Originally published in Prog magazine (UK) 113 · September 2020
The Greatest Prog Musicians Of All Time
Article4 min read
It’s our biggest poll so far and it’s also been the one with the greatest number of surprises. Turn the page and find out who you voted as prog’s 100 greatest musicians of all time.
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64 Kevin Moore
The original keyboardist in prog metal pioneers Dream Theater, Moore played on their first three studio albums but left before the tour for 1994’s Awake. Since his departure, Moore has explored electronica with his Chroma Key project and returned to prog metal, forming OSI alongside Fates Warning guitarist Jim Matheos.
Listen to: ‘Pull Me Under’
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57 Derek Sherinian
After getting his first break touring with Alice Cooper, Sherinian claimed the vacant keyboard spot in Dream Theater in 1994 and stayed there for five years. He’s released eight solo albums showcasing his fusion chops, and also plays prog metal with Sons Of Apollo and Planet X, as well as classic rock with Black Country Communion.
Listen to: ‘A Change Of Seasons’
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49 Mike Mangini
“Playing intuitively means that I’m just winging it and spitting stuff out. There are pluses and minuses to that. The pluses are that I will play things that I would not have thought of and they excite me very much, but I also play other things that I would change if I had my way. So it has pluses and minuses, but I’ve learned how to trust it, that’s the difference.”
Listen to: ‘The Enemy Inside’
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30 John Myung
“My hands are pretty conditioned at this point, but after three shows in a row, they’re begging for a break, for sure. But usually after a day off they’re good to go. I warm up well, though – there’s no way I could play if I didn’t. I play really slowly for at least an hour and a half before we go on stage. That’s the only way I can prepare my hands to get through three hours of playing live, or at a certain point they’ll be fatigued.”
Listen to: ‘Trial Of Tears’
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22 Jordan Rudess
“Juilliard [School] was a very straight and focused environment. And then one day a high school friend turned up at the house with a Moog. We took it to my bedroom, turned a couple of knobs and that was it – my life changed. Before too long my wall was covered in posters of Rick Wakeman and Patrick Moraz. The Juilliard training was so intense, whenever they spoke of music other than classical it was drummed into us that [the artists responsible] were lower-class citizens.”
Listen to: ‘Wired For Madness’
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10 John Petrucci
“I had a funny conversation with a friend the other day where it was like, ‘I don’t listen to music a lot.’ I feel horrible saying that. It’s kind of like me and drinking water. I realised how little water I drank, and how much I really need to drink more water in my life. It’s like music, it’s the same. It’s funny. I mean, I’m playing guitar all the time, I’m creative: writing, releasing music and everything. But actually sitting down and actively listening? It’s not something I do a lot.
“I collect riffs and ideas all the time and I have them in a folder and I did kind of put them aside for the solo album [Terminal Velocity]. There’s a tiny bit of crossover there, but, you know, I’m constantly collecting riffs and ideas. Yeah, some of them scream solo album guitar instrumental, and some like can go either way, it depends.
“I do try to, like, infuse different stylistic elements, whether they be jazz or gypsy jazz or Latin feels, and I think that’s considered a common place in my style anyway. And you even hear that Dream Theater as well, we span a lot of different styles.”
Listen to: ‘Lie’
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8 Mike Portnoy
“It’s such a tremendous honour to be included anywhere on this list. But to be in the Top 10, among those I would regard as my heroes… wow, that blows me away. I look at the names there, and these are the people who shaped the genre, and I still look up to all of them.
“Look, music is not a sport; it’s not about being competitive and coming out on top. And we all know such lists by definition are subjective. However, leaving this aside, it’s very gratifying to realise what I do has touched so many people in this way.
“It’s interesting that John Petrucci and I are the only ones from what I’d say are the second generation of prog musicians in the Top 10. All the others were recording and touring a long time before us: they are some of the pioneers of the music we know and love. When I see these names here, it makes me feel so young! I’m the new kid on the block compared to them – at a mere 55 years old! Seriously though, this is something that doesn’t swell my ego, but if anything emphasises my appreciation to the fans for letting me into their lives.”
Listen to: ‘The Shattered Fortress’
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How Neil Peart affected me...
We asked some of the prog artists that he inspired.
Mike Portnoy: “I was a teenager when I discovered Rush and Neil in the early 80s. Obviously, his drumming had a tremendous impact on me. What he was doing was on such a high level of proficiency. And both his technique and musicality are untouchable. But it was also the kit he used that I love. The sheer size of it, and the way he set it up... for me it was drum porn. While others my age would get hot and drool over the centre spread in Playboy, I would get the same reaction from centre spreads of Neil’s kit in drum magazines!”