The Big Three - who are they?

No-one will ever agree on this so my Last FM listening over the last 6 years or so show:

1. Magma
2. Henry Cow
3. Genesis, with ELP not far behind...

Not many readers are likely to agree to that!!

Mellotron Storm wrote: cstack3 wrote: King Crimson Yes Genesis ...based upon the strength of the compositions, quality of instrumentals and vocals, and influence upon the genre.  There were many outstanding bands, but I think these guys influenced everything in prog, then and now. That's my big three as well, I would love to somehow get Floyd in there but only three right? ELP and Jethro Tull aren't even close but that's just my taste in music.

Funny how the english language plays an important role here when it comes to choose 'the big three' - go asking the same question in some italian spoken prog forum, for example
 
Le Orme is easily one of my BIG threes, without considering that I have so far too much of stunning RPI still to dig into
 


Edited by Rick Robson - May 24 2015 at 12:58

The Mars Volta

1. Emerson

cstack3 wrote: King Crimson Yes Genesis ...based upon the strength of the compositions, quality of instrumentals and vocals, and influence upon the genre.  There were many outstanding bands, but I think these guys influenced everything in prog, then and now.

Very wise words above, couldn't agree more. There are prog bands I love, Magma for example, but the Big Three and the reasons are told here.

King Crimson

Xonty wrote: Mellotron Storm wrote: cstack3 wrote: <span style="line-height: 1.4;">King Crimson</span> <span style="line-height: 1.4;">Yes</span> <span style="line-height: 1.4;">Genesis</span> ...based upon the strength of the compositions, quality of instrumentals and vocals, and influence upon the genre.  There were many outstanding bands, but I think these guys influenced everything in prog, then and now. <span style="line-height: 1.4;"></span> That's my big three as well, I would love to somehow get Floyd in there but only three right? ELP and Jethro Tull aren't even close but that's just my taste in music. My thoughts exactly. King Crimson are perhaps the best "progressive" group when you take it literally, as they've constantly evolved but produced consistently good music in its own right. Yes have a signature sound which is the kind of style that instantly comes to mind when I think about prog rock, and Genesis are just Genesis  JT and ELP both had much fewer classic albums than the others, but I reckon it should be "The Big Four", with Pink Floyd included as well.

Actually, I feel King Crimson has kept a more recognizable sound throughout the years than Yes and Genesis... Genesis at least on the change from prog albums in the 70's to pop albums in the 80's sound like a totally different band (and still, Banks keyboards offer the link that would betray them if they had wanted to pass as a different band). Yes, well they have had many different line-ups and eras, and they do sound different from one to the other. There's just about no relationship between Owner of a Lonely Heart an 90125 (and the whole west line-up work, actually) to what they did in the 70's golden years. And then there's the Sherwood albums, and Drama, and the 2010's albums, which may have more to betray the band, but still have rather different sounds. As for King Crimson, they do have many songs within each album that sounds like a real evolution for the band... but then, they always had at least some songs with the Schizoid Man element. There's Pictures of a City, Cirkus, Sailor's Tale (entering the instrumental version which would become very common from this time forward), Easy Money, Lark's Toungues (both parts, and then the other parts that would appear on later albums), a great deal of Red, Discipline and Indiscipline, Vroom Vroom, Level Five. And there's surely many others I forgot, or don't know yet, or whatever.

Personal Favorites (of the classic era):
Genesis
Jade Warrior
Frank Zappa (and the MOI)

Successful (by Prog standards)
Jethro Tull
ELP
Frank Zappa

Most canonical exemplars:
Genesis
Yes
King Crimson

Most influential:
Genesis
Jethro Tull
Soft Machine

Most innovative:
King Crimson
Frank Zappa
Captain Beefheart

If we're going purely on faves, then..

Rush
Genesis
King Crimson