Progress
by Take That
  • Record Label: Polydor
  • Release Date: Nov 22, 2010
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
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  1. AllMusic
    Dec 16, 2010
    80
    Things start to slow down toward the end of Progress, when Mark Owen, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, and Barlow get their own track to write--each revert to type, Barlow stultifyingly so on the sticky "Eight Letters"--but for seven tracks, Progress is the hippest and best music Take That has ever made.
  2. Q Magazine
    Dec 20, 2010
    80
    Rushes to the head aside, Progress is a triumph musically, conceptually, personally. [Dec 2010, p.100]
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  3. New Musical Express (NME)
    Mar 10, 2011
    70
    There is a tail-off in quality at the end, but every track still has a chorus that Swedish song factories would sell their grannies for and, most of all, there's a sense that Take That are genuinely challenging themselves here.
  5. The Guardian
    Dec 16, 2010
    80
    The real surprise is that this unexpected step from comfy balladry to something more interesting sounds quite natural – the only element that doesn't fit is the free-floatingly doomy lyrics, which foretell unspecified personal and global calamities.
  6. Slant Magazine
    Dec 16, 2010
    70
    At its best, with the apocalyptic stomp of "SOS" and the dreamy tones of "Pretty Things," it's clear Progress is by far the smartest record that Barlow and company have put their name to.
  7. BBC Music
    Dec 16, 2010
    80
    With this collection of erratic egos, who knows; but the ebullient, daring Progress sounds more like a fresh start than a final destination.
  8. Dot Music
    Dec 16, 2010
    80
    Epic, exciting, strange and unexpected, it's exactly what pop needed, but surely not quite what Gary Barlow had in mind.

Awards & Rankings

56
#56 Most Shared Album of 2010

User Reviews

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User Score
7.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 21 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 21
  3. Negative: 4 out of 21
  1. owenrw89
    Dec 18, 2016
    8
    Stuart Price is without doubt, the greatest electronic producer of the last 20 years. Adding his production with Barlow's stylish songwritingStuart Price is without doubt, the greatest electronic producer of the last 20 years. Adding his production with Barlow's stylish songwriting gave us one of the most unexpected albums of the year. Take That are known for radio friendly pop music (which is no bad thing), but Progress saw them experiment, get a little weird and non-mainstream, and it worked beautifully.… Full Review »
  2. gemini0577
    Jun 15, 2011
    9
    Take That manages to get better with each new album and with Robbie Williams back into the fold, they sound even better. Progress is differentTake That manages to get better with each new album and with Robbie Williams back into the fold, they sound even better. Progress is different from their other albums in that it ventures out into new directions, experimenting with the re-emerging electronica sound that is becoming increasingly popular. Standout songs include "The Flood", "SOS", "Kids", and "Affirmation". This album is top-notch not only because of the melodies but also because of the writing, which is lyrical and at times poetic. This is what pop should be!… Full Review »
  3. eternalsting
    Jan 19, 2011
    7
    It kinda took me by surprise to be confronted with an ambitus, determined record suggesting one of the best pop albums of 2010. It ensuresIt kinda took me by surprise to be confronted with an ambitus, determined record suggesting one of the best pop albums of 2010. It ensures the capability of expanding the band's fans and the promise of a greater Take That following album.… Full Review »
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