Who said prog music died in the 1970s? The Official Charts Company and Prog magazine are launching the UK’s first album chart dedicated to the genre on Thursday 3 September, and Kevin Parker’s psych-pop band Tame Impala are the first act to hit the No 1 spot.
A list of albums eligible for inclusion on the chart has been vetted by the “progressive rock experts” at Prog magazine, according to the announcement. Names included varied from those you’d expect – such as Pink Floyd and Genesis – to newer, experimental bands such as duo Public Service Broadcasting, who combine live instrumentation with samples from archive public-information films.
“You look at some of the bestselling and acclaimed artists of the modern era like Muse, Radiohead, Mogwai, Tame Impala – what they do is incredible,” said Prog magazine editor Jerry Ewing. “They are challenging themselves, their audience and inspiring a new generation, and the official progressive albums chart is the platform in which this will be recognised.”
Each month, the new chart will be published online on the Official Charts Company site, and in print in Prog magazine. Its creation follows hot on the retro heels of April’s vinyl album chart. See the first prog top 10 in full, below:
- Tame Impala – Currents
- Muse – Drones
- Roger Waters – Amused to Death
- Joe Satriani – Shockwave Supernova
- Public Service Broadcasting – The Race for Space
- Faith No More – Sol Invictus
- Symphony X – Underworld
- Pink Floyd – The Endless River
- Tim Bowness – Stupid Things That Mean the World
- Nightwish – Endless Forms Most Beautiful
