlikely that there will be others further up. Still, let's not rule it out yet. In Search of Peter Pan displays the vocal acrobatics that made the singer such a smash less than a year earlier. In places, the vocal work reminds us of Kate's breakthrough single Wuthering Heights.

65. Little Hands, by Yasushi Yoshida
(RUFS, 2008)
Further down on the list, we have already discussed two of Japanese composer Yasushi Yoshida's tracks called Picture of Three Life (#72) and Parade (For Closure, #149), both taken from his 2006 debut album Secret Figure. Little Hands was released two years later, on a compilation album with several various artists appearing, called RUFS. It closes that album in a memorable fashion: one of the most beautiful piano compositions ever recorded, Little Hands used to play all the time at ProgActive and it is actually a small surprise that it isn't any higher up on the list than this.

64. Said and Done, by Engineers
(Engineers, 2005)
The songs on the list are getting greater and greater. Engineers has already appeared on the list a couple of times. Said and Done is taken from their self titled, full length debut album that was released back in 2005. This particular album has appeared on the list once before: Come in Out of the Rain (#134) is a rather similar, beautifully calm and extremely beautiful pop song that, like Said and Done, is as soothing and mellow as they come. This masterful British group is almost certain to appear again higher up. Could be quite a lot higher, actually.

63. Toys, by Frost*
(Experiments in Mass Appeal, 2008)
The British group Frost* might just be ProgActive's number one favorite contemporary artist. We are still eagerly waiting for their third full length album and hope that some day it will materialize. Before that actually happens, we will have to be content with the earlier works and the occasional individual new track (The Dividing Line, Fathers, Heartstrings). Toys is from their second album: a short but powerful track that runs for a little over three minutes, displays complete control of symphonic / neo-prog, then ends. It is not as noticeable as some of the group's more massive works but a small gem nonetheless.

62. Say Goodbye, by Fleetwood Mac
(Say You Will, 2003)
This beautiful, even downright moving song about the end of love is taken from Say You Will, which is still American group Fleetwood Mac's last full length studio album - released eleven years ago. The song was written by long time member Lindsey Buckingham and was obviously about him finally letting go of fellow band member Stevie Nicks - although the former couple had already split in the seventies, during the making of their greatest hit album Rumours (1977). The autobiographical angle makes the song all the more touching. Many of the most moving love songs are about its end; not the romantic beginning.

61. Harmony Korine, by Steven Wilson
(Insurgentes, 2008)
So begins Steven Wilson's solo career. We mean officially; the first Porcupine Tree albums in the early nineties were already his de facto solo albums. In 2008, however, Wilson released Insurgentes under his own name; this is the first track of that first official solo work. And it is quite a start: well written, easy to remember melody and some hard rock riffs form a very impressive whole. There would also be a single release, as well as a music video which has been embedded above. Wilson has been busy with his solo work since; it is anticipated that his fourth one will be coming out next year. So far, so good.

Top 250: #71 - #80

Excitement rises as we move higher and higher up on the list. Masterwork follows masterwork. Without further introductions, let's get right to it.

80. A Smart Kid, by Porcupine Tree
(Stupid Dream, 1999)

Last time, we had no Porcupine Tree tracks listed; instead, three of the Steven Wilson side projects appeared. It is therefore high time that we rank a genuine PT song for a change. This one is particularly memorable to us. We actually somehow kind of missed A Smart Kid because it was "hidden" close to the end of the Porcupine Tree's 1999 album Stupid Dream. Later on, when attending the group's live performance in Helsinki, in December 2007, they played it and we didn't recognize it. After that incident, it has been played a lot and hence, it was able to secure a position in our all time top 80.

79. Skeletons at the Feast, by Spock's Beard
(Spock's Beard, 2006)
This instrumental track from Spock's Beard's ninth, self titled studio album represents to us a great example of how much fun true progressive rock can be. On this track, the group is exceptionally metal sounding but actually that fits its fast pace and complicatedness very well. There are some truly impressive guitar sequences as well as great drumming. Overall, this album is our number one favorite in Spock's Beard's catalogue, and this track is in its top three. Of those other two, All That's Left (#102) we already discussed, and the other one is a little further up, to be discussed in this very same blog entry.

78. A&E, by Goldfrapp
(Seventh Tree, 2008)
Oh, cool! A song on our list actually has an official video. It is so rare these days. Few other artists are anywhere as good in creating perfect pop songs as Goldfrapp. They have already appeared on the list twice, with Felt Mountain (#108) and Time Out from the World (#116). A&E is the most recent one of these. Released six years ago, it is a relatively simple but absolutely beautiful pop song that used to be one of our most played songs for a few months back then and is still doing very well on the list. Goldfrapp has released two more albums since, but their best recent tracks have not yet had time to climb this high.

77. This is the New Shit, by Marilyn Manson
(The Golden Age of Grotesque, 2003)
Another surprise entry, this industrial / extreme metal track from over a decade ago was also a big hit at the time here at ProgActive. What makes This is the New Shit so exhilarating is not only its extreme aggressiveness - although that does have something to do with it - but the delicious contrast between its verse and chorus. One sounds like almost any ordinary techno oriented track, and then the other almost literally explodes with furious riffs and Manson's strong vocals. The man has a perfect voice for a heavy metal singer.

76. Twilight Coda, by Steven Wilson
(Insurgentes, 2008)
Then comes a time to discuss Steven Wilson once again - but neither through Porcupine Tree's side project nor PT itself. Twilight Coda is the beautiful instrumental track that has been placed near the end of the first solo album SW made under his own name six years ago. It could be used to define the term atmospheric - as you can very well hear when playing the fan made video embedded above. This will not be the last we hear of Wilson or even Insurgentes the album - there will be another track of his only three places from here, albeit from a different album.

75. Satellite Anthem Icarus, by Boards of Canada
(The Campfire Headphase, 2005)
Another track from Boards of Canada's stunning peak album, Satellite Anthem Icarus is one more memorable instrumental that has played a little less at ProgActive during recent years, but was one of our major favorites around 2006 and 2007. Out on 17 October 2005, this third full length studio album by Scottish brothers Michael Sandison and Marcus Eoin remains one of last decade's essential music releases. It is certain to appear again further up on the list as two of our biggest favorites on it have not been ranked yet.

74. Shadow Memory / The Departure / Unraveling / Elevation, by Goldbug
(The Seven Dreams, 2010)
This combination of several tracks from Goldbug's masterful 2010 album The Seven Dreams is one of the most dumbfounding 11-minute musical sequences in recent memory. They were originally put together like this by an internet radio station; we didn't want to split the end result into individual tracks since they worked so well when played back to back in this particular order. Besides, there are a couple of other 11-minute tracks on the album as well, so this one feels like their companion piece. We have never been big fans of improvisation, but here it works wonders.

73. The Raven That Refused to Sing, by Steven Wilson
(The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories), 2013)
So, it is Steven Wilson again, and the greatest achievement of his musical career so far. This is how far up this song has managed to climb during the year and a half since we first heard it. We have already gushed about the song at length back then, but it might still be worthwhile to once again point out that this is one of the greatest achievements of mankind in the area of music during this decade. Do not miss it. Also, please do enjoy the wonderful animated video by Jess Cope, embedded above, to take in the entire experience.

72. Picture of Three Life, by Yasushi Yoshida
(Secret Figure, 2006)
There is no YouTube video or Spotify link for Japanese composer Yasushi Yoshida's masterpiece, but you can listen to it either on Grooveshark by clicking this link or go to Yoshida's home page where it can be streamed. Yoshida has already appeared on the list once, with Parade (For Closure, #149) and who knows, he might appear again further up. This absolutely beautiful instrumental is our favorite track on Yoshida's 2006 debut album. On his later releases, he has made more experimental music but  on this one he has excelled in simplicity, creating non-complicated yet memorable melodies.

71. The Slow Crash Landing Man, by Spock's Beard
(Spock's Beard, 2006)
Here is the other track from Spock's Beard's self titled 2006 album that we already referred to above. Very different from Skeletons at the Feast, this song proves that the group was at the time also able to write beautiful melodies that are not necessarily that complicated. We feel that this is the American prog group's high point, following which we think it is unlikely - although not impossible - that they will appear again on the list. Listening to this song, as well as other tracks from this album, it sounds like the group peaked right here.

Top 250: #81 - #90

Time to move further up on the list. There are already several masterpieces to discuss, even though we are still only between positions 81 and 90 - mind boggles when you think what lies further ahead.

90. One for the Show, by Echolyn
(As the World, 1995)

There is little to add here to what we already wrote earlier about that other Echolyn song Entry 11-19-93 (#121): it is an absolutely wonderful track that practically demands to be played in succession with the next song on the same album As the World, called One for the Show. Combined, these two make one hell of a ten-minute sequence for the listener. Shuffle plays must have somehow separated these two great songs on the list but here is the other one at last: every bit as good as the first one. Don't miss them.

89. Random Summer, by Múm
(Yesterday Was Dramatic - Today is OK, 2000)
The Icelandic group Múm has already appeared once on the list, with their wonderful Green Grass of Tunnel (#118). This second appearance of theirs looks likely to be the last: Random Summer is arguably the group's greatest masterpiece from their 2000 debut album. A wonderfully breezy, somehow airy instrumental, it marks one of those moments in music history that transcends all definitions and pre-defined genre limitations. We don't know what it is, but is is lovely. Like a colorful butterfly flapping its wings around us for a brief moment.

88. Hello, by Blackfield
(Blackfield, 2004)
For a short while in the mid-2000's, Blackfield was easily Steven Wilson's most successful side project outside Porcupine Tree. His talent, combined with that of Israeli singer-songwriter Aviv Geffen produced stunning results bordering between art rock and regular mellow pop. Hello was the first single taken from the duo's near perfect debut album, and was therefore also graced with an official music video, embedded above. Wilson and Geffen were major favorites of ours at the time of the introduction of the iPod, so it can be deemed an absolute certainty that there will be several other songs of theirs further up on the list.

87. Hyvinkää, by Sister Flo
(The Healer, 2007)
Now here is something that truly moving - for us, at least. One of the best Finnish pop / rock songs ever has been dedicated to ProgActive's home town of Hyvinkää. We found Sister Flo only about two or three years ago, but that has been enough to give this masterpiece of theirs a reasonably good ranking of #87 on the list. The band Sister Flo was actually from a neighboring town in the north, Riihimäki, about 15 kilometers away. They have however disbanded since the release of The Healer, their 2007 album that contains this beautiful song.

86. Drag Ropes, by Storm Corrosion
(Storm Corrosion, 2012)
Another side project by Steven Wilson, Storm Corrosion released their self titled debut album two years ago and immediately got our attention - in fact, we named Storm Corrosion's opening song Drag Ropes the best track of that year. Here's what we wrote back on New Year's Eve, 2012: "Anticipating a heavy prog metal album and then hearing this as its opening track was one of those all too infrequent moments that are the artistic equivalent of being hit on the head with a large wooden board." The musical masterpiece is complimented by Jess Cope's masterful video, embedded above.

85. Song for a Dead Friend, by Kevin Gilbert
(Thud, 1995)
Ah, this is the beauty of getting higher and higher up on the list. Every song is a masterpiece already. Song for a Dead Friend is one of the most beautiful sad songs ever written and recorded, and the reality of what happened makes it all the more heartbreaking. First, the American singer-songwriter composes this song in remembrance of his real life friend Danny. Then, in less than two years, he tragically dies himself. Knowing about these events of course affects the listening experience, but makes this song no less a masterpiece it is.

84. Crawl from the Wreckage, by Engineers
(Three Fact Fader, 2009)
At the time of this writing, Engineers' new album Always Returning has come out five days ago and sounds like a significant improvement over 2010's In Praise of More. Still, it is nowhere near matching the towering greatness of Three Fact Fader, filled with minor classics. Crawl from the Wreckage is one of them, and hardly the last on this list. It exemplifies all that is great about Engineers: an easy to remember, catchy melody combined with powerfully designed instrumentation.

83. Olisitko sittenkin halunnut palata, by Regina
(Katso maisemaa, 2005)
Already a second Finnish track in this group of ten, this one is a real anomaly on the list. We don't even know how it has come to remain this high up. But yes, this quirky pop song used to be a big favorite of ours in 2006 and there's no denying that we have some kind of a fetish when it comes to grown up women singing in a little girl's voice. Nothing to do with progressive rock, but very entertaining nonetheless. Regina has never recorded anything even remotely as good as this later on and we aren't sure if they are even active today.

82. Wonderland, by Frost*
(Experiments in Mass Appeal, 2008)
Wonderland is yet another song we have already covered back when listing the Top 20 Long Prog Masterpieces. Here is what we wrote about it back in June, 2012. It reached #18 there, and also has a pretty good position on this list. The song itself is a schizophrenic one: its first part is a hard rocking Frost* song which is then followed by the "hidden" second part that completes the track as well as the entire album Experiments in Mass Appeal with calmness and exceptional beauty, ending in an extremely slow, unforgettable fade out.

81. Soft Shoulders, by No-Man
(Flowermouth, 1994)
Already the third side project of Steven Wilson in this group of ten alone (!) No-Man is the oldest one of them all and was in fact active as a real group even before Porcupine Tree. The lovely Soft Shoulders is located somewhere between art rock and pop, very much like Hello discussed above. Flowermouth was released at a point when the violinist Ben Coleman had left the group that had only two remaining members: Wilson and singer Tim Bowness. Following this release, No-Man would take a sharp turn from pop to genuine art rock, and has continued as a duo to this day.

Top 250: #91 - #100

Finally, we are entering the top 100. Tracks that have made it this high up on the list must have exceptional qualities. Let's change the format a bit. From now on, whenever possible, there will be a link to the track itself, and also we will display all related album covers from now on. This may look a bit silly on most times since there will be no difference between the two, but will be very useful when there is one.

100. Beside You in Time, by Nine Inch Nails
(With Teeth, 2005)

The 2005 album by Nine Inch Nails was not met with high praise, and even we at ProgActive felt it was far from their best work. Yet there are some individual nice tunes on it and one of them we found close to the end. Beside You in Time shows some of Trent Reznor's best songwriting and also its relatively low key first half gives the listener an enjoyable feeling of anticipation: an explosion is sure to come before the end. When it does arrive, there will be plenty of goosebumps.

99. Woven Tears, by This Will Destroy You
(Moving on the Edges of Things, 2010)
The Texan post rock group This Will Destroy You has reached a surprisingly high position on the list considering we found them only two or three years ago. This track, taken from their 2010 EP Moving on the Edges of Things, sounds very much like industrial rock - not metal, but the instrumental track is still more involved in sound effects than actual composition. The plentiful drumming gives it a nice, ominous atmosphere.

98. Forever is a Lonely Thought, by Kayak
(See See the Sun, 1973)
This lovely song marks the first appearance of Dutch symphonic progressive rock group Kayak on our list. It used to be our big favorite around 2005 when we originally found the band. Now it doesn't get played much any more, but anyway this relatively recent introduction resulted in a place in the top 100. Forever is a Lonely Thought is a melodic continental prog song from over 40 years ago. Another recommendable song from the same album is called Lovely Luna.

97. In This Twilight, by Nine Inch Nails
(Year Zero, 2007)
Another NIN track in a short space is from the next album following With Teeth that we liked even less than its predecessor. Yet Year Zero has paradoxically appeared on the list already twice: Hyperpower! (#186) and Survivalism (#162) were both listed. Even a fourth appearance seems likely, and it should actually take place quite soon. In This Twilight is another quieter NIN song, with a pessimistic world view and hence, extremely cynical lyrics.

96. The Great Satan, by Ministry
(Rio Grande Blood, 2006)
This brilliant heavy metal track was at one point so popular with us that it featured in the playlist of top 25 most played tracks that iTunes collects and keeps up to date automatically. And this was not a short visit there, either - The Great Satan must have spent over a year there. It doesn't get played a lot any more, but is definitely an exhilarating piece of heavy rock with a heavy message. At this point in their career, virtually all Ministry songs had the same message.

95. Mei, by Echolyn
(Mei, 2002)
This masterpiece is currently also in YouTube but will probably be removed soon because the song comprises an entire album, so we'll link to Spotify this time. As you can see above, the song runs almost 50 minutes, so it seems like a minor miracle that it has been able to climb to the top 100 - and yet it has. We have taken the required time to listen to it over and over again. Echolyn has already appeared on the list a few times and is very likely to appear again further up on it.

94. The Show of Our Lives, by Caravan
(Cunning Stunts, 1975)
Many seem to think that Cunning Stunts was only an afterthought following a great career that culminated much earlier, at the beginning of the seventies. We here at ProgActive beg to differ. Not only was this album truly great, but its opening track The Show of Our Lives the single best thing the Canterbury proggers were ever able to achieve. Impeccably arranged and played, it represents absolute perfection in symphonic prog leaning towards more easily accessible art rock.

93. Snowman, by Frost*
(Milliontown, 2006)
One more entry from the debut album of British proggers Frost*, Snowman is their least aggressive song on that album, aggressiveness in this case being of course a positive thing. It sounds about as good as the other songs and was easy to like but admittedly hasn't played very much in recent years. As great as Frost* is, Snowman seems slightly oversimple and obvious among their other works. Easy to like, sure, but also perhaps a bit too easy to forget.

92. Epochs in Dmaj, by Caspian
(Tertia, 2009)
Here is another American post rock group whose most melody driven track got us excited five years ago. Unlike This Will Destroy You, they do not employ percussion but instead rely on a beautiful melody played using keyboards and guitar as solo instruments. Tertia is the second studio album of the Massachusetts based band. Since then, there has been a third one as well as a few EP length releases.

91. The Beginning of the End, by Nine Inch Nails
(Year Zero, 2007)
Here is Nine Inch Nails completing their hat trick with the third pick from Year Zero that we already referred to; perhaps our favorite track on the album. We have a couple of other favorites on this final NIN major label release, but it seem unlikely that they would appear further up on the list. However, running into other tracks from other NIN albums seems almost a certainty; the group has been one of our favorites during recent years.

1992: January to July

On 13 January 1992, American singer-songwriter Tori Amos released her debut album Little Earthquakes and immediately got my attention. She was not a newcomer to music, having begun her singing career already in 1980 but not as a solo performer. Apparently she had worked on her own material for some time since the debut felt surprisingly accomplished and contained numerous excellent tracks. Let's embed one of them below.

The lovely song above is called Winter, but we could have just as well chosen Girl, Silent All These Years, Precious Things, China or Leather which goes to show how evenly great songs there are on Little Earthquakes. I suppose Tori Amos appeals to the same kind of sensibilities that Suzanne Vega does. This was the beginning of an interesting career that spawned several other noteworthy music releases that we will be getting back to in due time.

The new album by Public Image Ltd. came out on 10 February in the U.S. and precisely two weeks later in the UK. It was called That What is Not and would be the last PIL album to come out in 20 years. Overall, I wasn't completely convinced, but there were nonetheless two standout tracks that must be mentioned. The first one of them was the album opener Acid Drops which was not only a great rock song but also memorable because of its ingenious sampling of Anarchy in the UK. The other standout track is embedded below.

Cruel was always my favorite song that I associate with this time and the point in PIL's career. At the time, I had no access to satellite channels or MTV but there was a regular program in Finnish television that played new music videos occasionally, so I was familiarized with the song and its official video almost as soon as it was released. Great, fun song in much the same way as Disappointed. And with this, it is goodbye to PIL, unless I hear their 2012 reunion album at some point and it turns out to contain something really good.

Between the US and UK releases of That What is Not, Shakespears Sister released their second album Hormonally Yours on 18 February. Last time, we discussed their debut because it contained one of the most perfect pop songs of the late eighties in Run Silent, Run Deep (1989). This time, there were two excellent pop songs on the album, although neither one of them was quite that perfect. Of them, Stay got way more MTV play, so let's go against the flow and embed the other one below.

Hello is the beautiful closing track of the album. Although at the time I preferred Stay, over time I have come to like Hello more. Both are excellent pop songs from the early nineties. And there is an interesting connection to PIL: not only do both of these new albums contain only two really great tracks, but also they precede a long recording hiatus. Like I already wrote, PIL did not release another album in 20 years; Shakespears Sister paused for 13 years. Their third album didn't come out until 2005.

The next important date for us is in June, so let's use this empty period of nearly four months for discussing two albums with unknown release dates. First of them is a really interesting modern classical album, an EP called Music for 3 Pianos, by Harold Budd, Ruben Garcia and Daniel Lentz. Their piano instrumentals are mesmerizing. The album was recorded within a single day, 2 March, and was probably relatively easy to post produce so it might have been in the stores before summer. Here is perhaps the best track on the EP, Somos Tres.

The other new album with an unknown release date is more important when one considers the development of progressive rock. We already briefly mentioned the American group Echolyn who debuted with their self titled album in 1991. Now, they released their sophomore effort Suffocating the Bloom, sounding much like Gentle Giant and paving the way for progressive rock's glorious return a little later on. It probably isn't that hard to imagine the excitement among prog fans of the time.

Suffocating the Bloom contains an amazing 21 tracks, although the last eleven are presented under a common title A Suite for the Everyman. The creativity on display as well as the diversity of the music itself never fails to impress. Embedded below is the album's single longest track Memoirs from Between for maximum enjoyment but there would have been a number of other excellent tracks to choose from. In particular, A Little Nonsense is a well known example where the group sounds exactly like Gentle Giant.

The next important date in our 1992 calendar is 8 June which marked the release of not only Album of the year but also Album of the decade. Yes, the best album of the nineties came out this early! There is nothing more to wait for, best to concentrate on waiting for 2002, when the best album of the 00's will come out... No, just kidding. Even though the race for the very best of the nineties is now over, there will be plenty of excellent music to check out still. There will be a separate entry for this one, so we can move on for now.

You see, another album worth mentioning came out on the same date. It was the new release by the American heavy metal group W.A.S.P. - not to be confused with the best album of the decade! Yet there is one simply brilliant track on The Crimson Idol, called The Idol which displays an obvious desire by the band to evolve into something more than just an average heavy metal group with aggressive live performances and slightly ridiculous appearances.

Next, we move on to 7 July, which is when Dream Theater released their second album Images and Words. This release marks a big step ahead for the future prog giants and it is well liked among their fans as well. While I will admit that the album is a definite improvement over the first one and contains several good tracks, I find nothing important enough on it to be worth embedding here, so I suppose we will simply note the album's release and move on.

In this case, we only need to move forward one week. On 14 July, the American industrial metal group Ministry released one of their key albums, the aggressive Psalm 69 that contains many of the key metal tracks of the era. Or, to be more precise, the album is filled with them. Many of them carry a weighty message but my favorite is just a fun metal track that I will embed below and close this blog entry on a high note. Please enjoy Jesus Built My Hot Rod!