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Topic: The 2000s: the second best decade for prog? Posted: February 14 2015 at 01:29
I think so. Nothing can touch the golden age of the 70s, but look at what the 2000s are competing against.
1960s: Fantastic, but only really had the end of the second half of this decade for prog to come about. Not fleshed out enough.
1980s: Prog goes into hiding a bit here.
1990s: A great second half, but it took awhile for things to take off here. The internet didn't really take off for prog until 1996, and the first half still had a bit of spillover from the 80s.
Then you get to the 2000s and the internet is in full force. The last half of the 90s has already laid the foundation for a full on prog rebirth to flourish. You even get some mainstream exposure what with The Mars Volta's popularity.
And also, what do you all think of how this decade will match up with the rest? I think the 2010s have done a pretty good job running with the momentum last decade had.
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Posted: February 14 2015 at 01:53
^Good topic! I agree, the Internet has had a very beneficial effect upon prog. Sites like Youtube have brought a great catalog of rarely-seen footage, and new music has many outlets - direct sales to fans from bands, streaming, sampling etc.
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Posted: February 14 2015 at 02:51
ProgSword wrote:
(...) And also, what do you all think of how this decade will match up with the rest? I think the 2010s have done a pretty good job running with the momentum last decade had.
I think that this decade is already great. And I don't think that the best new prog bands will turn into pop-rock in the second half of this dacade as it was the case with many of the 70s bigs in the second half of '70s and beyond.
(...) And also, what do you all think of how this decade will match up with the rest? I think the 2010s have done a pretty good job running with the momentum last decade had.
I think that this decade is already great. And I don't think that the best new prog bands will turn into pop-rock in the second half of this dacade as it was the case with many of the 70s bigs in the second half of '70s and beyond.
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Posted: February 14 2015 at 13:58
Svetonio wrote:
ProgSword wrote:
(...) And also, what do you all think of how this decade will match up with the rest? I think the 2010s have done a pretty good job running with the momentum last decade had.
I think that this decade is already great. And I don't think that the best new prog bands will turn into pop-rock in the second half of this dacade as it was the case with many of the 70s bigs in the second half of '70s and beyond.
I don't think anyone would think a Prog band would switch to Pop in this day and age. Why would they? What happened with many of the seventies bands who continued to make music into the eighties was unique to that time.
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Posted: February 14 2015 at 14:04
Mellotron Storm wrote:
Svetonio wrote:
ProgSword wrote:
(...) And also, what do you all think of how this decade will match up with the rest? I think the 2010s have done a pretty good job running with the momentum last decade had.
I think that this decade is already great. And I don't think that the best new prog bands will turn into pop-rock in the second half of this dacade as it was the case with many of the 70s bigs in the second half of '70s and beyond.
I don't think anyone would think a Prog band would switch to Pop in this day and age. Why would they? What happened with many of the seventies bands who continued to make music into the eighties was unique to that time.
I wouldn't think it would happen but Omar Rodriguez Lopez did haha
I guess it's all down to what you think of as being prog (no let's not get into that again), but if we're simply talking bands featured on PA, then I'd take the 80s over anything since due to the incredible RIO/Avant boom.
Yeah well maybe not. I just find it hard to put one decade over another when talking about music.
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Posted: February 14 2015 at 20:18
Guldbamsen wrote:
I guess it's all down to what you think of as being prog (no let's not get into that again), but if we're simply talking bands featured on PA, then I'd take the 80s over anything since due to the incredible RIO/Avant boom.
Yeah well maybe not. I just find it hard to put one decade over another when talking about music.
I agree wholeheartedly. Even in the "dreaded 80s" there are still a collection on gems and wonderful albums that people often overlook just because of their vintage. We might also be looking at the last two decades through rose tinted glasses just because it is easier to see and discover the wealth of music that is out there.
In the 90s you have Spock's Beard, TFK and Porcupine Tree starting (all titans in the prog scene) - in the 00's they slow down a bit - and SB and TFK have had major reboots in recent years with some of their highest rated albums. For those bands the 00s could be seen as their own slow time, their own 80s.
I think looking at things in very broad strokes would see a higher audience because of accessibility (the internet) but overall every decade has it's ups and downs - along with definite defined styles that each band uses to various degrees with varying degrees of success depending on the listener (I for one cherish the entirety of Rush's 80s synth drenched output.) and in that regard you could see prog being it's most "pure" at different times.
(...) And also, what do you all think of how this decade will match up with the rest? I think the 2010s have done a pretty good job running with the momentum last decade had.
I think that this decade is already great. And I don't think that the best new prog bands will turn into pop-rock in the second half of this dacade as it was the case with many of the 70s bigs in the second half of '70s and beyond.
I don't think anyone would think a Prog band would switch to Pop in this day and age. Why would they? What happened with many of the seventies bands who continued to make music into the eighties was unique to that time.
You know, I wouldn't mind a Prog band going into a more poppy, but still proggy direction. Porcupine Tree 1998-2001 did that, and they put out two of their best albums that way.
omphaloskepsis wrote:
Good topic. I was asking myself the same question a week ago. My favorite 10 year period is 1968-1977.
How do you think 2010-2015 stacks up against 2000's so far?
I feel like I still need to feel out this decade more before I comment, but so far, there's been like three five-star albums out so far (The Raven, La Crudelta Di Aprile, The Road of Bones), so that's good enough for me.
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Posted: February 15 2015 at 02:30
On my last.fm (which you can see in my signature here I think) I have a list of favourite albums in chronological order.
The 70s is the most represented decade (14), just ahead of the 00s (10) The 10s (8) are catching up fast. But that is because there is more of an incentive to listen to new music, with bands touring and so on. There is a ten year gap with no albums between '80 and '90, which amuses me.
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Posted: February 15 2015 at 07:34
There was a lot of great music released in the '80s - only it wasn't "traditional" prog. Some of my favourite albums were released in that decade: Black Sabbath's Heaven and Hell, Kate Bush's The Dreaming and Hounds of Love, Peter Gabriel's 3 and 4, Talking Head's Remain in Light, Japan's Tin Drum - to name but a few.
Anyway, back to the original question, I think the past 15 years as a whole have been fantastic in terms of progressive music releases, and the past five years have brought a wealth of often outstanding music - in some cases as good as its celebrated Seventies counterparts. However, the majority of the music that, in my view, is truly pushing the envelope is often more rooted in the Eighties than in the Seventies. This is especially the case of RIO/Avant, Crossover and progressive metal.
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Posted: February 16 2015 at 12:58
Guldbamsen wrote:
I guess it's all down to what you think of as being prog (no let's not get into that again), but if we're simply talking bands featured on PA, then I'd take the 80s over anything since due to the incredible RIO/Avant boom.
Yeah well maybe not. I just find it hard to put one decade over another when talking about music.
Depending on where you are in the world the RIO stuff was way off the radar at the time it was released. The Internet explosion of the turn of the century made so much more of 5 his stuff accessible. The prevailing attitude of the 80's was not one of discovery and creation. It was of comfort and suppression of grand ideas.
I guess it's all down to what you think of as being prog (no let's not get into that again), but if we're simply talking bands featured on PA, then I'd take the 80s over anything since due to the incredible RIO/Avant boom.
Yeah well maybe not. I just find it hard to put one decade over another when talking about music.
Depending on where you are in the world the RIO stuff was way off the radar at the time it was released. The Internet explosion of the turn of the century made so much more of 5 his stuff accessible. The prevailing attitude of the 80's was not one of discovery and creation. It was of comfort and suppression of grand ideas.
Sure that goes without saying, but aren't we talking about (the subjective) quality of music instead of actual popularity?
“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”
Prog didn't go into hiding in the 80's, there was just new ideas that emerged that the public weren't interested in. I'd personally say that the 80's had very good music, but people just sort of brushed it off.
I haven't really been as impressed with the 10's as I was in the 00's but maybe I need to hear the latter half to make a full decision.
There is no dark side in the moon, really... Matter of fact, it's all dark...
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The 2000s: the second best decade for prog?
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ProgSword wrote:
), but if we're simply talking bands featured on PA, then I'd take the 80s over anything since due to the incredible RIO/Avant boom. 
