Classic era:

1. King Crimson

2. Genesis (PG/ SH era only)

3. Yes

4. Camel

5. Gentle Giant ( I had Pink Floyd here but there's too many non prog fans into them)

Middle period:

1. Marillion

2. IQ

3. The Flower Kings

4. Spock's Beard

5. Pendragon

Recent years (I only came up with three so far)

In no order:

1. Wobbler

2. Big Big Train

3. Riverside 

For the last two categories Porcupine Tree, Tool, Radiohead and the Mars Volta, etc are out because their following is too big outside of prog circles. I wanted the biggest bands among the real prog fans not music fans in general.

As for prog metal imo that should be a separate category and a separate thread. Feel free to start one if you want but it's not my area of specialty so I didn't include it. Also, most of the prog metal bands you mentioned are too popular and so would not really qualify anyway(imo). 

Also, this isn't a blog so anyone can share their own lists.

Another? Sorry dude, that's not my m.o. Never has been and never will be. 

As for this 'mid period' (I am not sure which years exactly you use the term for), I would add Porcupine Tree, Pain of Salvation, Opeth, Dream Theater and maybe Anekdoten (I got it that you did not include the heavier bands).

And finally, you got to have Steven Wilson, The Tangent and The Pineapple Thief in the recent years section.

That is more or less my take on it.

If it is the ability to attract fans and sell enough tickets to play at stadiums, the only three that come to mind, later in their careers, are Rush, Genesis, and Pink Floyd.

No, I think Mostly Autumn are better than ever before with Olivia Sparnenn on lead vocals. 

That's a good question. For me I would say those that are talked about and praised a lot in prog forums and online in general. Not those discussed in general music forums but just by people who are big prog fans. Number of reviews and ratings could be a factor. I admit it's a bit arbitrary and not everyone will agree. 

JT was popular but they had a lot of mainstream popularity that GG didn't have. As for Camel they are very popular in prog circles. 

Surely Anglagard must be in that later period, possibly Discipline & echolyn? How about Magma in the middle period? They'd be the most edgy band on the list by a mile.

It's an awfully vanilla set of bands after the classic period, I guess your criteria of excluding bands with broad appeal while the niche bands are also not popular enough leaves you with neo & crossover.

Magma were around in the 70's though (first album was in 70) so I'm not sure I would put them in the middle category.

The point of this thread was to showcase those bands that are popular within the prog genre and not bands who have tons of fans outside the prog fanbase(ie PF, Rush, later Genesis, etc). In other words those bands that mostly only prog fans know about. There are a few minor exceptions maybe but I didn't want to include Rush or Pink Floyd for that reason and the same thing with a band like Tool. Dream Theater is borderline but they have many metal fans that aren't prog fans so they got left out. The same thing with Porcupine Tree (although they have a lot of non prog fans who aren't necessarily metal fans too probably). As for ELP I don't th ink they are respected enough among prog fans. There has been a big backlash it seems over the past several years and imo GG are probably more respected (and thus more popular)imo.

Yes, because prog was more of a part of the mainstream than it is today so it would be more difficult to say what was popular among prog fans back then imo. Today more people identify as prog fans while back then I think the labels weren't as important. I could be a bit off about that but that's how I see it. So yes, the perspective of today's prog fan is more what I had in mind.

OK, it was a while ago but ELP's last ever gig in London drew 30,000 fans - I can't imagine GG getting anywhere near - maybe 2 - 3,000 max - Hammersmith maybe.

I'd sooner listen to Mostly Autumn than any of the Big Six prog bands. 

And how many of those 30,000 people at the ELP show also had albums by Yes, King Crimson, Camel, Gentle Giant, Nektar, Happy the Man, the Flower Kings, IQ, Magma, VDGG, Porcupine Tree, Djam Karet, Riverside, Spock's Beard, The Tangent, PFM, Eloy and on and on? 

Indeed, myself included but it is the 'draw' of the main act - in this case ELP.  Had Gentle Giant headlined in Victoria Park, I reckon 5,000 max would turn up (Dream Theatre in 2011 played to only half the number ELP had attracted the year before)

Were you there?  Even before you arrived on the festival site, it was clear ELP fans were out in force in the pubs and streets around the park.  I was part of a group for whom the prospect of seeing ELP made them decide to go.

How I wish I had been there .

Too bad I live across the ocean and was 18 at the time. 

Honestly, I hardly buy anything because of fan interest and/or someone's idea of this or that.

What "ruined" PF for me, was the number of folks at the concerts that were completely out of it, and screaming "rock'n'roll" which even RW once told the fudger to get out of the hall.

Fan favorites are not real ... the media itself has never been "real" ... specially when they own the very same publication that is posting said piece of misinformation. 

It's even more scary that someone will post stuff like this and continue the media thing ... when the music, specially at its inception was almost all "anti-establishment" (sometimes unspoken, though KC is defenitely spoken!) ... and against the current radio music and times. It's almost like Pirate Radio in England was not valuable to anything, and then FM radio was not valuable to anything or anyone in America ... and the lack of cohesiveness of ideas between each band and their (supposed) progressive description is ... totally without merit and impossible ... Camel is a great band in my book, but being listed in a most progressive of groups (specially something like VdGG) ... is not just a media thing ... it's a personal preference and vendetta.

FYI, it's not considered standard practice (ie not recommended) to post inside someone's post like that. Part of the reason for that, as I'm sure you can see, is that it becomes hard to tell who said what especially to someone who's reading it for the first time. It's like saying "what you say isn't important and so I'll just write over over it." That might not be your intention but that's the effect.

Anyway, we as unique individuals can ultimately only speak from our own unique perspectives. In my case, it's my opinion but I'm going by what seems to be the most popular prog fans among prog fans. If you disagree or don't like certain bands that's fine. I'm sure there are bands you like that I don't care much for. 

What is "real prog fans"?

What do you think that means?

Don't know. Anyone who likes prog is a prog fan in my world.

I hope it doesn't mean someone who only listens to prog.

So you don't differentiate between casual fans and those who are regular posters on this site?

Well, if that's the case then Tool, Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Genesis and Rush are the bands with the most prog fans. That could actually be true too if you count those who only like or know about a few prog bands as being prog fans. I personally don't though. 

So because a band is popular means that it can't be also popular by prog fans?

King Crimson has been quite popular as well as Genesis so i think the premise of this is flawed.

I'd definitely include Magma in the third "Modern" category as they have been the hot ticket among prog lovers since K.A. and the Trianon and Mythes et légendes releases. The quality of their music and musicianship in the last 20 years had been unsurpassed!

I was there as well but certainly UFO , Asia, Steve Hackett and Opeth were also big reasons for people turning up. Was a nice day though and fantastic weather. Those were the days eh? 

edit - Asia were of course on Saturday . Argent were also on Sunday though 

I just went for the Sunday - because of ELP!  In the hotel we stayed at, the buzz was all about ELP - many fans having travelled far and wide.  I enjoyed Hackett enormously but the sound on the prog stage was too quiet!  It was nice to see him strolling through the crowd with his partner afterwards.  I caught Opeth as well but I now call them 'Opeless.  Yes, it was a great day.

THat was also my question ! 

Maybe, "real prog fans" means "people who like bands from the 70's and "modern" artits who imitate Yes and Genesis for example.

So I think that I am not in this category because I mainly like modern bands which play crossover progressive rock/metal.