Which Prog Band Made The Best Pop?
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Topic: Which Prog Band Made The Best Pop?
Posted By: Textbook
Subject: Which Prog Band Made The Best Pop?
Date Posted: October 31 2011 at 01:28
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I'm not asking "most successful" as that's probably quite uncontroversially Genesis, unless we include proto-proggers partly from the pop world in the first place like The Beatles, The Who, Deep Purple etc
While many prog bands had a go at pop and some got a hit single or two, only Genesis really seemed to really crack it. But regardless of chart success, which prog acts pop attempts do you personally enjoy the most. For me it's Rush. Even in their most progressive years, there were always tracks like Something For Nothing, Closer To The Heart, Circumstances, Entre Nous, Freewill, Limelight etc around which managed to sound ready for the radio (though many of them weren't even singles) without being stupid or predictable. Perhaps because they were younger than a lot of their prog peers, they found the shift to pop rock and synths a lot more natural, and Peart's refusal to write dumb lyrics helped too. |
Replies:
Posted By: dreadpirateroberts
Date Posted: October 31 2011 at 01:50
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Mr Bungle on their California album gets a mention from me. It's got some superb pop on it.
------------- We are men of action. Lies do not become us. http://www.jazzmusicarchives.com/" rel="nofollow - JazzMusicArchives. |
Posted By: JS19
Date Posted: October 31 2011 at 02:27
| Dredg, if you count them as Prog. The Pariah, The Parrot and the Delusion and Catch Without Arms are stellar examples of complex pop rock. |
Posted By: Atoms
Date Posted: October 31 2011 at 02:30
| Jethro Tull |
Posted By: irrelevant
Date Posted: October 31 2011 at 02:37
This. Oh and Cheer-Accident have created some of the best pop I've ever heard. ------------- https://gabebuller.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow - New album! http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=7385" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=7385 |
dreadpirateroberts wrote:Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: October 31 2011 at 02:39
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Its hard to know what to define as 'pop'. For instance ELP -Lucky Man has acheived a lot of airplay on radio and I believe was released as a single in the USA although not in Europe. This also happened with From The Beginning. They also has a massive worldwide hit with Fanfare For The Common Man. Pop music??! I'm not sure but what is the definition?
If the question was which prog band made the best pop music between 1970 and 1977 then I would go for ELP. Post 1977 then Genesis.
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Posted By: Aussie-Byrd-Brother
Date Posted: October 31 2011 at 02:41
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Do you mean full blown prog acts that make pop music (In which case, I would say some of the Porcupine Tree tracks like `The Sound Of Muzak', `Trains', `Lazarus' are first rate `pop' tracks, if someone like Coldplay released them they would make millions)?
Or do you mean `pop' bands like Tear For Fears, Mansun, etc who had prog-elements in their accessible music? :) |
Posted By: Textbook
Date Posted: October 31 2011 at 02:59
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I suppose I mean full-blown prog acts that tried their hand at pop.
Mansun a pop band? We haven't heard Six, have we? |
Posted By: Aussie-Byrd-Brother
Date Posted: October 31 2011 at 03:29
Oh, `Six' is one of my favourite albums!!!! 
I especially tracked down a vinyl copy because of that cover!!! I actually loved all of their albums, thought they were a great band! Terrific lead guitarist too. I used to have a Mansun t-shirt, but it regrettably feautured a photo of the band and it looked kind of like a `boy group' t-shirt, not cool! 
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Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: October 31 2011 at 03:38
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Yes for me, for the songs on 90125 and because of "Rhythm Of Love" and "Love Will Find A Way" on Big Generator and "The Calling" on Talk. But then again, in those days, they weren't a real prog band anymore. It seems that most classic prog bands were able to write at least some sing-along-songs, like ELP with "Lucky Man", Genesis with "I Know What I Like" and Yes with "Roundabout", although... even there one could argue if they were really pop songs or just prog songs which are easy to digest. Further on: I find it fascinating that with the CD re-issues of a lot of Italian progbands of the 1970's, often one or two pop song are included as bonus tracks, quite different in sound from the progressive music on the album, but nevertheless often quite good. |
Posted By: harmonium.ro
Date Posted: October 31 2011 at 08:37
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I haven't heard much pop from the 70s bands and I can't say I want to explore more. But I like Big Generator a lot, it's a four stars album for me (90125 much less so). The band Kumm turned alternative, and their alternative rock (recently going in an indie-pop direction) albums are some of my favourite from the genre. Sigur Ros' last album is great. And Jonsi solo took that kind of stuff even further into indie-pop territory (and did it very well). |
Posted By: presdoug
Date Posted: October 31 2011 at 11:33
| ELP |
Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: October 31 2011 at 12:48
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Marillion have made some excellent pop songs and albums throughout their career.
------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005 
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Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: October 31 2011 at 12:55
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Yes. Their single "Roundabout" was a huge radio hit in Chicago, and helped to propel the band to their place in history. "America" was another substantial hit for Yes. I won't even touch the 90125 stuff!! Flash also did well with "Small Beginnings," which charted. Back in that era (1971-2), the AM radio was full of prog hits by Focus ("Hocus Pocus"), ELP ("From the Beginning") and a few others. Sadly, Fripp never found the path to a hit single with any of his KC versions.
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Posted By: lucas
Date Posted: October 31 2011 at 17:46
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There are a lot of prog or prog-related bands who can craft nice pop songs :
Talk Talk
Kevin Gilbert
Tony Banks
Sagrado Coraçao da Terra
King Crimson (during the eighties)
Saga
IQ (the Menel era)
It Bites
The Beatles (hehe !)
Manfred Mann's Earthband
Roxy Music
Supertramp
10CC
Journey (they began as a prog rock band)
Ambrosia
Peter Gabriel (if we assume that he is a prog rock artist)
Steely Dan
IONA
Renaissance
October Project
Tangerine Dream ('Le Parc' comes to mind)
Mike Oldfield (especially when Maggie Reilly lends her voice)
Kraftwerk (electronic pop !)
Queen
Pavlov's Dog
Camel (listen to 'dust and 'dreams' and 'breathless')
Pink Floyd
The Flower Kings
Caravan
Steve Thorne
Orphan Project
Enchant
Alan Parsons Project
Procol Harum
Queensrÿche
Fates Warning (listen to 'parallels')
Xen (the guys from Enchant in a more poppy mood)
Echolyn
Kansas (they had some nice power pop tunes in the eighties)
Klaatu
Skaldowie (the whole 'ty' and 'wszystkim zakochanym')
Niemen (his early works)
Le Orme
The Moody Blues
etc. ------------- "Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood) |
Posted By: Triceratopsoil
Date Posted: October 31 2011 at 17:48
| Art Bears |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: November 01 2011 at 02:44
that one screams out!! If I had thought a bit longer then that would have been my choice
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Posted By: Textbook
Date Posted: November 01 2011 at 02:47
| Can't believe I forgot The Moody Blues. |
Posted By: JS19
Date Posted: November 01 2011 at 03:30
Sugar Mice is probably the best pop song of the 80s  |
Posted By: Atoms
Date Posted: November 01 2011 at 04:04
| Something that just crossed my mind, am I the only one who can enjoy Merci (Magma) on these boards? |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: November 01 2011 at 04:19
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Posted By: Atoms
Date Posted: November 01 2011 at 06:27
Exactly, most of the time when people refer to prog and pop they are directly starting to think in the lines of Yes and Genesis selling-out in the 80s. While they are more or less not thinking of bands like: Jethro Tull. They never sold-out yet they maintained their popularity. Which is why, I feel that the best prog pop was in fact made by Jethro Tull. I also like how Ian disregards their popularity, if he wants to make a concept album he does so, if he wants to play folk music he does so. Which is kinda similiar to what Fripp is always doing, the only major difference is that Ian is not trying to glorify his changes, like Fripp does.
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Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: November 01 2011 at 06:55
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What about Giant For A Day? Poor for a Gentle Giant album, but how about as just a pop album?
------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
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Posted By: Flimbau
Date Posted: November 01 2011 at 17:50
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I really enjoy some of the later more pop oriented Camel albums especially Nude and Breathless. ------------- "Deep in the human unconscious is a pervasive need for a logical universe that makes sense. But the real universe is always one step beyond logic." from The Sayings of Muad'Dib by the Princess Irulan |
Posted By: Kashmir75
Date Posted: November 02 2011 at 19:09
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Porcupine Tree. Their straight ahead pop songs are better than anything I've heard on the radio. ------------- Hello, mirror. So glad to see you, my friend. It's been a while... |
Posted By: The Miracle
Date Posted: November 02 2011 at 19:42
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Dredg! Catch Without Arms and Pariah Parrot, Delusion are some of the most beautiful indie-prog-pop albums ever. Chuckles & Mr Squeezy is a pure 100% pop album and wonderful at that. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/ocellatedgod" rel="nofollow - last.fm |
Posted By: Thandrus
Date Posted: November 02 2011 at 20:33
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This is a very interesting question! Let's do some appreciation instead of bashing Electric Light Orchestra - As much as I love their early stuff, actually "Time", from 1981, is my favourite. This is simply the flawless album with impeccable and forward-thinking arrangements. The Alan Parsons Project - Many will say that they were pop-inclined from the beginning, but anyways, writing songs like "Old & Wise" takes genius. Mike Oldfield - Although he has had some less successful commercial experiments too (think "Earth Moving"), he has still made some timeless pop songs, like "Moonlight Shadow", "To France" etc. To make a generalisation, I think bands who featured more strong melodic elements in their Prog music, eventually made better Pop music than their more sophisticated and dissonant colleagues. It's easily explained because, when you move towards simpler mode of music, it affects arrangements and dissonance more than melody. So, ELO's pop music features band's strong side more than Yes' or Gentle Giant's. |
Many prog artists and bands tried their hands at making Pop music, and some not very unsuccessfully. But three best examples come in mind; I think they've created masterpieces.
Posted By: sideburndude...
Date Posted: November 02 2011 at 20:59
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Good question many progressive rock artists fail at making pop music but some don't. The two best would probably be. Alan Parson's Project, they always had a very distinct pop side from the start. But also had pretty heavy prog epics like Fall of the House of The Usher. Or. Supertramp. |
Posted By: dreadpirateroberts
Date Posted: November 02 2011 at 21:26
Yeah, I'm with you on ELO, shoulda thought of them. And Jethro Tull has already been mentioned, so I'll second them ------------- We are men of action. Lies do not become us. http://www.jazzmusicarchives.com/" rel="nofollow - JazzMusicArchives. |
Posted By: rogerthat
Date Posted: November 02 2011 at 22:12
Pink Floyd. I don't even like ABITW-2 all that much, but it is anthemic in a way not a lot of Rush is. It is quintessential pop, a song written around a simple but fascinating idea. Also, Steely Dan, but they aren't full blown prog to begin with. Tori Amos made an excellent pop album called Little Earthquakes. 
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Posted By: Batty
Date Posted: November 02 2011 at 22:45
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Kayleigh was monster pop. Supertramp's Logical Song - pure pop. ELO went almost totally pop with Disco Very, even the name screams pop. Does Delilah by SAHB count as pop, yes I think so. ------------- I love Vinyl |
Posted By: Eria Tarka
Date Posted: December 19 2011 at 02:28
| I 100% agree! |
Posted By: omphaloskepsis
Date Posted: December 19 2011 at 02:51
| Yes did on 90125 and The Big Generator. "Your Move" "Long Distance Run Around" and Steely Dan had some groove pop tunes. I count the Beach Boys "Smile" Album as progressive rock whenever I listen to "Heroes and Villians," and "Good Vibrations." |
Posted By: frippism
Date Posted: December 19 2011 at 08:59
Clever, but not pop. Or is it? I don't know anymore.... ------------- There be dragons |
Posted By: frippism
Date Posted: December 19 2011 at 09:00
it's much worse as a pop album. ------------- There be dragons |
Posted By: TheLionOfPrague
Date Posted: December 19 2011 at 09:15
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Genesis I think.... ELO, Jethro Tull, ELP, Gentle Giant and Yes have some good songs in their pop era but a lot of boring stuff too. Queen in the 80's made some good albums comparing to other prog bands during that period but of course they were much better in the 70's. ------------- I shook my head and smiled a whisper knowing all about the place |
Posted By: Bj-1
Date Posted: December 19 2011 at 09:25
Nope, I think it's a very good and enjoyable album. I don't care what everyone else says, it ranks right up there with Hackett's pop releases (Cured and Highly Strung), close to four stars actually. Best "pop-prog" band have to be Supertramp, with Alan Parsons Project just behind. Mr. Bungle's 'California' is also a good call. ------------- RIO/AVANT/ZEUHL - The best thing you can get with yer pants on! |
Posted By: spknoevl
Date Posted: December 19 2011 at 09:47
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I guess you could argue that the post-Gabriel version of Genesis was a very successful pop band with the number of singles they charted. ------------- http://martinwebb.bandcamp.com The notes are just an interesting way to get from one silence to the next - Mick Gooderick |
Posted By: Negoba
Date Posted: December 19 2011 at 10:04
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Peter Gabriel solo, naturally. ------------- You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all. |
Posted By: treebeard
Date Posted: December 19 2011 at 10:22
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If you can call ELO prog, then they did the best pop songs
Xanadu is a great pop song, about a place of fantasy Mtr Blue sky was part of 4 songs about the weather Prog and pop combined!
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Posted By: Horizons
Date Posted: December 19 2011 at 10:47
This. ------------- Crushed like a rose in the riverflow. |
Posted By: DiamondDog
Date Posted: December 21 2011 at 10:46
| A lot of these posts seem to be talking about pop chart success rather than just the genre as the question seemed to suggest. If anyone deserves the doubtful accolade of prog pop makes then it would be Clouds, who in a way had that very problem. |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: December 22 2011 at 19:49
| Genesis first two Post Gabriel albums are really beautiful, and in many ways pop. |
Posted By: Horizons
Date Posted: December 22 2011 at 21:08
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I don't see Trespass being pop. ------------- Crushed like a rose in the riverflow. |
Posted By: Ambient Hurricanes
Date Posted: December 25 2011 at 20:55
I agree. In my opinion, all of Rush's more pop-rock oriented 80's albums are worth four stars at least, if not five. They were always songwriters at heart anyway, unlike other 70's prog greats who could well be classified as "composers" in the classical sense. That's really where Rush separated themselves from most of the other 70's prog bands; they were able to lose "proginess" without losing quality.
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Posted By: Horizons
Date Posted: December 25 2011 at 20:58
Agreed on both posts. I've said it a thousands times, Hold Your Fire is really great. And the sprinkled tracks throughout their career that were highly accessible, were great mentions. Fly By Night, Closer to the Heart, Spirit of Radio, Limelight, Subdivisions. etc. ------------- Crushed like a rose in the riverflow. |
Posted By: Gully Foyle
Date Posted: December 27 2011 at 06:40
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Posted By: A Smart Kid
Date Posted: December 27 2011 at 18:52
| Supertramp would have to be my pick hands down. |
Posted By: bensommer
Date Posted: December 29 2011 at 15:15
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Or were they a pop/rock band who made the best PROG??? Hmmm????? ------------- http://bensommermusic.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: The Quiet One
Date Posted: December 29 2011 at 15:37
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Supertramp, indeed. Porcupine Tree does some very fine poppish stuff, heard on Stupid Dream, Lightbulb Sun, Deadwing, etc.
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Posted By: resurrection
Date Posted: December 30 2011 at 11:09
| Clouds Watercolour Days |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: December 30 2011 at 23:48
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I think the biggies, when they wanted to, tended to make the best 'pop' in the guise of Artrock (or the other way 'round) ; Floyd, Tull, ELP, Yes |
Posted By: NickHall
Date Posted: January 03 2012 at 05:59
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Posted By: HolyMoly
Date Posted: January 03 2012 at 06:34
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Earth and Fire! I've made myself a CD of all their singles and b-sides from the 1970s. They were incredible at that kind of thing. ------------- My other avatar is a Porsche It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
Posted By: colorofmoney91
Date Posted: January 03 2012 at 21:53
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I really like King Crimson's pop songs from their '80s albums, specifically Beat. Brian Eno's pop on Another Green World is also very nice. Peter Gabriel made some good pop music too. ------------- http://hanashukketsu.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow - Hanashukketsu |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: January 03 2012 at 21:56
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dredg
------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: ClemofNazareth
Date Posted: January 03 2012 at 22:16
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ELO for sure, but these guys run a very close second:
------------- "Peace is the only battle worth waging." Albert Camus |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: January 04 2012 at 08:42
That's true, they were very good at that. |
Posted By: FunkyHomoSapien
Date Posted: January 04 2012 at 09:46
| Pink Floyd are very Poppy at times |
Posted By: JeanFrame
Date Posted: January 04 2012 at 09:52
I see the point, Clouds could write pop songs, but never really played like a pop group, definitely one of the earliest - perhaps even THE earliest - progressive rock band. In any case, The Clouds Scrapbook is a better contender for pop songs than Watercolour Days. |
Posted By: The_Jester
Date Posted: January 20 2012 at 20:19
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I'd say Peter Gabriel, Jon Anderson (like Jon and Vangelis) and the Residents. ------------- La victoire est éphémère mais la gloire est éternelle! - Napoléon Bonaparte |
Posted By: The_Jester
Date Posted: January 20 2012 at 20:20
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The Residents was a joke. ------------- La victoire est éphémère mais la gloire est éternelle! - Napoléon Bonaparte |
Posted By: giselle
Date Posted: February 09 2012 at 08:35
| A lot of Clouds' writing was progressive pop, and The Clouds Scrapbook is in many ways the definitive crossover album, fitting from the group who, as 1-2-3, set out the blueprint for prog in the first place. But having said all that, I dont really think they classify as a truly Prog band, stuck somewhere on the bridge between the two genres. |
Posted By: cacha71
Date Posted: March 14 2012 at 15:17
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Talking Heads - Little Creatures. Also like Talk Talk.
------------- http://www.last.fm/group/Progressive+Folk |
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: March 14 2012 at 15:28
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Cardiacs. Perhaps the quintessential hybrid of pop and progressive tendencies. In the same vein I would also mention Talk Talk, although their sound was more obvious in the pop side of things. ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: Riuku
Date Posted: March 22 2012 at 09:24
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Tool and even more so A Perfect Circle.
Circa Survive with their release "Blue Sky Noise" and Mars Volta with "Octahedron."
Steven Wilson with "Insurgentes."
Blackfield.
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Posted By: Riuku
Date Posted: March 22 2012 at 09:28
| This Town Needs Guns is Math pop and it's absolutely incredible. |
Posted By: HolyMoly
Date Posted: March 22 2012 at 09:37
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I may sound like a broken record by now, but I think Earth and Fire were one hell of a pop band, in addition to being prog-worthy. They released a great succession of singles in the 70s. I'll shut up about them now.
------------- My other avatar is a Porsche It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
Posted By: Stool Man
Date Posted: March 22 2012 at 09:57
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Pink Floyd made one of the classic psychedelic albums of 1967(plus a top ten pop single), and had one of the biggest US radio hits in "Money" (as well as one of the biggest selling albums of all time), and then had a Number 1 hit with a disco song with children singing on it.
At the 2005 Live8 concert they were the only band who didn't need an introduction.
Pop = popular ------------- rotten hound of the burnie crew |
Posted By: brainstormer
Date Posted: March 23 2012 at 08:11
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This is obviously a personal taste question. I'd say ELP, Yes, and Renaissance.
------------- -- Robert Pearson Regenerative Music http://www.regenerativemusic.net Telical Books http://www.telicalbooks.com ParaMind Brainstorming Software http://www.paramind.net |
Posted By: ProgEpics
Date Posted: March 23 2012 at 17:25
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ELO, Chicago and supertramp by far were the best hook writers that also could play their instruments well. ------------- Come on you target for faraway laughter, Come on you stranger, you legend, you martyr, and shine! |
Posted By: lipclown
Date Posted: March 25 2012 at 14:37
Genesis and It Bites is what I'm thinking.
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Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: March 25 2012 at 19:04
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Alan Parsons Project: Even their simplest albums, were elaborate due to the clean production and wonderful orchestral arrangements by Andrew Powell. Iván. ------------- 
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Posted By: kenethlevine
Date Posted: March 27 2012 at 07:25
I agree Great blend of prog and pop even as late as Ammonia Avenue. Often in the same song. Also agree on Mike Oldfield and Moody Blues. To mention one that has not been mentioned yet, ANYONE's DAUGHTER from Germany Their self titled and Neu Sterne in particular straddle the line very well
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Posted By: dennismoore
Date Posted: March 27 2012 at 13:14
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Which Prog Band Made The Best Pop? Isn't this like asking which sick person has the best disease?
Seriously , I have always been disappointed by prog bands who go pop. Why?
Do I hate pop? No. I enjoy a lot of pop. Todd Rundgren , Elton John, Alice Cooper, etc...
Why then? Ok:
There is no shortage of pop artists or songs. Prog is a very small subset of music. If a pop artist changes styles
there will be thousands of popsters to step in and make more pop.
If a prog band goes pop, it casues a large hole which is almost never replaced and the prog world suffers a great loss.
It isn't like the prog artists were starving and needed to feed their families.
Genesis were packing stadiums with prog songs
RUSH were packing stadiums and selling tons of records with prog.
YES... same thing.
Oh, you say times change? Yeah times always change. An artist needs to stay fresh and original no matter if it is
prog or pop or country or whatever. So the argument that a band must stay "fresh" and change to pop is specious. Pat Metheney has always changed & grown yet stayed true to being a musician.
Pop music is a sell out. A very rich one, but still a sell out. Pop music takes almost no energy or effort to compose and is a waste for a gifted musician. If I sound judgemental here, please ponder the Genesis song: "I Can't Dance"
I rest my case.
 When it comes to pop, as a musician myself, I am not afraid to call pop music out for what it is.Do people like it? Sure. Great! That is popularity. Being popular leads to fame & money & power, but there is no connection from popularity to music. That is what I am saying.
Like I said, the world has millions of pop acts. When a prog act goes pop, a big part of prog dies.
So I ask? Which corpse do you find most attractive?
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Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: March 27 2012 at 13:16
| In the Prog family, I like avant-pop/ art pop the best -- Slapp Happy, Art Bears music.... A particular favourite of mine is After Dinner from Japan. |
Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: March 27 2012 at 13:21
Dennis, calm down old chap, you'll do yourself an injury. Please remember, prog is a form of popular music, nothing more, nothing less. As for the bands you quote: Genesis started selling records by the truckload and massive arenas after Hackett left. Prior to that, they were a successful, but not commercially profitable band. Rush started doing the same after Moving Pictures. Prior to that, they were adored by sad buggers like myself, but not by the masses. Yes are the exception. They were massive in the 1970's, but then upset everyone with TFTO, and reverted to a relatively successful band before gaining a new lease of life with 90125, a commercial album. Making popular music is not selling out. It is just becoming more popular, and, as you say, some pop is jolly good. Likewise, some pop/prog is too - I would go as far to say that I prefer prog pop to ordinary pop. It's better played for a start. I don't care for the I Can't Dance track. But No Son Of Mine is a classic piece of music, and the album is, actually, a damn good one. ------------- Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time! |
Posted By: dennismoore
Date Posted: March 27 2012 at 16:00
Damn, I was just getting warmed up.
 I can't speak for England in the 1970's but I can speak for New York City, USA in 1977. Genesis played a sold out Madison Square Garden to 20,000 screaming lunatics (each night) during the Wind & Wutherinig tours.
I saw RUSH before Moving pictures; the arena was packed with 18,000 insane fans as RUSH played songs like Xanadu in their entirety, afterward the crowd shook the building.
Pop has always been the opiate for the masses, mostly for those who don't play or don't want to "listen" to music but want to experience an "event" kinda like "Euro Disney".
 Pop is not a disease solely for Prog. Pop has infected Jazz as well and all other forms of music.
I don't mean to be so hard on pop. But it does seem to come at the expense of music not in addition to it.
To a cheapened commercial extent, I should think the following is a good example.
The most famous "pop" singer in India, who has BILLIONS of fans, which puts to shame ALL of England & USA's pop acts combined, does not even sing! She mouth's the words! Because her & her producers know, its not about music. Its about fame & the event & popularity.
Now perhaps we have a disagreement on terms.
Does a song have to be long and extended to be a good song?. Of course not, any musician can compose a good song, length is not a requirement, or even the amount of soloing. Some great short songs:
Carol King - JazzMan
Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
The Who - Going Mobile
YES - Wonderous Stories
Guess Who - These Eyes
Alan Parson is a great example. He made short songs from day one, but good ones, not even sure if his stuff is prog, who cares/needs labels? When he tried to get into the dance clubs, a blatant attempt at commercializing, his music reflected that and went into the rubbish bin.
In addition, most pop music is written by the same group of commercial composers and in the same style as to be transposed quite nicely & commercially to whatever pop diva de jour, whether it be , Madonna or Britney Spears or Shakira or Beyonce. Same formulaic music, just the fashion is diferent. I'm trying hard to forget the world wide plague that was known as "Spice Girls"... yuck.
About 90125 YES... people seem to forget that 75% of the crowds at those shows were prior YES fans. Just a reality check, before we give Trevor & MTV too much credit for saving YES.
Man, you really got me going on this "pop" thing.
 Oh, about Genesis pop tunes. I rather enjoy Jesus He Loves Me, it is catchy, but that and the other pop tunes from that CD have no staying power and become quite annoying after a few listens, why???
Because they were intentionally constucted to pop song standards. Strict rules of pop formula. Unlike the short songs like Harold The Barrel which were written from inspiration & creativity mostly, it just turned out "Harold" was short.
The strict rules of pop:
Verse-Chorus-Verse,
Repeat the "hook" endlessly
Never under any conditions solo for more than four or eight bars
When an artist takes his/her creativity and crams it into the above tiny box of rules, well the result
is torturous after some listens
Somebody put it best. Only a pop tune can get you on the very first listen, but then it wears out almost immediately
and you never want to hear it again after a while. Then you need a new pop tune to repeat the cycle.
I think music on any level (prog, jazz, country, blues, etc...) should aspire to just a little more, that is all I am trying to say.
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Posted By: FunkyHomoSapien
Date Posted: March 28 2012 at 09:30
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