Ranking the Yes Studio Albums

It's been done before by plenty of channels, but we all know Dermot had to have a go at it! So here he is with his ranking, always a unique perspective to say the least! We look forward to hearing from you all and don't forget to tune into our Prog Radio show starting Wednesday at 12 EST/5 GMT on Progradio.com or you can download the app!
#vinylcommunity #vinylcollection #vinylrecords #progrock

[@richard127gm]

They did release a CD of the combined Keys To Ascension studio tracks, called Keystudio. It's fantastic.

[@SpinninProg]

I'd love it on vinyl too. That would be a great record store day release. 👍

[@stephennorris2524]

Remember my Dad playing Fragile for me, still my favourite for sentimental reasons, but also love Close to the Edge, Relayer and Drama.

[@theasphaltworld849]

To my mind, Relayer is the greatest album Yes ever made. It's quite comfortably my number one pick. Two brain nullifying, abrasive epics followed by the lovely balm of "To Be Over"

[@SpinninProg]

Great description of a fantastic album. 👍

[@davemurphy3275]

.......also love the creeky chair through out haha

[@SpinninProg]

It certainly adds to the mystery of the video 🤣🤣

[@mythoflogic]

My Favorite Yessong is "Awaken". My Top Three Albums are 1) Going For The One, 2)Close To The Edge and 3) Drama.

[@SpinninProg]

Great choices. All fantastic albums. 👍

[@jeffschielka7845]

YES❣️❣️❣️The greatest band on this or any other planet❗️❗️❗️🪐🪐🪐🛸🛸🛸⭐️⭐️⭐️👍😎

[@SpinninProg]

We knew you'd like this one Jeff 🙌🏻

[@TigerMtnKing]

You got that right Jeff!🤩

[@TheProgCorner]

What Jeff said…

[@jeffschielka7845]

Thanks Scot❗️👍😎

[@danielfuentes3226]

Excelent show ranking the Yes Albums.I like their albums they have excelent albums, but one of my favourites is "Fragile" by Yes.

[@SpinninProg]

Fragile is one of the ones I play the most. They're nearly all great albums. There was very little between the top ten. 👍

[@scottbrown9507]

Nice to see Drama ranked so high. Definitely there most underrated.

[@mythoflogic]

Drama would be in my own Top 3. I absolutely adore that album.

[@SpinninProg]

It's a fantastic album. The opening with Machine Messiah takes no prisoners. 👍

[@jeffschielka7845]

Hey guys! I never rank YES songs or albums. On any given day i can put all the albums into a hat and just pick one to play. That would be my favorite for the next 40 minutes!! Excellent video, great job! FOREVER YES❣️❣️❣️👍😎

[@SpinninProg]

Pretty similar here. If we did it again today it would probably change. 👍

[@newdawnofprog]

Great episode as always. My top five is: 5. Fragile, 4. Close to the Edge, 3. Going for the One, 2. Relayer, 1. Tales. Cheers and keep up the amazing work. Prog on.

[@SpinninProg]

Thanks for the compliments. Glad you are enjoying the content. 👍

[@stevesmith3990]

Another fun video! My top 5: Going For The One, Relayer, Tales, Close To The Edge & Fragile. Bottom 5: 90125, Big Gen, Open Your Eyes, Keystudio and the godawful Talk.

[@SpinninProg]

Can't really argue with your listing... The good ones are good and the bad ones .... Well, the less said about them, the better. 😂🤣😂

[@davemurphy3275]

I guessed about 90% of your list the same as mine . Brilliant how you both present these lists. I had topographic at 3 . Agree with your review of drama. Like you I am not a completest. I buy what I like . Excellent.

[@SpinninProg]

Thanks Dave. I guess great minds think alike. 😁👍

[@gkirms]

Love Benoit David and the work he did with Yes. I thought he was a much better replacement for Anderson instead of Davison. I loved his work with Mystery and the 3 albums he did with them. Stellar albums. Even though I've listened to Yes since 'Fragile' my favorite album is '90125'.

[@SpinninProg]

We saw Yes live with Benoit David. He was great. A marvellous singer and a great stage presence. He really felt like part of the band. Totally agree with you. 👍

[@melstercandies-ch2ml]

I have always enjoyed listening to YES over the years.After hearing Owner of a Broken Heart I was covering my ears. I still often listen to almost everything BEFORE 90210. Good job on your ranking!!!

[@SpinninProg]

Thanks. It wasn't difficult to pick the top ones. As you said, pre 90125. 😂

[@chazblitz]

Drama is my top choice with Relayer coming in a close second. The rest of the 70's stuff tied for third and the 80's stuff tied for forth. The debut and the rest of the catalog aint fer me. Great show guys! I think my next thing going on my playlist will be Tara's laugh.

[@SpinninProg]

Thanks. We were nervous about having Drama so high. It's great to see the amount of love it's getting. 👍

[@craigsandry6737]

Great rankings guys . Always a pleasure to hear what other people think of the YES collection .Thank you

[@SpinninProg]

Thanks. 👍

[@stevenorthwick2480]

Love the reaction, thanks algorithm 🙂Totally agree with your Topographic Oceans and Tormato takes - TFTO has its moments and is better than most think but is up-and-down and not the classic some devotees think, and Tormato was the end of a phase of creativity.

[@SpinninProg]

Thanks. They are both pretty good albums, but flawed. 👍

[@UFO314159]

My Top 5: 1. Going for the One 2. Relayer 3. 90125 4. Fragile 5. Big Generator

[@SpinninProg]

All strong albums. That's the problem I had with trying to rank them. Most of them are great and it would be different every day. 👍

[@danaaronmusic]

Great video! But the best part, Dermot, was when you held up Tormato just right so your head was perfectly sticking out of the suit on the cover. Go back and have a look.

[@SpinninProg]

I just looked at it again and when almost said I had a likeness for it. 😂😂😂

[@user-zn4is6nd5v]

Brilliant stuff again! I wonder what Dermot thinks of 9012 Live The Solos...... ????? 😄

[@SpinninProg]

I have it. I loved it when it came out. I don't listen to it now. Haven't done for years. It's just showing off... Technically great but lacking heart. I love that band when they produce beautiful dramatic music with wonderful obscure lyrics. But the gimmickry around their musicianship, although something I loved and admired when I was young, just doesn't do much for me now. Do you like that album?

[@user-zn4is6nd5v]

@@SpinninProg I haven't listened to it for years. I got rid of it some time ago. I bought it back in 1988...I was 17 and had just discovered Yes. I love solos at gigs and I enjoyed the lp to begin with. I lost interest in it eventually. Yes are an amazing band and I love the majority of the music they have made over the years.

[@marktrickett5081]

Respect for anyone who has actually sat through every Yes album 😉

[@SpinninProg]

It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it. 😂😂😂

[@jeffschielka7845]

​@@SpinninProg👍👍👍😎

[@marktrickett5081]

​@@SpinninProg I'm a real 'jump off' person. I've never sat through anyone's long discography, so it's not personal 👍

[@SpinninProg]

@@marktrickett5081 I know. As we said in the video, we're not completionists and your comment is totally valid.👍

[@PhilipRandall-sl2hi]

Another great watch from the two of you and thank you so much for putting such great content out there. That said Fragile at number 6!… I think it’s great that music is so subjective and that we can differ in our rankings despite our love for the band and their music. Keep up the good work!… but number 6!… really?! 😂❤️

[@SpinninProg]

Fragile was at six today. It's about one of the most played albums in the house. So it could be another number tomorrow. 👍

[@PhilipRandall-sl2hi]

Just jesting, my taste in albums changes day by day too. I totally get where you’re coming from. 👍

[@TigerMtnKing]

YES!!! The greatest band there ever was or will ever be!🤩

[@SpinninProg]

I have to agree. They've got it all. 👍

[@mythoflogic]

I like "Talk" quite a bit. But I listened to it a ton when it came out...

[@SpinninProg]

I'm afraid it just doesn't float my boat. I liked 90125 and Big Generator (because they were Yes product and I was young and less cynical) and binged them and I probably just had enough and didn't see the point in Talk.

[@mythoflogic]

@@SpinninProg - That's cool. I understand your points about it. It was the time, I guess. I was really excited for a new Yes album at that time.

[@SpinninProg]

@@mythoflogic I get it completely. 👍

[@frankhoulihanfh4972]

The truth is lol even the worst Yes albums are far better than most of the rest of what’s out there. They’re held to such high standards.

[@mythoflogic]

@@frankhoulihanfh4972 - This is true. But in my considered opinion "Talk" is far from the worst Yes album.

[@gregorydardasm.d.3754]

I love your reviews!

[@SpinninProg]

Thanks. 😂

[@jeffschielka7845]

Hey Dermot and Tara! Left a couple of titles for you to watch from Scot. Think you will enjoy them! Thanks!! 👍😎

[@SpinninProg]

We know them well Jeff, we've been watching Scot for years 😁

[@jeffschielka7845]

@@SpinninProg Didn't see a comment left by you but will look again.👍😎

[@jeffschielka7845]

What's in the Box and Unboxing from Michigan. 👍😎

[@craigherriot4026]

Rarely do I agree with rankings, but in this case it's pretty close. The whole Trevor Rabin period turns me off - Big Generator particularly. As far as the rest of the catalogue goes, my top four could be different on different days, but today 1. Relayer 2. Close to the edge 3. TFTO. 4. The yes album. None of the material outwith their Classic '70s period really does much for me. The last three albums from the 'Steve Howe covers band' are simply lame, imho. Great show again. You deserve much more subscribers.

[@PJprog]

I couldn't do this myself... one day the best could be CTTE , another day Tales , Relayer , Drama , Going for the One , and so on... but that's my 5 number 1's. They are THE most important band in Prog I would say , although Genesis win out as my particular faves. Really entertaining video as usual you two. Trying to listen to Big Generator next to Clutching at Straws confirms how diverse our genre is - mid/late 80's was quite a difficult time to impress our peers with Prog... but we tried !!! Love this ranking video Tara and Dermot !!! Later guys. 😍🎵

[@SpinninProg]

Thanks a million. All the top ten are amazing albums and any of the top seven are just classic pieces of musicianship, composition and art. 👍

[@user-qs6xd3rk9z]

Closer to the edge is my favorite yes album 2. Fragile

[@SpinninProg]

👍

[@alltheworldsastage899]

Nice to see 'Drama' receive such a high ranking. 'CTTE" is without a doubt #1. I've tried for 51 years to get into 'Tales', I'm done with it. Cheers!

[@SpinninProg]

Thanks. It's great to see the love Drama's getting. 👍

[@gileslesmith]

Got all of their abums til Drama. And I think that fits. If Owner of a Lonely Heart comes on the radio I don´t turn it off, I really like it after all those years. But for me the essential Yes is the 70s Yes. The Yes Album was the first I bought and yeah after Drama it never did make much sense for me to dig deeper into their material.

[@SpinninProg]

Well said. I totally agree. There are a few patchy moments after that. But that's it. 👍

[@donaldanderson6604]

How about top ten Yes albums apart from Close to the Edge? It's one of the greatest albums ever so no competition. My heart puts Fragile near the top but I'm devoted to Topographic Oceans and learned all the riffs on the Yes album when I started playing the guitar. Going for th One also belongs very near the top. Probably an impossible task but thank you for post.

[@SpinninProg]

God yes. That's an interesting suggestion. One major problem we'd have is that we could probably do that list over and over and the albums would keep juggling around. They are such a fantastic band with so many great albums. It's difficult. I'd say, if we went back and redid that video, it would be different again. 😁👍

[@brianoakley980]

Loving the Yes List...Now then first and foremost, colours to the mast firmly nailed.. I like Yes, I think I was probably first was aware of them 1970 or so? Firstly, though, come on..Yes. as a band, finished donkeys years ago didn't they? just Steve Howe and some session guys now isn't it? A bit like Jethro Tull? I remember my mate getting me tickets for the Sensational Alex Harvey Band...I rang him..Hang on there Bobbie my old mate, isn't Alex actually what we call in the trade...er.. dead ? I didn't get it? I didn't go..Misrepresentation I call it! I love your description of some of the Albums..." There seems to be something missing "...YES, that would be the GOOD bits, blimey some of those later LPs make Love Beach sound like Tarkus! They have made some proper aromatic stinkers haven't they? But let's be honestif you have Edge, Yes Album, Fragile, Relayer, its enough isn't it? I'm kind of with you on Tobergraphic though, look if I need a nap these days I take a tablet! I'm kind of with Rick Wakeman on this double lp.

[@SpinninProg]

Thanks Brian. We're thinking of doing a video about when the brand takes over from the band. I think Drama was the last great album they did and that has a few imperfections... Is it even Yes?... Oh no, here I go again. The ones you mentioned are the real classics of the bunch. The cracks were shown with Tormato. 90125 completely changed how they approached music and they never recovered. Some of the later albums belong "in a bin, on fire". I don't understand a cash grab at their age though. It must be for their children's children to squander. 😂

[@volpeverde6441]

1. RELAYER.... 2. TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS.... 3. GOING FOR THE ONE.... 4. CLOSE TO THE EDGE.... 5. FRAGILE.... 6. THE YES ALBUM.... 7. TORMATO.... 8. DRAMA.... 9. MAGNIFICATION / THE LADDER.... 10. FLY FROM HERE....

[@SpinninProg]

Can't disagree. It could be my list on another day. 😁👍

[@mellotronin54]

I can agree that as Yes got older they were less adventurous but hey as you get older that S88t happens ? I am pleased they what is the current line up keep playing my wife never got to see them in their pomp but enjoyed seeing them in the 2010's so all of those new converts can still witness a bit of that now.

[@SpinninProg]

I stated in the video that I saw them for the first time in the 2010's and it was great! 🙌🏻 Whatever floats your boat sir

[@mellotronin54]

@@SpinninProg Yeah I was not complaining here quite the opposite I was saying my wife never got to see them until the 2010s and he loved it.

[@SpinninProg]

@@mellotronin54 Dad took me to see them when Benoit Davide was with them and it was fantastic!

[@mellotronin54]

@@SpinninProg In some ways I am lucky I am old I saw them 1st in the late 1970's and often since. I have in my soul that first show. It was exciting and visceral which to a YES fan of now 47 years means so much. If you listen to Yessongs you get a flavour of the excitement they brought. I will defend them for continuing until either they or I die but they are now very bland compared to what they were. But I would rather have a bland YES than no YES at all.x

[@SpinninProg]

@@mellotronin54 👍

[@georgemathie8123]

This is almost an impossible task so for today's top ten and also this can change anyday top ten relayer,going for the one, the yes album, close to the edge, fragile, 90125, drama, big generator, tormato and talk the top 5 are undisputed classics I do have a soft spot for the Trevor Rabin era that's my first exposure to the mighty Yes

[@SpinninProg]

Nice picks. It does have a habit of constantly changing and there's some I constantly play that I wouldn't see as being technically top tier. 👍

[@dhfenske]

My favorite aspects of Yes music are the dramatic ups and downs of energy level, the diversity of rhythms, the sound details, and the complexity. So, when their music doesn't have those things (well, mostly the first two things) I tend to find the music somewhat boring. So, here's my ranking: 1 Tales From Topographic Oceans 2 Relayer 3 Close to the Edge 4 The Yes Album 5 Fragile 6 Going For The One 7 Drama 8 Time and a Word 9 Yes 10 Magnification 11 90125 12 Union 13 Talk 14 Keystudio 15 Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe 16 Tormato 17 The Ladder 18 Big Generator 19 Fly From Here - Return Trip 20 Open Your Eyes 21 Fly From Here 22 Mirror to the Sky 23 The Quest 24 Heaven & Earth The first 18 of them are ones that I thoroughly enjoy. Numbers 19 - 24 are ones that I struggle to enjoy.

[@SpinninProg]

Great appreciation of Yes. You're right, the dynamic is great. I often find myself just marvelling at what they could do. Great list too. We didn't include ABWH. Perhaps we should have. Thanks for commenting. 👍

[@dhfenske]

@@SpinninProg Thank you!

[@mythoflogic]

I know everyone gets bothered by Yes without Anderson and clearly his voice and spirit are pivotal to the Yes sound. But I also feel very strongly that Chris was the crucial element to the recipe. No disrespect to Billy Sherwood. He is a fantastic musician and let's face it, any Yes is better than no Yes. Chris Squire's sound, approach and forceful presence were priceless.

[@SpinninProg]

Couldn't agree more. 👍

[@jeffschielka7845]

Jon is THE MASTER!👍😎

[@jeffschielka7845]

R.I.P. Chris and Alan. I miss you my brothers!🕊🕊🕊🎸🎸🎸🥁🥁🥁😎

[@ChrisTian-rm7zm]

90125 is one of the greatest albums of the 80s.

[@SpinninProg]

Without a doubt. 👍

[@user-vy7fp8np1l]

Ah, yes...YES...and this little comment is purely to add a smidgen of love and appreciation for CANS & BRAHMS and 5% FOR NOTHING, both of which I really enjoy. I am primarily a classical music fan so I'm one of the few people who heard the Brahms 4th Symphony (Scherzo) before I encountered what Mr Wakeman did with it (or to it) just as I heard Ginastera's 1st Piano Concerto nearly 20 years before I was even aware ELP had made their splendid arrangement of the Toccata (4th movement). To that chap below who mentioned our track Affirmative, it is indeed a parody of a typical mid period Jon Anderson lyric but it is respectful! I've heard and read copious ribald comments on the alleged 'pretentiousness' of his texts but these critics miss the point, in a similar manner to how critics missed the point when Finnegan's Wake by James Joyce was initially published. I'm a fan of Joyce so I admit I'm biased but if you try to read that book as a prose poem or a novel, it is bewildering...however, take it into woodland or a park and READ IT ALOUD...then it leaps into life. With Jon Anderson's later lyrics (i.e. from The Yes Album onwards), if one reads them in silence, divorced from the music, they appear arcane, esoteric, perhaps even nonsensical, but of course they are never intended to be consumed in that manner. Only when they are married to the music do they make 'sense'. They are the literary equivalent of impressionist paintings. If one listens to (for example) South Side Of The Sky or Heart Of The Sunrise, those words paint pictures in one's mind. Ye gods, I'm starting to sound like one of those ineffably pompous intellectuals on Radio 3. Anyway, thank you for another intriguing video and I hope (Tara) you passed those exams, tests or whatever they are. I was expelled from school at 15 without a single qualification so I am entirely self taught. I love education - it's school I can't stand!

[@SpinninProg]

Thanks for the analysis Andy, I agree with you, especially with the lyrics having to be 'married' to the music. As intended to be consumed! The exams went well, I'm in university at the moment, I love education and absolutely despised school! I feel only now that I'm an adult in education that I'm being treated with some respect from lecturers, who almost see me as more of a peer than a student!

[@comeonuirons]

I saw them on the release of The Yes Album - absolutely increcible

[@SpinninProg]

OMG!!!! 👍

[@frankhoulihanfh4972]

I’ll bet. I’ll bet they were incredible.❤ If I had to pick a time I’d love to have seen them, I think it would be just about then, 1971.

[@thomaswery3087]

I have the Keys To Ascention but I also found a boxset of Keys To Ascention it has 4 cds and a dvd kind of a cool package

[@SpinninProg]

I have the DVD too. It's great. 👍

[@markspooner1224]

Very fine work to get those albums ranked, my ranking is not very different just a bit here and there. I was supposed to see them last June so I thought I'd better get their 2 most recent albums so I bought The Quest and Mirror To The Sky and then the gig was cancelled and I'm stuck with 2 albums I'm not too fond of. Mirror is ok but The Quest will never be played again.

[@SpinninProg]

That's tough getting stuck with those albums. The glitter of Mirror wore off very fast with me, I'm afraid. The quest is just bad. Other than that it seems great minds think alike with the listing. 👍

[@philipmorrissey9142]

Never pay heed to the Drama haters! Its a top 3 for me. Yes were really invigorated for it and it sounded like they were enjoying themselves again. A real energy and urgency about it. It seems there was a lot of material performed live around that time that could have led to a follow up. Sadly twas not to be....

[@SpinninProg]

It's one that gets played an awful lot in my house. I love it. Yes. I'd love to have heard more from them around that time. 👍

[@josephgerard5473]

The first Yes album I ever heard was the one with Owner Of A Lonely Heart on it...and I decided they were dreadful. Decent musicians, to be sure, but synthi-pop is not my thing. A couple of years later I came across a copy of Fragile in a 2nd hand shop and, mildly curious, I bought it. YE GODS! I could not believe my ears - it was astounding, brilliant, superb and emotionally moving simultaneously. Fast forward to 2020: I bought (on CD as I hate vinyl and cassettes) every Yes album from the first one to Drama. I've since given away Tormato and Drama to a friend of mine but the others I intend to keep. My personal favourite is Going For The One and my least favourite is Time & A Word but only because of that rotten little orchestra. Yes create a BIG sound with busy drums, busy bass guitar, busy guitar, busy keyboards and close harmony vocals. They are so full in their sound there's simply not any room for session musicians, let alone a frigging orchestra. Anyway, thanks for another version of ranking Yes albums for me to compare to The Prog Corner. PS I heard a track called Affirmative by UNIT recently which is a respectful parody of a Jon Anderson lyric. It made me chuckle.

[@SpinninProg]

Thanks. Your appreciation for the band really comes out in your description of them and how they make such beautiful dense music. You're right of course. Those albums will live on as a testament of what a rock group can achieve. 👍

[@mellotronin54]

I can agree with most of your choices as it is such a subjective subject. But on others you are wrong ( Ditto).

[@ericarmstrong6540]

You're right about Union; the tour was good, the album sucked. They lured me in with Bill Bruford on the credits. The problem with Yes is that their fans don't demand anything from their beloved band. If you put a Yes logo on a dead dog, Yes fans would still buy it. Pretty much all Yes albums recorded after 90125 suck. Tormato was the first Yes album that I purchased as well.

[@SpinninProg]

Great analysis. We have had a lot of comments from people who would buy the dead dog. I'm checked out now anyway. Although we still have those classic albums. 👍

[@MattCarter67]

Not listened to anything after Big Generator (which I liked)

[@SpinninProg]

Not a bad strategy. But there are some good moments after that. It is patchy though and doesn't reach anything like that highs they had. 👍

[@MattCarter67]

@@SpinninProg Yeah, maybe they should put out a best of post-80s Yes or something so I can catch up!

[@mythoflogic]

The Ladder is a wonderful album for me. Jon sings very well and the songs are excellent. And it's a great recording.

[@SpinninProg]

@@mythoflogic love that album too. I remember one day being in a really screwed up mood and putting The Ladder on. It was just so uplifting. I was smiling for the rest of the day... And yes. It was Jon, his voice and crazy lyrics that had the biggest effect. 👍

[@PatKennedydon]

I agree with most of your rankings, I'd put Tormato much higher and I don't like Topographic much at all, bores me to sleep. All the new albums since Fly From Here are for me utter rubbish.

[@51monalisa]

luckely tara is keeping the score . so much albums a lot of good records but maybe they went on to long

[@51monalisa]

yes i mean 😂

[@SpinninProg]

It's pretty true. The output got very patchy and is now very pedestrian. It has none of the creative execution of the early fantastic albums. It would be better if they had just given up. 👍

[@51monalisa]

nice you are giving your honest opinion about some songs you don.t like

[@punker-gamer-trucker-guy]

I think tormato has some really good songs. If they spent less time fighting with each other and actually played their instruments it would be a great album. They obviously needed a producer that would say shut up and get back to work. Or maybe a pair of producers? Stir up some drama? Okay, I'm done.

[@SpinninProg]

You're right. I actually really have a soft spot for that album. There's loads of great ideas there. It just doesn't congeal enough. I heard about the fighting alright. Mr. Wakeman strikes again. 😂

[@Leo_ofRedKeep]

A proper mp3 player should not insert silences between tracks. Check for settings or get yourself a better one.

[@SpinninProg]

What are you on about? That's how it was released you melon 😂😂