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What are the most accessible prog rock albums?
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SteveG View Drop Down
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Rick Wakeman said "Sorry Radiohead, you're prog."
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Originally posted by SteveG SteveG wrote:

Rick Wakeman said "Sorry Radiohead, you're prog."

He did?
I agree with him. Big smileLOL
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^^^ Meh! What does Wakeman know about prog..?
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I would say any prog that focuses mostly on shorter "typical" kinds of songs would be the first ones that should be mentioned. So that would mean a lot of crossover prog and neo prog. 
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Originally posted by TheLionOfPrague TheLionOfPrague wrote:

Supertramp, Alan Parsons, Moody Blues, ELO and Kansas if they count as prog. I'd say Leftoverture is definitely a prog album and is accesible. 

The Wall is very accesible, more accesible than Dark Side that isn't as accesible as sometimes considered, Money aside. Although some would argue The Wall isn't prog. 

The Yes Album and Fragile are pretty accesible. Trilogy (ELP) is pretty accesible. Selling England by the Pound is also pretty accesible. Aqualung too. ITCOTCK and Red are accesible if you leave out Moonchild and Providence. Logically there's a high correlation between accesiblity and commercial success LOL. 

And yeah, neo-prog is pretty accesible alghough it wasn't very commercially succesfull aside from Marillion. 


Quite accurate. Thumbs Up
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Originally posted by SteveG SteveG wrote:

Rick Wakeman said "Sorry Radiohead, you're prog."
When exactly did he say this? LOL
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Originally posted by A Crimson Mellotron A Crimson Mellotron wrote:

Originally posted by SteveG SteveG wrote:


Rick Wakeman said "Sorry Radiohead, you're prog."
When exactly did he say this? LOL


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^Thanks, here's the quote:
"He added: "I know Radiohead say they aren't prog but, sorry chaps, you are, and it's brilliant."
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I always remember a magazine article where Radiohead where compared to Yes, Genesis and Pink Floyd. It was obvious they were prog as soon as Paranoid Android landed.
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Originally posted by richardh richardh wrote:

I always remember a magazine article where Radiohead where compared to Yes, Genesis and Pink Floyd. It was obvious they were prog as soon as Paranoid Android landed.

Funny, because Radio Head always sounded like a 90's alt rock band vs prog to me.

I wouldn't classify something like Creep as progressive rock.

I certainly don't hear Yes or KC in their music, nor it's influence.

I also admittedly don't listen to much OF them; what I've heard, sounds like 90's rock to me.

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Originally posted by Frenetic Zetetic Frenetic Zetetic wrote:

Originally posted by richardh richardh wrote:

I always remember a magazine article where Radiohead where compared to Yes, Genesis and Pink Floyd. It was obvious they were prog as soon as Paranoid Android landed.

Funny, because Radio Head always sounded like a 90's alt rock band vs prog to me.

I wouldn't classify something like Creep as progressive rock.

I certainly don't hear Yes or KC in their music, nor it's influence.

I also admittedly don't listen to much OF them; what I've heard, sounds like 90's rock to me.

If you are talking about The Bends then I agree but they took a massive leap with OK Computer. The KC influence in Paranoid Android is obvious to me. Airbag as well. There is a touch of Floyd in Karma Police to me as well.
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Originally posted by Frenetic Zetetic Frenetic Zetetic wrote:

Originally posted by richardh richardh wrote:

I always remember a magazine article where Radiohead where compared to Yes, Genesis and Pink Floyd. It was obvious they were prog as soon as Paranoid Android landed.

Funny, because Radio Head always sounded like a 90's alt rock band vs prog to me.

I wouldn't classify something like Creep as progressive rock.

I certainly don't hear Yes or KC in their music, nor it's influence.

I also admittedly don't listen to much OF them; what I've heard, sounds like 90's rock to me.
Nobody classifies something like Creep as progressive rock. But that's like saying you don't hear what's so progressive about Genesis based on a song from their debut album like... In Hiding or Am I Very Wrong? Radiohead has progressed as a band their whole career, and somehow managed to stay popular whether incorpoating pendereckian strings, prog, space rock, motoric, kraut, IDM, EDM etc... in their alternative rock
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Funny how it has turned into a Radiohead thread.

I don't really know if they classify as prog or not, but who cares? A lot of people apparently...

If I had to use a label myself, I would probably choose art rock as the first one, and since I am a big art rock fan first of all, I of course dig Radiohead. I love how they combine relatively melodic music with sonic experimentation and avant-garde.

There is also clear inspiration from bands like Can, f.e. on an album like Kid A.
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Anything by Supertramp (Especially Breakfast in America) and Duke + "...And Then There Were Three.." By Genesis
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Points: 19740 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sean Trane Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 27 2021 at 13:24
I'd say Supertramp, Floyd and maybe Camel & Eloy.
Renaissance & Marillion as well

However, going for Alan Parsons, Moody Blues, ELO, i wouldn't use them as a first approach if you want to introduce them to "prog" (cos they aren't really)... But for preparing the grounds to an introduction, to see if they might find something into that proggy direction... yes, they might be indicated
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Originally posted by richardh richardh wrote:

Originally posted by Frenetic Zetetic Frenetic Zetetic wrote:

Originally posted by richardh richardh wrote:

I always remember a magazine article where Radiohead where compared to Yes, Genesis and Pink Floyd. It was obvious they were prog as soon as Paranoid Android landed.

Funny, because Radio Head always sounded like a 90's alt rock band vs prog to me.

I wouldn't classify something like Creep as progressive rock.

I certainly don't hear Yes or KC in their music, nor it's influence.

I also admittedly don't listen to much OF them; what I've heard, sounds like 90's rock to me.

If you are talking about The Bends then I agree but they took a massive leap with OK Computer. The KC influence in Paranoid Android is obvious to me. Airbag as well. There is a touch of Floyd in Karma Police to me as well.

Got it! I'll have to take some time and delve a tad deeper.

Originally posted by Saperlipopette! Saperlipopette! wrote:

Originally posted by Frenetic Zetetic Frenetic Zetetic wrote:

Originally posted by richardh richardh wrote:

I always remember a magazine article where Radiohead where compared to Yes, Genesis and Pink Floyd. It was obvious they were prog as soon as Paranoid Android landed.

Funny, because Radio Head always sounded like a 90's alt rock band vs prog to me.

I wouldn't classify something like Creep as progressive rock.

I certainly don't hear Yes or KC in their music, nor it's influence.

I also admittedly don't listen to much OF them; what I've heard, sounds like 90's rock to me.
Nobody classifies something like Creep as progressive rock. But that's like saying you don't hear what's so progressive about Genesis based on a song from their debut album like... In Hiding or Am I Very Wrong? Radiohead has progressed as a band their whole career, and somehow managed to stay popular whether incorpoating pendereckian strings, prog, space rock, motoric, kraut, IDM, EDM etc... in their alternative rock


I agree completely, hence me being eager to admit I have no idea what I'm talking about regarding Radio Head Cool.

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Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

Interesting question. 
IQ - Ever

Wow!  I'm a huge fan, but Ever is accessible?!  Surely Are You Sitting Comfortably? would be more suitable as a nomination here?.....

Season's End and Holidays In Eden by Marillion maybe
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I will die on this hill, Egg. They run the gamut in terms of what to expect from Progressive Rock and are a good starting point. On the flip side never use something “sh*tty” like Stubbs (some unoriginal band I love and show people all the time despite always getting VERY negative reactions)
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I always thought that Duke by Genesis was the perfect balance between prog and pop. For me, that is the probably the most accessible prog rock album. The album that preceded Duke, ...And Then There Were Three..., is also very accessible.

The two IQ albums with Paul Menel on vocals, Nomzamo and Are You Sitting Comfortably?, are accessible while still retaining IQ's progressive disposition. While I prefer everything that the band has done before and after those albums, they're still great.

Hounds of Love by Kate Bush, like Duke, is another album that encapsulates prog and pop all in one beautiful album.

Almost any album from Marillion could be included in this, as I've always seen them as having a pop element to their sound, from as early as the Fish days till now. The album that I chose for this discussion is Holidays In Eden, because I truly find it to be their most accessible album while still having progressive qualities. It's far from my favorite album from the band, but that doesn't diminish from its undeniable accessibility.

Almost any album from Peter Gabriel could also be included in this. It makes the most sense for me to go with his most critically acclaimed album, So.


Edited by Magog2112 - July 30 2023 at 07:27
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Originally posted by essexboyinwales essexboyinwales wrote:

Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

Interesting question. 
IQ - Ever

Wow!  I'm a huge fan, but Ever is accessible?!  Surely Are You Sitting Comfortably? would be more suitable as a nomination here?.....

Season's End and Holidays In Eden by Marillion maybe


Ever is super accessible as far as prog goes. In the very same genre you've got stuff like, I dunno, Eskaton - 4 Visions or Sax Ruins - Yawiquo.
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