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ghost_of_morphy 
Prog Reviewer
Joined: March 08 2007
Location: United States
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Points: 2755
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 Topic: Towards Finding An 8th Classic Prog Rock Band
Posted: November 04 2007 at 01:02 |
Love them or hate them, most people around here seem to accept this list of the seven big progressive rock acts. For those of you who don't know this list by heart, it consists of:
Yes
Genesis
King Crimson
Jethro Tull
Emerson, Lake and Palmer
Rush
Pink Floyd
So what if we were to add a group to this to get a nice round number? I've come up with a list of potential candidates, vote for the one you think is most deserving or suggest your own candidate.
Caravan: Highly acclaimed (almost definitive) Canterbury band active in the early years of the Golden Age.
Mike Oldfield: Highly acclaimed crossover artist and Tubular Bells was insanely popular among progheads.
The Moody Blues: They have as good a claim to inventing prog as King Crimson and strong discography.
Van Der Graaf Generator: Seminal prog band that has a loyal and vocal following proclaiming their greatness.
Gentle Giant: Exactly the same comment as for Van Der Graaf Generator.
Premiata Forneria Marconi: Should we ignore the Italian school that gave us so much beloved prog? Or should we honor PFM for their contributions over a long and varied career.
Le Orme: Another great Italian band with the credentials and discography that make it worthy of consideration.
Marillion: It's been nearly 25 years since Script for a Jester's Tear was released. Maybe it's time to show some recognition for the band that started the second wave?
Tangerine Dream: Innovators in progressive electronica. Should we show them some love?
Frank Zappa: This guy's impressive discography goes back to the earliest days of avant-garde rock.
Camel: The forgotten symphonic rock band. These guys were as good as Genesis or Yes for a trio of albums.
Iron Maiden: Probably the single band most influential in the development of prog metal (although in my opinion Blackmore was the most influential artist when you combine his work from all of his different bands.)
Magma: So influential that they defined their own sub-genre of prog.
I haven't voted yet, but when I look at these suggestions I lean towards Magma, Camel, PFM or Marillion.
Edited by ghost_of_morphy - November 04 2007 at 01:03
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ProgBagel
Prog Reviewer
Joined: May 13 2007
Location: United States
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Points: 2819
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Posted: November 04 2007 at 01:08 |
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Camel or Van...I went with Camel.
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ProgBagel
Prog Reviewer
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Points: 2819
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Posted: November 04 2007 at 01:10 |
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Iron Maiden, not dissing their music or anything, certainly shouldn't belong in the poll. Were are talking about the giants that stand next to Genesis, Yes and Floyd.
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ghost_of_morphy
Prog Reviewer
Joined: March 08 2007
Location: United States
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Points: 2755
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Posted: November 04 2007 at 01:11 |
 ProgBagel wrote:
Iron Maiden, not dissing their music or anything, certainly shouldn't belong in the poll. Were are talking about the giants that stand next to Genesis, Yes and Floyd. |
While I personally agree with your assessment, I can't ignore that prog metal is a fertile ground for prog today and Iron Maiden is a founder. Of course if nobody votes for them, we will both be proven correct. But I felt they deserved the opportunity to compete.
Edited by ghost_of_morphy - November 04 2007 at 01:13
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febus
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam
Joined: January 23 2007
Location: Orlando-Usa
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Posted: November 04 2007 at 01:21 |
It will come down to one's personal taste and every fanboy will vote for its church!
But before putting Caravan, i think SOFT MACHINE would be a better choice for Canterbury scene as they were the flagship of the movement.
Too many of the bands of your list are just cult bands like VDGG, Magma or Camel and never ever made it big.,just enough to pay the rent.....strong cultist following of worshippers but that's it. You could have added Amon Duul 2 or Can or even GONG , bands in the same category
So a 8th big band? Moody Blues could fit the bill as they were innovative in their own kind and.....extremely successful ( not that i am a big, big fan but i recognize their importance). Tangerine Dream while less successful did well and were the leading n band of the whole german scene and sell well on both sides of the atlantic.
Maybe we should not also forget FRANK ZAPPA who could take the 8th seat without contestation or maybe TRAFFIC which was a big name back then like Soft Machine.
So it's up to everybody' reasonable thinking, but i am afraid the fanboys will prevail
Edited by febus - November 04 2007 at 01:24
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ghost_of_morphy
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Posted: November 04 2007 at 01:27 |
I almost put Soft Machine in there. Caravan edged them out.
I like Traffic, but I didn't feel that hey deserved to be suggested.
I did include a few bands that I could care less about to be more representative, though.
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WalterDigsTunes
Forum Senior Member
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Posted: November 04 2007 at 03:02 |
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I'd put in VDGG, Marillion, Soft Machine or Banco.
Since only VDGG and Marillion are there, I'll pick one of the two arbitrarily.
Hmm...
VDGG it is. Thank you coin flips.
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fuxi
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Location: United Kingdom
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Posted: November 04 2007 at 04:02 |
You seem to be asking which of these acts is more popular or loved on Prog Archives.
A look at our top albums tells me the answer should be either VDGG or PFM: they both have two albums in the Top 20, with lots of ratings.
However, if you ask for my personal opinion, the answer is Zappa. I love Gentle Giant, PFM and many other bands you mention, but let's be honest: Zappa recorded a larger number of superb albums than they. Also, his influence can still be felt. Rock, jazz AND classical bands regularly perform his music. There aren't many prog acts you can say THAT about. 
Edited by fuxi - November 04 2007 at 06:42
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Atavachron
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Posted: November 04 2007 at 04:07 |
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voted Caravan though the Giant really ties them - or out does them - quite easily, especially for chops
Edited by Atavachron - November 04 2007 at 04:08
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Uncle Spooky
Forum Groupie
Joined: July 31 2007
Location: UK
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Posted: November 04 2007 at 04:28 |
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I voted to add VDGG to the list and would vote, if there were an option, to remove Floyd from the list 'cus Floyd ain't prog, never was, never will be.
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Dean
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Posted: November 04 2007 at 04:57 |
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VDGG for me, but think that it really should be an Italian band
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What?
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magnus
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Location: Norway
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Posted: November 04 2007 at 06:41 |
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VdGG or GG. Since VdGG are in the lead already, I'll give my vote to GG.
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The scattered jigsaw of my redemption laid out before my eyes
Each piece as amorphous as the other - Each piece in its lack of shape a lie
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ten years after
Forum Senior Member
Joined: September 07 2007
Location: Australia
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Points: 1008
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Posted: November 04 2007 at 07:26 |
Yes, Genesis, Floyd and ELP are a bit ahead of the other 3 names you mention as prog rock icons.
I have no hesitation in voting for VDGG. Had they not, eccentrically but typically, opted out of the early 70s they would surely have joined the big 4.
Colosseum, too, split up at just the wrong time. Like VDGG they were giants afraid of the daylight.
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paloz
Forum Senior Member
Joined: February 17 2007
Location: Italy
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Points: 329
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Posted: November 04 2007 at 07:56 |
VDGG is gaining more and more popularity, and has been fundamental in the 70. And that's my vote.
And Gentle Giant? Nearly follow...
I haven't voted Zappa because I don't find him really prog. It has touched all the genres you can imagine. He's simply the best of all. Simply my fav artist
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mono
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Posted: November 04 2007 at 08:26 |
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I had to go with Camel. To me, they should already be in the list. VdGG too, but since they seem to be already acknowledged, I went for the goose masters.
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Lonely Progger
Forum Senior Member
Joined: March 07 2007
Location: France
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Posted: November 04 2007 at 09:42 |
Marillion or VDGG, but for Progdom I think Marillion is more important, it's one of the first ones mentionned in wikipedia in prog rock definition(That doesn,t prouve that much but a bit ), are they do have a style a style of their own that they practically invented neo progressive and they were more succesful which means they did spread the prog word a bit more around the world, so prog will be identified with the 7 groups and Marillion more often,I prefer VDGG but they embody a bit less prog to me.
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Lost in the south of france:
" Le rock progressif ? C'est quoi cette connerie? "
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Hercules
Prog Reviewer
Joined: June 14 2007
Location: Near York UK
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Points: 7024
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Posted: November 04 2007 at 10:04 |
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Camel.
Many of the others (Moodies, Mike Oldfield, Marillion) achieved more commercial success but none came near the level of critical success Camel achieved in the middle 70s. They sold far more albums than VDGG (who never really were considered much good in the 70s and had a small cult following at best; I went to university from 1972-5 and noone I knew (a lot of people!) had a single VDGG album, whereas almost everyone owned the first 3 Camel albums).
Gentle Giant would be my second choice; they were always popular at a below-the-radar level.
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A TVR is not a car. It's a way of life.
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FunnyWays
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Joined: October 23 2007
Location: United Kingdom
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Points: 69
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Posted: November 04 2007 at 10:14 |
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Has to be Camel as a great, I love Gentle Giant and there music is just brilliant but there not on of the big prog bands really. Same for Iron Maiden, like the music but not a big prog band (there just big on the metal side). Has to be Camel.
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jimmy_row
Forum Senior Member
Joined: July 11 2007
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Points: 2601
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Posted: November 04 2007 at 11:08 |
ghost_of_morphy wrote:
Yes
Genesis
King Crimson
Jethro Tull
Emerson, Lake and Palmer
Rush
Pink Floyd
Van der Graaf Generator...only band that had the decency not to sell out, release crap, etc...they recorded 7 progressive albums to Rush's handful
Gentle Giant - how are ELP ahead of these guys?  Premiata Forneria Marconi
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Edited by jimmy_row - November 04 2007 at 11:11
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Signature Writers Guild on strike
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moreitsythanyou
Forum Senior Member
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Joined: April 23 2006
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Posted: November 04 2007 at 11:11 |
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I'd go with Gentle Giant and feel guilty about leaving out PFM. Can we make it a 9?
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 <font color=white>butts, lol[/COLOR]
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Towards Finding An 8th Classic Prog Rock Band
