Prog hits from the past 40 years - Progressive Rock Music Forum

Tull's "Farm on the Freeway" got a ton of airplay back in 1987.

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The biggest hit from the 80s that I can think of at the moment, a song that I still hear even to this day, is "Owner of a Lonely Heart".

No, I know how to behave in the restaurant now, I don't tear at the meat with my hands. If I've become a man of the world somehow, that's not necessarily to say I'm a worldly man.

Originally posted by I prophesy disaster

I prophesy disaster wrote:

The biggest hit from the 80s that I can think of at the moment, a song that I still hear even to this day, is "Owner of a Lonely Heart".

Not exactly prog, though, is it? Wink

That reminds me - Mama and Abacab.

Mr Crimson Flower King - apparently the Pot was a number five in the US, correct me if I'm wrong.

"Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence" - Robert Fripp
"I am an anti-Christ" - Johnny Rotten

Not sure if a hit, but it did get some MTV play.

Most of these are from the 80s. What about the 90s and beyond? I stopped paying attention to the charts around '95, so I can't say. There may have been a Prog revival in the 90s but there were apparently little to no hits.

The world of sound is certainly capable of infinite variety and, were our sense developed, of infinite extensions. -- George Santayana, "The Sense of Beauty"

I remember hearing Porcupine Tree's Piano Lessons on the radio once, but it didn't chart in the U.S. I think they have several songs that charted in the U.K., but not in the top 40.

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Progosopher wrote:

Most of these are from the 80s. What about the 90s and beyond? I stopped paying attention to the charts around '95, so I can't say. There may have been a Prog revival in the 90s but there were apparently little to no hits.

There was prog revival in the 90s, but it just did not get to mainstream. For instance, Marillion, Pendragon, IQ and some other neoprog acts matured beautifully, progressive metal boomed, Porcupine Tree started, also Spock's Beard, The Flower Kings, Ayreon, to name the few.

I think it was a matter of choice of major labels to pursue other genres, more accessible, like rap, latin stars, more accessible rock stars like Maiden or Metallica, nu metal. I can imagine Transatlantic's "We All Need Some Light" or Dream Theater's "Through Her Eyes" getting more radio space and being hummed by people on the streets like Adele or Ed Sheeran or Lana Del Rey. They are equally great, catchy tunes. But lacked promotion.

It also has its better side: artistic freedom. If Transatlantic wanted to put 30 minutes long song on an album, they just did it. And there was no major producer asking: how to promote it.

And somehow good prog found its audience, thanks to the sites like ProgArchives. There were acts, whose tickets were not so easy to obtain. And so what, if Neal Morse or Andy Tillison are not putting absurd demands in their riders, not buying islands or jet planes? Good prog does not need such things.

yet you still have time!

Progosopher wrote:

Most of these are from the 80s. What about the 90s and beyond? I stopped paying attention to the charts around '95, so I can't say. There may have been a Prog revival in the 90s but there were apparently little to no hits.

There was a minor prog revival in the 90's. Other than Dream Theater I don't believe there were any real bonafide prog hits in that decade though.

Radiohead - Paranoid Android (top 5 in the UK)

Muse - several hits although mostly from the poppier side of their catalogue

Mansun - Wide Open Space

Kate Bush - King of The Mountain

Boboulo: The occasional use of images are alright, like with posting videos generally, but don't make it a habit in most peoples threads or in many of your posts. Also it is often better just to edit one post and add to it as other albums come to mind (make a typed list). Lots of posts with pics doesn't really add anything much of value to discussion and can get in the way of in-depth conversation. Also, for some it makes page load difficult and some have limited data. It comes across as very spammy. Also double-posting and triple-posting is commonly frowned upon at internet forums. People have mentioned this, but you don't seem to care. Be sparing or action will be required.

Edited by Logan - September 27 2020 at 05:19

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