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SteveG 
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 Topic: Who are "The Beatles" of Prog?
Posted: August 23 2014 at 13:02 |
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The Beatles turned the rock word upside down in the Sixties with all of their inventive musical styles and social fads. For my last question post for PA, I would like to ask: Who do you consider to be "The Beatles" of Progressive Rock music in regards the artist's influence and popularity on Progressive Rock music?
Edited by SteveG - August 25 2014 at 15:18
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Scoppioingola
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Posted: August 23 2014 at 13:22 |
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The Beatles of prog are The Beatles.
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chopper
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Posted: August 23 2014 at 13:28 |
 Scoppioingola wrote:
The Beatles of prog are The Beatles.
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That's all I can think of. There isn't really one band who have had the same impact in prog, except a few instances such as the first King Crimson album, The Yes Album, Foxtrot and a few others
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brainstormer
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Posted: August 23 2014 at 13:32 |
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As much as I hate sounding like an ELP fanboy, I don't think most people today understand the popularity of this band in the 1970s. At least it was that way in NY. High school jocks could sing much of Karn Evil #9 and it was a type of party drinking song (1st Impression). Most people who really enjoyed music knew about how wonderful ELP's synths sounded and how great Keith Emerson could play the piano. No matter how much prognoscentis may want to lift up various other bands, as far as being beyond the norm in music, ELP was it. People didn't look at Jethro Tull or Pink Floyd in the same way. I think people just looked at Floyd back then as a more drugged out band, even though that may not have been the case behind the scenes.
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peter parisius
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Posted: August 23 2014 at 14:41 |
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To me, Genesis.
I needn't to explain why, I guess. Since their very first debut 'From Genesis to Revelation' they wrote the best melodies and worked them out in a way no other band could make in those pioniers' days: with fantasy, courage, and remarkable inventive power. We all know that everything run very quick in the 70s but Genesis stayed there like the columns of the Earth, with five-six albums that are the Bible of Symphonic Progressive Rock. At least three of them are among the absolute masterpieces of music (of all times): 'Foxtrot', 'Selling England by the Pound' and 'The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway'. Sure, there were other great groups in the same years: Van der Graaf Generator, King Crimson, Camel, Soft Machine, East Of Eden... you name them and I'll probably affirm that you are right: great, great bands... Gong, Focus... Pink Floyd obviously, and Jethro Tull, and Italian PFM and Banco... and... and... But no band like Genesis. Genesis tried to explore the limits of human sensibility offering not only nice melodies but complicated harmonies too. Cascades of beatiful notes, mainly driven by Tony Banks' keyboards and Steve Hackett's guitar, evoking a world of strange faibles, of everyday's crimes ("The Musical Box", "The Knife"...), and also of social troubles (including riots and injustice like in "Get 'em Out by Friday" and the "Battle of Epping Forest"...), interwaved with sweet, sweet ballads ("More Fool Me", "For Absent Friends", "Harlequin", "Lilywhite Lilith"...).
They are the very essence of prog.
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Tristan
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Posted: August 23 2014 at 14:41 |
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I think Pink Floyd must be considered in this mentioned group
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BrufordFreak
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Posted: August 23 2014 at 15:55 |
Scoppioingola wrote:
The Beatles of prog are The Beatles.
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What he said.
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Drew Fisher
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PrognosticMind
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Posted: August 23 2014 at 16:08 |
Besides the obvious "The Beatles" answer...
...King Crimson, Genesis, Yes...?
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Genital Giant
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Posted: August 23 2014 at 17:27 |
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Genesis. I don't think any Prog band has had as much influence over other Prog bands all the way to present as Genesis. In the 1970's, King Crimson was clearly the big inspirer for the other Proggers, but from the 1980's on, Genesis' influence has been vast.
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Michael678
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Posted: August 23 2014 at 17:31 |
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i am here to also add in Rush to the table.
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Progrockdude
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Saperlipopette!
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Posted: August 23 2014 at 17:33 |
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King Crimson of Pink Floyd the other biggies were nowhere near as influential or forwardthinking.
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BarryGlibb
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Posted: August 23 2014 at 18:23 |
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I'll get shouted down here but PF, Genesis and KC were prog or prog-like from the start. They didn't have the mainstream (pop) following that The Beatles did pre their experimental period. The only band IMHO who had mainstream pop(ularity) and then gambled on a complete change of direction a la The Beatles were Radiohead (I am hearing the shouting now!). So that's it from me....Radiohead.
Edited by BarryGlibb - August 23 2014 at 18:24
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Nogbad_The_Bad
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Posted: August 23 2014 at 19:09 |
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There is no prog equivalent of the Beatles.
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Ian
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Dellinger
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Posted: August 23 2014 at 22:27 |
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As far es legacy is involved, I would think Pink Floyd. As far as at the time... well it's somewhat difficult for me to say, since I wasn't yet born, but I guess King Crimson among the prog bands. For the fans, I guess it would have to be Yes and/or ELP (or Pink Floyd, once again, after they released Dark Side). But ELP may be more like the Led Zeppelin of prog.
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Wanorak
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Posted: August 23 2014 at 23:08 |
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I would say King Crimson as far as influence goes.
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A GREAT YEAR FOR PROG!!!
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npjnpj
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Posted: August 24 2014 at 00:33 |
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Let's look at what The Beatles did: they released Revolver and Rubber Soul and showed how far individual songs could be taken. Then, with Sgt. Pepper, they were the first to present songs of equal or even better quality on an album that was a coherent whole. This was a quantum leap. And on top of that it was vastly popular.
Has anyone else ever released anything with that much impact? Not to my knowledge.
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Svetonio
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Posted: August 24 2014 at 00:34 |
BrufordFreak wrote:
Scoppioingola wrote:
The Beatles of prog are The Beatles.
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What he said. |
I agree.
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rogerthat
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Posted: August 24 2014 at 01:46 |
chopper wrote:
Scoppioingola wrote:
The Beatles of prog are The Beatles.
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That's all I can think of. There isn't really one band who have had the same impact in prog, except a few instances such as the first King Crimson album, The Yes Album, Foxtrot and a few others |
I don't really go along with this completely. While there's no doubt about the impact Beatles had on rock, in terms of shaping the genre in its early days, they were hardly the only band or artist of great significance. Rolling Stones were probably more important from the point of view of popularising rock as a kind of driving, angry music which Beatles seldom were in the pre-Rubber Soul days. Bob Dylan popularised the idea of rock as a vehicle to register protest or at least weigh in on issues of social significance. In terms of the one big bang event that shaped prog in its archetypal 70s form, it would have to be King Crimson and their ITCOTCK album.
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Gerinski
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Posted: August 24 2014 at 03:24 |
It depends on what aspect of The Beatles is the one you consider relevant for the question. Their popularity? their musical innovation? their capacity to evolve musically from a beat hits band to a quasi-psychedelic and even quasi-prog band? their influence on later bands?
In your OP you say it clearly, 'regarding the artist's influence and popularity'. It would have to be between ELP and Yes then, they were the 'rock stars' within Prog at their peak. As influential as KC or Genesis were, they never had that aurea of 'rock stars', I would even put Floyd on top of them if this is the question.
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Xonty
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Posted: August 24 2014 at 04:45 |
Very subjective, but it's either Genesis or Procol Harum for me (depending on how you look at the question). Pink Floyd are also a contender for getting worldwide success with "Dark Side Of The Moon", and King Crimson for their debut too. No progressive bands really compare to The Beatles though (in terms of influence and originality).
Back to Procol Harum, seeing as how they made one of the biggest selling singles with "A Whiter Shade Of Pale", they really must have had some influence on their millions of listeners. Also very innovative, seeing as that single was before "Sgt. Pepper" and they released the first ever real prog-rock epic in my mind (In Held Twas In I), etc. Moody Blues is up there too.
Edited by Xonty - August 24 2014 at 04:46
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Who are "The Beatles" of Prog?