Prog Pop - an oxymoron?

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?

The Miracle wrote: Yeah.... But first explain what pop is... pop as in any relatively accessible melodic music suit for radio and mainstream sales, then sure, there's plenty of prog that's quite popular with the masses... Dredg, Muse, Radiohead for example- great proggy stuff that's quite popular outside of prog circles.

hell yeah.. .and throw Yes and ELP into that as well  

The Miracle wrote: Yeah.... But first explain what pop is... pop as in any relatively accessible melodic music suit for radio and mainstream sales, then sure, there's plenty of prog that's quite popular with the masses... Dredg, Muse, Radiohead for example- great proggy stuff that's quite popular outside of prog circles.

Edited by Time Signature - September 14 2007 at 18:02

Pop has a totally different direction than Prog Rock, and most important, another intention behind the music, so for me "Prog Pop" doesn't exists, what does exists is well done Pop and quality Pop/Rock, so there's no need to bring the "prog" word to describe that kind of music, that would only end up confusing more people about what's Prog about, IMO.

Progressive Pop = ACT ( or would you describe tham as prog AOR??)

TheProgtologist wrote: fandango wrote: Progressive Pop = ACT ( or would you describe tham as prog AOR??)   When someone says Prog Pop......A.C.T. is the first band that springs to my mind.

there are some other electronic styles that are called progressive, lke progressive house and progressive trance (as described on All Music Guide). just to let you know that prog is not confined to our beloved prog-rock

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.

Ghost Rider wrote: What's wrong with songs about sex? Seriously, I am another who believes that Prog-pop is NOT an oxymoron. Pop shouldn't necessarily be a four-letter word - there is excellent, well-crafted, clever pop music, and there is awful chart fodder, just as there are prog masterpieces and almost unlistenable, boring, derivative prog albums.

Nothing at all, especially Prince's salacious ditties. I consider him to be the AC/DC of pop, although he also has deep songs and inventive compositions (as an AC/DC fan it pains me to take points away, but facts are facts)

I don't think it's an oxymoron, but to me it isn't a new subgenre. Prog Pop happens when the general listening public catches up with a prog artist and puts their song and/or album on the pop charts. Genesis, Yes, ELP, Kansas, Styx, ELO, and even Flash have all been on the Billboard pop chart at some point.