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JS19 
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 Topic: Why isn't prog popular?
Posted: January 21 2011 at 04:57 |
This seems like a simple question, but I think there's more to it than just: 'it's not catchy'.
Any thoughts?
Edited by JS19 - March 07 2011 at 13:00
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friso
Prog Reviewer
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Posted: January 21 2011 at 05:04 |
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well... I think it has never focussed itself on high status, sexual power and populism. It's intellectual characteristics make it look like it's 'not for all the people'. Furthermore the lyrics often aren't about ordinary life events. There simply is no money and no drive for a public strategy.
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JS19
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Posted: January 21 2011 at 06:07 |
I agree, It has always focused on the music, rather than the scene around it, or the charts. What I don't understand is although a lot of people enjoy music, they are equally interested in the whole 'being a part of the band' eg. hairstyles, clothes, political viewpoints', instead of just being in it for the music.
Isn't the whole point of music, the music, not just having the same skinny jeans that Billy Joe Armstrong has?
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yanch
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Posted: January 21 2011 at 06:18 |
^^Great points. I think the whole "skinny jeans" thing is a major factor-business and marketing. Since so much of the music industry is controlled or influenced by large companies, they want simple things to market. Prog bands are not into fashion trends, hair, jeans, etc. (for the most part). They're tough to market, so they are not nearly as visible and therefore not promoted the way main stream music is marketed.
Showing more of my cynical side-the general music-listening population, at least here in the states, doesn't want to think too hard about what they listen to. It's easier for them to go with the bands. performers who are very visible and show up in the various media on a regular basis. It's the whole-instant gratification thing.
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npjnpj
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Posted: January 21 2011 at 06:25 |
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Nerd Music
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Luna
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Posted: January 21 2011 at 06:33 |
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To be simple, people don't have the time to listen to long songs. People don't want to have to listen to an album ten times to understand it. And people don't want to hear thirty minute keyboard solos.
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JS19
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Posted: January 21 2011 at 06:47 |
 SolarLuna96 wrote:
To be simple, people don't have the time to listen to long songs. People don't want to have to listen to an album ten times to understand it. And people don't want to hear thirty minute keyboard solos.
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On the subject of 30 minute keyboard solos  , I think that stereotyping is also a major point here. Most of the people who know of it, but not about it, think that every song is overblown, pretentious and therefore standoffish and unapproachable. The only references in the media use only these stereotypes, usually in comedy, where the joke IS the stereotype (I distinctly remember several references to Yes and Genesis in Top Gear, which didn't exactly put it in a good light)
A lot of people have had no exposure to prog either, so don't know what to expect, but aren't brave enough to try something out of their comfort zone (understandable, I don't really venture outside mine either). Overall, progressive music hasn't had great press over the years, so it's the last genre people are going to try if they do want to listen to something new.
Edited by JS19 - January 21 2011 at 07:09
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Luna
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Posted: January 21 2011 at 06:59 |
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^ that last one was kind of a joke but another reason could be that these people have never heard prog in the first place, so they won't know wether they like prog or not. And sure maybe some people like Pink Floyd, but if they don't know what prog is and they want more music like Pink Floyd, then they catagorize them as...classic rock.
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Prog Geo
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Posted: January 21 2011 at 07:03 |
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Because prog rock/metal is strange music.Also people are a****les.
Edited by Prog Geo - January 21 2011 at 07:56
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Sonorous Meal show every Sunday at 20:00 (greek time) on http://www.justincaseradio.com
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Junges
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Posted: January 21 2011 at 07:11 |
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Because it is not a type of music easy to get into, because most people aren't interested in music at all and only hear what plays on the radio or what comes to them, because it is a very intimate, personal kind of music, which would probably be laughable played in public.
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Luna
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Posted: January 21 2011 at 07:17 |
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OP, you do know that your avatar is called "Hipster Kitty", right?
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zravkapt
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Posted: January 21 2011 at 07:36 |
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Prog was huge in the 1970s, and it's more popular now than it was in the 1980s.
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ExittheLemming
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Posted: January 21 2011 at 07:39 |
'Cos it ain't sexy and attempts to make it so would alienate it's consumers and just be plain vanilla creepy: An oiled up Robert Fripp stripped to the waist in sparkly disco pants is NOT a spectator sport. 
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Tapfret
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Posted: January 21 2011 at 08:09 |
ExittheLemming wrote:
'Cos it ain't sexy and attempts to make it so would alienate it's consumers and just be plain vanilla creepy:
An oiled up Robert Fripp stripped to the waist in sparkly disco pants is NOT a spectator sport.
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We won't know til we try.
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lazland
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Posted: January 21 2011 at 08:42 |
zravkapt wrote:
Prog was huge in the 1970s, and it's more popular now than it was in the 1980s. |
This, in spades. Yes, Led Zep, The Who (all of whom are on the site) were just about the biggest bands on the planet in the mid 1970's. Genesis as well, although some don't like their "popular" phase Prog is pretty big now. Porcupine tree & Dream Theater sell albums by the truckload. As do Opeth. Lots of others do pretty well also. Radiohead are hugely popular, as are Muse, both of whom have clear progressive leanings. It is no longer an item of mass culture, to be sure. That, of course, is a good thing.
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Formentera Lady
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Posted: January 21 2011 at 09:08 |
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Most people use music as a background sound. It disturbs them, if the music constantly changes in structure, dynamics or rhythm, or if you can't hum with the chorus (because there is maybe none).
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cacha71
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Posted: January 21 2011 at 09:09 |
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Not enough TV coverage. Most people learn about new music artists and releases from TV and Prog artists aren't in popular TV talent shows like "X Factor", "(Country) You've Got Talent", or on MTV. As mentioned by JS19 above, a lot more is being sold than just music by TV. TV has created a celebrity culture where far too much emphasis is on visual impact and being famous and not so much the actual music. Listening to Prog just isn't cool!
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http://www.last.fm/group/Progressive+Folk
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mmmreesescups
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Posted: January 21 2011 at 09:14 |
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People would rather tune into something simpler and easy to listen to. Also, the fact that more popular music I backed by marketing and lots and lots of money.
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JS19
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Posted: January 21 2011 at 09:40 |
lazland wrote:
zravkapt wrote:
Prog was huge in the 1970s, and it's more popular now than it was in the 1980s. |
This, in spades. Yes, Led Zep, The Who (all of whom are on the site) were just about the biggest bands on the planet in the mid 1970's. Genesis as well, although some don't like their "popular" phase
Prog is pretty big now. Porcupine tree & Dream Theater sell albums by the truckload. As do Opeth. Lots of others do pretty well also. Radiohead are hugely popular, as are Muse, both of whom have clear progressive leanings.
It is no longer an item of mass culture, to be sure. That, of course, is a good thing.
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These however seem to be the prog bands who have the most leanings towards mainstream music, and it's not as if they're 'the biggest bands on the planet'. The only band I can think of that fits into both categories is Rush, and they're 'the world biggest cult band', so still have yet to break the mainstream.
And about Muse: yes, but there is a large difference between the Prog-Related genre on PA, and the rest. As I once said when Muse were on Top Of The Pops a long time ago:
'Hang on, they've got dancing girls! .... Prog doesn't get dancing girls'
SolarLuna96 wrote:
OP, you do know that your avatar is called "Hipster Kitty", right?
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silverpot
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Posted: January 21 2011 at 10:24 |
zravkapt wrote:
Prog was huge in the 1970s, and it's more popular now than it was in the 1980s. |
Yep. It was actually about the only thing we listened to. We didn't know it was prog though. It was the Punks that gave this kind of music a bad reputation and "music" from these orcs killed peoples apetite for more complex music it seems. At least it has taken until now for it to recover. I think a forum like this shows that this kind of music is gathering momentum again.
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Why isn't prog popular?
