The Big Three - who are they?

Nogbad_The_Bad wrote: dr prog wrote: Couldn't possibly have Yes, Elp or Crimson in there. Just didn't do enough after the early 70s. It's can only be between Tull, Gentle Giant, Camel, Magma, Le Orme and Genesis. This seems a particularly bizarre answer, Tull stopped releasing prog albums after the 70's, GG literally haven't done anything since the 70's, Camel went seriously off the boil after the mid 70's, Genesis stopped being prog in the 70's. So why replace Yes or ELP with any of those as they all line-up the same. Crimson's output post 70's trumps all the suggested alternatives except Magma.

Tull were 100% prog from 77-80. Mainly folk but a bit of heavy stuff too. Plenty of strong prog outtakes from 74 and 76 which have appeared over the last 25 years. If they didn't release any soundtracks those years, they would have been prog albums. GG and Genesis had plenty of good stuff between 75 and 80. Crimson did nothing after 74 until 1980 and I was never overly crazy about the wetton era. Yes only had 2 albums in second half of 70s and I thought they dropped off in 73 and 74. ELP were the weakest big prog band after 73

dr prog wrote: Couldn't possibly have Yes, Elp or Crimson in there. Just didn't do enough after the early 70s. It's can only be between Tull, Gentle Giant, Camel, Magma, Le Orme and Genesis.

Lewian wrote: Nogbad_The_Bad wrote: Yes Genesis Pink Floyd Think it's pretty hard to argue against those 3. I find a "Big Three" without King Crimson inconceivable.

I find a "Big Three" without ELP inconceivable.

Nogbad_The_Bad wrote: Yes Genesis Pink Floyd Think it's pretty hard to argue against those 3.

Yeah, I agree - pretty hard and pointless !

Couldn't possibly have Yes, Elp or Crimson in there. Just didn't do enough after the early 70s. It's can only be between Tull, Gentle Giant, Camel, Magma, Le Orme and Genesis.

Neil and Jack and me.

I agree that Yes, Genesis and Pink Floyd are the big three. If we are going by a strict definition of prog I would swap out PF for King Crimson. King Crimson might have lacked the album sales of ELP or JT but I think they made up for it in influence. These days they are probably more of a gateway band to prog than just about any other band except for maybe Rush or PF. 

Moody Blues were very important to prog.  Without them I'm not sure what prog would have looked like.  But they were not capital P prog.  As much as they aren't among my very favorites, I have to go with King Crimson, Yes, and Genesis for influence on the prog that would follow.  Honorable mention to ELP, Pink Floyd, and Jethro Tull.   

1.- Genesis