Is "Roundabout" POP? - Progressive Rock Music Forum

Roundabout's popularity is similiar to Pink Floyd's "Money". They both have odd time signatures and changes, but yet they are the most popular songs (to the mainstream audience) from both groups.
I think they both rock pretty hard but at the same time have catchy lyrics and choruses, and that is how they became pop songs.

You can't possibly hear the last movement of Beethoven's Seventh and go slow. ~Oscar Levant, explaining his way out of a speeding ticket

Strange as it may seem now, back in the early seventies, it was
still unclear as to which direction pop music would go, ie. it
wasn't so defined as it appears today, (as if pop means only 3
chords, and anything with 4 or 5 would be "progressive"). There
was a big diversity of styles, everything from Santana to
Jefferson Airplane/Starship, even Tull's "Living in the Past" in
5/8, that was a top 40 pop hit, "Roundabout" was constantly on
the radio, and anything seemed possible, the audience for this
stuff was HUGE. There was still an air of experimentation in
pop music, and nobody wanted to hear retro anything, only
new sounds were considered cool. Then the music industry
clamped down, and recycling became a much easier means of
fabricating hits and controlling the market, don't experiment,
always stay with the tried and tested!!!
Thus came the word POP to symbolize commercial bubble-
gum, and anything a BIT more interesting became that weird,
freaked-out British fairy music you guys call "progressive".

Too long and complex to be pop, but it's definitely one of the "catchier" prog songs (once the bass and drums kick in). Awesome chorus as well. It didn't make the charts in the UK, wouldn't it be good to hear songs like that on the radio.

No. Look at the changes and the arrangement of chords.

However, it did somehow make it on the charts. ..Which would make it a popular song thus making it pop. LOL

cmidkiff

Just wondering. Is Roundabout a POP song with superb instrumentation?. Prog-pop perhaps ?

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WillieThePimp Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: May 02 2005 Location: Bryan, Texas Status: Offline Points: 421	Posted: October 11 2005 at 16:32
	Roundabout's popularity is similiar to Pink Floyd's "Money". They both have odd time signatures and changes, but yet they are the most popular songs (to the mainstream audience) from both groups. I think they both rock pretty hard but at the same time have catchy lyrics and choruses, and that is how they became pop songs.
	You can't possibly hear the last movement of Beethoven's Seventh and go slow. ~Oscar Levant, explaining his way out of a speeding ticket

Yams Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: December 16 2004 Status: Offline Points: 198	Posted: October 11 2005 at 16:20
	It's a prog song that became popular I would say. I hear it on the raido every so often (read: almost never now).

RoyalJelly Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: September 29 2005 Status: Offline Points: 582	Posted: October 11 2005 at 16:01
	Strange as it may seem now, back in the early seventies, it was still unclear as to which direction pop music would go, ie. it wasn't so defined as it appears today, (as if pop means only 3 chords, and anything with 4 or 5 would be "progressive"). There was a big diversity of styles, everything from Santana to Jefferson Airplane/Starship, even Tull's "Living in the Past" in 5/8, that was a top 40 pop hit, "Roundabout" was constantly on the radio, and anything seemed possible, the audience for this stuff was HUGE. There was still an air of experimentation in pop music, and nobody wanted to hear retro anything, only new sounds were considered cool. Then the music industry clamped down, and recycling became a much easier means of fabricating hits and controlling the market, don't experiment, always stay with the tried and tested!!! Thus came the word POP to symbolize commercial bubble- gum, and anything a BIT more interesting became that weird, freaked-out British fairy music you guys call "progressive".

geezer Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: April 03 2005 Location: Cocos (Keeling) Islands Status: Offline Points: 606	Posted: October 11 2005 at 15:52
	It is quite poppish and no wonder I hate that song. It is even sometimes played in the radio here in Finland so that should speak for itself.

chopper Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 13 2005 Location: Essex, UK Status: Offline Points: 20030	Posted: October 11 2005 at 15:41
	Too long and complex to be pop, but it's definitely one of the "catchier" prog songs (once the bass and drums kick in). Awesome chorus as well. It didn't make the charts in the UK, wouldn't it be good to hear songs like that on the radio.

Pr@gmatic Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: October 04 2005 Location: Virgin Islands Status: Offline Points: 1023	Posted: October 11 2005 at 15:20
	^ Agreed. Roundabout has the complexity factor at least.

cmidkiff Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: March 08 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 208	Posted: October 11 2005 at 15:20
	No. Look at the changes and the arrangement of chords. However, it did somehow make it on the charts. ..Which would make it a popular song thus making it pop.
	cmidkiff

Cygnus X-1 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: July 06 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 653	Posted: October 11 2005 at 15:13
	i think owner of a lonely heart is much more "pop"


eduardossc Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: July 15 2005 Location: Mexico Status: Offline Points: 257	Posted: October 11 2005 at 15:11
	Just wondering. Is Roundabout a POP song with superb instrumentation?. Prog-pop perhaps ?