The 11 Best Prog Rock Albums of the 1990s (Ranked)

Here are the 11 best prog rock albums of the 1990s (ranked)!

Following its meteoric growth in the 1970s, progressive rock took a significant backseat in the 1980s, with the rise of more commercially viable genres such as new wave, punk rock and soft rock/pop leading many artists to tone down their prog rock inclinations. True, neo-prog artists such as Marillion and IQ kept the style alive to a degree, but prog rock largely disappeared during its second full decade.

Thankfully, the same cannot be said for the 1990s, as there were plenty of bands – including Spock’s Beard, Echolyn, Arena, The Flower Kings and Collage – who brought back the full-on symphonic and sophisticated stylings of their ‘70s forefathers. Elsewhere, just as many groups incorporated traditional prog rock elements into more mainstream popular music sounds, thereby perpetuating what’s typically known as “crossover prog.”

So, who made the greatest LPs as the 20th century came to a close? Welp, that’s what we’re talking about further below!

READ MORE: 5 Prog Rock Albums Over 2 Hours Long (and Worth the Listen)

As always, it was difficult to narrow our picks as we melded personal preferences with broader consensuses. Also, we’re focusing solely on progressive rock because we’ve previously discussed the best prog metal of the 1990s.

So, get ready to have your mind blown once again as you check out our ranked list of the 11 best prog rock albums of the 1990s!