The Best Late Career Albums by 15 Classic Prog Rock + Metal Bands

Here are the best late career albums by 15 classic prog rock and metal bands.

It can be difficult for bands to maintain quality and relevance after being around for several decades, especially if their main genre – in this case, progressive rock/metal – was rarely popular to begin with.

Although the first half of the 1970s saw pioneers such as ELP, Yes, Genesis, Jethro Tull and Pink Floyd doing well financially and creatively, the rise of punk and new wave meant that a lot of artists either faded away entirely or lost their core identities by jumping on the commercial pop/rock bandwagon.

Obviously, there were plenty of 1980s progressive metal and neo-prog groups that took up the mantle when their forefathers “sold out” (Fates Warning, Queensrÿche, Marillion, IQ, etc.).

That said, even they must’ve given up or experienced a downturn by the time the new millennium rolled around, right?

Not necessarily, and with that in mind, we’ve chosen the 15 best LPs by ‘70s and ’80s prog bands that were released in the 21st century.

They’re not necessarily equal to their groups’ chief accomplishments – and they may not have been made by many of the original members – but the records listed below absolutely found their creators pushing through the changing times and trends to deliver surprisingly solid work.