More significant to Prog, Magma or Kansas?

Kansas and Magma are two bands that I often have seen listed as the big ten or so Prog bands, which likely could take into account things such as its influence on other Prog bands/ movements, popularity in Prog circles, knownness, its innovation, progressiveness, groundbreaking qualities, perhaps its fidelity to progressive rock, perhaps its general contributions to progressive rock over the years as well as its early influence on other bands and the public....

Both bands have had long careers, with a comparable number of studio albums (Magma has many more live releases). Both released their first album in the first half of the 70s and released an album in the 2020s. Magma's first, a double-album, was in 1970, Kansas came later at 1974, which is significantly later for the classic Prog years, but one might take into account the state of Prog in the US in the early 70s compared to France and Europe). Magma is much less known generally, but inspired the Zeuhl movement in Prog circles, which has its own category at our site. Kansas is often considered to be an especially important band in American Prog circles (sometimes called Pomp Prog), but it often is linked more to AOR than Prog with the general public... Magma had its much reviled Merci in the mid 80s, Kansas had Drastic Measures.

Anyway, interpret "significance/ importance to Prog" as you like to come up with your own takes/ arguments. We all have our biases, but I wanted to try something a bit different from just listing a favourite that might lead to some interesting take, perspectives, and conversation. I am interested to read what people write. Feel free to share any opinions relevant to the topic even if you do not vote.

And just because I like to share videos, here is the first track of the debut album of each that kicked them off... Not that these should influence you at all.

Magma "Kobaia" (Magma, 1970)



Kansas "Can I Tell You" (Kansas, 1974)



Edited by Logan - January 27 2024 at 12:13

Cristi wrote: Both are important in their own way.  Magma are the creators of zeuhl, and Kansas were influential for a lot of bands, in the prog world and non prog as well (hard rock, AOR).

Thanks. I messed up on the the third option for which I had not thought the phrasing through, by the way, changed to "lacking an opinion or both have equal merits". Equal merits is badly phrased, actually, but wanted to add something like that. I know, maybe "Won't choose one over the other". Better.

If I was thinking preference, then it would be Magma for sure for me, but for significance specifically to progressive rock, I would factor in its influence, innovation, and global (as opposed to individual) Prog popularity, and considering sales for its Prog output would be another factor for me (I'm sure Kansas has sold much more and is better known to general audiences -- both I guess are well-know to the Prog intelligentsia/ cognoscenti. While I know that Magma influenced many bands (which are more on the underground side), I don't know as much about Kansas' influence on Progressive Rock. I don't feel like I know enough at this time to make a judgment on significance from a variety of angles. If I were to vote now, I would vote for the third option, but I would rather do some research and weigh up the arguments or perspectives presented in this thread. Even if it's not super serious business.

^ Thanks. And even I know all those names and have recognised Kansas-like qualities in the ones there of which I have listened.

^ Shirley Magma? She a Zeuhl vocalist?

Edited by The Dark Elf - January 27 2024 at 15:03

*I think the same so I chose the third option as well. Besides the apples and oranges aspect, I don't have any metric I would use to measure significance. They are pivotal bands in what we have in prog rock today.

Kansas sold like 15 million albums - the lion's share of them in North America. That's a lot of albums. But Peter Framton sold closer to 20 million albums. Does anyone think of him as a significant and infuential rock-artist for thst reason? I don't.

Both 

Both are excellent to my ears, and I find their influenc in quite many bands, artists and pog sub-genres.