Ranking the Yes Studio Albums

[soundchaser09]

It has to be done! To mark the beginning of this new forum, let's rank the albums once again

1. Going for the One (1977) 10/10
2. Close to the Edge (1972) 10/10
3. Relayer (1974) 10/10
4. The Yes Album (1971) 10/10
5. Fragile (1971) 10/10
6. Drama (1980) 9/10
7. 90125 (1983) 9/10
8. Magnification (2001) 9/10
9. Fly From Here (2011) 9/10
10. Big Generator (1987) 9/10
11. The Ladder (1999) 8/10
12. Tales From Topographic Oceans (1973) 8/10
13. Union (1991) 8/10
14. The Quest (2021) 8/10
15. Talk (1994) 7/10
16. Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe (1989) 7/10
17. Time and a Word (1970) 7/10
18. From a Page (2019) 7/10
19. Tormato (1978) 7/10
20. Keys to Ascension 2 (1997) 7/10
21. Open Your Eyes (1997) 6/10
22. Heaven and Earth (2014) 6/10
23. Yes (1969) 5/10
24. Keys to Ascension 1 (1996) 5/10

[PeterCologne]

Do it again, some thing changes very time:

The nine Masterworks, the big generators:

1: Tales From Topographic Oceans
2: Relayer
3: Big Generator
4: Drama
5: The Yes Album
6: Close To The Edge
7: Talk
8: Fragile
9: 90125

Still keys to aural ascension:

10: Tormato (still grows - close to a masterpiece)
11: Going For The One (side one is a masterwork)
12: Magnification
13: Union (ascends as well)
14: Open Your Eyes (Open Your Ears)
15: The Ladder (Yes' Sgt. Peppers)
16: Keys To Ascension

The word ist still - yes:

17: Fly From Here
18; Yes
19: Time And A Word
20: Anderson, Bruford Wakeman And Howe

Well, ...

21: The Quest
22: From A Page (must try again, might be somewhat better than that)
23: Heaven And Earth

[John Vehadija]

I'll give it a shot

1.Close To The Edge
2.Going For The One
3.Tales From Topographic Oceans
4.the Yes album
5.Fragile
6.Relayer
7. The Ladder
8. Magnification
9. Keys To Ascension
10. Talk
11. ABWH
12. Union
13. 90210
14. Big Generator
15. Open Your Eyes
16. Tormato
17. Time And A word
18. Yes First Album
19. Drama
20. Heaven And Earth
21. The Quest
22. Fly Form Here
23. From A Page

[Gilly Goodness]

Relayer
CTTE
Tales
Fragile
Yessongs
G4T1

Drama
FFH
TQ

Mag
The Ladder
Keys 1+2

The rest

______________


So a Trooper with Panther tendencies.



ELECTRIFY EVERYTHING

[soundchaser09]

I'll give it a shot

1.Close To The Edge
2.Going For The One
3.Tales From Topographic Oceans
4.the Yes album
5.Fragile
6.Relayer
7. The Ladder
8. Magnification
9. Keys To Ascension
10. Talk
11. ABWH
12. Union
13. 90210
14. Big Generator
15. Open Your Eyes
16. Tormato
17. Time And A word
18. Yes First Album
19. Drama
20. Heaven And Earth
21. The Quest
22. Fly Form Here
23. From A Page

ouch you must really be not enjoying Yes right now based on your bottom 4

[Gilly Goodness]

Yeah, but see his next choices...

24. Let It Be
25. Led Zeppelin 4
26. Dark Side of the Moon

[Ash Armstrong]

Triple Summit:
Close to the Edge
Relayer
Tales

- I can't separate these three albums in order of preference; for me they represent the band at its creative peak. Similarly, in the groupings that follow I can't/won't separate individual albums within those groupings.

In Sight of the Summit:
Fragile
The Yes Album
Magnification
Going For The One

Sunlit Uplands:
The Ladder
Tormato
ABWH
Union
Time and a Word
Keys to Ascension 1 & 2

Lower Slopes:
Drama
Fly From Here
From a Page

Silence of the Valley:
Talk
Big Generator
90125
The Quest
Open Your Eyes

Swamp:
Heaven and Earth

[John Vehadija]

ouch you must really be not enjoying Yes right now based on your bottom 4

Well, no, I am enjoying them a lot, but I just think they are quite different in style

[yesmike0215]

1. Close to the Edge
2. Relayer
3. Fragile
4. Drama
5. Going for the One
6. Tales from Topographic Oceans
7. The Yes Album
8. Fly from Here
9. Tormato
10. Yes
11. The Quest
12. Heaven & Earth
13. The Ladder
14. Keys to Ascension 2
15. Talk
16. 90125
17. Time and a Word
18. Magnification
19. Big Generator
20. Union
21. Keys to Ascension
22. Open Your Eyes

[Dantalion Rides Again]

1. Close to the Edge
2. Fragile
3. The Yes Album
4. Tales from Topographic Oceans
5. Relayer
6. Going for the One
7. Tormato
8. Magnification
9. Big Generator
10. Drama
11. ABWH
12. Union
13. Open Your Eyes
14. The Ladder
15. Keystudio
16. 90125
17. Talk
18. Time and a Word
19. Yes
20. Fly from Here
21. The Quest
22. Heaven & Earth
23. From a Page

Bonus round:
Non make-up years ranked:

1. Asylum
2. Lick It Up
3. Animalize
4. Hot In The Shade
5. Revenge
6. Carnival Of Souls
7. Crazy Nights

[Frumious B]

5/5

The Yes Album
Close To The Edge
Fragile
90125
Relayer
Going For The One
Tales From Topographic Oceans

4.5/5

Drama
Magnification
Talk
Big Generator
The Ladder

4/5

Yes
Time And A Word
Tormato
Keystudio
ABWH

3.5/5

Fly From Here Return Trip
From A Page

3/5

Fly From Here
Ultimate Yes EP

2.5/5

Union
The Quest
Open Your Eyes

2/5
Heaven & Earth

[luna65]

10/10 Infinite Repeat Forever
Close To The Edge, Big Generator

*chef's kiss*
The Yes Album, Fragile, Relayer, Going For The One, 90125, Talk, Fly From Here

Pretty Okay
Time and A Word, Tales from Topographic Oceans, Tormato, Keys to Ascension, Magnification

Ehhhh
Yes, Union, The Ladder, The Quest

I guess I just don't get it?
Drama, Open Your Eyes, Heaven & Earth

[luna65]

Bonus round:
Non make-up years ranked:

1. Asylum
2. Lick It Up
3. Animalize
4. Hot In The Shade
5. Revenge
6. Carnival Of Souls
7. Crazy Nights

I have to take exception with Asylum being listed higher than Animalize, which is clearly the most fun of that entire slate.

[madbear]

Best to Worst... [I can really do without The Quest downwards]

Relayer
Tales From Topographic Oceans
Close To The Edge
Drama
the Yes album
Talk
Going For The One
Open Your Eyes
The Ladder
Fragile
Time And A word
Yes First Album
Keys To Ascension
Fly From Here
Heaven And Earth

The Quest
Magnification
From A Page
ABWH
Union
Tormato
90210
Big Generator

[Homemade Parachute]

Best to Worst...

Open Your Eyes
...
90210

Wow, that's a, hmm, unusual take… As always, lots of people in agreement on the top few albums, it's the middle and bottom of the pack that shows a real diversity of opinion, but great to see everyone finding different things of value on such a range of albums. (Still and all, that's a bit like someone ranking Jethro Tull's Under Wraps over Songs from the Wood…)

[PeterCologne]

(Still and all, that's a bit like someone ranking Jethro Tull's Under Wraps over Songs from the Wood…)

Not really for my taste, because Songs From The Wood is my favourite Tull, followed by Heavy Horses and Secret Language Of Birds by th way (all Tull and all Anderson)