King Crimson

Prog was born in 1969 with In The Court of The Crimson King.

and died in 1979???

Agreed? O Disagreed? 

Give your Opinion. 

 in your opinion! what is the best prog band ever? and why? 

Hi,

Agreed ... not to mention that these days, too much of the stuff is almost copy copy, and not the original content that we got way back when, as there was no controls on the American FM radio band that helped us discover a lot of different work from a lot of places.

Nowadays, we can find a lot of different work from many places, but sadly, a lot of them rely on sounds and ideas that are "recognizable" for them to be "accepted" and appreciated. This was not the case 50 years ago, when some folks objected to the different and wild new music, but it was obvious that it was the new path forward ... 

Finding a new path today, to compare to what happened some 50 years ago, would require a complete social/philosophical and everything else you can think of totally different than what you hear today ... and that's not to say that today's music is not good, but in some ways, it is not even close to comparable to a lot of the important ones from 50 years ago, specially in how folks related to it ... today, even a "different" band is not exactly appreciated as much as it should.

I'm not sure it can as long as the instruments are the same and the music designs are the same.

 Well, I see the Nice, Floyd, The Moodies Blues, Traffic, Zappa had debut albums in 1967!, however was that prog? in my humble opinion I don't think so!! that was a mix o psychedelia music, avant garde , fusion? acid rock? O whatever it was called?.

Crimson made the first real prog rock album with all the correct ingredients. 

 Zappa was a bit of everything and I adore all his music genius! however, he did not have the very first prog album. Lumpy Gravy was  too Avant garde or too Orchestral and sometimes even free jazz? fantastic album don't get me wrong a work of art but NO!. that was not a prog ROCK album!!! 

 That is the Point!!!! 

the question is very simple!!!! like ABC!!!

 Agreed!!! Prog rock died in 1979!!!

Nothing New came out after that!!!
Prog-Metal was born in the 80's with voivod and Fate warning!

After that then we got in the meddleof the 80's Death Technical Prog Metal. 

Then funeral came!!!

There is nothing else new!! but the same!!! We got tons of bands mixing old school prog with old school prog metal. 

Gentle Giant

Yes

Not for the lack of trying.  They've  had a lot of imitators. 

Prog rock died in 1979!!!

Nothing New came out after that!!!

Naw. You just decided to change the definition of the term "progressive"!

Hi,

Not quite correct.

What happened that made it look like it had died was that almost all FM Radio Stations had been bought by Corporate Structures, by 1980, and this took away a precious bunch of new sounds. It looks like it "died", but how could it have died, if it is still alive and well, and selling? AND, above all ... REMEMBERED.

That FM radio dial provided massive sales to a lot of bands, that kinda went off the air at that moment, and generally, when you can't hear things, they tend to appear to be gone. 

Prog Rock never died ... it's the audience that meekly didn't care, and allowed the FCC to change the rules in America, so the corporate standard could be maintained and would control things for a long time to come. BUT, remember, the FCC is made up of many of these corporate folks now ... and they do what they want, and have for 40 years. One rule that really hurt was when a huge corporate entity was allowed to own more than several stations in one place ... all of a sudden you (really!!!) had the same music in all of the stations, even though it would be classic in one and quasi classic (or classic 2) in the other!

The ARTS never die my friend ... we just fail to look at them, because the advertising takes your eyes away! Don't EVER forget that!

Hi,

I kinda think this is unfair ... because of the sound of the keyboards and their "largeness" ... within a group. 

What really hurt if that we could not distinguish between various different things ... like comparing Le Orme to ELP is the same thing as saying ... you're not listening! Or worse, comparing Banco and PFM to ELP simply because KE appreciated them and their sound for their record label! Didn't get very far, but it helped them a lot, although the English/American versions of Banco are not half as exciting as the originals. Same for PFM and Le Orme.

If all one takes into consideration is the "SOUND", then yeah, it might be similar, but the music design and talent behind it, was totally different.

Though in my estimation, not managed effectively while an emerging band, if judging by the music itself, they are the best. I can't think of many other bands, who despite disbanding way back in 1981, still has a worldwide community of fans and listeners...

I was not even thinking of the RPI bands that were influenced by Keith Emerson, but bands that sounded almost clone like, like Quill, Trespass, Trilogy to name a few. 

You surely are quick to judge and dismiss. What I said is not controversial in any way. 

What about them? Did they have imitators?  They did. 

Your right. Most of the time the "Best Band" title is given based on personal taste, on on music quality or other factors. 

There are many great bands that could take named "The Best Band Ever." This is very subjective, as you said, and will draw many different opinions.

Regarding King Crimson, many people will think they are the best band, others won't, but they are certainly one of those bands that have pushed the envelope of progressive music, and deserve to be considered as such.

A perfect list...

So if you remove the 2024, your question has been asked a gazillion times. Do you mean bands still active in 2024?? Or as of now which do we think regardless if they are active or not??

Catcher10 wrote: Torman Maxt......(some will get this)

That's a throwback for sure.

True dat...

However ELP will always be the band for me and Keith Emerson the greatest but they were done by 1977.

In modern times few bands evoke the spirit of progressive rock and connect to younger fans better than Muse. Matt Bellamy is an incredible musician. I'm going to 'Candlelight Muse' in Plymouth in July where a string quartet are going to be playing their music. That's prog!

In terms of having achieved manistream success, Pink Floyd.

In terms of sheer inspiration but concentrated over a short period of time, ELP.

And among the post-70s ones, IQ are consolidating an impressive long and fruitful career.

2. Arena

3. Jethro Tull

4. Yes

5.Rush 

AFlowerKingCrimson wrote: So no prog at all before ITCOTCK? Really?

Of course (in retrospect)  there are plenty of albums considered Progressive Rock released before King Crimson's debut. But I do think that what "we" normally think of as classic Prog Rock was calcified with ITCOTCK. By that I don't mean that it came out of nowhere. Nothing ever does. But the albumopener, Epitaph and the titletrack introduced something relatively new in rock that was heard, seen and that inspired countless bands (including Yes, Genesis, ELP, Gentle Giant, VdGG...).

I too think that prog is born before ITCOTCK.  

King Crimson 

YES

Genesis

Just the way it is.

That swingin Fox really butters my bread man.

Saperlipopette! wrote: I do think that what "we" normally think of as classic Prog Rock was calcified with ITCOTCK.

...that's exactly what I mean by it. Compared to KC's debut, that The Nice album was a dead end. It's not the sound of what Prog Rock was to become. In the Court... is.

So what are the correct ingredients?! 

I don't think that's who it is. He might be on here somewhere but not here (imo). 

The most badass video I've ever seen of ELP, thank you!

I hear you for sure, but.... the rawness that is so strongly felt in early prog and psychedelic rock does not exist after the 70's, sadly. It's hard (if not impossible) to fake that authenticity and the overproduction of modern music is not only an insult to what music is supposed to be but also to my sensibilities and every other music lovers sensibilities. It's almost like the greed of the 80's seeped into our collective soul or psyche or whatever and destroyed us from the inside out... making 99% of us incapable of creating or appreciating art

So everyone who likes music you don't is not a music lover, or else their sensibilities would be just as upset as yours?

Any arbitrary cut off and claim of 'purity' / 'authenticity' will be flawed, it's not like Jan 1, 1980 rolled around (or any date for that matter) and a global switch was flipped that changed how everyone produced music. Trends come and go, some we like, some we don't, but music lovers the world over enjoy things that you don't and don't enjoy things that you do. Learning to appreciate different things in music makes you more of a music lover, imo, not less of one.

"The rawness that is so strongly felt in early prog and psychedelic rock does not exist after the 70's, sadly. It's hard (if not impossible) to fake that authenticity and the overproduction of modern music is not only an insult to what music is supposed to be but also to my sensibilities and every other music lovers sensibilities. It's almost like the greed of the 80's seeped into our collective soul or psyche or whatever and destroyed us from the inside out."

This is a brilliant statement. I agree 80%.   There are some RAW straight-out bands scattered about though. 

You make very good points and I know that my opinion on music is a very biased and unpopular. To be fair, I don't think it was a "flip of a switch" per se, but more of a slow gradual loss of true artistry in music leading up to the 80's. I have some wacky theories....... Some involving David Riesman, some quite a bit more whimsical but I think to deny that there is less of an interest in true musicianship or music in general today is a bit out of touch though. Which is precisely where I find the lack of authenticity and purity. Of course you and I will never hear the same album exactly alike, I may be hearing things you are not!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke0jXlgIpxk

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