Forum Home Forum Home > Other music related lounges > Proto-Prog and Prog-Related Lounge
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Do people hated Styx in the 70s?
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Do people hated Styx in the 70s?

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  12>
Author
Message
yogev View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: February 09 2021
Location: Israel
Status: Offline
Points: 396
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote yogev Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Do people hated Styx in the 70s?
    Posted: July 17 2022 at 05:40
I just watched an episode of that 70s show and one of the characters (eric forman) wanted to go to a Styx concert. Throughout the episode people laugh at him for loving Styx, like listening to them is an embarrassing thing to do.  
Yeah they were't the best band that played that kind of music in the united states around that time, and yeah they're may be a bit cheesy sometimes, but they're still pretty great, so I wonder if there were actually some sort of a gag around them?
Back to Top
Grumpyprogfan View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: July 09 2019
Location: Kansas City
Status: Offline
Points: 11592
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Grumpyprogfan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 17 2022 at 05:52
No gag that I'm aware of. I never was enthusiastic about Styx. As you said, cheesy AOR. REO Speedwagon was another similar band.
Back to Top
Psychedelic Paul View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: September 16 2019
Location: Nottingham, U.K
Status: Online
Points: 40070
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 17 2022 at 06:50
I can't remember who or what it was that first Put Me On to the music of Styx, but I'm O.K. with them. Styx may not be the Best Thing that's ever happened to prog, but a Styx album A Day is perfectly fine for A Man Like Me. I only have two Styx albums in my CD collection - Babe: The Collection and Paradise Theater -  but one day, when I have Too Much Time on My Hands, I may decide it's High Time I gave all of their albums a listen. After all, there's a First Time for everything and I'll Never Say Never again. The melodic Pomp Rock of Styx certainly beats getting Heavy Metal Poisoning from the likes of Megadeath and Metallica, so the answer to your question is an emphatic "No", I don't know anyone who hates Styx or considers it embarrassing to like them. On the other hand though, if Styx doesn't exactly Light Up your life, you can always appreciate the fabulous artwork on their colourful album covers with their name up in Lights above the Paradise Theater.  Smile




Edited by Psychedelic Paul - July 17 2022 at 06:53
Back to Top
Sean Trane View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator

Prog Folk

Joined: April 29 2004
Location: Heart of Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 20240
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sean Trane Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 17 2022 at 07:23
Originally posted by Grumpyprogfan Grumpyprogfan wrote:

No gag that I'm aware of. I never was enthusiastic about Styx. As you said, cheesy AOR. REO Speedwagon was another similar band.


From Toronto & Montreal's perspective during the 70's, Styx was no laughing matter and thought of +/- cool (at least the albums Equinox, Crystal, Illusion and Pieces).
Things started souring once Cornerstone and the song Babe hit the airwave, and most males (roughly 75% of the concert audience) started reneging them.  Paradise Theatre made things worse (concept albums had became ridiculous after The Wall) and KilljoyLOL made them the laughing stock (Mr LobottoLOL)
Sooo if Styx became the butt of jokes, it was mostly because of the 80's... Which tends to show that the writer of That 70's Show probably didn't really live through the decade.

REO was unknown to the wider public before they struck the charts with their album High Infidelity
Ditto for Journey: they were relatively cool until they were forced to hire their Censoredsinger or lose the contract they'd signed with Columbia/CBS in 73.
let's just stay above the moral melee
prefer the sink to the gutter
keep our sand-castle virtues
content to be a doer
as well as a thinker,
prefer lifting our pen
rather than un-sheath our sword
Back to Top
JD View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: February 07 2009
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 18446
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JD Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 17 2022 at 08:43
I think the vocals had a lot to do with the impression of 'cheesy'.

But tunes like this get gravely overlooked when the proginess is questioned.


Thank you for supporting independently produced music
Back to Top
Heart of the Matter View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: September 01 2020
Location: Argentina
Status: Offline
Points: 3116
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Heart of the Matter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 17 2022 at 08:58
I used to listen to Sing For The Day on the radio in those days, and it was a good moment for me. Journeys' Wheel In The Sky was also good, but REO Speedwagon not so much.
Back to Top
Grumpyprogfan View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: July 09 2019
Location: Kansas City
Status: Offline
Points: 11592
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Grumpyprogfan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 17 2022 at 09:18
Styx, REO Speedwagon, and Loverboy are currently touring the States together.

If memory serves, Styx and REO toured together a lot in the 70's. Was called "Summer Jam" in my neck of the woods. All day festival at stadiums - several bands would play.
Back to Top
Psychedelic Paul View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: September 16 2019
Location: Nottingham, U.K
Status: Online
Points: 40070
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 17 2022 at 09:54
Originally posted by Grumpyprogfan Grumpyprogfan wrote:

Styx, REO Speedwagon, and Loverboy are currently touring the States together.

If memory serves, Styx and REO toured together a lot in the 70's. Was called "Summer Jam" in my neck of the woods. All day festival at stadiums - several bands would play.

The only song I remember by REO Speedwagon is "Take It on the Run", which was played endlessly on the radio back in the early 1980's. It's a nice song and a nice video too, unlike the Lufthansa Terminal song below, which is a Nice Video, Shame About the Song. Smile 

Back to Top
Logan View Drop Down
Forum & Site Admin Group
Forum & Site Admin Group
Avatar
Site Admin

Joined: April 05 2006
Location: Vancouver, BC
Status: Offline
Points: 35795
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Logan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 17 2022 at 11:13
Originally posted by yogev yogev wrote:

I just watched an episode of that 70s show and one of the characters (eric forman) wanted to go to a Styx concert. Throughout the episode people laugh at him for loving Styx, like listening to them is an embarrassing thing to do....


I don't know, but it was another Eric (Eric Cartman) from another show that made me willing to come sail away with Styx.

Back to Top
nick_h_nz View Drop Down
Collaborator
Collaborator
Avatar
Prog Metal / Heavy Prog Team

Joined: March 01 2013
Location: Suffolk, UK
Status: Offline
Points: 6737
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote nick_h_nz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 17 2022 at 11:35
^ I had never even heard of Styx, until that South Park episode.
I’m not sure their music ever made it to NZ, and if it did, it definitely did not feature on the radio stations down my way. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Back to Top
The Dark Elf View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar
VIP Member

Joined: February 01 2011
Location: Michigan
Status: Offline
Points: 13055
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote The Dark Elf Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 17 2022 at 11:58
Meh. They were not on my playlist in high school. Never bought an album, as I heard more than enough on the radio. They were a vacantly bland AOR band. There were simply too many great and innovative bands at the time to waste time listening to Styx.
...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined
to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology...
Back to Top
dr wu23 View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: August 22 2010
Location: Indiana
Status: Offline
Points: 20623
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dr wu23 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 17 2022 at 15:30
Originally posted by JD JD wrote:

I think the vocals had a lot to do with the impression of 'cheesy'.

But tunes like this get gravely overlooked when the proginess is questioned.



I was going to say... a pretty good imitation of early Kansas ,but that was recorded a year before Kansas first ,lp
Shocked
Any way they did some solid tracks on the earlier lps up through Pieces of 8.

One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin
Back to Top
mathman0806 View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: June 06 2014
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 6408
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mathman0806 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 17 2022 at 15:48
From my perspective, 79 to 82, as middle school-aged, D&D playing needs, Styx had some appeal with their pseudo-fantasy. Allegorical lyric and semi-prog approach to music, but would definitely not be 'cool' with the older hard rocking teens. That puts it past That 70s Show time period but maybe there was some of that. Styx was kind of weak in the "rock" spectrum. In particular, once the insipid "Babe" came out and then there was the shark-jumping Mr. Roboto. I would think the writer had that hindsight inind ad Sean Trane mentioned.
Back to Top
BrufordFreak View Drop Down
Collaborator
Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: January 25 2008
Location: Wisconsin
Status: Offline
Points: 8191
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BrufordFreak Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 17 2022 at 17:42
NO! We LOVED Styx in the 1970s! Their concerts were often in the big stadiums with the likes of Boston, Foreigner, and REO Speedwagon! They were BIG, and they were popular (in the American Midwest).

Drew Fisher
https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/
Back to Top
Sean Trane View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator

Prog Folk

Joined: April 29 2004
Location: Heart of Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 20240
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sean Trane Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 18 2022 at 02:52
Originally posted by BrufordFreak BrufordFreak wrote:

NO! We LOVED Styx in the 1970s! Their concerts were often in the big stadiums with the likes of Boston, Foreigner, and REO Speedwagon! They were BIG, and they were popular (in the American Midwest).



I don't know about stadiums in Canada (even in the Midwest), but at least filled hockey arenas for sure. (Saw them for the Po8 tour - Toronto's MLG if memory serves).

But because of their catastrophic cheesy 80's and MTV things, I won't openly admit to "loving" them until I cited some 200 acts beforehand.

I'd say that I wouldn't listen to an album of theirs (even the classic ones) or even a track (unless on the radio) for the rest of my life and I voluntary missed the "recent" European tours with Kansas.
let's just stay above the moral melee
prefer the sink to the gutter
keep our sand-castle virtues
content to be a doer
as well as a thinker,
prefer lifting our pen
rather than un-sheath our sword
Back to Top
Blacksword View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: June 22 2004
Location: England
Status: Offline
Points: 16130
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Blacksword Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 18 2022 at 05:52
I'm no authority on Styx, but The Grand Illusion is a very good album.
Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy!
Back to Top
Jared View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: May 06 2005
Location: Hereford, UK
Status: Offline
Points: 19260
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jared Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 18 2022 at 05:57
Originally posted by Blacksword Blacksword wrote:

I'm no authority on Styx, but The Grand Illusion is a very good album.

Yes, The Grand Illusion and Pieces Of Eight were about as good as it got, before Cornerstone compromised their artistic integrity...
Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson
Back to Top
Steve Wyzard View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: March 30 2017
Location: California
Status: Offline
Points: 2579
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Steve Wyzard Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 18 2022 at 13:32
Pre-Grand Illusion: an occasional good song.
The Grand Illusion: masterpiece!
Pieces of Eight: masterpiece!
Cornerstone: "Babe" isn't the problem - "First Time" is!
Paradise Theater: not bad, not great, just all right.
Kilroy was Here: only Tommy Shaw's songs are worth hearing.
Post-Kilroy was Here/Pre-The Mission: don't bother.
The Mission: masterpiece!
Back to Top
mellotronwave View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: January 30 2021
Location: Belgium
Status: Offline
Points: 10019
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mellotronwave Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 18 2022 at 16:36
Originally posted by Jared Jared wrote:

Originally posted by Blacksword Blacksword wrote:

I'm no authority on Styx, but The Grand Illusion is a very good album.


Yes, The Grand Illusion and Pieces Of Eight were about as good as it got, before Cornerstone compromised their artistic integrity...


I agree
Back to Top
Trickster F. View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: February 10 2006
Location: Belize
Status: Offline
Points: 5308
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Trickster F. Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 18 2022 at 21:22
Found the video the OP mentioned:
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6e21bb

The comments at the end really illustrate the points Sean Trane and others in the topic made. LOL
sig
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  12>

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down



This page was generated in 0.135 seconds.
Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.