Which is the best "prog-pop song" ever?
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Topic: Which is the best "prog-pop song" ever?
Posted By: desistindo
Subject: Which is the best "prog-pop song" ever?
Date Posted: June 27 2010 at 18:21
| I would say "Owner of a lonely heart" by Yes. And you? |
Replies:
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: June 27 2010 at 18:43
not bad.. right album.. wrong song. Changes.. near letter perfect prog-pop. Could launch into my thoughts about Yes being the most misunderstood (and incorrectly labelled major group on the site) but won't. However Yes was a pop band first and foremost.. and their transition to shorter song structure retained enough prog to not lose old fans.. and yet gain scores of new mainstream fans. What prog band made the transition from the 70's to 80's in that way. None.. it was a seemless transition for they didn't change what they had always done.. or become something they were not. They merely made it more accessible and shorter. 2nd best.. perhaps this gem. |
desistindo wrote:Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: June 27 2010 at 18:50
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'Back in NYC' (followed by more Genesis like 'Abacab' or 'Robbery,Assault and Battery'), also ELP's 'Lucky Man' and 'Cinema/Leave It' from 90125 |
Posted By: Triceratopsoil
Date Posted: June 27 2010 at 18:57
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This is more or less pop, right? |
Posted By: desistindo
Date Posted: June 27 2010 at 18:59
Great song. But i think its a little obscure to be a pop song...
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Posted By: micky
Date Posted: June 27 2010 at 19:05
obscure??? not if you were alive and listening to the radio in 1983  |
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: June 27 2010 at 19:07
oohhhh.. now perhaps that should be the one. Great one David.. the moog solo from hell.. and the best drumming bare none that you'll ever hear on a 'pop song' haha. |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: June 27 2010 at 19:26
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that's what I'm thinkin, and nice to see you my friend |
Posted By: The Truth
Date Posted: June 27 2010 at 19:34
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Probably some solo Peter Gabriel, maybe Biko or Shock the Monkey. ------------- http://blindpoetrecords.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow">  
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Posted By: UndercoverBoy
Date Posted: June 27 2010 at 19:36
Posted By: Anirml
Date Posted: June 27 2010 at 20:04
 ------------- 
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Posted By: Triceratopsoil
Date Posted: June 27 2010 at 20:30
| Anirml that's the greatest f**kin song ever |
Posted By: Anirml
Date Posted: June 27 2010 at 20:55
It's an amazing song! I played it at a party some days ago and some people loved it!  -------------
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Posted By: dwill123
Date Posted: June 27 2010 at 21:27
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: June 27 2010 at 21:57
agreed, Monkey is such an awesome tune |
Posted By: RoyFairbank
Date Posted: June 27 2010 at 23:07
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ahhh- that's really hard you know Owner may be it. I'd also mention Learning to Fly (PF) and a lot of what APP and ELO did, but they had no singles like the aforementioned singles. |
Posted By: Tsevir Leirbag
Date Posted: June 28 2010 at 00:04
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Art Bears' In Two Minds ------------- Les mains, les pieds balancés Sur tant de mers, tant de planchers, Un marin mort, Il dormira - Paul Éluard |
Posted By: AbrahamSapien
Date Posted: June 28 2010 at 02:46
Rhythm of Love by Yes .
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Posted By: Tarquin Underspoon
Date Posted: June 28 2010 at 02:52
I agree with the last two, but Back in NYC? Pop? Hm...wouldn't have thought that. Perhaps Carpet Crawlers or I Know What I Like. I actually was going to suggest Follow You, Follow Me. But overall, I think it's obvious that Genesis is the master of this prog-pop stuff. ------------- "WAAAAAAOOOOOUGH! WAAAAAAAUUUUGGHHHH!! WAAAAAOOOO!!!" -The Great Gig in the Sky |
Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: June 28 2010 at 06:25
Yes, Back in NYC is too long and in too weird a time signature to be prog-pop. Now Carpet Crawlers is a different matter.
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Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: June 28 2010 at 07:34
Basically any song off this:
------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: RoyFairbank
Date Posted: June 28 2010 at 09:46
Agreed with two of the three, as with first: None of that Genesis stuff is pop/prog. Maybe Prog/rock with a pop sheen, but NOT really for several you mentioned, particularly back in NYC (genesis' best song) If you define as Pop that stuff you really are restricting Prog to stupid experimentation. Prog isn't simply about long, stupid experimentation. That's avant-garde, right? The premise of prog is that it is maximum pop like the Who described themselves in 1965 ("Maximum R&B"), Prog is a really ambitious descendant and close relative of pop. It is only when the music feeds obviously and purposely back into contemporary pop conventions that it can be described prog-pop. Owner could have been released by any AOR band (even though it would have been the best thing they did), as could Learning to Fly (theoretically). Something like Abacab (the song) was completely in its own stream, though some of the other tracks on that album could be classified as Prog-pop or even pop. etc. |
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: June 28 2010 at 11:05
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I think Yes owns this post:
I've Seen All Good People
Roundabout
Owner of a Lonely Heart
Rhythm of Love
**All these have plenty of FM 'classic rock' station plays... -------------   
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Posted By: rogerthat
Date Posted: June 28 2010 at 11:24
| Another Brick in the Wall pt-2. |
Posted By: MFP
Date Posted: June 28 2010 at 11:59
|
or
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Posted By: Nilsen
Date Posted: June 28 2010 at 12:30
| Comfortably Numb gets my vote. |
Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: June 28 2010 at 14:19
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Some great entries, particularly the Yes ones. The one I'll chuck into the mix is Solsbury Hill, which is nigh on perfect pop/prog to these ears.
------------- Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org |
Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: June 28 2010 at 14:20
Urgent notice from Messrs Sue, Grabbit, & Runne, solicitor's to Mr Roger Waters.......The writ is in the post ------------- Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: June 28 2010 at 14:47
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Solsbury Hill
Living In The Past
See Emily Play
Virginia Plain
Northern Lights
Afterglow
Wonderous Stories
Spirit Of Radio
Paranoid
I Hear You Now
Wuthering Heights
Hooks In You
Karma Police
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Posted By: The Truth
Date Posted: June 28 2010 at 14:48
But Carpet Crawlers is still is by no means a pop song, it has a simple time signature but doesn't sound poppy. Maybe Counting Out Time  ------------- http://blindpoetrecords.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: The Truth
Date Posted: June 28 2010 at 14:49
Oh yes and No Surprises by Radiohead  ------------- http://blindpoetrecords.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: kole
Date Posted: June 28 2010 at 14:52
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Most songs by Toy Matinee. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyTdtf0LFMk |
Posted By: Tarquin Underspoon
Date Posted: June 28 2010 at 15:16
Ah, but what about Supertramp?  ------------- "WAAAAAAOOOOOUGH! WAAAAAAAUUUUGGHHHH!! WAAAAAOOOO!!!" -The Great Gig in the Sky |
Posted By: The Truth
Date Posted: June 28 2010 at 15:35
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Good point, their whole discography is practically pop but it's still good. Especially Crime of the Century. ------------- http://blindpoetrecords.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: J-Man
Date Posted: June 28 2010 at 16:47
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These two are some of the best IMO. -------------  Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime |
Posted By: Bitterblogger
Date Posted: June 28 2010 at 17:43
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Sledgehammer
Nights In White Satin
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Posted By: silcir
Date Posted: June 28 2010 at 18:01
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the first thing that came to my mind was "anything from Supertramp" so that's my answer! |
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: June 28 2010 at 18:26
I wanna start a new "prog" genre ... prog-hit! But you already named it "prog-pop song". Sadly, that is exactly what the "progressive music" is really all about.
My answer is NONE.
I don't listen to "songs". I listen to "music".
------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com |
Posted By: The Monodrone
Date Posted: June 28 2010 at 18:58
Just finished listening to it ^. A true gem of an album!
Yes' cover of 'America' (edited version)... maybe a bit too prog for this thread, but I still love it. -------------  
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Posted By: Bitterblogger
Date Posted: June 28 2010 at 19:25
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Posted By: TGM: Orb
Date Posted: June 29 2010 at 18:20
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While perhaps not best ever, 'For You' off Love Beach is f**king good. And I challenge anyone here to say honestly that Carl Palmer does not rule on that album. For best ever, Il Balletto Di Bronzo's La Tua Casa Commoda strikes me as being especially good but not quite as excellent as 10cc's Blackmail or (if we're going more by sales success) I'm Not In Love, which is actually very experimental - more so than most of the bands we don't leave in PR. |
Posted By: Canprog
Date Posted: June 29 2010 at 22:42
Dare I say Duke's Travels?
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Posted By: thellama73
Date Posted: June 29 2010 at 22:44
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The Final Countdown!
------------- 
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Posted By: UndercoverBoy
Date Posted: June 29 2010 at 23:15
Europe is a prog band?
 |
Posted By: Jake Kobrin
Date Posted: June 29 2010 at 23:19
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Something by Muse, maybe?
------------- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dr-Neil-Kobrin/244687105562746" rel="nofollow - SUPPORT MY FATHER AND BECOME A FAN Jacob Kobrin Illustration |
Posted By: catfood03
Date Posted: June 29 2010 at 23:59
| Well, since the Beatles are included on this site as a prog band, I'll nominate "Love Me Do" |
Posted By: thellama73
Date Posted: June 30 2010 at 00:07
No, but the Final Countdown is prog pop song. Listen to those synthesizers in the beginning! And it's about migrating away from earth to a galaxy far far away. It doesn't get any more prog than that. -------------
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Posted By: Conor Fynes
Date Posted: June 30 2010 at 01:47
Has anyone said 'Illegal Alien' by Genesis yet? 
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Posted By: Henry Plainview
Date Posted: June 30 2010 at 02:07
I hadn't really listened to The Final Countdown until Arrested Development, but I have to admit, it's so bad it wraps around and becomes one of the best songs ever. To a less extent, so does Take On Me. And I can't decide whether I like What Is Love ironically or seriously. ------------- if you own a sodastream i hate you |
Posted By: lucas
Date Posted: June 30 2010 at 07:51
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Something by Klaatu ------------- "Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood) |
Posted By: desistindo
Date Posted: June 30 2010 at 13:09
| I remember also "Heat of the Moment" by Asia (great hit) and "A Day in the Life" by The Beatles. |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: June 30 2010 at 14:02
I like the second choice although from Asia I would prefer 'Cutting It Fine' which has a little bit more appeal to me.
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Posted By: yanch
Date Posted: June 30 2010 at 14:32
| Lot's of interesting suggestions. Here's one not yet mentioned: "On the Loose" by Saga. |
Posted By: Manuel
Date Posted: June 30 2010 at 17:27
| I would say "Living in the Past" by Jethro Tull. |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: July 01 2010 at 01:50
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"Hocus Pocus" by Focus was HUGE in Chicago when it first came out! It was played about 3 times per hour!! Also, "Small Beginnings" by Flash was a single that charted nicely. It was fun as hell to hear these songs out of a tiny car AM radio speaker back in the early 1970's! Not to mention "Roundabout"!
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Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: July 01 2010 at 01:51
Great song, thanks!
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Posted By: yanch
Date Posted: July 01 2010 at 06:44
My pleasure!
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Posted By: AtomicCrimsonRush
Date Posted: July 01 2010 at 09:56
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Heartbeat by King Crimson ------------- 
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Posted By: desistindo
Date Posted: July 01 2010 at 10:25
| would u suggest something by Camel? |
Posted By: Manuel
Date Posted: July 01 2010 at 10:35
There are quite a few, like "Spirit of Water" from Moonmadness, "Tell Me" from Raindances, or "Shout' from Rajaz and many others, but they never really got radio play. |
Posted By: UndercoverBoy
Date Posted: July 02 2010 at 22:51
I totally agree. "The Final Countdown" is just so cheesy it's brilliant. I have a feeling it could be self-parody because it magnifies everything bad about hair metal x10.
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Posted By: The Wrinkler
Date Posted: July 03 2010 at 01:12
Giocco di Bimba and Felona by Le Orme 
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Posted By: BaldFriede
Date Posted: July 03 2010 at 03:42
Back in NYC? A pop song in 7/8? -------------  BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue. |
Posted By: Drifter
Date Posted: July 03 2010 at 09:23
| Caravan always had a good ear for pop. |
Posted By: desistindo
Date Posted: July 03 2010 at 11:53
| Indeed, Drifter! |
Posted By: Terminus Est
Date Posted: July 03 2010 at 13:49
| I can't believe no one has said Wondrous Stories yet! |
Posted By: catfood03
Date Posted: July 03 2010 at 14:50
|
"I Want More" or "Moonshake" by Can "See Emily Play" or "Arnold Lane" by Pink Floyd "This Is A Man's World" by The Residents |
Posted By: presdoug
Date Posted: July 03 2010 at 15:37
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"Charlene" by Wallenstein "Julie" by Jail |
Posted By: Anthony H.
Date Posted: July 03 2010 at 23:32
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Heat of the Moment. Breakfast in America (as well as many other Supertamp songs). I'll think of more good prog pop later. |
Posted By: VanVanVan
Date Posted: July 04 2010 at 20:24
Agreed. "In the Land of the Grey and Pink" is glorious. ------------- "The meaning of life is to give life meaning."-Arjen Lucassen |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: July 04 2010 at 22:43
| There are so many I can think about. Right now I want to say "High Hopes" by Pink Floyd, but then as it was already mentioned, "Comfortably Numb" could also be included as "pop prog"; and then, "Wish you were here" and "Another Brick in the Wall 2" also. And ofcourse Yes's "Owner of a Lonely Heart" is great, but so is "Roundabout". And ELP did lots of pop, even during their most prog era, I particularly like "In the Beginning" from them, and "Touch and Go" is rather cool too. Jethro Tull's got many "pop" things too, I guess "Aqualung" would be the biggest. Genesis is very big with pop, ofcourse, and here I like "I know what I like", as well as "Mama" and "Land of Confusion". From Asia, I never really liked "Heat of the Moment" so much, but I do like "Only Time will Tell" a lot. However, I liked "Never Again" from Phoenix better, and best of all they did for me is "Parallel Worlds / Vortex / Deja", for me that should be the definition of "Pop Prog". Alan Parsons Project has lots of Pop Prog that I completly love, I guess almost all of their good songs should fit this category, one of my favourites is "La Sagrada Familia". And I'm amazed "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas hasn't been mentioned (but then, it might just as well be because that one is a purely pop song played by a Prog group). I think "Le Orme" was very good at this too (as far as I've heard). Ah, and I was forgeting, Dream Theater has done their on share on "Pop Prog Metal", as with Pull me Under, As I Am, The Root of all Evil, Forsaken, A Rite of Passage. |
Posted By: cannon
Date Posted: July 05 2010 at 00:12
| "The Grand Illusion" by Styx. |
Posted By: presdoug
Date Posted: July 05 2010 at 08:33
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Posted By: RoyFairbank
Date Posted: July 05 2010 at 09:34
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Someone said Comfortably Numb? Blasphemy. Prog doesn't have noodle for 20 minutes in time signatures that defy the laws of quantum physic to be prog. |
Posted By: kenethlevine
Date Posted: July 05 2010 at 22:55
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"Der Plan" by ANYONE's DAUGHTER always comes to mind for me, but some of their other short songs might fit too, like "Superman" |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: July 06 2010 at 01:19
..and I spelt it correctly
 |
Posted By: Nakatira
Date Posted: July 06 2010 at 07:26
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I just scrolled through most pages, so I might have missed it. But I can not belive no one has mentioned Bohemian Rapsody, it wins hands down easily. I think it will also beat all entries anyday |
Posted By: desistindo
Date Posted: July 06 2010 at 09:01
| Well remember, Nakatira. |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: July 06 2010 at 15:30
KIller Queen is the one that has been missed
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Posted By: Ronnie Pilgrim
Date Posted: July 06 2010 at 22:26
My sentiments exactly! I even got the ringtone because of Gob. Everyone laughs, understandably.
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Posted By: thellama73
Date Posted: July 06 2010 at 22:29
What about "The Prophet's Song"? It's more prog than Bohemian Rhapsody, I think. -------------
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Posted By: Ronnie Pilgrim
Date Posted: July 06 2010 at 22:32
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Prog pop, eh?
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Posted By: trackstoni
Date Posted: July 06 2010 at 22:50
 Yes , Owner is too close to be the one & Home by the Sea also ! ------------- Tracking Tracks of Rock |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: July 07 2010 at 01:32
Bohemian Rapsody is almost unique as a full blown prog track that became a massive hit single but I don't regard it as 'pop' even if success in the charts say otherwise
 |
Posted By: BrufordFreak
Date Posted: July 07 2010 at 09:22
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"Lucky Man" or "Running Up that Hill." (by Kate Bush) ------------- Drew Fisher https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/ |
Posted By: WyattEarp
Date Posted: July 07 2010 at 10:50
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Dust in the Wind by Kansas=gets my vote
Still after over 30 yrs listening to that song.
It never gets old,cause the message is soo powerful and true.
Some of the best songwriting bar none!
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Posted By: Gerinski
Date Posted: July 07 2010 at 17:11
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There are indeed many, and many which have been already said:
Asia - Wildest Dreams, Cutting It Fine, Here comes the Feeling
Saga - On the Loose, Wind Him Up, The Flyer, The Pitchman
Kansas - Dust in the Wind, Carry On My Wayward Son
Gabriel - Shock The Monkey
Yes - Hold On, Changes, Magnification, Homeworld, Final Eyes
3 - You Do or You Don't (Robert Berry has a some nice ones too in his solo album Pilgrimage to a point)
GTR - The Hunter
Genesis - Dodo, Paper Late
....
I'm missing so many but due to works at home my whole CD collection sits now in a box so I can't take a look
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Posted By: Norman Kiddie
Date Posted: July 19 2010 at 11:05
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Someone wrote THE FINAL COUNTDOWN. This has got to be the worst song of all time.
Sorry I don´t mean to mock other peoples tastes but just listening to the Snow Goose or the enchanting Memories Of Old Days from Gentle Giant doesn´t even get close to being able to pinpoint the best ever prog rock song. I would probably choose a different song every day depending on my mood. However, it should be said that Led Zeppelin got damn close to everyones song of songs and whether you´ve heard it one, two or three million times it still depicts what it is all about. Individualism, freedom and performed for the likes of you and I. It is the STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN!
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Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: July 19 2010 at 11:20
I like that a lot. Excuse my ignorance..who is it..??? ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: July 19 2010 at 22:30
If you've liked some Asia songs, for me the closest they ever got to writing a prog song (and still remain pop, by the way) is Parallel Worlds / Vortex / Deya, from Phoenix, even though it's certainly not got the feel of the songs you mentioned; but this song has such a beautiful instrumental section after the pop vocal section, that for me it's the best song they have written (I'm talking about the Original Asia Line-up, for that's the one I know). |
Posted By: awaken77
Date Posted: December 11 2013 at 09:36
| Argent - hold Your Head Up |
Posted By: genbanks
Date Posted: December 11 2013 at 09:42
| Genesis MAMA a true killer, and with this pseudo-prog key guitar counterpoint |
Posted By: irrelevant
Date Posted: December 11 2013 at 09:51
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Not thinking under the lines of "popular song by a prog band", but as a genre itself, here's a few off the top of my head: Mew - "Am I Wry? No" Strawbs - "Benedictus" Camel - "Breathless" 10cc - I'm Mandy, Fly Me ------------- https://gabebuller.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow - New album! http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=7385" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=7385 |
Posted By: timothy leary
Date Posted: December 11 2013 at 09:56
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Knights in White Satin
Dust in the Wind
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Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: December 11 2013 at 10:31
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Tuesday Afternoon
and many others from the Moodies like Ride My See Saw, Gypsy, etc
Living In The past...Aqualung.....Locomotive Breath, etc
Lucky Man...and what about From The Beginning or Still You Turn Me On..?
Abacab
------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: December 11 2013 at 10:32
------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: December 11 2013 at 10:32
------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: zravkapt
Date Posted: December 11 2013 at 12:21
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I just quickly went through this thread, don't think these songs were mentioned (I could pick just one but they're all equal to me): ------------- Magma America Great Make Again |
Posted By: The Glide
Date Posted: December 11 2013 at 12:30
| Janelle Monae - Cold War |
Posted By: BarryGlibb
Date Posted: December 12 2013 at 04:47
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This post is over 3 years old and I was thinking of the same thing once I bought 90215 last week. Owner of A Lonely Heart is by far the best prog -pop song of all time. Putting it on loud on a good stereo system just shows how intricate this track is......superb! And catchy....And I don't like Yes much either. Living in the Past by Jethro Tull comes third. Who comes 2nd? Another Brick in The Wall. |