Non-Prog Artists Doing Slightly Prog Things? - Progressive Rock Music Forum

Progishness wrote:

I think many artists have dabbled in prog at one time or another

For sure, especially in the 70's when you had non prog people like The Allman Brothers, Steely Dan, Elton John, The Doobie Brothers, Loggins and Messina, Chicago(admittedly much of their early stuff was pretty progressive but they aren't often thought of as prog), Sweet, Led Zeppelin, Billy Joel and several others dabble in prog to one degree or another. Even the Rolling Stones had "moonlight mile" which I consider pretty prog. Come to think of it so was "Can't you hear me knocking" which has a second half that reminds me a bit of Traffic.

If you look at later music there were new wave, gothic and alternative bands who had bits of prog in their music whether it was accidental or on purpose.

Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - March 12 2021 at 17:45

While I’ve found other things to like in Bourgeois Tagg’s discography, none of their other material quite has the peculiar prog pop sound of “Waiting for the Worm to Turn”:

“Art is the recognition of the universal presence of God.” —Ernest Hello

I think many artists have dabbled in prog at one time or another... let me add to this thread Intermezzo no.1 by ABBA from their eponymous 3rd album.

"We're going to need a bigger swear jar."

Chloë Grace Moretz as Mindy McCready aka 'Hit Girl' in Kick-Ass 2

The Rolling Stones - Their Satanic Majesties Request (?)

Starting at around 6:30 minutes the mellotron kicks in. Otherwise not really prog sounding but the title does say slightly so this definitely qualifies for at least "slighty." I think the Red Hot Chilipepper's follow up album "one red hot minute" was even more proggy than this one despite no long songs. I remember thinking there was some rather Frippish sounding guitar on that one.

Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - March 12 2021 at 17:35

As an aside, not long ago I remember seeing someone on Twitter, born this side of the millennium, say "I bet you can't name a single decent song over 8 minutes long".

You can imagine the replies. However my favourite was one simply saying:

"Laughs in irregular time signatures"

bartymj wrote:

nother even more tenuous example - Green Day's Jesus of Suburbia. No its not prog as many would know it, other than it being a suite of five movements. They stated at the time it was an effort to make the "Bohemian Rhapsody" of the future, and the influence of albums like The Who's Quadrophenia in terms of the style and the concept album as a whole are quite clear. Plus, it was a departure from their simple 90s punk rock into more of a rock opera. Stretching definitions to their full extent but as above, perhaps if it was a track found on a Who album....

I love Jesus of Suburbia as an example. Despite being a fan as a kid of the band, the only album I can still really enjoy is that one and that track specifically.

Soul music has a lot of progressive like features. Listen to Innervisions by Stevie or There's a Riot Going on by Sly and the family stone. And more recently, Anderson .Paak is really ahead of the pack.

In modern rock, the Foo Fighters have often been good for some progressive surprises Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace specifically is the closest they get to a prog statement.

In fact, I always found the concept of "progressive hip-hop" very promising. Imagine having the complex social and political commentary of To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar or Illmatic by Nas combined with more unconventional song structures and weird time/tempo shifts... that would be pretty amazing. I mean, those albums are already fantastic as they are, but still... just daydreaming a bit, haha

Take me down, to the underground
Won't you take me down, to the underground
Why oh why, there is no light
And if I can't sleep, can you hold my life

https://www.youtube.com/@CocoonMasterBrendan-wh3sd

Ultravox- Western Promise https://youtu.be/vk82GuIE2dY

"Why, she's no fun, she fell right over".--Nick Danger (Third Eye)

What about Travis Scott's "Sicko Mode" Obviously it's not rock, it's trap, but structurally it seems to have attempted the mini suite form of a song like Band On The Run or Carry On Wayward Son.

Porg for short. My love of music doesn't end with prog! Feel free to discuss all sorts of music with me. Odds are I'll give it a chance if I haven't already! :)

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