Prog Bands Overshadowed By One Song

Rush's Tom Sawyer comes to mind first in the songs category. Hemispheres was always vastly superior to that album in my book, and surprisingly distantly related considering how close their releases were.

The King Crimson and Anglagard examples you listed are also really good. Red and Viljans Oga are utter masterpieces one would miss out on by assuming these groups didn't have any tricks left in their bags.

I'll think on other examples.

Xonty wrote: Hi, can anyone think of some good prog rock bands that have been overshadowed by one of their songs that might turn you off by thinking that you've heard their whole repetoire in one song. For instance: Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade Of Pale  The Moody Blues - Nights In White Satin The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown - Fire Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells The Nice - America Also, are there are the same with albums that I might have missed that I should hear? Some examples anyway: Robert Wyatt - Rock Bottom King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells (again) (Anglagard - Hybris) (Sigur Ros - Agaetis Byrjun)

I've actually never heard Nights in White Satin by the Moody Blues that I know of, but I'm a big fan of "Days of Future Passed" and "In Search of the Lost Chord" Another couple I'd add to the list.

Jethro Tull - Aqualung. Everyone knows this song, but the ensuing albums "Thick as a Brick" and "A Passion Play" are common favorites of Tull fans, and their releases in the later 70's aren't shabby either.
Yes - Owner of a Lonely Heart. Completely different than most of their music, both before and after this release, and liked much less by prog rock fans.
Deep Purple - Smoke on the Water. This is one of those songs that everyone knows without really even knowing that they know it. However, Machine Head is probably Deep Purple's best album, so it's hard to argue here.
Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody. Same as Deep Purple, everyone knows the song, but it is on one of their best albums.



Edited by Metalmarsh89 - November 30 2013 at 13:33

Toaster Mantis wrote: I'm very certain Deep Purple and Yes both had other hit singles. Highway Star and Heart of the Sunrise come to mind just off the top of my head.

Sure, but not by comparison. For Yes, there are plenty of songs more popular than Heart of the Sunrise, but none of them came close to the popularity that Owner of a Lonely Heart did. Deep Purple had plenty of hits too, but Smoke on the Water is THE song they are known for. It's got arguably the most popular, recognized guitar riff of all time.

Focus - Hocus Pocus

iamathousandapples wrote: Focus - Hocus Pocus

Unfortunately. 

chopper wrote: The.Crimson.King wrote: 1)  4) Lucky Man was ELP's highest charting single (I think)  In the UK it was Fanfare For the Common Man (number 2 in 1977).

I think Mike Oldfield is one of the best examples... look at how many times they've made him remake or make a sequel to Tubular Bells.  Everyone has heard the intro of Tubular bells without even knowing who he is.

Beardfish - Sleeping in Traffic.  When the album came out it was the big thing and now people are not as interested in the band and most are of the opinion they've never topped that 33+ min song.

Coheed and Cambria - Welcome Home.  Many people (my friends included) seem to have heard this before since its the only radio play they've had, but they don't know anything else about the band. Also they play it in the encore of every concert without fail

I'd also agree with Yes, Jethro Tull, and Deep Purple at least from a commercial standpoint.  I don't know how it was in the 70's but today they only get one song each on the radio (+Owner of a lonely heart or whaever)


Edited by bloodnarfer - December 04 2013 at 16:24

richardh wrote: chopper wrote: The.Crimson.King wrote: 1)  4) Lucky Man was ELP's highest charting single (I think)  In the UK it was Fanfare For the Common Man (number 2 in 1977).  Indeed. Fanfare was also the only UK hit for ELP as a band although.. Greg Lake also had a no 2 hit with his Xmas record and.. Keith Emerson had a solo hit (No 21 I think) with Honky Tonk Train Blues in the USA ,ELP's biggest hit was From The Beginning (No 39) .

Edited by The.Crimson.King - December 04 2013 at 16:27

Totally forgot those two as well. Thing is with a band that long-running, they end up having like 20 signature songs and getting them all into a live set is not always easy...

Aussie-Byrd-Brother wrote: I would have thought Kansas would be an immediate choice for this thread, with both `Carry On Wayward Son' and `Dust In The Wind' being the two singles that get all the attention. It's a shame if casual listeners dismiss them because of these two, as pretty much their first five albums at least are all mostly superb!

True. I really like those first 5.  Also I think for being hits, those songs are both pretty good.  I'm just so glad "It takes a woman's love to make a man" never took off.  That would have been terrible.