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Rednight View Drop Down
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Points: 4807 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Good 'Progressive Pop' bands?
    Posted: September 06 2016 at 11:01
Originally posted by paisanojac paisanojac wrote:

Darn, I should not have said "I swear", as I am virtually perfect at not swearing in public. One of the very few things I do almost perfectly.  Wait a minute.....I just said "darn".  Oh no.......I'm really in trouble now!

I'm afraid you missed it, paisanojac. That's not the kind of swearing I was referring to. And I doubt that, besides myself, anyone cares.
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Points: 850 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 06 2016 at 04:54
Frost* definitely fits the bill. Theirs is some of the catchiest music I've heard, but with plenty of progginess to it as well.
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Points: 1578 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 06 2016 at 01:51
I think Alphaville's Afternoons in Utopia has progressive elements.
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Points: 74 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 05 2016 at 22:01
Darn, I should not have said "I swear", as I am virtually perfect at not swearing in public. One of the very few things I do almost perfectly.  Wait a minute.....I just said "darn".  Oh no.......I'm really in trouble now!

A few more:

Styx (just a few songs)
10,000 Maniacs?  Sort of kind of slightly maybe?
Jars of Clay    Saw them live and they are sometimes remotely prog-ish.  Well maybe.


OK, check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk8U5FklPdU


Edited by paisanojac - September 05 2016 at 22:03
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Rednight View Drop Down
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Points: 4807 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 05 2016 at 17:13
Originally posted by paisanojac paisanojac wrote:


Dexy's Midnight Runners-- I only know the one song "Come on Eileen", which was a pop hit, but I swear it has Prog elements. 
    And stop swearing. It isn't serving you well.
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Points: 74 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 05 2016 at 16:36
Toy Matinee
Kevin Gilbert
 
Art In America - Album produced by Eddie Offord
 
Pavlov's Dog
 
Blondie (Auto American)--big pop hit album, but most of that album was so different it kind of fit a remote definition of Prog and may have been the culmination of Robert Fripp's involvement with the band prior to this album. 
 
Dexy's Midnight Runners-- I only know the one song "Come on Eileen", which was a pop hit, but I swear it has Prog elements.  I have no idea if the other songs are remotely Prog.  Probably not.
 
Tish Hinojosa -- NOT Prog, but she has at least one Prog-ish song "Yesterday's Paper" from the Destiny's Gate album.  She's a Country/Tex-Mex singer/songwriter/musician.
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Points: 342 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 02 2016 at 15:51
Empire of the Sun
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Points: 1505 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 02 2016 at 11:26
I consider Beach Boys' Surf's Up to be prog pop.
http://fryingpanmedia.com
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Points: 2057 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 02 2016 at 08:16
Originally posted by Kingsnake Kingsnake wrote:

Originally posted by Jeffro Jeffro wrote:

Originally posted by Kingsnake Kingsnake wrote:

Someone told me that Rush was influence by The Fixx, 

I know that Rush was always looking at incorporating stuff that they enjoyed, into their own music. Whether or not that was specifically the band, The Fixx, I don't know but it's possible. 
 
I think it was Alex that was inspired by Jamie West-Oram's crispy clean fender-sound.
I think Neil was more influenced by Stewart Copeland (the reggae thingies)

True about Neil. There is an interview out there where he talks about The Police
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Points: 1578 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 02 2016 at 07:44
Originally posted by Jeffro Jeffro wrote:

Originally posted by Kingsnake Kingsnake wrote:

Someone told me that Rush was influence by The Fixx, 

I know that Rush was always looking at incorporating stuff that they enjoyed, into their own music. Whether or not that was specifically the band, The Fixx, I don't know but it's possible. 
 
I think it was Alex that was inspired by Jamie West-Oram's crispy clean fender-sound.
I think Neil was more influenced by Stewart Copeland (the reggae thingies)


Edited by Kingsnake - September 02 2016 at 07:44
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Jeffro View Drop Down
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Points: 2057 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 02 2016 at 07:06
Originally posted by Kingsnake Kingsnake wrote:

Someone told me that Rush was influence by The Fixx, 

I know that Rush was always looking at incorporating stuff that they enjoyed, into their own music. Whether or not that was specifically the band, The Fixx, I don't know but it's possible. 
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Points: 14124 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 02 2016 at 06:48
Not sure whether Joe Jackson was already mentioned but he has a good number of very high quality albums with some progressive qualities, eclectic, jazz, experimental and classical influences, on top of sublime songwriting.
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Points: 1578 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 02 2016 at 06:20
Originally posted by Tom Ozric Tom Ozric wrote:

..........and KAJAGOOGOO .   Is it just me ?? Or am I reading too much into this band ?? They are the epitome of what us Prog-heads despise in much of the music of the 80's......... I truly admire their musicianship and attitude. A truly great 80's band.
 
Talk Talk, Duran Duran, Simple Minds, a-ha, Tears for Fears, Power Station, etc.

All outstanding musicians with a pop-flavour but intricate and ellaborate arrangments to the songs.
 
New Romantics, New Wave, synthpop all had that progressive rock-thing. A lot of 'official' progrock bands even tried to copy that sound (Gentle Giant, Genesis, Yes, Rush, Camel, Renaissance, BJH, ELP, etc.).

I think only Queen and Rush stayed popular through the eigthies. Someone told me that Rush was influence by The Fixx, and Queen was influenced by Duran Duran. :D
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Points: 4574 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 02 2016 at 05:53


Ellips: Sight (France-2014).
For fans of Blackfield and Coldplay. (17/20)
http://ellips.bandcamp.com/releases
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSVkA3qXg-g
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Tom Ozric View Drop Down
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Points: 15916 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 02 2016 at 04:10
..........and KAJAGOOGOO .   Is it just me ?? Or am I reading too much into this band ?? They are the epitome of what us Prog-heads despise in much of the music of the 80's......... I truly admire their musicianship and attitude. A truly great 80's band.
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Points: 7251 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 02 2016 at 03:55
Ben & Vesper Ep's. Better than the albums. An underrated band in my opinion. I've just found this track on youtube. 

Afficher limage dorigine

Afficher limage dorigine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_RFXfsAcnI
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Points: 1578 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 02 2016 at 03:46
I love the pop-side of prog and the prog-side of pop.

Favourites: Saga, It Bites, Queen, Marillion, Tears for Fears, Mike Oldfield (80's stuff), Asia (with John Payne), Rush (80's stuff), Yes (80's stuff), Moody Blues, Barclay James Harvest, Rupert Hine, Kate Bush, Susanne Sundfor, Toto, Talk Talk, a-ha, Journey, Kansas, IQ (late 80's stuff), and the list goes on and on.
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Points: 18 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 05 2016 at 05:01
Given your criteria of "emphasizes harmony, melody, and accessibility while displaying a fondness for instrumental virtuosity" Frost* might fit the bill. Fronted by Jem Godfrey. I think their second album (Experiments in Mass Appeal) is more poppy than than their first (Milliontown). But both have songs that I'd classify with your criteria.



Saga might lean more toward rock than pop, but some of their songs are pretty accessible while having some pretty neat prog elements. (I'm not a huge fan of Saga, but I'll let you decide.)
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Points: 441 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 31 2016 at 06:20
Originally posted by Friday13th Friday13th wrote:

Sparks is the best listed so far. Their debut and Kimono are near flawless and completely unique. I swear some songs on the 1971 debut sound like 1981 new wave. Related to both Sparks and XTC is Todd Rundgren, whose Wizard album is fantastic.

In the hot summer of 1974 Sparksī "This Town Ainīt Big Enough for the Both of Us" on FM radio was like a fresh air
Tongue 

They actually brought fun in rock music again, like best glam. That video is very hilarious, in a positive way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ztSKDbDRXc
You may see a smile on Tony Banksī face but thatīs unlikely.
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Son.of.Tiresias View Drop Down
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Points: 441 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 31 2016 at 06:07
Originally posted by Rednight Rednight wrote:

For sure. In a nutshell, "I Robot" from 1977 is Parsonīs finest and as progressive as (rock) music can get, from start to finish. One of the finest concept albums in classic prog. To speculate whether it is "pop" or "rock" music is totally irrelevant. 
As fine an example of hyperbole as ever written in this forum. No, Tales of Mystery' is Parsons' most noted work and falls comfortably within the category of "classic" prog. That can't be said for 'Robot. It is indeed of a primarily "pop" construction with prog leanings. Has the best album cover of all the projects though (thanks Hipgnosis).[/QUOTE]

Iīm sure you donīt hyperbole here on PA, ever. You are missing the point here. "I Robot" is an art rock album. And itīs also totally irrelevant which of these two is better musically, itīs just a matter of taste. 

For me personally "I Robot" from 1977 is the finest ever from Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson and their most progressive and mature work before and since. "Mystery" is his second best but do not reach perfection and, above all total harmony like " I Robot" does. Additionally, contains more mature lyrics (for the common man) than "Mystery" which is based on Edgar Allan Poeīs fantasies. "I Robot" is an art rock album that draws conceptually on author Isaac Asimov's science fiction Robot trilogy, exploring philosophical themes regarding artificial intelligence (Wiki). "I Robot" has total lack of pretentious and boring pop cliches, and the lyrics are actually very serious. It is a flawless art rock album, and for me personally a flawless prog album too because itīs very progressive in pop music context. So itīs also a pop album, and every bit of popular music. In fact, all here is about popular music (pop). "I Robot" is very interesting, intelligent and enjoyable, thatīs called "progressive". Very mature work in all aspects. And thatīs the essence of all. Also simple pop music can be very progressive. Surprisingly many prog album are actually pop music "with rock leanings", fine examples are many classic Yes songs. 

Yes, the best album cover of all his projects. And in the end of day, was it prog or pop, who gives a damn.


Edited by Son.of.Tiresias - June 01 2016 at 01:43
You may see a smile on Tony Banksī face but thatīs unlikely.
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