Artists who are more influential than popular

Dean wrote: ProgMetaller2112 wrote: Gentle f++++++ Giant . Talk about deathly underrated maybe, but not influential either.

If they are not influential. Its a damn shame!!

Gentle f++++++ Giant . Talk about deathly underrated

Edited by ProgMetaller2112 - November 17 2013 at 04:44

Someone will mention Clouds and Billy Ritchie so it might as well be me

paganinio wrote: Kraftwerk

I think they're about the only historically important Krautrock group who don't qualify. Well, maybe among people who only listen to newer music, but don't almost everyone who's serious about music admit KW are one of the most influential music groups of the past 40 years?

Now, a band like Hawkwind or Van der Graaf Generator whom others mentioned... that's more like it. Neither has become more than a cult band and still had most of their influence on scenes that didn't exist until long after either group's agreed "golden age". HW in particular seem to have inspired punk more than anything overtly prog/psych, until the jam band revival and stoner rock movements of the 1990s which were often strongly indebted to the Hawks.

By the way I can't believe I haven't mentioned 13th Floor Elevators or Roky Erickson in general for that matter. I think 13FE were the first music group to call their own output "psychedelic rock". They clearly influenced The Doors, Jefferson Airplane and Pink Floyd but never became anywhere as popular.

can

Neo-Romantic wrote: I feel like VDGG would fit into this category as well. In their heyday, they only had widespread acclaim in Italy, from what I've heard (correct me f I'm wrong on this). Progheads I know who don't frequent this site are significantly less likely to have heard of them than their 70s contemporaries. But if you look at the number of prog groups and individual musicians who were influenced by that group and Peter Hammill in particular, the lasting influence is undeniable.

I'd say many of the "just under the radar" bands. Here's a few that come to mind:

Gentle Giant
Van der Graaf Generator
Camel
Magma
Gong
Hawkwind
Caravan
Soft Machine
Tangerine Dream
PFM
Marillion

There are more but those are the most obvious ones imo.


Edited by Prog_Traveller - November 16 2013 at 22:40

Kraftwerk
every album by Kraftwerk
every song by Kraftwerk
every compilation by Kraftwerk
and every DVD by Kraftwerk

I can't really think of influence on the wider world of music, but in terms of my own compositions, I'd have to say Kayo Dot and Alcest. Neither are extremely popular, but both have a very very distinct style that is just so unique that if you've heard them it'll just seep into your compositions. Even though they're not my favourite bands, I take more influence from them than Porcupine Tree or Riverside, simply because they have such unique styles.

Terry Riley, David Axelrod, Bert Jansch, It's A Beautiful Day, Fabrizio De Andre, Area. Each influential in different genres.