prog-ish albums by "non prog bands" you like

The Police - Ghost in the Machine and Synchronicity (complex suspended chords)
The Fixx - Shuttered Room and Reach the Beach (complexity in sound)
Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind, Powerslave, and Somewhere in Time (use of interesting scales and harmonies, concepts)
A Flock of Seagulls - A Flock of Seagulls (complexity of guitar sound / synth blends)
Barnabas - Approaching Light Speed and Feel the Fire (Rush and Van Halen influences)
Donna Summer - I Remember Yesterday (Tangerine Dream connection?)
Jefferson Starship - Spitfire (psychedelic)

Descendants of Kraftwerk (Krautrock influences)
Gary Numan - The Pleasure Principle (Films)
Devo - Freedom of Choice (Gates of Steel)
Yazoo - Upstairs at Eric’s (Situation, version with State Farm)
Men Without Hats - Rhythm of Youth (version with Antarctica)



Edited by Jaketejas - May 08 2025 at 16:15

For an artist name, Serge Gainbourg's Histoire de Melody Nelson (one of my very favourite albums that has the participation of Jean-Claude Vannier who is in PA) and Cannabis I put under the progressive umbrella. And I consider Donald Byrd's Electric Byrd to be JRF (suggested it to the JRF team many years ago). A lot of what I listen to not in PA could be considered to be Progish album by non-Prog bands, and actually I could say that of a lot of my favourites in PA (especially if one is a Prog purist -- depends on one's parameters). Quite lot of my favourites that are not stereotypically (I would say) Prog have been added in recent years. Nina Hagen Band's self-titles has Prog qualities. I think of Naturtrane as Prog. Air's 10 000 Hz Legend is one I would mention.

Incidentally, the Prog/non-Prog dichotomy commonly does not work for me or my collection. It's more like a spectrum, and amorphous..., no clear boundaries. But some that one would not associate with Prog have tried Prog albums. Here's another artist name, William Sheller with Lux Aeterna.

There's prog elements running through at least 2 Alice Cooper albums:

Killer
School's Out

Jaketejas wrote: Donna Summer - I Remember Yesterday (Tangerine Dream connection?)

The album was a collaboration with Giorgio Moroder, with a lot of Moog synth lines courtesy of Moroder and Thor Baldursson.

AFlowerKingCrimson wrote: ^I agree with A Flock of Seagulls. In fact there's a track on that first album called "you can run" which has pretty much the same melody as the one in the Revealing Science of God by Yes.

Ooo … I’m going to check that out!

I wouldn’t say the artists I mentioned are dabbling in Prog, but rather I think there are some connections (loose) to Prog. I’m not sure if that was the intent of the thread. I do find those artists interesting because they elevated their music in creative ways, and I think Prog had an influence in spicing things up, albeit tenuous in some cases.

jayjayl48 wrote: Seventh Son of A Seventh Son is one of Maidens most progressive albums. I also love the keyboards on the album. I know most metalheads have mixed opinions on that.

Most metalheads?! I would not generalize like that. The album is respected and beloved in the metal community.

Freak Kitchen - Move
They Might Be Giants - s/t
The Bears - s/t