DTF's Top 50 Bands/Artists Countdown Thread! (the final list)

[Sacul]

Forgot to update when Riverside where mentioned, but yeah, they also made my list. Great band, even if their last few albums have been mid.

[jammindude]

I had Spock’s Beard at 21 based on the strength of the first six albums, which are absolutely untouchable. The best ones to my ears are The Kindness of Strangers and V.

The only two post-NM SB albums I’ve heard are Brief Nocturnes and The Oblivion Particle. Parts of them I love and parts are just ok. But I’ve been meaning to check out more.  I just rejected the band going on without him at first because it felt like Porcupine Tree without Steven Wilson or Twisted Sister without Dee Snider. But I’m over it now and curious enough to keep an open mind.

Neal Morse solo is something I could never get into. I’m a man of faith and a minister, but my studies of the actual Bible text has led me to reject many so called “Christian” traditional teachings (like the immortality of the soul, for instance) and so hearing a bunch of religious music that just regurgitates a lot of those traditional beliefs is a big turn off for me.   Someone did talk me into picking up Simultude, and I wasn’t impressed.  So I never checked anything else out and I don’t think I would.  I don’t mind when he tackles the basic concept of the search for one’s spiritual side (Stranger in Your Soul by TA is a fantastic example) but he can crossover into preaching traditional dogma and I just shut down immediately.

[Jamesman42]

So NM and NMB are on this list separately? Also, what is the difference? I thought I knew but I don't think I do. Which one would ? and One fall under, for example?

Edit: I didn't know about the streaming app until I saw Kev mention it: https://waterfallstreaming.com/

I guess there was more differentiation between the band and just him in 2015, which is when I stopped paying attention to new music

[Mladen]

Both of these would have made my list. 

[The Letter M]

I had Spock’s Beard at 21 based on the strength of the first six albums, which are absolutely untouchable. The best ones to my ears are The Kindness of Strangers and V.

The only two post-NM SB albums I’ve heard are Brief Nocturnes and The Oblivion Particle. Parts of them I love and parts are just ok. But I’ve been meaning to check out more.  I just rejected the band going on without him at first because it felt like Porcupine Tree without Steven Wilson or Twisted Sister without Dee Snider. But I’m over it now and curious enough to keep an open mind.

Neal Morse solo is something I could never get into. I’m a man of faith and a minister, but my studies of the actual Bible text has led me to reject many so called “Christian” traditional teachings (like the immortality of the soul, for instance) and so hearing a bunch of religious music that just regurgitates a lot of those traditional beliefs is a big turn off for me.   Someone did talk me into picking up Simultude, and I wasn’t impressed.  So I never checked anything else out and I don’t think I would.  I don’t mind when he tackles the basic concept of the search for one’s spiritual side (Stranger in Your Soul by TA is a fantastic example) but he can crossover into preaching traditional dogma and I just shut down immediately.

If you want a more "secular" Neal Morse solo/band experience, definitely look into Momentum (his last solo album before forming NMB), and The Grand Experiment, the first NMB album. Both are about as secular as any post-SB Neal you could get that isn't a folky singer-songwriter album or TA/FC. There are hints to spiritual concepts, but only as much as SB or TA were.

-Marc.

[jammindude]

Cool! Thanks M! I will dig those up! 

[The Letter M]

So NM and NMB are on this list separately? Also, what is the difference? I thought I knew but I don't think I do. Which one would ? and One fall under, for example?

Edit: I didn't know about the streaming app until I saw Kev mention it: https://waterfallstreaming.com/

I guess there was more differentiation between the band and just him in 2015, which is when I stopped paying attention to new music

Neal Morse (solo) consists of any album produced and released by Neal that doesn't involve all five members of the NMB. And NMB has only really released four studio albums and corresponding live albums for those tours. You could probably count all the Morsefest albums as NMB releases (if they played at them - 2014, 2015, 2017, etc). Albums like ? and One were originally Neal Morse solo records, but have since been played live by NMB and seen full live releases of them, so you can listen to it both ways, but they're NM solo for sure.

-Marc.

[The Great Zo]

I've got the high rank for Spock's Beard at #4, so I guess I better explain myself!

Kansas was my introduction to prog in general. My favorite of the classic British prog bands is Genesis. Probably no surprise, then, that Spock's Beard would end up as my favorite of the 90s-era prog bands. There's a ton of those two influences all over Spock's Beard's fantastic and lengthy career.

A common theme I see in some of the other comments is that people enjoy the Neal era, but aren't as fond of the later stuff with Nick and Ted. My three favorite Spock's Beard albums are V, X, and Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep. One from each of the three lead vocalists, and I picked those three genuinely due to the strength of the material -- not just for the sake of picking one from each era. I'm even a pretty big fan of SB9, which is all over the place stylistically, but I find it to be one of the most enjoyable SB albums to listen to. With that said, yes, the Neal era is the most consistent. I confess to not really being a huge fan of the last two albums, or of the band's spiritual successor (PSA).

Rather than list off some favorites that any Spock's Beard fan loves, here are a few Spock's Beard songs I think are criminally underrated: Flow, Ghosts of Autumn, As Far as the Mind Can See, The Quiet House, I Know Your Secret

Spock's Beard is a band that was part of the soundtrack of my teenage and young adult years, and then continued making good music for a while beyond that. I connect with Spock's Beard on both a musical and emotional level. They're easily one of my personal favorites, and if they've about wrapped things up, that's a solid discography and a solid career.

And yet ... Neal Morse / NMB didn't make my list at all. I followed along with Neal for a few albums after he left SB, but by ? it all felt too same-y to me and I sort of found myself checking out. I jumped back in for TSOAD and TGA, because I was going on CTTE in 2017/2019 and both albums were being performed. They are fantastic pieces of work, to be sure, and I'm glad I got to see them live.

Also, the first Neal Morse solo album (the one with the blue cover) is underrated, and not just for the closing epic. Some great pop songs on that album.

Final note: interesting that the Spock's Beard high ranker (me) did not rank Neal Morse, and the Neal Morse high ranker (bosk) did not rank Spock's Beard.

[Lethean]

Nothing in the last few for me, though I do like Ayreon.  Stadler should be happy to finally be on the board.

[HOF]

A common theme I see in some of the other comments is that people enjoy the Neal era, but aren't as fond of the later stuff with Nick and Ted. My three favorite Spock's Beard albums are V, X, and Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep. One from each of the three lead vocalists, and I picked those three genuinely due to the strength of the material -- not just for the sake of picking one from each era. I'm even a pretty big fan of SB9, which is all over the place stylistically, but I find it to be one of the most enjoyable SB albums to listen to. With that said, yes, the Neal era is the most consistent. I confess to not really being a huge fan of the last two albums, or of the band's spiritual successor (PSA).

Rather than list off some favorites that any Spock's Beard fan loves, here are a few Spock's Beard songs I think are criminally underrated: Flow, Ghosts of Autumn, As Far as the Mind Can See, The Quiet House, I Know Your Secret.

I meant to mention, I circled back to the self-titled SB album only about 2-3 years ago, but it is fantastic, even if it maybe has a little fat that could have been trimmed. As Far As The Mind Can See is up there with their strongest epics. Love that one. Nick sounds amazing on this album too (both vocally and drum wise). The whole thing sounds really good. Some really great Al solos too.

[coz]

Nice write-up Zo!  And that is an interesting endnote about you and bosk!

[The Letter M]

My three favorite Spock's Beard albums are V, X, and Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep. One from each of the three lead vocalists, and I picked those three genuinely due to the strength of the material -- not just for the sake of picking one from each era

Funny enough, both X and BNADS have songs that credit Neal, and have been the only two albums since his departure to include him in the writing credits (not counting the compilation where he literally wrote an epic for the band past & present).

-Marc.

[ReaperKK]

While the Megadeth update was a few posts back I just saw the perfect post that describes what I hear when listening to Megadeth: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cy8ZMF2PQjE/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

[HOF]

No one asked for it, but I guess I’ll do a favorite track from each SB album:

- The Light: The Light
- Beware or Darkness: Waste Away (or The Doorway)
- Kindness of Strangers: Flow (or June)
- Day for Night: The Healing Colors of Sound (the whole thing)
- V: At The End Of The Day (or The Great Nothing)
- Snow: Solitary Soul (or Looking for Answers)
- Feel Euphoria: The Bottom Line (or A Guy Named Sid)
- Octane: She Is Everything (or Watching the Tide)
- Spock’s Beard: As Far As The Eye Can See
- X - The Edge of The In Between
- Brief Nocturnes: Waiting For Me
- The Oblivion Particle: Bennet Built a Time Machine
- Noise Floor - Beginnings (or Bulletproof)

[LithoJazzoSphere]

I find these sort of lists quite helpful, even if I don't get to them until months later. 

[nick_z]

No one asked for it, but I guess I’ll do a favorite track from each SB album:

- The Light: The Light
- Beware or Darkness: Waste Away (or The Doorway)
- Kindness of Strangers: Flow (or June)
- Day for Night: The Healing Colors of Sound (the whole thing)
- V: At The End Of The Day (or The Great Nothing)
- Snow: Solitary Soul (or Looking for Answers)
- Feel Euphoria: The Bottom Line (or A Guy Named Sid)
- Octane: She Is Everything (or Watching the Tide)
- Spock’s Beard: As Far As The Eye Can See
- X - The Edge of The In Between
- Brief Nocturnes: Waiting For Me
- The Oblivion Particle: Bennet Built a Time Machine
- Noise Floor - Beginnings (or Bulletproof)

Oh yes, Waste Away is SO good.

As for the Kindness of Strangers - I always had a special fondness for The Good Don’t Last and Harm’s Way (some of the instrumental stuff on the latter is fantastic, in a truly “uplifting” way)

[The Great Zo]

Nick sounds amazing on this album too (both vocally and drum wise). The whole thing sounds really good. Some really great Al solos too.

Might be my favorite SB album sonically, actually. Everything sounds fresh and crisp and bright -- fantastic production overall.

Funny enough, both X and BNADS have songs that credit Neal, and have been the only two albums since his departure to include him in the writing credits (not counting the compilation where he literally wrote an epic for the band past & present).

Oddly, though, those aren't the reasons I like those two albums. Waiting For Me is maybe my 3rd favorite track on BNADS, and The Emperor's Clothes is my least favorite on X.

As for the Kindness of Strangers - I always had a special fondness for The Good Don’t Last and Harm’s Way (some of the instrumental stuff on the latter is fantastic, in a truly “uplifting” way)

TKOS is my 4th favorite SB album behind the others mentioned. Not a bad song on the album. Just a great mix of positive, enjoyable music combined with some of that early-SB quirkiness. The "Venus" section in the middle of Harm's Way is so good.

[devieira73]

Love SB's work, even without Neal Morse, they managed doing at least very good or solid albums. Neal Morse kind of became more formulaic in his album and compositions, but still making music in high level. Neal's SB had an impressive the run from Kindness to Snow (I'm in the "they found their sound on Kindness" camp). Post that, I think X and Brief Nocturnes are truly amazing. Not including NMB, my faves Neal's albums are still One, ? and Testimony 2. They didn't make my list, although had been strongly considered.

[HOF]

No one asked for it, but I guess I’ll do a favorite track from each SB album:

- The Light: The Light
- Beware or Darkness: Waste Away (or The Doorway)
- Kindness of Strangers: Flow (or June)
- Day for Night: The Healing Colors of Sound (the whole thing)
- V: At The End Of The Day (or The Great Nothing)
- Snow: Solitary Soul (or Looking for Answers)
- Feel Euphoria: The Bottom Line (or A Guy Named Sid)
- Octane: She Is Everything (or Watching the Tide)
- Spock’s Beard: As Far As The Eye Can See
- X - The Edge of The In Between
- Brief Nocturnes: Waiting For Me
- The Oblivion Particle: Bennet Built a Time Machine
- Noise Floor - Beginnings (or Bulletproof)

Oh yes, Waste Away is SO good.

As for the Kindness of Strangers - I always had a special fondness for The Good Don’t Last and Harm’s Way (some of the instrumental stuff on the latter is fantastic, in a truly “uplifting” way)

I love both. The “The Radiant Is” section of The Good Don’t Last is amazing. And then Harm’s Way, I love the “the Venus slowly rises in the night” section.

[pg1067]

28. Spock's Beard

27. Neal Morse

Unfamiliar with both.

1.
...
12. Helloween (38)
13.
14. UFO (42)
...
24. Scorpions (46T)
25.

Not ranked:  Miles Davis, Symphony X, Algalloch, Avenged Sevenfold, King Crimson, The Deer Hunter, Frank Zappa, Evergrey, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Nightwish, Katatonia, Anathema, Between the Buried..., Radiohead, Big Big Train, Peter Gabriel, Megadeath, Riverside, KISS, Ayreon, Spock's Beard, Neal Morse

[ReaperKK]

Starting with today's update we are going to one update a day!

26. Pain Of Salvation
Rate Your Music Profile!
Spotify Profile
Monthly Spotify Streams: 89,262
Highest Finish: 1 (elefantStone)
Number of top 10 finishes: 4
Number of Lists appeared on: 9 (SwedishGoose, devieira73, jammindude, PMSummer, SumoneLikeHim, elefantStone, Evermind, Zoom E, nick_Z)

Checking the RYM profile I didn't realize PoS was making albums as recent as 2020. I never could get into PoS but the last time I really gave them a chance was 15 years ago.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

can't think of a more cringey prog band personally, but to each their own

[SwedishGoose]

4

Pain of Salvation
They have long been a favorite of mine both studio and live. Seen them live 7 times of which the BE original stage ptoduction is up there as one of my favorite concerts ever. Great DVD too.
BE holds a special place in my heart, Remedy Lane is another favorite album. In the Passing Light of Day was a return to form for me even though I love all albums.


Not rated
Symphony X , Miles Davis, Avenged Sevenfold, Allagoch,
Scorpions, The Dear Hunter, Frank Zappa, Evergrey, UFO, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Nightwish, Katatonia, Halloween, Between the Buried and Me, Anathema, Radiohead, Big Big Train, Megadeath, Riverside, Spock's Beard, Neal Morse

25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6 Pain of Salvation  (favorite album: BE, favorite song: Undertow)
5
4 Ayreon (favorite album: The Human Equation, favorite song: Valley of the Queens)
3 Peter Gabriel  (favorite album: US, favorite song: Here Comes The Flood)
2 King Crimson  (favorite album: Red, favorite song: Starless)
1

[Sacul]

Yeah another band I never got into, wouldn't say they're cringy, but just not my thing really.

[HOF]

I gave PoS a shot back in the day when they were the next big thing in prog metal. I really liked their acoustic live album (12:5 I think?), enough that I was really excited when Be came out. Well, Be killed any enthusiasm for the band. I just hated everything about it, and Daniel’s voice has come to really grate on me particularly. I get really annoyed when he pops up with Transatlantic and The Flower Kings. All that to say, PoS were not on my list.

[The Letter M]

Starting with today's update we are going to one update a day!

26. Pain Of Salvation
Rate Your Music Profile!
Spotify Profile
Monthly Spotify Streams: 89,262
Highest Finish: 1 (elefantStone)
Number of top 10 finishes: 4
Number of Lists appeared on: 9 (SwedishGoose, devieira73, jammindude, PMSummer, SumoneLikeHim, elefantStone, Evermind, Zoom E, nick_Z)

Checking the RYM profile I didn't realize PoS was making albums as recent as 2020. I never could get into PoS but the last time I really gave them a chance was 15 years ago.

NR  Miles Davis
NR  Symphony X
NR  Agalloch
NR  The Deer Hunter
NR  Frank Zappa
NR  Evergrey
NR  UFO
NR  Godspeed You! Black Emperor
NR  Nightwish
NR  Katatonia
NR  Helloween
NR  Between The Buried And Me
NR  Anathema
NR  Radiohead
NR  Peter Gabriel
NR  Megadeth
NR  Pain Of Salvation
29  King Crimson
25  ?
.
.
20  Riverside
.
.
10  Ayreon
.
.
07  Neal Morse
06  Spock's Beard
.
.
01  Big Big Train

They did not rank for me, but I have given them some attention before. Heck, I own eight of their albums and have tried really getting into them, but they just have truly clicked for me. My first album of theirs I got was Be and thought it was okay with its rather unique concept and structure. I enjoy most of the Road Salt albums as well. Beyond that, I don't remember much of their music. I like Daniel's contributions to live Transatlantic though, which is where I first saw/heard him.

-Marc.

[Zydar]

I enjoy me some Remedy Lane from time to time, but they weren't a contender for my Top 50.

[The Great Zo]

Pain of Salvation might be in my top 50, purely on the strength of Remedy Lane -- and to a lesser extent TPE1. I haven't been particularly drawn in to too much else they've done, although In the Passing Light of Day and Panther have some good moments. Perhaps a bit of a return to form. But at the other end, I think Scarsick is just awful. So it's a mix for me with these guys.

[Metro]

Never listened to POS.

[Trav86]

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

can't think of a more cringey prog band personally, but to each their own

Just one troll post after another. No need to be a dick. Just move along.

[KevShmev]

I gave PoS a shot back in the day when they were the next big thing in prog metal. I really liked their acoustic live album (12:5 I think?), enough that I was really excited when Be came out. Well, Be killed any enthusiasm for the band. I just hated everything about it, and Daniel’s voice has come to really grate on me particularly. I get really annoyed when he pops up with Transatlantic and The Flower Kings. All that to say, PoS were not on my list.

I don't mind Gildenlow in small doses, which is why I was fine with his contributions with the Flower Kings and on the 4th TA album, but I do not want to hear him a lot.  I am not convinced he is much of a songwriter either, which is why PoS was a huge swing and a miss for me.

[jammindude]

I had Pain of Salvation at 22.

They were much higher at one point, but their post-BE output has just been way too spotty, and I no longer consider them an “automatic release day buy”.   But their first 5 albums are one of the greatest “first 5” in all of progressive rock.

So if you’re judging them based on a latter day album, give them another try.  Personally I found Remedy Lane *a bit* harder to get into at first, but now it’s my favorite. The Perfect Element was the first album I heard from them and it clicked instantly, although it’s now my #2.

Entropia and One Hour by the Concrete Lake are also excellent.

[Trav86]

I absolutely love(d) Remedy Lane and The Perfect Element. But I don’t care for anything else. Kinda weird. I’m the same way with Haken. I absolutely love The Mountain and I really really like Affinity. I could never get into anything else. The new one I listened to all of the way through maybe once. No desire to go back to it.

[jammindude]

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

can't think of a more cringey prog band personally, but to each their own

Just one troll post after another. No need to be a duck. Just move along.

I remember when I was about 13 I would get on some of the early dial up BBS’ and make these kinds of comments.  He will grow up eventually.

[Zydar]

Yeah it's getting quite annoying, commenting negatively on other people's music tastes.