Best Year in Prog: The 1970s
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Polls
Forum Description: Create polls on topics related to progressive music
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=123942
Printed Date: August 14 2025 at 04:14
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Topic: Best Year in Prog: The 1970s
Posted By: FatherChristmas
Subject: Best Year in Prog: The 1970s
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 06:47
If you're new to this poll series, I will be making a series of polls on the best year for prog for each decade from 1960 to 2019. After three days from the making of this poll, I will announce voting is closed, and whichever year is winning at the time will be declared the ultimate winner (all votes after that will not count). I will then repeat the process for every other poll. When the last poll, the 2010s poll, is closed, the ultimate winners will be put in in the "Best Ever Year in Prog" poll... and the year that wins that will have to be a pretty good year for prog.  So far, the winners are... 1969 1972
I'm voting for 1973, the year of Selling England by the Pound, Dark Side of the Moon, Lark's Tongues in Aspic, Tales from Topographic Oceans, A Passion Play... and many others. Let the voting begin!  Poll is closed: the winner is... 1972!
------------- "Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence" - Robert Fripp "I am an anti-Christ" - Johnny Rotten |
Replies:
Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 07:06
| Close call but I've gone for '72. |
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 07:21
| I don't know. |
Posted By: FatherChristmas
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 07:23
^Are you going to vote in any of these? You didn't vote in the 60s one either!  ------------- "Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence" - Robert Fripp "I am an anti-Christ" - Johnny Rotten |
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 07:26
I did vote in the 60s.  Just after you said you closed the poll (which you personally cannot ). Every year in the 70s has great albums, I don't know which year to pick TBH.
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FatherChristmas wrote:Posted By: FatherChristmas
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 07:31
Glad you voted! What exactly for? Oh, and I know I personally can't close the poll, it just means the votes after that don't count. It was clear nothing was going to beat 1969, though. ------------- "Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence" - Robert Fripp "I am an anti-Christ" - Johnny Rotten |
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 07:34
true, like I said 1969 is the predictable winner. I voted for 1968 - Pink Floyd, Procol Harum, Deep Purple, Soft Machine alone makes it worth a vote.
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Posted By: Mormegil
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 08:33
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Yeah, this is a tough call . . . ------------- Welcome to the middle of the film. |
Posted By: Boboulo
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 08:44
| In the early 70's, the "progressive music" movement which in the late 60's was consisted of a relatively limited number of British underground bands, began to grow into a European meta-genre which then encompassed such different styles from Italian "rock sinfonico" to German "kosmische Musik". That meta-genre had reached its peak as a dominant European youth counterculture in the mid-seventies, so my vote goes for 1975. |
Posted By: BrufordFreak
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 09:25
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1971 is amazing for the number of bands who truly jumped onto the bandwagon of expanded, experimental musical fusion that would someday be called "prog." ------------- Drew Fisher https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/ |
Posted By: Rednight
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 09:25
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1974 for two November releases: Relayer and The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. ------------- "It just has none of the qualities of your work that I find interesting. Abandon [?] it." - Eno |
Posted By: FatherChristmas
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 09:46
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^I can't see your vote. ------------- "Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence" - Robert Fripp "I am an anti-Christ" - Johnny Rotten |
Posted By: Progosopher
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 11:27
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At this point in my life, 60, all these years tend to blur together. I can only say the early decade tended to be better than the later decade. ------------- The world of sound is certainly capable of infinite variety and, were our sense developed, of infinite extensions. -- George Santayana, "The Sense of Beauty" |
Posted By: FatherChristmas
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 11:31
On the contrary, late '75 and '76 was when punk broke through and Johnny Rotten donned his I Hate Pink Floyd shirt. I dunno though... maybe Britain just got hit first... for instance, you say prog only began in the early 70s, wheras in England it was in full flow by '69. Do you live in Britain? (Or will you not give the internet that information?) ------------- "Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence" - Robert Fripp "I am an anti-Christ" - Johnny Rotten |
Posted By: FatherChristmas
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 11:36
How Progosophical! ------------- "Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence" - Robert Fripp "I am an anti-Christ" - Johnny Rotten |
Posted By: Manuel
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 11:41
| Most likely 1972, though 73-76 was also a great period, and all those years had very important albums released. |
Posted By: FatherChristmas
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 11:49
'72 and '73 are already battling it out, and I've only just made the poll today!  ------------- "Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence" - Robert Fripp "I am an anti-Christ" - Johnny Rotten |
Posted By: Hrychu
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 12:16
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72 brought us a lot of classics but generally speaking production in the early 70s was still a little primitive all over the world. I think 1975 is when albums started to sound really good. Some fantastic sounding albums from 75 till 79: Kaipa - Inget Nytt Under Solen (1976) SBB - Welcome (1978) Welcome - Welcome (1976) Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (1975) Chris Squire - Fish Out of Water (1975) Quill - Sursum Corda (1977) TR's Utopia - Ra (1977) ------------- 
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Posted By: Mormegil
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 12:52
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Finally decided with '72. Can't discount Foxtrot and CTTE. ------------- Welcome to the middle of the film. |
Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 13:30
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probably 72 or 73 but idk dates and such ------------- Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
Posted By: Argo2112
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 13:34
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Close to the Edge, Foxtrot, Thick as a Brick, The Grand Wazoo, Octopus, Pictures at an Exhibition, Prologue... Tough to beat 1972 |
Posted By: A Bard
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 14:23
| Each year is filled with timeless classics, I cannot choose |
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 14:28
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who voted 1979? hey troll, show yourself!
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Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 15:28
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75 was probably the peak of prog. Godbluff, Heaven and Hell , The Myths and Legends Of King Arthur.. , Wish You Were Here , The Snow Goose, Ommadawn, Freehand , Voyage Of The Acolyte, Scheherazade and Other Stories , Rubycon , Song For America etc I rest my case
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Posted By: The Dark Elf
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 16:27
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1972 would be pretty hard to beat.... Released in 1972, in order of release date Blue Oyster Cult S/T Grave New World - Strawbs Thick as a Brick Jethro Tull Just Another Band from LA Zappa and the Mothers Three Friends Gentle Giant Argus Wishbone Ash Procol Harum Live: In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony
Orchestra Waterloo Lily - Caravan Demons and Wizards Uriah Heep Obscured by Clouds Pink Floyd Roxy Music Roxy Music Living in the Past Jethro Tull 666 Aphrodites Child Waka/Jawaka Frank Zappa Trilogy ELP Captain Beyond S/T Close to the Edge Yes Foxtrot - Genesis Made in England Atomic Rooster Baby James Harvest Barclay James Harvest Seventh Sojourn The Moody Blues Doremi Fasol Latido Hawkwind The Magicians Birthday Uriah Heep Octopus Gentle Giant The Grand Wazoo Frank Zappa Made in Japan - Deep
Purple Released in 1972, undetermined date Banco del Mutuo Soccorso Banco del Mutuo Soccorso Faust So Far Faust Focus 3 Focus Hogwash The Groundhogs Last Autumn's Dream Jade Warrior Neu! Neu! Uomo di pezza Le Orme Wolf City Amon Dόόl II ------------- ...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology... |
Posted By: HackettFan
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 18:00
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1971 or 1974. I went with 1971. ------------- 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) |
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 18:02
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1972...as Dark Elf clealy showed. ------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: Boboulo
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 21:28
Punk hysteria hit Britain in December 1976. In 1975, it was Pub-rock as a back-to-basics movement. However, Pub-Rock was primarily a live music phenomenon that was limited to small venues in London and South England.
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Posted By: Boboulo
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 21:40
Premiata Forneria Marconi - "Harlequin" (1975) |
Posted By: Boboulo
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 22:28
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Can - "Vernal Equinox" (1975) |
Posted By: Boboulo
Date Posted: September 02 2020 at 22:40
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Hobo - "Srebro" (1975) |
Posted By: thief
Date Posted: September 03 2020 at 00:25
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The passage of time, or rather its perception, is the most curious thing. I haven't been around in 1970s, but I'm an "active" listener for ~20 years, so I can definitely discuss trends in that time span... and frankly, even if I see a difference between 2000-2004 roughly (nu metal), and then idk 2005-2008 (metalcore), in 2010s it all started to blend somehow. One, I don't really see that dramatic difference between 2011 and 2014 (compare to 1968 and 1971, or 1974 and 1977, two completely different landscapes), maybe because I'm getting older and years fly by... Two, fractalisation in music is almost infinite now, I can listen to old school "retro" metal as well as bands following the trends, the same goes for rap, for electronic music (new genres vs variety of retro/nostalgia styles such as synthwave, vaporwave but also dungeon synth), for prog too I believe... there's been no distinct personality to 2010s, and I doubt we'll see a hugely popular, defining genre coming up in the next couple of years. </end rant> What year do I pick? I think it has to be 1972, as far as I'm concerned. Most of the biggest bands released landmark albums that year: Close to the Edge, Foxtrot, Thick as a Brick, Trilogy, Octopus... Italians were very strong (Darwin!, Uomo di Pezza, Per Un Amico, Ys), Santana had Caravanserai, Zappa came up with The Grand Wazoo and Waka/Jawaka... if you put your mind to it, you'll find at least 20 GREAT albums, I believe Gnidrolog, Captain Beyond, Nektar, Uriah Heep, Curved Air, they all had something in 1972 iirc. Weather Report was fantastic, too. So 1972 is both top heavy and RICH, it's a pretty stunning lineup, perhaps enough to edge out other contenders. One bummer is that King Crimson had an off year (but plenty of gigs), Pink Floyd only had OBC, and VDGG disbanded... So if someone picks either 1971 or 1973, I can't blame them. 1970 is a bit early for prog, 1974-76 has a lot of good stuff too but not quite there, 1977-80 is decline obviously. One of my favorite years in general is 1969, so many great bands either formed or debuted that year, it's pretty amazing. The metal equivalent of 1968-1976 era is 1984-1990ish, with 1988 as my definitive peak year  |
Posted By: FatherChristmas
Date Posted: September 03 2020 at 00:58
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^I still hold 1973 was better - perhaps the better year in general. It also had Aladin Sane, Band on the Run, Houses of the Holy, Quadrophenia, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, etc., etc. ------------- "Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence" - Robert Fripp "I am an anti-Christ" - Johnny Rotten |
Posted By: thief
Date Posted: September 03 2020 at 01:25
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^ perhaps :) BUT, if we're looking at other genres, 1972 is bonkers! Deep Purple Machine Head, Black Sabbath Vol. 4, Neil Young Harvest, The Allman Brothers Band Eat a Peach, David Bowie Ziggy Stardust, Rolling Stones Exile on the Main Street, Klaus Schulze Irrlicht
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Posted By: Frenetic Zetetic
Date Posted: September 03 2020 at 02:32
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No matter how many ways I try to analyze it, I always loop back to '72-'73, with most of what I'd consider legendary coming out in '72...despite some of my personal favorites (TFTGO, In a Glass House, etc.), coming out in '73. So, my vote here in 1972! ------------- "I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021 |
Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: September 03 2020 at 02:32
Can we go easy on the YouTube videos please - it makes the page slow to load on my ageing work PC.
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Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: September 03 2020 at 02:39
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Maybe 1974; The Lamb, Red, Relayer, Mirage, Hamburger Concerto, Hatfield & the North, Hall of the Mountain Grill.. It's difficult to choose though, 72 was also excellent year for Genesis, Yes, Tull, ELP, Aphrodite's Child.. ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: Awesoreno
Date Posted: September 03 2020 at 03:16
| I think fusion and fusion-like releases were better in the mid to late 70s than the late 60s and early 70s. Starting like 74. National Health, Gilgamesh, Bruford, Brand X, Chick Corea (his best works that should net him an entry on this site if Herbie and Miles are here), they were all killing around this time. And of course, Zappa was good as always. |
Posted By: FatherChristmas
Date Posted: September 03 2020 at 04:29
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I've just had a thought - should I decrease the amount of time to vote from five to three days? It's suddenly struck me that, though people have only had about two days oppurtunity to vote here, most seemed to have already voted. ------------- "Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence" - Robert Fripp "I am an anti-Christ" - Johnny Rotten |
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: September 03 2020 at 04:31
just let people vote and discuss and get to the next decade (that's what I would do).
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Posted By: FatherChristmas
Date Posted: September 03 2020 at 04:41
I would do that, but I need to have a time when I can "close" the poll, so there are no more votes and whichever year was winning at the time is fixed, because otherwise the idea where the winners of the polls are put in the "Best Ever Year in Prog" wouldn't work. ------------- "Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence" - Robert Fripp "I am an anti-Christ" - Johnny Rotten |
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: September 03 2020 at 04:42
ok, then wait a couple of days and do the next one.
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Posted By: FatherChristmas
Date Posted: September 03 2020 at 04:44
^ ------------- "Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence" - Robert Fripp "I am an anti-Christ" - Johnny Rotten |
Posted By: Nogbad_The_Bad
Date Posted: September 03 2020 at 05:21
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I'm going for '71 with:- Harper, Roy - Stormcock Van der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts Can - Tago Mago Caravan - In the Land of Grey and Pink Comus - First Utterance Jan Dukes de Grey - Mice and Rats in the Loft Jethro Tull - Aqualung Pink Floyd - Meddle Yes - Fragile ------------- Ian Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on Progrock.com https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-avant-jazzcore-happy-hour/ |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: September 03 2020 at 05:55
Thanks for your research, I agree & voted 1972 as well! ------------- I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!! |
Posted By: FatherChristmas
Date Posted: September 03 2020 at 10:20
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I had no idea 1972 was so popular! I was certain 1973 would win! My 1970s list: 1. 1973 2. 1972 3. 1971 4. 1974 5. 1975 6. 1976 7. 1970 8. 1979 9. 1977 10. 1978 I'll be closing the poll tommorrow.  ------------- "Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence" - Robert Fripp "I am an anti-Christ" - Johnny Rotten |
Posted By: Dopeydoc
Date Posted: September 03 2020 at 15:25
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1971, 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1975 on a par. |
Posted By: Squonk19
Date Posted: September 03 2020 at 16:36
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1972 just edges 1973 for me ------------- Living in their pools, they soon forget about the sea. |
Posted By: FatherChristmas
Date Posted: September 04 2020 at 09:50
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Poll closed! ------------- "Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence" - Robert Fripp "I am an anti-Christ" - Johnny Rotten |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: September 04 2020 at 09:59
| I chose 1972. That's the year that brought us Foxtrot, Close to the Edge, Trilogy, Three Friends and Thick as a Brick. |
Posted By: FatherChristmas
Date Posted: September 04 2020 at 10:22
Yes... but '73 had Selling England By The Pound, Dark Side Of The Moon and Lark's Tongues In Aspic - three albums widely considered masterpieces by three of the most major prog bands - not to mention Tales From Topographic Oceans, Waterloo Lily, A Passion Play, Flying Teapot, Angel's Egg, In A Glass House - all great albums. By the way, we're on the 80s now. https://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=123959 ------------- "Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence" - Robert Fripp "I am an anti-Christ" - Johnny Rotten |
Posted By: someone_else
Date Posted: September 04 2020 at 13:08
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A close finish. I'd say 1975, but '71, '72 and '73 come very close. ------------- 
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