The Prog Collective is an occasional project conceived and led by Yes bassist/Asia vocalist Billy Sherwood. Their albums feature him playing many instruments backed by all-star guests that range across the worlds of prog, jazz fusion, and even pop. The group's maximal sound virtually created the crossover prog subgenre that marries progressive pop to neo-prog and instrumental rock. The project's 2012 self-titled debut included appearances from Annie Haslam, Alan Parsons, and Rick Wakeman, amidst a dozen others. Epilogue, its 2013 follow-up, featured contributions from Sherwood's Yes colleagues as well as a bevy of guests including Colin Moulding, John Wesley, and John Wetton.

After an eight-year hiatus, Sherwood revived the Prog Collective for 2021's Worlds on Hold. Released in February, the set had been in the creation stage for years. The set's track list was split between Sherwood's originals and an arresting selection of covers that included Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill," Procol Harum's "A Whiter Shade of Pale," and Parsons' "Eye in the Sky," on the prog side of the ledger, as well as the Doors' "People Are Strange," Boston's "More Than a Feeling," and a rereading of the Beatles' "Penny Lane," sung by the late John Wetton as a bonus track. The guest list was customarily large, and offered a surprising array of guest vocalists including Todd Rundgren, Geoff Tate, David Johansen, and David Clayton-Thomas. Sherwood produced the album and played guitars, drums, keyboards, and occasionally sang. He was backed by a top-shelf roster of instrumentalists, including guitarists Jan Akkerman, Steve Hackett, and Steve Hillage, violinist L. Shankar, keyboardists Geoff Downes, Patrick Moraz, and Tony Kaye, and drummer Alan White. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi