About the top 100

Certif1ed wrote: They're most popular because they got most votes. I hate to see any Yes or Dream Theater rated as highly or higher than Marillion, Pink Floyd, Tull, KC, Rush or Genesis when it quite blatantly isn't true... It's like the pop charts - at the top is the most pop.

The Yes Album = POP? Fragile = POP? Close to the Edge = POP? Relayer = POP? Tales from Topographic Oceans = POP?!?!?!

 I don't THINK so

Dream Theater however...I won't argue them.

Maybe by saying "pop" you mean Popular. Well, the most popular is usually the best. At least when talking about over a long period of time. You don't see Motley Crue or Guns and Roses being ranked as the best heavy metal band now but in the 80's many lists had them near the top. Only the best stand the test of time!

Wow, did I just date myself or what?

BaldJean wrote: As I said, I don't give a damn about charts. I have my personal charts, and while I perfectly accept the important role that these heavyweights have played in the history of prog I hardly ever listen to their records anymore. At least not more often than I listen to other bands. And a lot of bands surpass these heavyweights in their oeuvre.

If you don't "give a damn" about charts: Why did you write your post??? I DON'T mean this as an insault!!! I'm just corious!! NO ILLWILL!!!

BaldJean wrote: dalt99 wrote: Certif1ed wrote: They're most popular because they got most votes. I hate to see any Yes or Dream Theater rated as highly or higher than Marillion, Pink Floyd, Tull, KC, Rush or Genesis when it quite blatantly isn't true... It's like the pop charts - at the top is the most pop. Maybe by saying "pop" you mean Popular. Well, the most popular is usually the best. At least when talking about over a long period of time. You can' be serious about that. The most popular are simply that - the most popular. And usually because they are the most easily digestible.

Sorry but I must Laugh Out Loud at your suggestion. I am DEAD serious about it. It's the case that the most popular in a genre DEFINE THE GENRE so in time these bands/artists just seem the most digestible.  Do you mean to tell me that The Beatles suck? Metallica sucks? Yes and Genesis suck? Miles Davis sucks? Bach and Mozart suck? Jimi Hendrix sucks? Bob Marley sucks? B.B. King sucks? Magma sucks? Tangerine Dream sucks? I am sure you wouldn't say that about them all yet these artists are among the most popular in their genre and are usually classified as the best or about the best in their genre of music because they are very good. They may seem easy to digest but that's because they helped to define their genre of music. As time goes on music progresses but I know many people that think The Mars Volta is "easier to digest" then Yes or King Crimson! Go figure

BaldJean wrote: As I said, I don't give a damn if a band is popular or not. "Auch ein blindes Huhn findet ein Korn" ("even a blind chicken occasionally finds a grain of corn"), as a German proverb says. In the long run it is true though that the most popular are usually not the best, in prog as well as in any other style of music.

Ok, I think I understand you, even if you didn't answer my question in a direct sort of way. I agree with you that the most popular music very rarely is the best. BUT I disagree with you in THIS case (mening about the list in question, with a few exeptions, and prog as a whole). Take care and welcome to the forum, by the way.

dalt99 wrote: Sorry but I must Laugh Out Loud at your suggestion. I am DEAD serious about it. It's the case that the most popular in a genre DEFINE THE GENRE so in time these bands/artists just seem the most digestible.  Do you mean to tell me that The Beatles suck? Metallica sucks? Yes and Genesis suck? Miles Davis sucks? Bach and Mozart suck? Jimi Hendrix sucks? Bob Marley sucks? B.B. King sucks? Magma sucks? Tangerine Dream sucks? I am sure you wouldn't say that about them but these artists are usually classified as the best or about the best in their genre of music because they are very good. They may seem easy to digest but that's because they helped to define their genre of music. As time goes on music progresses but I know many people that think The Mars Volta is easier to enjoy then Yes or King Crimson! Go figure

I wouldn't exactly call Magma or King Crimson easily digestible.

Okay...you kiddies need another lesson. The Top 100 list is based on number of reviews that were given to that band....nothing else....take Piper At the Gates of Dawn(rated at 31) has a 3.99 rating whereas In the Land of Grey and Pink(rated at 50) has a 4.61...

ALL THE LIST IS IS THE 100 ALBUMS THAT HAVE BEEN REVIEWED THE MOST!

End of lesson.

I disagree.

Here's what it all comes down to: Although you don't listen to the more popular bands of the prog genre, you are still being controlled because they are popular.  While its not as simple as that, according to your logic, the worse a band is, the more people like it, therefore making it popular.  To break away from this conformity you listen to more underground stuff and enjoy it more.

But ask yourself this: Do you dislike the popular bands because they don't have the talent or because they are merely popular?  Obviously they have talent if they are popular (at least in this "snobby" genre) so that can't be the case.  So, you dislike popular bands mostly on the basis of their popularity.  Therefore popularity also controls your musical decisions.  You said yourself you didn't give a damn about charts, yet you won't listen to bands that are on them

The moral of the story: listen to what you like, and let your neighbor listens to what he likes.  If the two of you realize you like the same thing (thus its popular) don't let that deter you.

Interesting posts.
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You didn't get me at all. I don't care one bit whether a band is popular or not. It may very well be that I agree with most of the listeners. I don't vote for other bands just because I want to be different. But I prefer to keep my ears open and be unbiased by the opinion of others, and that's in a positive way as well as in a negative. Simply saying just because all others like it it can't be good would be idiotic.