Forum Home Forum Home > Progressive Music Lounges > Prog Polls
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Which band was the most successful?
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Which band was the most successful?

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <1234>
Poll Question: Which band was the most successful?
Poll Choice Votes Poll Statistics
30 [44.12%]
6 [8.82%]
10 [14.71%]
13 [19.12%]
5 [7.35%]
4 [5.88%]
You can not vote in this poll

Author
Message
dwill123 View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: December 19 2006
Status: Offline
Points: 4460
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dwill123 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 05 2020 at 15:56
Successful = most influential, that would be (for me) King Crimson.
Back to Top
MortSahlFan View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member


Joined: March 01 2018
Location: US
Status: Offline
Points: 2917
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MortSahlFan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 05 2020 at 16:00
Pink Floyd
https://www.youtube.com/c/LoyalOpposition

https://www.scribd.com/document/382737647/MortSahlFan-Song-List
Back to Top
AFlowerKingCrimson View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: October 02 2016
Location: Philly burbs
Status: Online
Points: 18106
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 05 2020 at 17:35
Originally posted by dougmcauliffe dougmcauliffe wrote:

People often forget how successful Kansas were, their first 3 went gold but leftoverture and POKR both went somewhere from 4-6x platinum in the states and monolith went platinum.

Nope. As someone who studies album sales of certain bands intently I have to say I disagree with some of this.

First of all it's true that the first three albums went gold but in the case of the second and third only a few years later and not when they were first released. The first album didn't go gold until the 90's. Also, POKR and Leftoverture went four times platinum not more than that. If they sold more it hasn't been documented by the riaa(maybe someday but not as of yet). Finally, Monolith did not go platinum. It "only" went gold. If it has gone platinum then it hasn't been documented. It is certainly possible albums have sold more than what the riaa reports(they can only certify something if it's requested and since it costs money to make that request not all record companies do that until they are sure it's worth it if they do it at all)but we can only know what is official. 


Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - August 05 2020 at 17:36
Back to Top
Manuel View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: March 09 2007
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 13179
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Manuel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 05 2020 at 19:40
Depending of the genre I would say. Regaring Synphonyc prog, it has a lot of influence from Genesis/Yes. Heavy or metal prog from Rush/King Crimson.
Back to Top
iluvmarillion View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: February 09 2010
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 3241
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote iluvmarillion Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 05 2020 at 20:12
Financial success = Pink Floyd
Artistic success = King Crimson
Influential Success = Really only one of those bands falls away and that's ELP. All the others have been largely influential.
Back to Top
TheLionOfPrague View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: March 08 2011
Location: Argentina
Status: Offline
Points: 1063
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TheLionOfPrague Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 05 2020 at 22:08
Yes is the quintessential progressive band. If someone asks what's prog, I'd mention classic era Yes. I would say the most succesful artists is Pink Floyd, but strictly talking in prog terms is Yes. One could also mention King Crimson given they're the most "important", whether they created the genre or not, they certainly redefined it as we know it with ITCOTCK. Genesis and ELP come slightly below, though ELP were very important in making it the leading rock movement of the first half of the '70s. They made it cool. 
I shook my head and smiled a whisper knowing all about the place
Back to Top
AFlowerKingCrimson View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: October 02 2016
Location: Philly burbs
Status: Online
Points: 18106
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 05 2020 at 22:57
I think a lot of people are just voting for Pink Floyd without reading the fine print. As a rock band in general only a few artists were as successful or more successful. For prog I think there are others who were more influential and even more popular within the genre. Also, there's the fact that not everyone even agrees they are prog in the first place(which doesn't help them any in some respects).

Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - August 05 2020 at 22:59
Back to Top
dougmcauliffe View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: February 23 2019
Location: US
Status: Offline
Points: 3895
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dougmcauliffe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 05 2020 at 23:12
Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

Originally posted by dougmcauliffe dougmcauliffe wrote:

People often forget how successful Kansas were, their first 3 went gold but leftoverture and POKR both went somewhere from 4-6x platinum in the states and monolith went platinum.

Nope. As someone who studies album sales of certain bands intently I have to say I disagree with some of this.

First of all it's true that the first three albums went gold but in the case of the second and third only a few years later and not when they were first released. The first album didn't go gold until the 90's. Also, POKR and Leftoverture went four times platinum not more than that. If they sold more it hasn't been documented by the riaa(maybe someday but not as of yet). Finally, Monolith did not go platinum. It "only" went gold. If it has gone platinum then it hasn't been documented. It is certainly possible albums have sold more than what the riaa reports(they can only certify something if it's requested and since it costs money to make that request not all record companies do that until they are sure it's worth it if they do it at all)but we can only know what is official. 

Oops, my bad on that one. Knew I shouldn't have trusted my memory. Still though, pretty good numbers for a band out of bumblef**k nowhere!LOL
The sun has left the sky...
...Now you can close your eyes
Back to Top
AFlowerKingCrimson View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: October 02 2016
Location: Philly burbs
Status: Online
Points: 18106
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 05 2020 at 23:20
Originally posted by dougmcauliffe dougmcauliffe wrote:

Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

Originally posted by dougmcauliffe dougmcauliffe wrote:

People often forget how successful Kansas were, their first 3 went gold but leftoverture and POKR both went somewhere from 4-6x platinum in the states and monolith went platinum.

Nope. As someone who studies album sales of certain bands intently I have to say I disagree with some of this.

First of all it's true that the first three albums went gold but in the case of the second and third only a few years later and not when they were first released. The first album didn't go gold until the 90's. Also, POKR and Leftoverture went four times platinum not more than that. If they sold more it hasn't been documented by the riaa(maybe someday but not as of yet). Finally, Monolith did not go platinum. It "only" went gold. If it has gone platinum then it hasn't been documented. It is certainly possible albums have sold more than what the riaa reports(they can only certify something if it's requested and since it costs money to make that request not all record companies do that until they are sure it's worth it if they do it at all)but we can only know what is official. 

Oops, my bad on that one. Knew I shouldn't have trusted my memory. Still though, pretty good numbers for a band out of bumblef**k nowhere!LOL

Well, like I said it's quite likely they have sold more then what is listed anyway. That holds true with other bands. For example, Dark side of the moon is listed as 15 million but that is from 1998. I'm pretty sure it has sold at least 22 million by now. Close to the Edge is certified as platinum(also 1998) but has probably sold at least 1.5 by now and maybe even 2 million. Who knows. There's probably other examples too. 

Monolith was listed on wikipedia at one point as selling one million but that hasn't been verified on the riaa website so it can't be considered official. I'm an editor on wikipedia so I had to change that so it only showed gold status. Trust, me that was hard to do. ;) I dont mind someone changing it back as long as it reflects the truth but so far no evidence to suggest it has gone platinum yet(only gold).


Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - August 05 2020 at 23:24
Back to Top
richardh View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: February 18 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 27729
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote richardh Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 05 2020 at 23:51
Nearly impossible this
Floyd - made 3 fantastic albums but then 'died' as the band started to split apart
Genesis - nowhere near 'interesting enough'. Banks didn't embrace the keyboard tech enough
Yes - far too hung up on the whole cosmic thing it almost became a parody of itself
Rush - Yawn , not even really 'progressive'
ELP - Like Yes became a bit of a parody of itself especially around the time of Fanfare For The Common Man

so the clear winner is King Crimson

NEVER became a parody of itself.
ALWAYS remained fresh and inventive
STILL sold plenty of albums
AND massively influential
Back to Top
thief View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: May 21 2015
Location: Poland
Status: Offline
Points: 1546
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote thief Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 06 2020 at 00:57
I'd like the OP to make it BOLD it's not about commercial success.... or even rethink the title, because frankly, successful = wealth + fame + recognition, mostly!

Back to the topic.

Pink Floyd - inspired many people outside of prog, but their most "famous" albums are easy listening really
Genesis - too little recognition in the 70s, maybe the most "obscure" of the lot in pre-Duke era. It must be said they influenced a heck load of bands later on, especially in the Neo Prog days
Yes - well they had recognition in prog days, had the money, inspired some artists - although their style and technical prowess was hard to mimic. Definitely a very successful and quintessential band, could be my pick
Rush - not that proggy, I think they influenced the nerdy crowd and maybe 90s prog metal, but for prog rock, they arrived too late
ELP - maybe the biggest name in prog rock, commercially, in the 1970-73 era. Emerson was a household name, Lake was too, and they lived up to the hype. They really fell out of favor later and never really "redeemed" themselves outside of prog circles. As richardh mentioned, "self parody" was a problem

So I pick King Crimson
Back to Top
Frenetic Zetetic View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: December 09 2017
Location: Now
Status: Offline
Points: 9233
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Frenetic Zetetic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 06 2020 at 01:15
OP either needs to reframe his premise or change the title of this thread because he's asking the very question he insists he doesn't want the answer to based on his own criteria, lmao.

I'd argue 9 out of 10 people will recognize the name Pink Floyd, less will know Genesis, ELP, and Yes - the rest don't stand a chance lol.

Pink Floyd even though they aren't my favorite, it's obvious they are the most successful.

"I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021
Back to Top
Mortte View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member


Joined: November 11 2016
Location: Finland
Status: Offline
Points: 5538
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mortte Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 06 2020 at 02:06
I think itīs absolutely KC, it really has influenced most outside prog from those bands, there are even 2000`s alternative music fans that love KC.
Back to Top
FatherChristmas View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: June 30 2020
Location: LandofGrey&Pink
Status: Offline
Points: 2457
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FatherChristmas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 06 2020 at 15:37
KC aren't hugely famous, though everyone who's heard of prog rock has heard of KC. I'd say Genesis because, like Pink Floyd, they're pretty well known outside of prog and thus can inspire musicians who aren't familiar with prog, and like KC, have done some genre defining stuff. However, what I can't give them credit for is being like King Crimson and going on making different music into oblivion, so I'd say IMO KC and PF would be joint second.
"Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence" - Robert Fripp
"I am an anti-Christ" - Johnny Rotten
Back to Top
AFlowerKingCrimson View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: October 02 2016
Location: Philly burbs
Status: Online
Points: 18106
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 06 2020 at 15:39
Originally posted by Mortte Mortte wrote:

I think itīs absolutely KC, it really has influenced most outside prog from those bands, there are even 2000`s alternative music fans that love KC.

There's alternative and metal fans who like KC. The same thing with Porcupine Tree. I would say all of these bands probably have some kind of following or fans outside of strictly prog circles though. That's what happens when a band reaches a certain level of fame and notoriety. With some it's probably more on the classic rock side(PF, ELP, Yes) and with others it's more indie and alternative(KC and PF and to some degree Rush). Genesis probably are a mixture of those with probably a lot of "pop" fans also. Most metal fans are probably more into Rush, KC and PF then any of the others though.


Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - August 06 2020 at 15:43
Back to Top
FatherChristmas View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: June 30 2020
Location: LandofGrey&Pink
Status: Offline
Points: 2457
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FatherChristmas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 06 2020 at 15:42
Most people like KC, I'll admit that.
"Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence" - Robert Fripp
"I am an anti-Christ" - Johnny Rotten
Back to Top
AFlowerKingCrimson View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: October 02 2016
Location: Philly burbs
Status: Online
Points: 18106
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 06 2020 at 15:44
Originally posted by FatherChristmas FatherChristmas wrote:

Most people like KC, I'll admit that.

Most people who like prog anyway. Wink 
Back to Top
Spacegod87 View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: February 16 2019
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 1106
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Spacegod87 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 07 2020 at 07:43
Outside of prog.....right now, that's probably KC. I'm hearing them pop up everywhere in the mainstream now. Every basic bitch getting into the Crimson. 

Also big in the anime scene. My younger brother rambled on for 5 minutes about 'JoJo's bizarre adventure' the first time I mentioned King Crimson to him.
It's Crimson-mania....well maybe not to that extent, yet.
Levitating downwards,
atomic feedback scream.
Back to Top
dr wu23 View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: August 22 2010
Location: Indiana
Status: Offline
Points: 20619
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dr wu23 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 07 2020 at 08:10
If not successful -regarding money- then....going with KC.....btw a poll here in 2017 asked the most influential
and the ranking was:
KC
Floyd
Yes
Genesis
ELP
One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin
Back to Top
Tom Ozric View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: September 03 2005
Location: Olympus Mons
Status: Offline
Points: 15916
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tom Ozric Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 07 2020 at 08:17
Floyd and Genesis. They are household names and the members are quite well-off.
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <1234>

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down



This page was generated in 0.121 seconds.
Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.