What if Prog was Pop?

In my time prog was very popular (on the charts), and a lot of my friends were listening prog music: Gentle giant, Yes King Crimson, Pink Floyd, VDGG, ELP, Mahavishnu orchestra, Gong, Soft machine and more..

The idea of prog being the masses music of choice, or just generally a lot more popular than it is, is a nice one. But it makes no odds to me really. I just listen to whatever I fancy listening to, prog or otherwise. I'm not going to fall into the trap some of my friends have apparently fallen into, where they still get excited about a pair of £200 trainers, and buy the latest albums by the 'latest bands' because some sh!te media source has told them they should.

I prog was pop, Mankind would be intelligent, clever, peacefull, constructive, educated. Therefore prog is not pop.

This is a good question. Something I wish that saying "I like Maxophone" or "The new Enslaved album is neat" in front of people didn't provoke the only "who?" answer, but then I begin to think: would I still keep living in the same spiritual world I live in now if the mystery was gone and it was exposed to everyone by the media? Deny it or not, when more people get into the same group that is special to you, the magic goes away.

I'm also one of the older members who remembers the Golden Age when prog topped the charts and you could hear PFM, Banco, Le Orme and other Italian prog greats on the radio as often as you now hear Britney Spears and her ilk. What can I say? It was a different time, a different world. I don't know whether it was actually better than the one in which we're living now, but I can't denynowadays it seems so. Perhaps this is one result of getting older - longing for the good old times that are no more?

Ghost Rider wrote: I'm also one of the older members who remembers the Golden Age when prog topped the charts and you could hear PFM, Banco, Le Orme and other Italian prog greats on the radio as often as you now hear Britney Spears and her ilk. What can I say? It was a different time, a different world. I don't know whether it was actually better than the one in which we're living now, but I can't deny nowadays it seems so. Perhaps this is one result of getting older - longing for the good old times that are no more?   Seriously, though, I think I'ma a sort of elitist - namely, I'm not interested in doing what the masses do, especially if I don't like it. I've always listened to music which was not cool (apart from the '70s), I couldn't care less about designer clothes, I hardly ever watch TV and I don't read anything even remotely trendy. In spite of that, I feel quite normal (if there is any such thing). Perhaps I'm a snob, but I wouldn't really like it if prog was pop and everybody else listened to it. Nowadays it would be impossible for the genre to be popular and keep its integrity at the same time.

i am into many styles of music, some mainstream, some obscure niche bands. in 1975 i queued for two hours at 7 o'clock in the morning to get tickets for Led Zeppelin at Earl's Court as demand was so great. these days getting tickets for cream or oasis was virtually impossible, and diabolically expensive,  but wishbone ash was a doddle - so i'm pleased! niche interest bands are the most rewarding - at least i managed to see them!!

Edited by mystic fred - May 11 2006 at 11:38

If Prog was POP, I would probably listen POP.

I was born in the 60s, so I'm too young to really appreciate the supposed golden age of prog, but I can certainly recall punk, NWOBHM and the neo-prog bubble. The music industry has been in constant regression since the early 70s, trying to milk a handful of artists and sanitised sounds that have been carefully refined to appeal to a supposed lowest common demoninator. It's not just prog that the industry has tried to eradicate in its quest for the banal, but any semblance of original talent. It isn't working, and its the cause of the industry collapse that they are now facing. They can whine all they like about home taping killing music, and illegal downloads killing music, but the fact is that the greedy morons running the record companies are the ones killing their worthless mutated muzak. The sooner they do it, the better. Real music has always got by without them, even if it has been a struggle for the artists to get recognition, and as soon as the giant media conglomerates have given up on recorded music as unprofitable compared to their other interests, it'll be popular again - whether it be prog or any other great sounds.

Moatilliatta wrote: I like being one of few prog fans. I have a small group of friends who appreciate it too, so I can discuss intellectual music with them. If it were popular, I believe it would be less special.

Your right. I feel proud when someone ask me what music do I listen to and I say "I listen to progressive rock" and they make THE face (the WTF? one), but that's just me.