I’ve officially listened to every studio album by Asia, the prog-pop band that ruled the ’80s airwaves, from start to finish. My project started casually while folding newsletters, but then I dived down the rabbit hole. This blog won’t turn into a site that reviews obscure progressive rock albums full-time, but I can’t resist one last look ranking every last album I heard.

Today, I’m ranking albums from Asia’s classic years with the reunion era and the John Payne-led albums from 1992 to 2004. Whether you’re here to relive the glory days, discover new favorites, or to look forward to a post about something else, it’s time to dive into Asia’s musical legacy one more time. Let’s get to the rankings!

13- Silent Nation (2004)

 Silent Nation is a tired album with muddled production that marks the final weary cry of the Geoff Downes-John Payne iteration of Asia. 

12- Then & Now (1990)

Then & Now Takes six of Asia’s best bangers and adds four new tunes. Unfortunately, the grandiose “Days Like These” is the only highlight.

11- Aria (1994)

 Aria takes time to hit its stride, but it’s cheesy schlock. That’s what drew me to the original version of Asia in the first place, but the songs here are charmless. 

10- Arena (1996)

Arena is Asia’s most intimate studio release, sounding fresher and less forced than some of the band’s bigger albums. Unfortunately, it can’t find its way. 

9- Alpha (1983)

The original band’s quick followup to its 1982 smash hit Asia, Alpha can’t get out of its own way and gets bogged down in its own mythos. 

8- Aqua (1992)

Little more than Steve Howe’s periodic appearances and Geoff Downes’ fanfare tie Aqua to Asia’s classic output, but it serves as a fine introduction to the band’s second era. 

7- Phoenix (2008) 

The original members of Asia reunited in 2006, but Phoenix brings little of the energy you’d expect from a band reinvigorated and unburdened by its past.

6- Aura (2001)

Despite its stylistic shifts, Aura stands as the most cohesive -and ultimately the strongest- album of Asia’s Downes-Payne era.

5- Gravitas (2014)

The reunited band’s final album, Gravitas brings a heavier edge to Asia with several standout tracks that call back some of the band’s greatest B-sides. 

4- Astra (1985)

Muddy recording and busy production prevent Astra from getting “there,” but anthems abound. Unfortunately, its cheesy protest songs are hard to take seriously forty years after they were put to tape. 

3- Omega (2010)

An invigorated Asia produced a handful of tracks that recall the band’s best work, but a couple unexpected missteps prevent it from reaching the upper echelon.

2- XXX (2012)

XXX was recorded thirty years after Asia’s debut and marks the band’s final album with original guitarist Steve Howe. If it came out in 1983, Asia’s staying power might well have been cemented.

1- Asia (1982)

Asia is the only essential album from Asia’s entire catalog. Sure, the lyrics are overwrought and the music is overblown to the point of pomposity, but that’s a big part of the fun. It’s hard to argue with bangers like “Only Time Will Tell,” “Sole Survivor,” “Here Comes The Feeling,” and the band’s biggest mega-hit, “Heat of the Moment.”