Forum Home Forum Home > Progressive Music Lounges > Prog Music Lounge
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Is prog dying out, or coming back?
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Is prog dying out, or coming back?

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  123 10>
Author
Message
FatherChristmas View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: June 30 2020
Location: LandofGrey&Pink
Status: Offline
Points: 2442
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FatherChristmas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Is prog dying out, or coming back?
    Posted: September 28 2020 at 11:09
I think it has been more abundant in the past few years, but the most positive reviews come from earlier in the 10s. Perhaps there were more new bands/artists in the late 10s, but far more well known and older bands/artists - or am I talking rubbish? Is my entire modern prog project a waste of mine and other people's time? I'm asking for it...
"Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence" - Robert Fripp
"I am an anti-Christ" - Johnny Rotten
Back to Top
SteveG View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: April 11 2014
Location: Kyiv In Spirit
Status: Offline
Points: 20243
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SteveG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 28 2020 at 11:13
Prog rock has become more abundant due to DIY home recordings, digital downloads and various "go fund me" sites. I'm not really sure if that made it more popular.

Edited by SteveG - September 28 2020 at 13:01
This message was brought to you by a proud supporter of the Deep State.
Back to Top
FatherChristmas View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: June 30 2020
Location: LandofGrey&Pink
Status: Offline
Points: 2442
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FatherChristmas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 28 2020 at 11:20
Originally posted by SteveG SteveG wrote:

Prog rock has become more abundant due to DYI home recordings, digital downloads and various "go fund me" sites. I'm not really sure if that made it more popular.
Prog hasn't been popular since the 80s, really, you're right.  Isn't it being more abundant a good thing? 
"Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence" - Robert Fripp
"I am an anti-Christ" - Johnny Rotten
Back to Top
SteveG View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: April 11 2014
Location: Kyiv In Spirit
Status: Offline
Points: 20243
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SteveG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 28 2020 at 11:26
For us 1% of the music listening public, I would say yes. ;)
This message was brought to you by a proud supporter of the Deep State.
Back to Top
BrufordFreak View Drop Down
Collaborator
Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: January 25 2008
Location: Wisconsin
Status: Offline
Points: 7951
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BrufordFreak Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 28 2020 at 11:26
After a decade of and abundance, I feel that this year has seen a slowdown in both new bands and in new album releases from older, more established bands. I mean, bands need and want to play live, to tour, and the can't. (In the modern era of music, the money is in the concert receipts and merchandising there, I'm told). 
As Steve mentioned above, DYI home recordings allows for the production and appearance of more one-man bands, but I am of the opinion that one-man projects often lack the depth and fullness that a multiplicity of perspectives seem to benefit from. So, I'd say, as of right now, the interest and ability to "make it" as a prog rock band is maligned and thus diminishing. The "Renaissance" of the Teens is, I believe, over.  
Drew Fisher
https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/
Back to Top
FatherChristmas View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: June 30 2020
Location: LandofGrey&Pink
Status: Offline
Points: 2442
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FatherChristmas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 28 2020 at 11:42
Originally posted by BrufordFreak BrufordFreak wrote:

After a decade of and abundance, I feel that this year has seen a slowdown in both new bands and in new album releases from older, more established bands. I mean, bands need and want to play live, to tour, and the can't. (In the modern era of music, the money is in the concert receipts and merchandising there, I'm told). 
As Steve mentioned above, DYI home recordings allows for the production and appearance of more one-man bands, but I am of the opinion that one-man projects often lack the depth and fullness that a multiplicity of perspectives seem to benefit from. So, I'd say, as of right now, the interest and ability to "make it" as a prog rock band is maligned and thus diminishing. The "Renaissance" of the Teens is, I believe, over.  
Many people agree with you that the '"Renaissance" of the Teens' is over, mainly reviewers, who I could make many unnecessary rude jokes about. I won't, knowing my track record. 
I certainly agree that bands are usually better than one-man projects. I, however, like the new stuff by the new bands (I think it's better than all the 90s and 00s stuff, and nearly up to the 70s standards), and I hope I'm not alone. What with young people's attention spans, and modern prog barely scraping the charts, prog could die (or be dying right now).
Mind you, I also thought that in the 2000s. I could well be fretting pointlessly again. However, if you're right and 2020 has been a slow down, then we must hope.
"Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence" - Robert Fripp
"I am an anti-Christ" - Johnny Rotten
Back to Top
rushfan4 View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: May 22 2007
Location: Michigan, U.S.
Status: Offline
Points: 65916
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rushfan4 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 28 2020 at 11:46
I think that with COVID, 2020 has been a strange year.  On one hand, bands can't tour so they have more time to produce new music, but due to COVID they have to do it 6-feet apart wearing masks.  This makes the singing more muffled.  I think that as time has gone on more artists are taking advantage of the downtime to create new music. Likely, the prog bands with more experience of sending music back and forth across the internet without being in the same room as your bandmates have an advantage over the bands that are used to creating new albums together in the studio.  And more likely artists that are part of bands are also taking advantage of this time by creating solo projects.  I don't think that it is dying out, but it remains just as unpopular as always.
Back to Top
FatherChristmas View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: June 30 2020
Location: LandofGrey&Pink
Status: Offline
Points: 2442
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FatherChristmas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 28 2020 at 11:50
Originally posted by rushfan4 rushfan4 wrote:

I think that with COVID, 2020 has been a strange year.  On one hand, bands can't tour so they have more time to produce new music, but due to COVID they have to do it 6-feet apart wearing masks.  This makes the singing more muffled.  I think that as time has gone on more artists are taking advantage of the downtime to create new music. Likely, the prog bands with more experience of sending music back and forth across the internet without being in the same room as your bandmates have an advantage over the bands that are used to creating new albums together in the studio.  And more likely artists that are part of bands are also taking advantage of this time by creating solo projects.  I don't think that it is dying out, but it remains just as unpopular as always.
^I suppose you're right. As Steve said, it only matters to 1% of the listening public (or less).
"Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence" - Robert Fripp
"I am an anti-Christ" - Johnny Rotten
Back to Top
AFlowerKingCrimson View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: October 02 2016
Location: Philly burbs
Status: Offline
Points: 16040
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 28 2020 at 11:52
Prog died in the late 70's. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what year but most cite punk as a major factor(it was but it probably wasn't the only thing that contributed to prog's sudden downfall)so a good guess would be 1977 or 1978. Since then it has been a slow climb back to public acceptance. I'm not sure it ever quite got there but it's more popular now than at any time since 1977 or so. There haven't really been many real signifcant resurgences since then. It accelerated a bit faster in the 90's and then again around 2005 or so but it's not like it was ever dead. Certain bands such as Porcupine Tree, The Mars Volta or whoever have helped gain newer audiences as well as maybe some who get labelled prog sometimes but maybe are or maybe aren't "real" prog such as Radiohead, Muse and Tool(to name but three). I think prog metal has helped make people much more aware of the genre in general and I bet at least a few on here became fans because of Dream Theater. Where prog goes from here is anyone's guess but I seriously doubt it will become anywhere near as big as it was in 70's anytime soon. 

Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - September 28 2020 at 11:55
Back to Top
AFlowerKingCrimson View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: October 02 2016
Location: Philly burbs
Status: Offline
Points: 16040
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 28 2020 at 11:59
Originally posted by FatherChristmas FatherChristmas wrote:

Originally posted by SteveG SteveG wrote:

Prog rock has become more abundant due to DYI home recordings, digital downloads and various "go fund me" sites. I'm not really sure if that made it more popular.
Prog hasn't been popular since the 80s, really, you're right.  Isn't it being more abundant a good thing? 

In the 80's? Only as far as the more mainstream bands go(PF, Genesis, Rush, Yes, JT, etc). For prog in general that is probably the weakest decade. No one paid much attention to it. You had a lot of fans of those bands popping up at that time(including myself) but it's not like they could go online(because that wasn't an option then) and look up the term "progressive rock." So maybe they knew these bands were similar but just thought of them as "classic rock" bands or something.


Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - September 28 2020 at 12:02
Back to Top
FatherChristmas View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: June 30 2020
Location: LandofGrey&Pink
Status: Offline
Points: 2442
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FatherChristmas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 28 2020 at 12:01
Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

Originally posted by FatherChristmas FatherChristmas wrote:

Originally posted by SteveG SteveG wrote:

Prog rock has become more abundant due to DYI home recordings, digital downloads and various "go fund me" sites. I'm not really sure if that made it more popular.
Prog hasn't been popular since the 80s, really, you're right.  Isn't it being more abundant a good thing? 

In the 80's? Only as far as the more mainstream bands go(PF, Genesis, Rush, Yes, JT, etc). For prog in general that is probably the weakest decade. No one paid much attention to it. You had a lot of fans of those bands popping up but it's not like they could go online(because that wasn't an option then) and look up the term "progressive rock." So maybe they knew these bands were similar but just thought of them as "classic rock" bands or something.
Er... why are we forgetting neo prog? That had considerable success.
"Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence" - Robert Fripp
"I am an anti-Christ" - Johnny Rotten
Back to Top
Grumpyprogfan View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: July 09 2019
Location: Kansas City
Status: Offline
Points: 9926
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Grumpyprogfan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 28 2020 at 12:02
Originally posted by BrufordFreak BrufordFreak wrote:

As Steve mentioned above, DYI home recordings allows for the production and appearance of more one-man bands, but I am of the opinion that one-man projects often lack the depth and fullness that a multiplicity of perspectives seem to benefit from.
What? Don't tell that to The Psychedelic Ensemble, Todd Rundgren, Adrian Belew, Mike Oldfield, Phil Collins, Mattias Eklundh, and many more great one-man band records.

With the pandemic, more musicians will have to get a day job to survive, if they didn't have one already. I keep finding great prog records in the last decade, on a weekly basis, just by searching. So much out there.
Back to Top
FatherChristmas View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: June 30 2020
Location: LandofGrey&Pink
Status: Offline
Points: 2442
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FatherChristmas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 28 2020 at 12:04
^Agreed. Only listened to Virus by Haken a few days ago. Already it's a favourite of mine. 
"Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence" - Robert Fripp
"I am an anti-Christ" - Johnny Rotten
Back to Top
AFlowerKingCrimson View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: October 02 2016
Location: Philly burbs
Status: Offline
Points: 16040
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 28 2020 at 12:04
Originally posted by FatherChristmas FatherChristmas wrote:

Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

Originally posted by FatherChristmas FatherChristmas wrote:

Originally posted by SteveG SteveG wrote:

Prog rock has become more abundant due to DYI home recordings, digital downloads and various "go fund me" sites. I'm not really sure if that made it more popular.
Prog hasn't been popular since the 80s, really, you're right.  Isn't it being more abundant a good thing? 

In the 80's? Only as far as the more mainstream bands go(PF, Genesis, Rush, Yes, JT, etc). For prog in general that is probably the weakest decade. No one paid much attention to it. You had a lot of fans of those bands popping up but it's not like they could go online(because that wasn't an option then) and look up the term "progressive rock." So maybe they knew these bands were similar but just thought of them as "classic rock" bands or something.
Er... why are we forgetting neo prog? That had considerable success.

Maybe in the UK or Europe but not so much in the US. In the US only Marillion were successful and only moderately successful at that. I listened to the radio a lot back then and only heard them maybe half a dozen times on the radio then they sort of disappeared(although in reality they didn't they just changed singers). I became a fan anyway. I never heard of Pendragon or IQ(let a lone any of the others)until the early 90's and that was only because I subscribed to prog mailorder catalogs. 

I'll admit it's debatable though because other than Dream Theater Marillion were still bigger than any non prog metal prog band in the 90's. However, as a scene in general the 90's are considered by most prog fans to have had a bigger over all resurgence than the 80's and I personally don't disagree. The internet was the main catalyst for that.


Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - September 28 2020 at 12:08
Back to Top
Grumpyprogfan View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: July 09 2019
Location: Kansas City
Status: Offline
Points: 9926
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Grumpyprogfan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 28 2020 at 12:09
Originally posted by FatherChristmas FatherChristmas wrote:

^Agreed. Only listened to Virus by Haken a few days ago. Already it's a favourite of mine. 
Killer album. Carousel is amazing.
Back to Top
Manuel View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: March 09 2007
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 12289
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Manuel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 28 2020 at 12:15
Like many other genres like jazz, blues, etc, Prog had it’s golden era and now is listened by a few people. But don’t worry, it will survive like the other genres and remain popular for just a few individuals who have a particular idiosyncrasy/taste in music, yet hardly popular for the masses.
Back to Top
Nogbad_The_Bad View Drop Down
Forum & Site Admin Group
Forum & Site Admin Group
Avatar
RIO/Avant/Zeuhl & Eclectic Team

Joined: March 16 2007
Location: Boston
Status: Offline
Points: 20092
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (2) Thanks(2)   Quote Nogbad_The_Bad Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 28 2020 at 12:22
It's very niche but it's also very diverse and an influence on a lot of modern bands. As long as you don't have a narrow classic symphonic definition you can find a ton of prog influenced bands playing metal, avant, jazz, funk, psyche, etc etc etc. 
Ian

Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on Progrock.com

https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-avant-jazzcore-happy-hour/
Back to Top
lazland View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: October 28 2008
Location: Wales
Status: Offline
Points: 13173
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (3) Thanks(3)   Quote lazland Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 28 2020 at 12:24
There is some great music still being recorded and released. Progressive music, artistically, is in a great place.

I have had my first listen today of David Minasian’s new album, kindly shared by him. Utterly brilliant.

Marillion go from strength to strength. Pendragon have released their best album ever. Piles of new artists we share with each other on a daily basis.

Good music never dies. It doesn’t matter what you call it. It never dies, and there will always be great musicians making great music.

In Lazland, the glass is always half full.....Wink
Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org
Back to Top
FatherChristmas View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: June 30 2020
Location: LandofGrey&Pink
Status: Offline
Points: 2442
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FatherChristmas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 28 2020 at 12:31
Originally posted by lazland lazland wrote:

There is some great music still being recorded and released. Progressive music, artistically, is in a great place.

I have had my first listen today of David Minasian’s new album, kindly shared by him. Utterly brilliant.

Marillion go from strength to strength. Pendragon have released their best album ever. Piles of new artists we share with each other on a daily basis.

Good music never dies. It doesn’t matter what you call it. It never dies, and there will always be great musicians making great music.

In Lazland, the glass is always half full.....Wink
Lazland must be a nice place to visit. 
I hope you're right. After all, classical music had become unpopular by the 50s, seventy or eighty years ago now and still some great classical music is being made. 
"Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence" - Robert Fripp
"I am an anti-Christ" - Johnny Rotten
Back to Top
AFlowerKingCrimson View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: October 02 2016
Location: Philly burbs
Status: Offline
Points: 16040
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 28 2020 at 12:52
Originally posted by Manuel Manuel wrote:

Like many other genres like jazz, blues, etc, Prog had it’s golden era and now is listened by a few people. But don’t worry, it will survive like the other genres and remain popular for just a few individuals who have a particular idiosyncrasy/taste in music, yet hardly popular for the masses.

I agree. You don't hear much about classical these days(or jazz like you mentioned)and yet here it is hundreds of years later still appreciated and played on the radio. In fact classical if often used as a way to see if you can really play your instrument. If you can play classical you can play anything and I suppose the same could be said about jazz. Prog is niche but other than maybe a handful of bands it's pretty much always been that way. Do you think your average music fan in the 70's who wasn't a prog fan knew much about Gentle Giant, VDGG, Focus or PFM? Probably not. Yes, I have no doubt prog will survive just like classical, jazz, the blues, the beatles, led zeppelin and the rolling stones. They might not be as big as some of those but they have enough fans to survive in the future. I wish there were more people my age into it but at least there seems to be plenty of younger fans.

Anyway, to give a formal answer to the op's question I will say neither.


Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - September 28 2020 at 13:00
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  123 10>

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down



This page was generated in 0.238 seconds.
Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.