Is Pink Floyd prog rock? - Progressive Rock Music Forum

As far as I know, Pink Floyd was a legendary psychedelic rock band before they made the switch to dreamy art rock. They were never considered a progressive rock group back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, which is to say, during the original progressive rock period.

Like all bands born before prog, they evolved.

In my opinion,

Initially they played psychedelic pop music, then they delved into psychedelia with Ummagumma and then came to prog, in the wake of other bands (VdGG also started with psychedelia, as did Family)

The beginning of prog was marked by King Crimson in 1969, and in 1970 VdGG, Genesis, Gentle Giant, EL&P and Pink Floyd (thanks to the Atom Heart Mother suite) and many others came to prog (Family and Yes got there in 1971).

1970 is the most genuine and naive year in the birth/development of prog, and perhaps that is why it's my favourite.

PF remained inside prog until Animals, 1977. Their most proggy album is Wish You Were Here.

Then they became Roger Waters' orchestral folk band, until they tried to return to prog with Gilmour.

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Yes, they are. Absolutely.

^ My point exactly. Classic Rock & Roll was influenced by / developed from several genres, including Rhythm & Blues / Jump Blues / Swing / Jazz / Country / Gospel / Boogie Woogie - which are apparent to a greater or lesser extent in classic 50's R&R songs, and by extension into 1960's psychedelia and into 1970's prog rock & hard rock... and beyond. The Floyd may have started out as a blues band but their style quickly morphed into psychedelia, and eventually developed into space rock... and beyond.

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I consider them Psychedelic but my wheelhouse for them is 1968 to 1973 and I know there's so much more. Progressive for sure!

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At this rate we should just make an entire section of the website dedicated to this topic....

Cause its only knock and know all, but I like it...

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It's not a precise science, and there's a certain overlap, but genre terms have their limits as well.

Atom Heart Mother, Meddle, Wish You Were Here, and Animals are unambiguously prog rock. Even with the narrowest, most nit-picky definition of prog rock, they're prog rock. For the other albums of the 70's you could make the argument they're perhaps closer to art rock, and their 60's stuff I'd all classify as psychedelic rock.

This discussion pops up once in a while online, and there's often a couple of the same arguments going on that really make no sense to me...

What does the fact that prog and art rock weren't fully defined yet and meant the same thing in the 70's have to do with anything? We're not in the 70's anymore, and I don't ever see people bring this up with any other band (I mean, it'd apply to every prog band if it'd apply to PF).

What does the fact that Pink Floyd is more popular in the mainstream than any other prog band have to do with anything? Animals isn't a prog rock album because Another Brick in the Wall 2 is a radio staple?

What does the fact that they started out as this-and-that and where inspired by blablabla matter? Few bands that exist for longer than a few years stick with one style their entire career.

If you want to argue genres, stick with the actual music at hand. The actual music contained on the albums is what determines their genre.

And yeah I know it's a pointless topic to argue about, but f**k it, I didn't bump the thread.

I have to say, I find it amazing how long this discussion can be drawn. Prog is just a term invented by someone to describe some music. It is not a precise science. Pink Floyd is Pink Floyd, regardless of how you want to categorize them.

Is this a question that really needs to be asked?

Of course they are progressive.

Probably closer to crossover prog in many cases but Animals is full blown symphonic prog.

Pink Floyd is the perfect example of where art rock and prog meet.

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TexasKing is absolutely correct. In fact Floyd started as a blues band, so learn some history and get your facts.

"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." -- John F. Kennedy

Poll Question: Is Pink Floyd prog rock?
Poll Choice	Votes	Poll Statistics
Yes	110	[82.71%]
No	23	[17.29%]
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