All-Time Top 10 Progressive Rock Bands

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Posted: December 11 2021 at 04:02

Okay, I just thought, it was a good offer. Smile

quality over quantity, and all kind of PopcoRn almost beyond

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Posted: December 11 2021 at 05:54

Psychedelic Paul wrote:

Cambus741 wrote:

Surprised to see Hawkwind not in the top 20.

Do people here not view them as prog? Or are they not especially liked by members?

Hawkwind are currently stranded on 28 points, so they're still a long way from making it into the Top 20.

Only two other PA members (Gentle and Giant and Enigmatic) have so far included Hawkwind in their Top 10.

To be honest I'm a tad surprised Focus don't make the top 20 either... [Curved Air also in my top 10 I wouldn't have expected to be in the top 20.]

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Posted: December 11 2021 at 06:23

Progishness wrote:

Psychedelic Paul wrote:

Cambus741 wrote:

Surprised to see Hawkwind not in the top 20.

Do people here not view them as prog? Or are they not especially liked by members?

Hawkwind are currently stranded on 28 points, so they're still a long way from making it into the Top 20.

Only two other PA members (Gentle and Giant and Enigmatic) have so far included Hawkwind in their Top 10.

To be honest I'm a tad surprised Focus don't make the top 20 either... [Curved Air also in my top 10 I wouldn't have expected to be in the top 20.]

Both bands still have a long way to go to make it into the Top 20: Curved Air are currently on 16 points and Focus have 27 points. Confused

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Posted: December 11 2021 at 06:38

I don’t think I have done this, and as it’s tipping it down here, and Mrs Wife isn’t ready to go shopping yet, here goes:

1. Marillion

2. Genesis

3. Edison’s Children

4. Pendragon

5. Mostly Autumn

6. Big Big Train

7. Yes

8. King Crimson

9. Camel

10. IQ

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Posted: December 11 2021 at 07:12

My wife divorced me years ago and her favorite band were Smokie

1 - ELP

2 - King Crimson

3 - Gentle Giant

4 - VDGG

5 - Genesis

6 - Atomic Rooster

7 - UK

8 - the Nice

9 - PFM

10 - Maxophone (on the basis of 1 album, yep)

Edited by ExittheLemming - December 11 2021 at 14:56

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Posted: December 11 2021 at 07:13

I don't know, guys, what your suprises are based on. Wink

Edited by David_D - December 11 2021 at 07:13

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Posted: December 11 2021 at 07:29

ExittheLemming wrote:

1 - ELP

...

9 - PFM

10 - Maxophone (on the basis of 1 album, yep)

I salute and second you, I'm an absolute Maxophone fan... for me, they're kind of related, but I'm a great fan of Chocolate Kings too, though I like all of PFM's.

I concur with the ordering too with regards to PFM.

I believe the tail of my list remained:

...

9.- Gong

10.- PFM

11.- Maxophone

When thinking of 'best of all time' maybe I'd consider putting GG before.. (on account of number of albums, importance, etc.) but in terms of 'favorite' I sure would put them first.

Edited by Machinemessiah - December 12 2021 at 08:10

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Posted: December 11 2021 at 07:44

David_D wrote:

I don't know, guys, what your suprises are based on. Wink

Probably their tastes? I'm not surprised a prog-metal or fusion band made the top twenty. Tongue

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Posted: December 11 2021 at 08:14

Top 20 update with Exit the Lemming & Lazland's votes added:-

1. Genesis (774 points)

2. Yes (671 points)

3. Pink Floyd (642 points)

4. King Crimson (627 points)

5. Rush (349 points)

6. Emerson, Lake & Palmer (302 points)

7. Gentle Giant (248 points)

8. Van der Graaf Generator (244 points)

9. Marillion (226 points)

10. Jethro Tull (222 points)

11. Camel (140 points)

12. IQ (121 points)

13. Soft Machine (102 points)

14. Porcupine Tree (97 points)

15. Renaissance (95 points)

16. Magma (85 points)

17. Can (66 points)

18. Spock's Beard (65 points)

19. Cardiacs (60 points)

20. Henry Cow (56 points)

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Posted: December 12 2021 at 04:08

Cambus741 wrote:

Surprised to see Hawkwind not in the top 20.

Do people here not view them as prog? Or are they not especially liked by members?

In general based on sales I think the top 10 prog bands is something like

1. Pink Floyd

2. Genesis

3. Yes

4. Jethro Tull

5. Rush

6. ELP

7. King Crimson

8. Camel

9. Hawkwind

X. Marillion

(possibly Procal Harum may scrape in)

I know Hawkwind definitely get in somewhere.

I think you've answered your own question on both accounts. Personally I love the Quark, Strangeness and Charm album but its not enough on its own. They were an oddity and like a few other bands in the seventies were more enjoyed and appreciated as a live experience I suspect.

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Posted: December 12 2021 at 04:59

richardh wrote:

Cambus741 wrote:

Surprised to see Hawkwind not in the top 20.

Do people here not view them as prog? Or are they not especially liked by members?

In general based on sales I think the top 10 prog bands is something like

.....

9. Hawkwind

.....

I know Hawkwind definitely get in somewhere.

That may be so, but on the other hand, I can tell that on the top 100 all-time albums list, I made in 2019, and based on all the ratings on RYM and PA, and only including 1 album per band, Hawkwind is with Space Ritual on 48th place - that is while I didn't include some very high rated and one or another kind of "progressive" Metal bands.

It may be so that Hawkwind is a very popular band but not quite as much among Prog aficionados. I can tell about myself that I'm fond of In Search of Space.

The top 100 list, I've made, can be seen here
http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=127673

Edited by David_D - December 12 2021 at 10:37

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Posted: December 12 2021 at 07:06

I guess one cannot argue with sales figures, but I'm genuinely surprised to see artists such as Hawkwind, Camel and King Crimson above Marillion in terms of sales.

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Posted: December 12 2021 at 07:41

Cambus741 wrote:

I guess one cannot argue with sales figures, but I'm genuinely surprised to see artists such as Hawkwind, Camel and King Crimson above Marillion in terms of sales.

On the list I've made the situation is:

King Crimson - 2nd place

Camel - 16th place

Marillion - 29th place

so, I'm not suprised concerning KC and Camel, unless you're counting with how many albums each of those bands have released - which I disregard here. Smile

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Posted: December 12 2021 at 07:56

Cambus741 wrote:

I guess one cannot argue with sales figures, but I'm genuinely surprised to see artists such as Hawkwind, Camel and King Crimson above Marillion in terms of sales.

An interesting post, and I would love to know the answer.

From a personal perspective, I will have a go.

Crimson were huge when they started, and were still shifting big numbers until Fripp called a halt after Red. When the band were resurrected with Discipline, the numbers were not so big in Britain, but I think they still sold well worldwide, especially in America, so in terms of sales, definitely ahead of Marillion.

Hawkwind were very popular in the 70’s especially, with a fan base which crossed over the psych and metal communities. At their peak, millions will have been sold.

Camel were, if not in the Top Four of the Premier League, then definitely a mid-table band, and we should not forget that album sales in the 60’s and 70’s were markedly greater than since the 90’s. Marillion shifted huge numbers after Fugazi and to Clutching At Straws. They were dropped by EMI after Afraid of Sunlight, and thereafter whilst not exactly a “cottage industry” relied strongly on us lot pre-ordering albums and supporting them live. They have charted fairly well for the last couple of albums, but the number of sales required to get the chart position is huge,y lower than it used to be.

If somebody has the actual sales figures for all four, that really would be useful.

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Posted: December 12 2021 at 09:38

Cambus741 wrote:

I guess one cannot argue with sales figures, but I'm genuinely surprised to see artists such as Hawkwind, Camel and King Crimson above Marillion in terms of sales.

Sorry, for apparently misunderstanding your point. Smile

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Posted: December 12 2021 at 10:03

Hi there.
TBH I wasn't looking to make any point.
I was just expressing that I would have expected Hawkwind to appear in the top 20 at least. And I would have expected Marillion to have outsold bands such as King Crimson and Camel. No point intended. If anything this underlines how incorrect my perceptions have turned out to be.

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