THE GREATEST PROG MUSICIANS OF ALL TIME
We asked. You voted. In your thousands. Almost 80,000 of you to be precise, by far and away the biggest reader vote this magazine has ever undertaken. So the past month has been a heady whirlwind of names, numbers, quotes, frayed tempers, late nights and bleary-eyed mornings - don't ever let anyone tell you that compiling one of these issues is "easy".
But, thank you all for your votes. Around 50,000 of you voted for your favourite Yes songs in Prag 107 so we can see how important these lists are to all of you and the very fact those numbers keep increasing is a hugely positive sign.
Perhaps out of all the polls that Prag has conducted in the 11 or so years since we've been going, this one's thrown up the biggest number of surprises. Of course, all polls are subjective and there are so many factors that come into play beyond simple popularity: sentimentality, who mobilised their fanbase best, favouritism and beyond.
The other thing with polls is if you agree with them, they're great. If you don't, well, it's an outrage, isn't it? Personally I'd have thought some artists would have been higher, and within some bands, certain members polled higher than I thought they might. On the flip side, it was good to see a healthy number of younger artists mixed in with the legends of the 70s.
For us here at the magazine, these polls aren't just fun (and a lot of hard work), they offer us a guide as to how our readers feel about the genre. It also gives an insight into who's buying Prag. The appearance of some of the genre's young and technically gifted musicians suggests a healthy younger section of readers. The Top 10 itself obviously features many musicians you'd expect, but there are enough surprises too to hint that the stranglehold of the 70s, while still strong, could be opening up to allow a more healthy swathe of musicians into the spotlight.
One thing that remains unhealthy, however, is the fact that no female musicians featured in the Top 100. In its original form, progressive music might have tended to be the domain of the white male, both as musician and fan, but that was so years ago, and we now live in a diverse and multicultural world. Modern progressive music reflects that and I'd like to think this magazine does too. However, these results suggest that some are still lagging behind. We speak to Rosalie Cunningham about this on page 35.
But these are the votes for the best prog musicians (singers get their shout next time, before anyone has a moan), exactly as they came in from you guys. Once again, a massive thank you to everyone who voted. Enjoy the poll and what the musicians have to say. We're looking forward to reading your thoughts about the poll.
EDITOR
Thanks to the following magazines: Bassist Bass Guitar Magazine, Classic Rock, Guitarist. Guitar Techniques, Guitar World, Rhythm
For our exclusive Top100 Playlist visit http://bit.ly/100_playlist
THE TOP 200
200. RAY HEARNE
199. ANNA VON HAUSSWOLFF
198. GARY GREEN
197. PETER BAU MANN
196. THEO TRAVIS
195. ERIC STEWART
194. ACLE KAHNEY
193. BRYAN BELLER
192. TON SCHERPENZEEL
191. PIP PYLE
190. JOHN JOWITT
189. RYO OKUMOTO
188. JOHN GOODSALL
187. TROY DONOCKLEY
186. MARTIN AXENROT
185. MARTIN MENDEZ
184. GUY EVANS
183. DAVE SWARBRICK
182. DAN BRIGGS
181. GRAHAM GOULDMAN
180. MICK POINTER
179. BERT JANSCH
178. DAVID SANCIOUS
177. PETER JONES
176. ROBERT RE ED
175. MICHAEL DUNFORD
174. AMOS WILLIAMS
173. MATT STEVENS
172. JAY POSTONES
171. HUGH HOPPER
170. COLIN BASS
169. ANDY WARD
168. LOL CREME
167. JAKI LIEBEZEIT
166. JON CAMP
165. ANDY TILLISON
164. DEE PALMER
163. ALAN MORSE
162. JERRY GOODMAN
161. KEVIN GODLEY
160. WOOLLY WOLSTENHOLME
159. PIERRE MOERLEN
158. JOHN LEES
157. JOHN YOUNG
156. DI EGO TEJEDA
155. MIKE RATLEDGE
154. CHRISTOPHER FRANKE
153. FRANCIS DUNNERY
152. JEM GODFREY
151. HUGH BANTON
150. PERCY JONES
149. DAVID JACKSON
148. JON HISEMAN
147. DAVE KILMINSTER
146. ADAM WAKEMAN
145. CRAIG BLUNDELL
144. BRUCE SOORD
143. ADAM HOLZMAN
142. PYE HASTINGS
141. LEE POMEROY
140. FREDRIK AKESSON
139. CLIVE BUNKER
138. OLIVER WAKEMAN
137. HOLGER CZUKAY
136. DAVE PEGG
135. MARTIN LOPEZ
134. DAVID CROSS
133. JOHN GLASSCOCK
132. DAVE SINCLAIR
131. VINCENT CAVANAGH
130. WENDY CARLOS
129. MARTIN ORFORD
128. TREY GUNN
127. JOHN WEATHERS
126. GEOFFREY RICHARDSON
125. JONAS REIN GOLD
124. MIKE HOLMES
123. RICK DAVIES
122. LENNY WHITE
121. JAKKO JAKSZYK
120. DANIEL CAVANAGH
119. NICK BARRETT
118. TOM BRISLIN
117. GRAEME EDGE
116. PETER BANKS
115. TAL WILKENFELD
114. DAVE BROCK
113. NICK D'VIRGILIO
112. RICHARD HENSHALL
111. ROBERT JOHN GODFREY
110. CHRISTIAN VAN DER
109. JOHN MITCHELL
108. RAY THOMAS
107. TUOMAS HOLOPAINEN
106. PETER BARDENS
105. CLIVE NOLAN
104. MICHAEL GILES
103. RACHEL FLOWERS
102. RICHARD SINCLAIR
101. MISHA MANSOOR
100 ERIC WOOLFSON
Alan Parsons' partner in The Alan Parsons Project, Woolfson was a gifted songwriter and musician whose songs propelled the Project into the charts. He began his career writing songs for Marianne Faithfull and also worked with pre-10cc members. It wasn't just his songwriting, but also his business acumen (he'd managed Carl Douglas of Kung Fu Fighting fame) that helped propel the Project to greater fortune.
Listen to: Time
99 DAEVID ALLEN
The mystical guru behind all things Gong. Allen was a member of Canterbury originators The Wilde Flowers before an enforced stay in France due to visa issues led to him forming Gong. He remained at the helm of Gong until 1975 when a version led by drummer Pierre Moerlon went off on a jazz fusion trip, but helmed the band largely from 1980 until his death in 2015.
Listen to: Other Side Of The Sky
98 BARRIEMORE BARLOW
Drummer Barlow joined Jethro Tull in 1971 as a replacement for Clive Bunker and remained until 1980, appearing on the bulk of the band's classic recordings. He was also one of the few drummers considered as a possible replacement for John Bonham in Led Zeppelin. These days he runs a studio in Oxfordshire and has moved into management.
Listen to: Conundrum
97 MARK KELLY
Irish-born Mark Kelly joined Marillion from the Essex-based neo-prog rockers Chemical Alice in 1981 and his flowing keyboards have been a mainstay of the band's sound ever since. It was Kelly who pushed the idea of the band asking their fanbase to fund the recording of Anoraknophobia in 2001, thus pretty much inventing the now-familiar crowdfunding model. Kelly will release his first solo album later this year (see page 14 for more).
Listen to: Amelia
96 IAN MOSLEY
Mosley has been Marillion's drummer since 1984. Prior to that he'd worked with Gordon Giltrap and Steve Hackett, the latter once describing him as "a phenomenal drummer". He's also worked on a jazz project with Roy Castle's son Ben and played with fellow band mate Pete Trewavas on the Edison's Children project.
Listen to: Assassing
95 STEVE MILLER
Elder brother of the late Hatfield & The North/National Health guitarist Phil Miller, Steve Miller is best known as the keyboard player for Caravan from 1971-2, appearing on the band's 1972 album Waterloo Lily. He also worked with Phil, Judy Dyble and Lol Coxill in DC & The MBs and also in Canterbury band, Delivery. Miller passed away in 1998.
Listen to: Songs And Signs
94 PAT MASTELOTTO
As a session drummer, Mastelotto worked with the likes of Martin Briley, The Pointer Sisters and Kenny Loggins before forming AOR outfit Mr Mister, who would go on to have huge success with singles like Kyrie and Broken Wings. He’s been a member of King Crimson since 1994, as well as drummer for Stick Men and O.R.k.
Listen to: The Hell Hounds Of Krim (Live In Vienna, 2017)
93 TONY KAYE
Kaye was the original Yes keyboard player and founding member who initially left the band in 1971 and was replaced by Rick Wakeman. He then formed prog rock outfit Badger, toured with David Bowie and joined LA rockers Detective with Michael Des Barres. He rejoined Yes for their successful 90125 album, remaining in their ranks until 1994. He has since worked with Yoso and Circa.
Listen to: Starship Trooper
92 DAVE STEWART
Keyboard player Dave Stewart's career is the stuff of prog rock legend, having featured in Uriel, Egg, Khan, Hatfield & The North, National Health and Bruford, collaborating with Steve Hillage, Mont Campbell and Bill Bruford. He's worked with vocalist Barbara Gaskin since 1981, having a No.1 hit with a cover of It's My Party. Their most recent album, Star Clocks, was released in 2018. And no, he was not in Eurythmics!
Listen to: Tenemos Roads
