Most important band in building prog - Progressive Rock Music Forum

The Beatles were very influential and therefore they may be regarded as founders of proto-prog, but Procol Harum and the Nice were the first bands to develop the music which was to be called 'prog' in the next years (the symphonic branch), so I vote for Procol Harum.

From this list The Beatles - but I think it is more a matter for a general discussion than a poll with a limited number of choices

yet you still have time!

Led Zeppelin since their first album , and , without Keyboard , has more than satisfying progressive materials than all the other bands listed above /////

Tracking Tracks of Rock

Out of this list it's not really close. If you add Zappa and then you have a case.

In my honest opinion the Beatles already were recording Progressive Rock with songs like "Strawberry Fields Forever", "A Day in the Life" and "Within You Without You" all recorded before Procol Harum. The Beatles were to varied to be classed as one genre. Some that are Proto-Prog IMO the early Art-Rock of "Tomorrow Never Knows" , "Eleanor Rigby" and "Love You To" off Revolver.

Strawberry Fields Forever" is at least Proto-Prog. With its use of mellotron, Indian scales and two separate versions of one song into one. Strawberry Fields Forever" uses diminished chords that are common with jazz music. It changes time signatures often 4/4, 6/8, 3/4, 2/4. Hardly simple stuff. It helped pioneer Progressive Rock.

"Happiness Is A Warm Gun" for example include a Balkan rhythm and a polyrhythm in different sections. Were they influenced by jazz?

"A Day in the Life", "I am the Walrus", "Within You, Without You", Strawberry Fields"... not really blues tunes, They were able to draw from diverse sources, like Indian classical music "Within You" uses a raga-like form that contains both major and minor thirds in different octaves, kind of a combination of mixolydian and Dorian modalities. Lennon used forms similar to Tibetan chants.

They were a big influence on King Crimson, Yes, early Pink Floyd and had some influence on Procol Harum. Like it or not they were the most popular band in the world and that matters a lot.

Edited by ModernRocker79 - November 24 2008 at 14:05

Also I would think the Moody Blues were a big influence. Not so much the Moody Blues, but I believe Mike Pinder is who showed the mellotron to the Beatles. And of course Days of Future Passed.

The Mothers of Invention. Their Freak Out is what inspired the Beatles to go experimental.

"The past is not some static being, it is not a previous present, nor a present that has passed away; the past has its own dynamic being which is constantly renewed and renewing." - Claire Colebrook

And what about the Left Banke?

Lav wrote:

I will always consider The Beatles as british invasion and that's about it, but when it comes to prog, Procol Harum pull the trigger.

The Beatles WERE a British Invasion group. But listen to Abbey Road and Sgt. Pepper, and then you'll say that they were a british invasion group, who eventually made prog./////

Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime

for sheer size and talent

it's gotta be the Beatles

For me - cause it's all personal

it's Pink Floyd Animals era because I was 5 when I heard it and loved it

I remember my uncle going away west on his bike to see Floyd in Cleveland that year

we weren't that far away in southern Western NY

ya gotta add Aqualung to that because he was playing that all the time then too

none on the list for building prog, I'd say the Nice --> ELP, early Yes & Genesis, Egg, Soft Machine, a few others

Poll Question: Which band on the list was the most important in building prog?
Poll Choice	Votes	Poll Statistics
The Beatles	48	[60.00%]
The Who	4	[5.00%]
Iron Butterfly	1	[1.25%]
The Doors	3	[3.75%]
Deep Purple	5	[6.25%]
The Arthur Brown Band	2	[2.50%]
Procol Harum	13	[16.25%]
Led Zeppelin	4	[5.00%]
This topic is closed, no new votes accepted

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