Prog Pop - an oxymoron? - Progressive Rock Music Forum

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KeleCableII View Drop Down

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Posted: September 14 2007 at 17:59

I consider Frost* and Spock's Beard to be prog pop.

efoman

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Posted: September 14 2007 at 18:15

1800iareyay wrote:

I'll probably get laughed right off the forums for saying this, but I'd consider Prince as such an artist. He is the most creative and innovative pop artist since the Beatles. He fluidly combined jazz, soul, rock, blues, and pop into songs that were accessible yet challenging and unique. Also, his lyrics far exceed the vast majority of those in the pop (and even prog) field. While he had his fair share of songs on sex, he tackled issues like AIDS, spirituality, war, the threat of nuclear holocaust, the damaging effects of drugs, and a host of serious topics. He also changed his name to a symbol, and a symbo he invented at that. Even ELP never got that pretentious. I'm not suggesting him for inclusion or anything (though I'd support it if it ever came to pass in an alternate universe), but I find his music more creative than a good deal of prog I've listened to. Just my two cents.

I'm not laughing. I agree 100%. Also, am I the ONLY person on here who thinks Jane Siberry is progressive? Because if I am, I'm the only one who is right.

micky

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Posted: September 14 2007 at 18:22

great post... .and probably a prime example that music can be high quality, virtuositic, pretentious, overblown, full of many influences... yet still not be prog.

the trick is... you have to be a huge talent like Prince to do that ^ ... and still be considered Pop.

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Atavachron View Drop Down

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Posted: September 14 2007 at 18:28

he's also a bitchin' guitar player with one of the best rock tones in music

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Posted: September 14 2007 at 18:34

Atavachron wrote:

he's also a bitchin' guitar player with one of the best rock tones in music

damn right... with the coolest guitar to go with that tone hahahhah

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Easy Money View Drop Down

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Posted: September 14 2007 at 18:49

There is no doubt that Prince is into prog-rock, the elements show up in his music often.

BaldFriede View Drop Down

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Posted: September 14 2007 at 18:54

Time Signature wrote:

Is the concept "progressive pop" completely inconceivable, or are there pop albums/songs out there that you'r consider progressive in some sense or another?

As an oxymoron it is conceivable. An oxymoron is a certain figure of speech combining two seemingly opposing concepts into a new one. Examples are "bittersweet", "deafening silence" or "open secret". A very modern oxymoron is "virtual reality", by the way.

Edited by BaldFriede - September 15 2007 at 00:46

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ProgBagel

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Posted: September 14 2007 at 18:57

kansas.

Garion81

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Posted: September 14 2007 at 19:00

ProgBagel wrote:

kansas.

Kansas has very few elements of pop. That isn't to say 1-2 of their songs might fall into the pop category. Spiraling would be my idea of Pop-prog band.

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Posted: September 14 2007 at 19:03

Garion81 wrote:

ProgBagel wrote:

kansas.

Spiraling would be my idea of Pop-prog band.

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rushfan4

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Posted: September 14 2007 at 19:24

BaldFriede wrote:

Time Signature wrote:

Is the concept "progressive pop" completely inconceivable, or are there pop albums/songs out there that you'r consider progressive in some sense or another?

You might have forgotten the most obvious oxymoron. "Military Intelligence - two words combined that don't make sense" - Megadeth. Or of course Jumbo Shrimp.

Edited by rushfan4 - September 14 2007 at 19:24

Slartibartfast View Drop Down

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Posted: September 14 2007 at 20:18

Easy Money wrote:

There is no doubt that Prince is into prog-rock, the elements show up in his music often.

Yeah, the only album I have in my collection is Musicology, but I definitely noticed prog elements there. That's one of the reasons I keep it in my collection. Plus it was a freebie at the live simulcast.

Edited by Slartibartfast - September 14 2007 at 20:20

Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...

1800iareyay View Drop Down

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Posted: September 14 2007 at 20:20

Sign O The Times is the most proggy album I have by him. It mixes funk, dance, blues, rock, and he adds soul to the equation for his best album. It also has his best songwriting.

Slartibartfast View Drop Down

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Posted: September 14 2007 at 20:28

1800iareyay wrote:

Sign O The Times is the most proggy album I have by him. It mixes funk, dance, blues, rock, and he adds soul to the equation for his best album. It also has his best songwriting.

Thanks for the tip.

My wife took me to the concert and I wen't with open mind. We don't have a lot of overlap in musical tastes, so it's good to have a few things that do.

Edited by Slartibartfast - September 14 2007 at 20:30

Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...

Dean

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Posted: September 14 2007 at 22:16

Combining two random words to define a genre leads to two obvious interpretations, so for Prog-Pop you could be talking about:

a Prog band that has produced mainstream pop songs; (we all know who they are)

a Pop band that has progressive tendancies; (aka Prog-Related)

However, there is a third interpretation where the music is a natural fusion of the two and therefore it does not sit comfortably in either camp. Prince is a fine example of that - no one could accuse him of being a mainstream Pop artist anymore and he certainly isn't Prog. Those 'difficult' artists like XTC, Sparks and David Bowie (to name three that have been mentioned recently) also fall into this category.

What?

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Posted: September 14 2007 at 23:42

I think it's an easily-applied term. Electric Light Orchestra, post-70s Alan Parsons, Asia, Breakfast In America-onward Supertramp, and even some Moody Blues, easily make the cut. Lots of pop sounds,etc. with progressive "elements"

terrylity

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Posted: September 15 2007 at 02:21

I believe Ive seen this sort of discussion here before, and yes i do think prog-pop does exist.

To say Prog-pop is an oxymoron means you believe prog (a sub-genre of rock music, which is a genre of popular music in general) is not pop, or even to the degree that prog is on the opposite of pop.

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Time Signature View Drop Down

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Posted: September 15 2007 at 04:37

BaldFriede wrote:

Time Signature wrote:

Is the concept "progressive pop" completely inconceivable, or are there pop albums/songs out there that you'r consider progressive in some sense or another?

I used 'oxymoron' in the title to imply the notion of pop and prog being opposites.

MikeEnRegalia View Drop Down

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Posted: September 15 2007 at 04:39

"seemingly opposing" ... I agree with that.

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Philéas

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Posted: September 15 2007 at 11:13

The T wrote:

progressive in itself has NO musical meaning.. it only acquires it when next to the word ROCK or any other... So no, prog Pop is not an oxymoron.. anything can be progressive...remember, progresive = good FALSE....