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Most popular prog bands among prog fans |
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AFlowerKingCrimson 
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 Topic: Most popular prog bands among prog fansPosted: May 10 2021 at 20:18 |
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What I mean is these are the most popular prog rock bands among prog fans not pop fans.
Classic era: 1. King Crimson 2. Genesis (PG/ SH era only) 3. Yes 4. Camel 5. Gentle Giant ( I had Pink Floyd here but there's too many non prog fans into them) Middle period: 1. Marillion 2. IQ 3. The Flower Kings 4. Spock's Beard 5. Pendragon Recent years (I only came up with three so far) In no order: 1. Wobbler 2. Big Big Train 3. Riverside For the last two categories Porcupine Tree, Tool, Radiohead and the Mars Volta, etc are out because their following is too big outside of prog circles. I wanted the biggest bands among the real prog fans not music fans in general.
Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - May 10 2021 at 20:19 |
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Dellinger
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Posted: May 10 2021 at 20:52 |
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I think for the 70's period it is mostly the usual big 6, plus perhaps those you added (Camel and Gentle Giant), and I guess Van Der Graaf Generator. And you are definitley missing Rush too. Then, I think you are missing a Prog Metal category, since it's been very important since the 90's (I would say it peaked in the first half of the 00's). In which case you would be missing Dream Theater and Opeth at the very least (you already listed Riverside), perhaps also Ayreon, Pain of Salvation, and Haken. And you might think to leave Porcupine Tree out because of how big they might be out of the prog circles, but they were still huge within prog circles too, so I guess they should be considered on this list... as well as Steven Wilson solo, for that matter (and I guess bands like Pink Floyd, Rush, and Dream Theater might be in for the same dilemma, being really popular outside of prog circles, but also within).
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AFlowerKingCrimson
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Posted: May 10 2021 at 21:16 |
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Thanks for your input. I was trying to compile a more purist kind of prog list hence my reasoning for not including Pink Floyd, Rush and Porcupine Tree. I know maybe that's a bit hypocritical considering I included Yes and Genesis but in my opinion most people who like Yes are either older fans from the early days or hardcore prog fans. Most younger music fans seem to have no clue about Yes unlike PT, Rush or PF (or at least not hardly at all compared to those bands). As for Genesis the PG era Genesis fans tend to be like the hardcore Yes fans in some ways. You typically won't hear PG era Genesis on the radio and mostly just hear the "hits" by Yes these days if you hear them at all.
As for prog metal imo that should be a separate category and a separate thread. Feel free to start one if you want but it's not my area of specialty so I didn't include it. Also, most of the prog metal bands you mentioned are too popular and so would not really qualify anyway(imo). Also, this isn't a blog so anyone can share their own lists.
Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - May 10 2021 at 21:58 |
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Frenetic Zetetic
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Posted: May 10 2021 at 23:24 |
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Sounds like you're trying to start another 20+ page drama thread, OP!
 
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"I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021 |
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AFlowerKingCrimson
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Posted: May 10 2021 at 23:53 |
Another? Sorry dude, that's not my m.o. Never has been and never will be.
Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - May 11 2021 at 00:19 |
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geekfreak
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Posted: May 11 2021 at 00:00 |
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I’ll think about this then. I’ll be back
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Friedrich Nietzsche: "Without music, life would be a mistake."
Music Is Live Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. Keep Calm And Listen To The Music… < |
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A Crimson Mellotron
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Posted: May 11 2021 at 00:34 |
As for this 'mid period' (I am not sure which years exactly you use the term for), I would add Porcupine Tree, Pain of Salvation, Opeth, Dream Theater and maybe Anekdoten (I got it that you did not include the heavier bands). And finally, you got to have Steven Wilson, The Tangent and The Pineapple Thief in the recent years section. That is more or less my take on it.
Edited by A Crimson Mellotron - May 11 2021 at 00:35 |
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Cambus741
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Posted: May 11 2021 at 04:04 |
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I'd have thought Mostly Autumn and Porcupine Tree would be the most popular of the last 20 years. Or has Mostly Autumm's following waned since Heather Findlay's departure?
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Grumpyprogfan
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Posted: May 11 2021 at 06:13 |
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Curious as to what your criteria is to be popular? Album sales, airplay, geographic location, number of reviews on PA, longevity? I'm a prog fan and would never consider Camel popular. I would substitute Kansas in their place. I would also say Jethro Tull was more popular than Gentle Giant. Never heard Giant on the radio in the 70's, but Tull was played a lot.
If it is the ability to attract fans and sell enough tickets to play at stadiums, the only three that come to mind, later in their careers, are Rush, Genesis, and Pink Floyd.
Edited by Grumpyprogfan - May 11 2021 at 06:46 |
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Psychedelic Paul
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Posted: May 11 2021 at 07:00 |
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From your list, I choose Camel from the classic era, IQ from the middle period, but no idea on the recent era
 although if I could choose an artist that's not listed, then it would be Mostly Autumn easily. Edited by Psychedelic Paul - May 11 2021 at 07:02 |
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Psychedelic Paul
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Posted: May 11 2021 at 07:04 |
No, I think Mostly Autumn are better than ever before with Olivia Sparnenn on lead vocals.
 Edited by Psychedelic Paul - May 11 2021 at 07:50 |
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AFlowerKingCrimson
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Posted: May 11 2021 at 07:22 |
That's a good question. For me I would say those that are talked about and praised a lot in prog forums and online in general. Not those discussed in general music forums but just by people who are big prog fans. Number of reviews and ratings could be a factor. I admit it's a bit arbitrary and not everyone will agree. JT was popular but they had a lot of mainstream popularity that GG didn't have. As for Camel they are very popular in prog circles.
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Nogbad_The_Bad
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Posted: May 11 2021 at 07:55 |
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I can understand Jethro Tull not being in there as their broad appeal was more blues rock / folk than proggy prog. I'd have to say ELP with their over the top pyrotechnic symphonic bombast are a must add to that list ahead of GG.
Surely Anglagard must be in that later period, possibly Discipline & echolyn? How about Magma in the middle period? They'd be the most edgy band on the list by a mile. It's an awfully vanilla set of bands after the classic period, I guess your criteria of excluding bands with broad appeal while the niche bands are also not popular enough leaves you with neo & crossover.
Edited by Nogbad_The_Bad - May 11 2021 at 07:56 |
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Ian
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AFlowerKingCrimson
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Posted: May 11 2021 at 08:00 |
Magma were around in the 70's though (first album was in 70) so I'm not sure I would put them in the middle category.
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AFlowerKingCrimson
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Posted: May 11 2021 at 08:04 |
The point of this thread was to showcase those bands that are popular within the prog genre and not bands who have tons of fans outside the prog fanbase(ie PF, Rush, later Genesis, etc). In other words those bands that mostly only prog fans know about. There are a few minor exceptions maybe but I didn't want to include Rush or Pink Floyd for that reason and the same thing with a band like Tool. Dream Theater is borderline but they have many metal fans that aren't prog fans so they got left out. The same thing with Porcupine Tree (although they have a lot of non prog fans who aren't necessarily metal fans too probably). As for ELP I don't th ink they are respected enough among prog fans. There has been a big backlash it seems over the past several years and imo GG are probably more respected (and thus more popular)imo.
Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - May 11 2021 at 08:04 |
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Nogbad_The_Bad
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Posted: May 11 2021 at 08:17 |
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Ok so you are looking for current prog fan perspectives rather than how bands were perceived by prog fans back in the day? If that is the case I'd certainly agree that ELP's fandom has declined with hindsight while GG's has risen.
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Ian
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A Crimson Mellotron
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Posted: May 11 2021 at 08:39 |
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Rick1
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Posted: May 11 2021 at 08:47 |
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In terms of albums shifted it has to be ELP, Yes and Floyd plus later Genesis. These bands transcended prog audiences.
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AFlowerKingCrimson
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Posted: May 11 2021 at 09:36 |
Yes, because prog was more of a part of the mainstream than it is today so it would be more difficult to say what was popular among prog fans back then imo. Today more people identify as prog fans while back then I think the labels weren't as important. I could be a bit off about that but that's how I see it. So yes, the perspective of today's prog fan is more what I had in mind.
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Rick1
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Posted: May 11 2021 at 09:42 |
OK, it was a while ago but ELP's last ever gig in London drew 30,000 fans - I can't imagine GG getting anywhere near - maybe 2 - 3,000 max - Hammersmith maybe.
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Frenetic Zetetic wrote: