90. Rick Wakeman: “Catherine of Aragon” (The Six Wives of Henry VIII)
Rick Wakeman looms large as a progressive rock deity, providing memorable keyboard handiwork throughout the 1970s for Yes. But as more than a few people know, he was also busy with other projects. His solo efforts at once validate his status as a progressive rock monster and provide plenty of ammunition for haters who, taking one look at the album titles, would dismiss him as a monstrosity. As much or more than later works, Journey to the Centre of the Earth and (take a deep breath) The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, his arrangements on The Six Wives of Henry VIII are an ideal vehicle for his seemingly unlimited range and, yes, ambition.
89. Rush: “Xanadu” (A Farewell to Kings)
After three albums the band itself would declare full of hits and misses, everything came together during the recording of 2112. After that, Rush did the most progressive rock thing possible: upping the ante and doubling down on the determination. Using the all but requisite literary reference as a point of departure, lyricist Neal Peart did not half-step, selecting “Kubla Khan”, a poem by Romantic heavyweight Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Whether or not old Samuel spun in his grave or headbanged in approval, “Xanadu” gets full marks for concept and execution.