Polls Closed: Your Favorite 20 Yes Songs 1969-78

[RobAdams]

Here are the results of the poll. 34 people voted, and here are the top 20 songs:

01 CLOSE TO THE EDGE 34
02 AWAKEN 29
03 AND YOU AND I 28
03 GATES OF DELIRIUM 28
03 PERPETUAL CHANGE 28
04 HEART OF THE SUNRISE 27
04 SOUTH SIDE OF THE SKY 27
05 STARSHIP TROOPER 26
06 SIBERIAN KHATRU 25
07 YOURS IS NO DISGRACE 23
07 RITUAL 23
07 ON THE SILENT WINGS OF FREEDOM 23
08 ROUNDABOUT 21
09 REVEALING SCIENCE OF GOD 20
10 TURN OF THE CENTURY 19
11 SOUNDCHASER 17
11 THE REMEMBERING 17
11 TO BE OVER 17
12 I'VE SEEN ALL GOOD PEOPLE 16
13 GOING FOR THE ONE 15

Some slight surprises here? I think their overplaying of ROUNDABOUT, especially as an encore, has relegated it to the lower reaches of the list. RELAYER and CLOSE TO THE EDGE are the only 2 albums with every song in the top 20. 75% of TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS made it. Notice that SILENT WINGS got the same number of votes as RITUAL and YOURS IS NO DISGRACE. Nice to see, since I've always felt the best TORMATO track has been overlooked by both fans and the band. CLOSE TO THE EDGE topping the list is no surprise at all. It is their most well known album title among non-fans. It is their definitive signature song. If you don't like CTTE, chances are you won't like YES. I am surprised that LONG DISTANCE RUNAROUND and THE FISH 'didn't make the team'. I always enjoyed them together live.
Thanks everyone for voting.

[WhiteKnight]

Originally posted by i-and-i
I think their overplaying of ROUNDABOUT ... has relegated it to the lower reaches.

Methinks it's really not that good (compared to others). Encore overdose aside, I would not rank it higher than it came up (probably lower).

Notice that SILENT WINGS got the same number of votes as RITUAL and YOURS IS NO DISGRACE. Nice to see, since I've always felt the best TORMATO track has been overlooked...

Nice to see for the Silent Wings themselves. Of course, the very idea of comparing OtSWoF to Ritual is one monstrous heretical absurdity :nono: ;) Anyway...

WK

[Yes Oz]

They played the top 10 of this list and played Ritual as a "very extended" encore. I've heard a live version of Ritual from the last US tour and the groups drum session near the end sounded so powerful. IMO it would be a great concert. One they could do in Oz (one day).

[RobAdams]

I also see an even split here. Ten of these songs were originally recorded with Bill Bruford, the other ten with Alan White. Every song in the top 20 is at least 7 minutes long, except for GOING FOR THE ONE, which is a little under 6 minutes.

All the songs from the MASTERWORKS TOUR set list is here, except for THE ANCIENT from which the acoustic 'Leaves Of Green' section was performed.

YES have had only 6 titles which each took up an entire vinyl LP side. THE ANCIENT is the only one missing. Seems that the longer the song the better chance it had to make the list.

6 of the top 20 songs were the opening tracks off their respective studio albums.

7 of the top 20 songs were the closing tracks on their respective studio albums.

Every studio album from THE YES ALBUM to TORMATO are represented by at least one song in the top 20.

[RobAdams]

thought i'd bring this back to life for some of our newer members