But even taking that into account, I doubt it.

No, Gentle Giant are very clearly second tier, you mean Pink Floyd. The real big 5 is certainly more popular here, except for ELP, but a lot of people outside of this website who don't consider themselves prog fans and probably would never listen to Yes listen to Zappa, so I don't know in that respect. Or care, to be honest.

 

ELP is underrated It's all Camel's fault!!

 

Back on topic  , I think FZ is much more interesting to talk about than the most popular prog bands. Except for KC. He covered so much ground and innovated so much in the use of instruments and the studio that pages or books could be written about that. And don't get me started on conceptual continuity.

 

I think Frank Zappa's been getting a bit more love lately, but there have been plenty of polls with Opeth in them.

 

I'd probably say Frank Zappa is one of or is the most respected artist here.

 

 I mean, plenty of people here don't like PF because they don't see them as prog. KC is pretty hit and miss cause of some of their strange stuff. Yes people don't seem to like sometimes because they do tend to do to many extended solos and leave people cold. Genesis I can't really say why, but they're just a band that plenty of people don't attatch to as much as the top bands, Jethro Tull as well. Dream Theater and ELP are obviously not liked as much for obvious reasons. Opeth is too extreme for most people. Mars Volta loses people with their noise and high-pitched vocals. Porcupine Tree leaves tons of people just dissaffected.

 

These are the most popular bands, but in my experience, they have all gotten a bit of hate at one point. Zappa, on the other hand, I have never seen outright bashed. Even when someone didn't like him, they seemed to respect him vastly.

 

I don't know, my two cents.

But maybe the prog experience you are looking for is not the prog experience others are looking for.

 

Add his politics, some fine diverse music and that fantastic poster of him on the crapper, the guy was always rated in the press as one of the coolest on the planet - and one of the most feared by right wing politicians!

 

Whether that makes him the most popular here, I doubt, but it's an interesting question. The questions I can't answer are always the most interesting to me. 

 

Anyone who applies this comment.

For those who get offend. 

 

I bought Freak Out, at great expense at the time, because even the album cover art promised danger.  I was, I don't know, maybe 12 or 13 years old at the time.  I didn't really get Freak Out at the time, but that didn't stop me from picking up Absolutely Free (again at great expense, ya don't get to buy a lot of $3.00 albums when you are too young to work and your allowance is 50 cents a week).  Absolutely Free well this was the beginning of my downfall you might say.  Before that album I tried to fit in, tried to be a good boy and student and citizen, but after that album it no longer mattered.  FZ was speaking to all of us who just didn't quite fit in with the cheerleaders and jocks.  We had a voice, and it was FZ. 

 

"I'm losin' status at my high school..."

 

"Primer mi carucha Chevy '39..."

 

"Got 'em at the Pep Boys..."

 

And a thousand other quotes, all fraught with meaning.

 

Once I was able to get a job, well it was always the FZ albums that were at the top of the list.  Never missed a one.

 

Zappa went through some questionable years -- Flo & Eddie I'm thinking of here -- but I stuck with him.  And then by my college years, when Overnite Sensation appeared out of nowhere, well my old muse was back in full force.  And it never let up until he passed.  Sure, there are some lean years when quality control in the UMRK was not all that great, but ol' Frank never let up on the vision.

 

So if he's discussed here a lot these days, well why not?  There are 25 years -- and entire generation -- of many great and many good and a handful of so-so songs, and even a couple of crappers, that mirror or reflect said generation.

 

I have an inkling what the current generation thinks of him...my son and daughter generally do not miss the Zappa Plays Zappa concerts when they come 'round here, and they don't go to see Dweezil, they go to hear the music. 

 

So maybe FZ is experiencing a bit of a renaissance...with its attendant chat and posts and recognition.  I really can't think of anyone who deserves it more.  It all bears repeated listening -- I'm saying years and years of repeated listening -- and always is engaging and challenging and evocative.  There's just not a lot of better rock music on the planet.   

 

 

I'd add Apostrophe to the previous recommendations posted by Logan.  200 Motels is pretty smart, too.

I agree with that as well, but it was tangential to the point I was making. ;-)

 

And I would disagree with your statement that he is the most influential artist of the last 50 years. Ornette Coleman/John Coltrane created a genre.

 

It would be normal for you/us not to see him discussed as much as before ... why? ... he's not alive anymore and there is no band for us to thrash and say that singer must go!

 

But, anyone not giving him any appreciation will never even realize where metal music came from in the first place and where some of the guitar leads appeared first. And in case you missed it, just catch "Zappa plays Zappa" for a total treat and amazing show and stuff ... you have to be a master musician to play like that ... and pay attention ... and I doubt that half the bands discussed here have that much discipline or care in their work.

 

Frank Zappa, in my book is one of the top 5 composers of the century ... right up there with Stravinsky! And his legacy will eventually come forth regardless of what we say here. There simply is too much music out there and the appreciation is bigger than ever ... just not as visible here.

 

Frank Zappa is probably way too mis-understood to be appreciated.

 

To most listeners, his lyrics could be considered rude, and sometimes questionable in good taste. And the music, is, quite intentional in ts ability to go anywhere and everywhere.

 

Perhaps his best ability, besides being a monster guitarist that taught many how to do bombastic solos, one of his strong abilities was that he knew music and was not afraid to play with it and mix and match things in combinations that are mind boggling. It is modern music, meets classical, meets pop, meets rock, meets soul, meets jazz, meets no-music, meets anything you can think of.

 

The lyrics. It is important that you understand that most of them are off kilter on purpose. Why is this important? He knew and understood how we listened to pop music and got stuck on lines and sill can quote songs out of the blue ... and his intent was to make sure that you did not bother with the lyrics, and got to the music a little more. And he succeeded to a degree ... except in America.

 

To give you an idea of the respect and appreciation, before he left us, he worked and conducted in Vienna in one of the most important and highly regarded places in music ... but in America ... the Met will never do anything, what's his name with the bruhahapopscheapmusic, will never play Frank ... and you get the idea ... we're stuck in a commercial society that can only appreciate top ten ... and too many people here are a bit like that ... and are not capable of ear tuning to learn and appreciate something totally different ... and Frank IS different from album to album ... no one can show such versatility and dedication to music any more than that ...

 

So, if you want the new muzak ... go ahead ... if you want some really well done material and well defined and designed music, Frank will be on your top list right off the bat ... like it or not. You might not like the music, but can you not appreciate the musicianship and the work that went into it?

Why does it matter whether it is prog or not?

I love it here! I have been reading the posts for a while without an account, so I thought it was time I made one :P

 

Hmmmm ... I was thinking that he probably has the biggest catalog of most of the artists mentioned here!

 

I'm a bit concerned that w have a tendency to think that "popular" means best, and in this case, it does not apply!

It depends on how you define popular. If it's by album sales, I suspect others may beat him.

I'd believe this ^ is correct

I objectively determined it. 

And I have blind faith so subjectively agreed :-)

 

You should be since Clapton is God.  

 

 

 

 

 

Is that good or bad?