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Bands that could have been successful, but weren't

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FatherChristmas View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FatherChristmas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 29 2020 at 11:28
Not to mention having a brilliant guitarist.
"Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence" - Robert Fripp
"I am an anti-Christ" - Johnny Rotten
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 29 2020 at 11:34
Originally posted by FatherChristmas FatherChristmas wrote:

Is there a band you think had massive potential, but were never really popular? 
For me, it's Caravan. I don't think I'm alone here... some of their stuff sounds really popular... but wasn't.
Apologies if this topic is already covered.
What say you? 
England and Fantasy, to name just two of hundreds of British bands who should have been successful but weren't, many of whom I've featured in my Prog Britannia blog, although I wouldn't describe Caravan as an unsuccessful band in all honesty, as they have achieved a modicum of success and well-deserved recognition. After all, they were one of the few bands I'd actually heard of long before I discovered ProgArchives back in 2010, although I had no idea they were part of the Canterbury Scene at the time. Smile
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FatherChristmas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 30 2020 at 07:11
If all these great bands posted here that in theory should have been successful were, I reckon we'd be living in a parallel universe. LOL
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FatherChristmas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 13 2020 at 11:28
Originally posted by Psychedelic Paul Psychedelic Paul wrote:

Originally posted by FatherChristmas FatherChristmas wrote:

Is there a band you think had massive potential, but were never really popular? 
For me, it's Caravan. I don't think I'm alone here... some of their stuff sounds really popular... but wasn't.
Apologies if this topic is already covered.
What say you? 
England and Fantasy, to name just two of hundreds of British bands who should have been successful but weren't, many of whom I've featured in my Prog Britannia blog, although I wouldn't describe Caravan as an unsuccessful band in all honesty, as they have achieved a modicum of success and well-deserved recognition. After all, they were one of the few bands I'd actually heard of long before I discovered ProgArchives back in 2010, although I had no idea they were part of the Canterbury Scene at the time. Smile
Success as in commercial success. Smile
"Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence" - Robert Fripp
"I am an anti-Christ" - Johnny Rotten
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FatherChristmas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2020 at 13:14
Sorry, but got to revive this thread just to say...
Porcupine Tree!!!
"Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence" - Robert Fripp
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Cristi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2020 at 13:17
Originally posted by FatherChristmas FatherChristmas wrote:

Sorry, but got to revive this thread just to say...
Porcupine Tree!!!

PT were successful, they could have been bigger, but then again, and i mean no offense, the average listener, the causual listener will not touch a band like PT. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HackettFan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2020 at 13:21
Jade Warrior perhaps. They never had the record label support that some other bands had.
A curse upon the heads of those who seek their fortunes in a lie. The truth is always waiting when there's nothing left to try. - Colin Henson, Jade Warrior (Now)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Frenetic Zetetic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 18 2020 at 01:28
Originally posted by FatherChristmas FatherChristmas wrote:

Sorry, but got to revive this thread just to say...
Porcupine Tree!!!

This is an insult to better bands with a weaker marketing team.

"I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FatherChristmas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 18 2020 at 10:52
Originally posted by Frenetic Zetetic Frenetic Zetetic wrote:

Originally posted by FatherChristmas FatherChristmas wrote:

Sorry, but got to revive this thread just to say...
Porcupine Tree!!!

This is an insult to better bands with a weaker marketing team.
This does not change my opinion. I know (as you also most likely know) countless pop bands/artists that were successful and never wrote a single song themselves (relying on other songwriters). I think some PT could have been a lot more successful - In Absentia, for instance, didn't even chart in the UK, and that's the one that sold more than triple of their past albums (not put together). It is, however, ultimately just my opinion. That's all I will say.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 18 2020 at 11:09
Porcupine Tree are pretty well known even outside of prog circles. I would say most metal fans know about them and many are into them. In fact many consider them metal. I was looking up one of their earlier more rare albums on ebay recently and some of the sellers had it as "metal" under genre. 

Anyway, it depends on what we mean by successful. Some of the bands mentioned in this thread have been successful. Sometimes it amazes me that Yes became as big as they did considering what they were doing musically. It's not all about getting your song on the radio. Porcupine Tree weren't played much on the radio(I actually only heard them played on the radio once and that was sort of in the middle of their career just after IA)and neither were the Mars Volta.  Only a few prog bands get to rise above the others. It's the same in most genres. These days Big Big Train seem to be one of them but there's a few others(mostly ones with a metally sound).
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FatherChristmas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 18 2020 at 11:14
Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

Porcupine Tree are pretty well known even outside of prog circles. I would say most metal fans know about them and many are into them. In fact many consider them metal. I was looking up one of their earlier more rare albums on ebay recently and some of the sellers had it as "metal" under genre. 

Anyway, it depends on what we mean by successful. Some of the bands mentioned in this thread have been successful. Sometimes it amazes me that Yes became as big as they did considering what they were doing musically. It's not all about getting your song on the radio. Porcupine Tree weren't played much on the radio(I actually only heard them played on the radio once and that was sort of in the middle of their career just after IA)and neither were the Mars Volta.  Only a few prog bands get to rise above the others. It's the same in most genres. These days Big Big Train seem to be one of them but there's a few others(mostly ones with a metally sound).
True, I should have said more clearly - commercially, PT were not incredibly successful. They certainly were in that they are quite famous and have a fairly large fanbase.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 18 2020 at 12:33
Originally posted by FatherChristmas FatherChristmas wrote:

Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

Porcupine Tree are pretty well known even outside of prog circles. I would say most metal fans know about them and many are into them. In fact many consider them metal. I was looking up one of their earlier more rare albums on ebay recently and some of the sellers had it as "metal" under genre. 

Anyway, it depends on what we mean by successful. Some of the bands mentioned in this thread have been successful. Sometimes it amazes me that Yes became as big as they did considering what they were doing musically. It's not all about getting your song on the radio. Porcupine Tree weren't played much on the radio(I actually only heard them played on the radio once and that was sort of in the middle of their career just after IA)and neither were the Mars Volta.  Only a few prog bands get to rise above the others. It's the same in most genres. These days Big Big Train seem to be one of them but there's a few others(mostly ones with a metally sound).
True, I should have said more clearly - commercially, PT were not incredibly successful. They certainly were in that they are quite famous and have a fairly large fanbase.

Well, they never quite became a household name like Radiohead, Coldplay or Muse if that's what you mean. But yeah I think you get what I meant and I agree. However, I would say they became nearly as big(maybe as big) as Dream Theater at one point. DT has the advantage of still being around but that's not always a good thing since it depends on the quality of the output and DT it seems hit their peak a long time ago.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote POTA Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 18 2020 at 22:09
Cairo for sure, if not for Mark Robertson's virtuosic keyboard playing alone. They were top shelf but just came out at the wrong time.   
 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote A Crimson Mellotron Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 19 2020 at 00:01
Originally posted by Logan Logan wrote:

While success is relative, I do think that Comus could have found a much larger following and bigger carreer in the 70s had things worked out differently. Not as a really mainstream band, but as a much more significant band having a cult-like status.

Absolutely! Comus should have been a much more recognisable band. I find 'First Utterance' to be one of the finest moments of 70s folk/prog.
A more recent band that comes to my mind is Beardfish. Even Between the Buried and Me which have the potential to be much bigger.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 19 2020 at 05:30
Originally posted by POTA POTA wrote:

Cairo for sure, if not for Mark Robertson's virtuosic keyboard playing alone. They were top shelf but just came out at the wrong time.   
 


When would have been the right time?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote POTA Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 19 2020 at 12:06
Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

Originally posted by POTA POTA wrote:

Cairo for sure, if not for Mark Robertson's virtuosic keyboard playing alone. They were top shelf but just came out at the wrong time.   
 


When would have been the right time?

I don't know, but I think mid-90s wasn't optimal. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Awesoreno Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 19 2020 at 22:48
Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

Originally posted by FatherChristmas FatherChristmas wrote:

Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

Porcupine Tree are pretty well known even outside of prog circles. I would say most metal fans know about them and many are into them. In fact many consider them metal. I was looking up one of their earlier more rare albums on ebay recently and some of the sellers had it as "metal" under genre. 

Anyway, it depends on what we mean by successful. Some of the bands mentioned in this thread have been successful. Sometimes it amazes me that Yes became as big as they did considering what they were doing musically. It's not all about getting your song on the radio. Porcupine Tree weren't played much on the radio(I actually only heard them played on the radio once and that was sort of in the middle of their career just after IA)and neither were the Mars Volta.  Only a few prog bands get to rise above the others. It's the same in most genres. These days Big Big Train seem to be one of them but there's a few others(mostly ones with a metally sound).
True, I should have said more clearly - commercially, PT were not incredibly successful. They certainly were in that they are quite famous and have a fairly large fanbase.

Well, they never quite became a household name like Radiohead, Coldplay or Muse if that's what you mean. But yeah I think you get what I meant and I agree. However, I would say they became nearly as big(maybe as big) as Dream Theater at one point. DT has the advantage of still being around but that's not always a good thing since it depends on the quality of the output and DT it seems hit their peak a long time ago.

I think what puts DT well over the edge is that they were way bigger worldwide than PT. Being metal for longer (or at all, depending on who you ask) certainly helped.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 19 2020 at 23:00
Originally posted by POTA POTA wrote:

Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

Originally posted by POTA POTA wrote:

Cairo for sure, if not for Mark Robertson's virtuosic keyboard playing alone. They were top shelf but just came out at the wrong time.   
 


When would have been the right time?

I don't know, but I think mid-90s wasn't optimal. 

It was for Dream Theater. Anyway, that particular album is from the late 90's. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Boboulo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 19 2020 at 23:42
I think that Quill would have succeeded if they weren't omitted from Woodstock the movie.

Quill s/t (1970)





Also, I think that the U.S. band The Facedancers simply didn't have enough of media attention back then, although they really deserved it. The band has played around with odd time signatures and created an interesting and quite unique style that can be heard on their only, but magnificent self-titled album from 1972.

The Facedancers s/t (1972)





Edited by Boboulo - September 20 2020 at 00:53
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 20 2020 at 09:26
Originally posted by Awesoreno Awesoreno wrote:

Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

Originally posted by FatherChristmas FatherChristmas wrote:

Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

Porcupine Tree are pretty well known even outside of prog circles. I would say most metal fans know about them and many are into them. In fact many consider them metal. I was looking up one of their earlier more rare albums on ebay recently and some of the sellers had it as "metal" under genre. 

Anyway, it depends on what we mean by successful. Some of the bands mentioned in this thread have been successful. Sometimes it amazes me that Yes became as big as they did considering what they were doing musically. It's not all about getting your song on the radio. Porcupine Tree weren't played much on the radio(I actually only heard them played on the radio once and that was sort of in the middle of their career just after IA)and neither were the Mars Volta.  Only a few prog bands get to rise above the others. It's the same in most genres. These days Big Big Train seem to be one of them but there's a few others(mostly ones with a metally sound).
True, I should have said more clearly - commercially, PT were not incredibly successful. They certainly were in that they are quite famous and have a fairly large fanbase.

Well, they never quite became a household name like Radiohead, Coldplay or Muse if that's what you mean. But yeah I think you get what I meant and I agree. However, I would say they became nearly as big(maybe as big) as Dream Theater at one point. DT has the advantage of still being around but that's not always a good thing since it depends on the quality of the output and DT it seems hit their peak a long time ago.

I think what puts DT well over the edge is that they were way bigger worldwide than PT. Being metal for longer (or at all, depending on who you ask) certainly helped.

Maybe but PT are still way more well known than 99 percent of modern prog bands. There's maybe a few that are more well known but most if not all of them have other elements that make them fringe bands(ie Coheed and Cambria and Muse). Also, as well known as DT are they still aren't played on the radio and still aren't as well known as Tool. So there's almost always going to be a bigger dog. Unless you're Pink Floyd. :P


Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - September 20 2020 at 09:28
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