Edit: I can tell that by "the most archetypal classic Progressive Rock", I mean that which is the most stylistically typical, or representative and most defining for the classic Progressive Rock in the 1970s.

David_D wrote: You can vote for all of these bands you want, .........

The present result is:

Yes - 2

Genesis - 2

ELP - 1

King Crimson - 1

Jethro Tull - 0

Pink Floyd - 0

as voted by David_D and Valdez

Discussion is of course very welcomed, but especially of "The Big Six".

King Crimson

Yes

King Crimson

Then it says:

Yes - 5

Genesis - 3

ELP - 2

Jethro Tull - 1

Pink Floyd - 0

as voted by David_D, Valdez, felonafan, Logan and The Dark Elf

I think that Yes and Genesis are on the podium.

Pink Floyd came from psychedelia, they were prog only in passing, they are much more than prog.

Jethro tull before Thick As a Brick were mainly folkblues, they too were prog in passing.

Now that leaves EL&P and King Crimson.

Both can aspire to the podium, as importance for prog. EL&P came from Nice, from adapting classical music to rock, and they were very successful. 

King Crimson have never adapted classical music to rock, they come partly from psychedelia, partly from the avant-garde, partly from melodic romantic rock and, from their second album onwards, partly from jazz.

In short, King Crimson are much more experimental than EL&P. And they kick-started Prog with their first album. They went through various musical phases, often changing their sound, whereas EL&P always remained the same. KC are definitely more difficult than El&P. But like Pink Floyd they are admired far beyond prog.

However, both choices seem legitimate to me. 

I choose King Crimson, because in my opinion without them, prog would be lost far more than it is with EL&P.

-King Crimson

- Yes

- Genesis

Genesis (PG and SH era only of course)

King Crimson

ELP were too far off on the extreme end. They represent prog at it's most excessive but not most typical imo. I still like them but that's beside the point.

So by now:

Yes - 7

Genesis - 5

ELP - 3

Jethro Tull - 1

Pink Floyd - 0

as voted by David_D, Valdez, felonafan, Logan, The Dark Elf, Easy Money, jamesbaldwin and AFlowerKingCrimson

Very nice with your thorough reasoning and explanation. One can vote for up to all 6 bands, so you can vote for ELP too, if you want to.

 

Genesis for Crossover (best example A Trick Of The Tail)

ELP for Eclectric (best example Brain Salad Surgery)

King Crimson for Experimental (best example Larks Tongues In Aspic)

Pink Floyd for Psyche (best example Wish You Were Here)

Jethro Tull for Heavy Prog (best example Aqualung)

ELP are by far the most misunderstood band of the classic era. They rarely get enough credit. BSS was an insane album that took us on a rollercoaster of a ride through English poetry, hymn, progressive electronica, classic English ballad, English music hall, Symphonic and Avant jazz. They had no boundaries and were exactly what prog was meant to be. Ultimately they relied too much on the creativity of one guy and he was drained by 1974.

However they all are the archetypal bands of prog and represent all the major strands of prog. (IMO)

This update says:

Yes - 9

Genesis - 7

ELP - 4

Jethro Tull - 2

Pink Floyd - 1

as voted by David_D, Valdez, felonafan, Logan, The Dark Elf, Easy Money, jamesbaldwin, AFlowerKingCrimson, mathman0806 and richardh

2. Yes

3. ELP

Curiously enough how differently people can think because those characteristics of KC are exactly one of the reasons for why I don't find them to be one of the most archetypal bands of classic Progressive Rock. - That is except from "...they kick-started Prog with their first album", but that because it itself is probably not any sufficiently legitimate reason to me anyway, but that also depending on what you exactly mean with it. 

I'd like to nominate the Soft Machine from 1967 as the archetypical progressive rock band no. 1.

Well, you'll get the chance to vote for The Soft Machine in the part two thread, I've planned about this topic and which will include TSM, while I can also already tell that I'm sorry but to me, they're definitely not some of the most archetypal classic Progressive Rock.

Now it looks like:

Yes - 10

Genesis - 7

ELP - 5

Jethro Tull - 2

Pink Floyd - 1

as voted by David_D, Valdez, felonafan, Logan, The Dark Elf, Easy Money, jamesbaldwin, AFlowerKingCrimson, mathman0806, richardh, Psychedelic Paul and Saperlipopette!

I can tell that by "most archetypal classic Progressive Rock", I mean that which is most typical or most defining for the classic Progressive Rock.

^ Floydoid, is this just meant as your personal reflection, or supposed to be a precise answer to my OP question and included in the voting? Because if the latter, I have to interpret it. 

Thank you very much for all the answers so far. 

ELP

King Crimson

That's splendid. Do remember The Nice, Family, and Van der Graaf Generator as well, because they were also the original movement's archetypical progressive rock bands.

David_D wrote: while I can also already tell that I'm sorry but to me, they're definitely not some of the most archetypal classic Progressive Rock.

Indeed, in the 1970s they transitioned to jazz-rock/fusion; however, the Soft Machine from the late 1960s are undoubtedly one of the archetypal representatives of the progressive rock movement.

Starshiper wrote: David_D wrote: Starshiper wrote: I'd like to nominate the Soft Machine from 1967 as the archetypical progressive rock band no. 1. Well, you'll get the chance to vote for The Soft Machine in the part two thread, I've planned about this topic and which will include TSM That's splendid. Do remember The Nice, Family, and Van der Graaf Generator as well, because they were also the original movement's archetypical progressive rock bands.

Hrychu wrote: I.P. Disaster wrote: I few years ago, I was asked by a work colleague what is progressive rock. I decided to answer this question with an example. After a considerable amount of thought about possibilities, I decided that the classic period prog groups were too original sounding for any to be considered definitive, so I eventually chose the retro-prog album Wobbler - From Silence to Somewhere. There are a lot of super cliché genre-demonstrating and archetypical 70's prog bands. Just, not in the "first wave" UK zone (with the exception of Refugee). For example Quill (US), Ethos (US), Kaipa (Sweden), Pollen (Canada) et al.

Nah. When it comes to the U.S. bands, it could be only Utopia.

At this point of time, in the question of the most archetypal classic Progressive Rock, the voting says:

Yes - 11

Genesis - 7

ELP - 6

Jethro Tull - 2

Pink Floyd - 1

as voted by David_D, Valdez, felonafan, Logan, The Dark Elf, Easy Money, jamesbaldwin, AFlowerKingCrimson, mathman0806, richardh, Psychedelic Paul, Saperlipopette! and omphaloskepsis

I like DFD but not so much Dear Hunter or Thank You Scientist. I'm not convinced any of those are like VDGG though.

On the definition then I suppose you are correct. However does it mean the style has to stay the same? VDGG doesn't change but King Crimson were almost a reinvention for every album which for some may the defintion of progressive rock. Genesis and Yes (and VDGG) just do the same thing (brilliantly) for every album so what does that say. I'm confused about the point of the thread tbh. Is it just about what is 'progressive' or what bands influence can be strongly heard in modern day prog? The latter is what I took it to be but then I may just be confused.

Well, I can't say it better than my question is which of "The Big Six" do you find to be the most archetypal of the classic Progressive Rock, and by now I've defined "archetypal" as:

I can also tell that my main point with this thread is to get some more understanding of how people think about the most typical or most representative classic Progressive Rock in terms of bands, and maybe discuss that matter.

This update says:

Yes - 12

Genesis - 8

ELP - 6

Jethro Tull - 2

Pink Floyd - 2

as voted by David_D, Valdez, felonafan, Logan, The Dark Elf, Easy Money, jamesbaldwin, AFlowerKingCrimson, mathman0806, richardh, Psychedelic Paul, Saperlipopette!, omphaloskepsis, kennethlevine and Deadwing

That's a fine definition with me as well.

so I'm getting it right. It's not about originality it's about what is typically heard in progressive rock. In that case I would rank as follows:

1. Genesis (a whole sub genre follows them!)

2. Yes (Norwegian bands!)

3. Pink Floyd (guitar lead bands with a wah peddle)

4. Jethro Tull (heavier bands)

5. ELP (RPI perhaps)

6. King Crimson (could say Heavier prog bands same as Tull but actually their influence extends well beyond prog. I think their attitude and approach is not seen that much in modern prog)

Marillion

IQ

Pendragon

Mystery 

Pallas

Drifting Sun

Collage

Magenta

Galahad

Airbag

Believe

Arena

Barock Project

Silhouette

Edison's Children

Karfagen

Modern-Rock Ensemble

Tiger Moth Tales

Solstice

Quidam

The Psychedelic Ensemble

Lifesigns

Comedy of Errors

Sylvan

Then it looks like:

Yes - 12

Genesis - 9

ELP - 6

Jethro Tull - 2

Pink Floyd - 2

as voted by David_D, Valdez, felonafan, Logan, The Dark Elf, Easy Money, jamesbaldwin, AFlowerKingCrimson, mathman0806, richardh, Psychedelic Paul, Saperlipopette!, omphaloskepsis, kennethlevine, Deadwing, Lewian and frankbostick