Is Prog fan base getting older and older?

I guess I lower the age average in here a bit with my 24 years.

Since I discovered prog 3 years ago, I have listened almost exclusively to bands associated, one way or another, with this genre. I listen more to bands from the last 20 years or so (favorites include Porcupine Tree, Motorpsycho, The Mars Volta etc.), but I also love many of the more classic prog bands, such as Soft Machine and King Crimson (seeing the latter live in July!).

Lewian wrote: What I like about this whole discussion is that at least still there is influx of young new fans for this music that is almost 50 years old now. When I really started to get into music about 1980 I wouldn't give a toss about anything done between 1930 and 1960, say, perhaps except the odd "modern classic" composer such as Ligeti. I appreciate musicians like Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonius Monk now bit still prog looks much more alive now than whatever one would deem the analogous "thing from the past" in those days except jazz which is still going about as strong as prog or even stronger.

Revisiting what I just wrote, I'm actually curious whether you think jazz does better than prog in rejuvenating its fanbase and keeping up with the times?

How many bands from the 70s are still popular today regardless of genre?
How many of these appeal to young people?
Did the 1970s youth listen to much music from the 1930s?

I think most people fall in love with music from their own generation. Every time I am invited somewhere new I instantly go for the in-house music collection (and books), because it is the easiest way for me to break the ice. Most oftenly I find music that corresponds with the owner's age - again regardless of genres. If there's old school stuff to be found, there is a very good chance we're talking classic rock/pop albums.

Edited by Guldbamsen - February 22 2018 at 10:19

In the begin of eighties I really wasn´t interested a music of my own time, found those plastic sounds of Wham an others really awful. It was the time when I found prog, before that listened 60-70 rock, Beatles, Stones, Hendrix, the Who, Creedence, Lynyrd, Allman etc. Naturally it had something to do about my older brothers who also listened those. But when speedmetal came, I also joined to youthcultur of that day. Also when I got friends from the speedmetal listeners, few of them start to listen older music when I gave them examples what to listen. 

Edited by Mortte - February 22 2018 at 23:00

No

What is remarkable to me is that ANY young fans get into prog from the 1970s! 

cstack3 wrote: What is remarkable to me is that ANY young fans get into prog from the 1970s!  The music is over 40 years old.  When I was in college, listening to CTTE etc., I would have been kicked out of the room had I tried to play music that was 40 years old (1930's vintage).  Some of that was very good (big band jazz, primitive blues etc) but we didn't sit around and listen to it!   I listen for progressive influences in modern music, and there are quite a few if you look hard enough.    However, the modern stage spectacles of twitching, twerking dancers detracts from my enjoyment of the music, if that is even possible!  I quite like acts like Lady GaGa, but the emphasis upon dance is rather annoying to me.   Then again, I'm a guitarist.  No problem at all with bands like Muse, Tool etc., they carry the torch of the 70s.

I think the 70s was simply a special time for rock music (prog or not), whereas in the 30s it just didn't exist. Just like classically trained musicians aren't going to forget about Bach, Mozart or Beethoven anytime soon, I think rock musicians are going to remember the greats from the late 60s and 70s for quite a long time.

I also think things are just slowing down in the world of rock music... like people still hail Tool as one of today's modern prog bands, even though they've been around for a good quarter of a century. I mean, 70s prog bands were considered dinosaurs in the late 70s (not to mention that many of the bands were to release more great albums in half a decade each than Tool ever has). So that 40 year gap means less going from today to the 70s than from the 70s to the 30s.

Guldbamsen wrote:  Old people tend to favour old music just like younger people mostly go for the newer stuff.

Edited by charles_ryder - February 24 2018 at 03:11

maryes wrote: Obviously, most of prog fans nowadays are up 50 years old , but in fact I know lots of new prog fans under 30 years old. I believe which Progressive Music is the Classical Music of 20 century and like as traditional classic music tends to rejuvenates their public.  The quality of composition and musicians is almost a guarantee of this renovation !