Prog-The 100 Greatest Artists of all Time

[bob_32_116]

^^^ You mean ONE other has said!

Only one has said it in this thread (so far), but I've seen that opinion expressed many times on this forum and elsewhere.

At least bloody Starcastle didn't get on the list.

[zombywoof]

Nice to see some interesting picks like Knifeworld, Thinking Plague & Cardiacs (stunning at 14). What the hell are Henry Cow doing at 43 & where are Hatfield & The North and Univers Zero? A lot of average bands high up the list.

That's 'fan vote' for you, and you have to remember the type of listener who reads Prog. I do know that the Cardiacs FB page inundated Prog with votes for their favorite band (they were number 3 on my personal list), which might explain why Knifeworld, William D Drake, Magma, Henry Cow, and Thinking Plague made it.

[Dana5140]

Magma did not make it.

Generally, lists like this are clickbait. And of course, the type of person reading this magazine skews British and likely younger, accounting for listing bands such as Tool over bands such as Magma. I care to the extent that of course I want to see the band I am emotionally invested in receive notice, since that resonates for me, and it validates my feelings, but I am old enough to know that it does not matter in any possible way. These lists are in the end utterly meaningless. And discussions like this are really just time passers, since they also do not matter very much. :-)

[zombywoof]

Magma did not make it.

#39

[Rufus]

Well at least the poll puts one argument to bed.....Pink Floyd are prog, in fact the 3rd greatest of all time lol

[JKL2000]

Magma did not make it.

Sure they did - two places after
***NEAL MORSE***.

[Rarebird]

A prog list without Hoelderlin? Sacrilege!

[Rufus]

#39

How a band like Magna trails a band like Marillion by about 20 places, well.the mind just boggles!

[Mekanik Zain]

Cardiacs consider as prog? Strange prog....

Univers Zero?

[Patelena396]

How a band like Magna trails a band like Marillion by about 20 places, well.the mind just boggles!

Why, because that's what you prefer? Personally, I never cared for Magma, but that's my opinion. Plus, though Magma is a band held in high esteem by many prog fans, were they ever a top tier prog band in a commercial sense? I ask because some people get predictably upset when they don't rate higher on these lists, but weren't they always sort of a cult band thing even within prog circles?

[bob_32_116]

At least they got the first three right, though not in the correct order.

[Buddhabreath]

At least they got the first three right, though not in the correct order.

Wrong! VDGG is #1!

[Rarebird]

Wrong! VDGG is #1!

I can only agree with that.

[MissKittysMom]

They didn't take a poll first to ask, "What is prog?"

[Buddhabreath]

They didn't take a poll first to ask, "What is prog?"

That would be a great thread it if hasn't already been done.

[Sordel]

Anathema is better than Magma!

You may enjoy them more (and, fair enough, this does seem to be a list of favourites) but Magma mean something in terms of influence & importance; I'm not convinced that the same case could be made for Anathema.

This list is not too bad really.

[zombywoof]

You may enjoy them more (and, fair enough, this does seem to be a list of favourites) but Magma mean something in terms of influence & importance; I'm not convinced that the same case could be made for Anathema.

Seeing as I met Jed prior to a Magma gig of all things, I'm almost certain he's being facetious.

[JKL2000]

How a band like Magna trails a band like Marillion by about 20 places, well.the mind just boggles!

You're pulling our leg!

[JKL2000]

Seeing as I met Jed prior to a Magma gig of all things, I'm almost certain he's being facetious.

You are correct, Sir! But this thread serves only as argument bait! Herein lies madness...

[bondegezou]

Hatfields and National Health are missing amongst a great many others, it's a typical prog magazine list, compiled from their readers votes, so no surprise it is lowest common prog denominator stuff.

Arguably, to qualify for the epithet "greatest", you need to have a broad reach. I love National Health and Hatfield, but if they've not managed to reach as many prog fans as, say, Dream Theater, an act I do not enjoy as much, then that means something. Maybe not something that I need dwell on for long, but something.

We all have our favourites. We can all make our own top 100. As I can make my own top 100, I don't need Prog to print it for me. But Prog can do a fun article that takes a more democratic view. Maybe they've done that well and maybe they haven't, but I don't dismiss their attempt because I don't want to dismiss my fellow prog fans just because there's bands I like that many others don't or haven't heard of. This is partly because I don't dismiss anyone based on their musical tastes, and partly because every Prog reader is much more likely to become a Hatfield fan than the average person.

Henry

[NogbadTheBad]

I'd argue that Hatfield had a much broader impact than a large number of bands in that list, but hell that's just my opinion.

[Sunlight Caller]

I agree wth Ian, they are a surprising omission to me.

Personally I do not understand the inclusion of prog metal at all, and that features widely in the magazine and in their various lists. To me it is a bolted on genre, used to try and expand the readership. I do not think it has anything to do with progressive rock, but then prog fans here are always claiming all sorts of musical off-shoots as being proggy, as if they each need this justification to be cool.

None of this bothers me, it is just an observation, but taking out the metal acts would allow space for more esoteric progressive music.

[gilawi]

Where is Emerson, Lake & Palmer?

[Rufus]

Where is Emerson, Lake & Palmer?

#9

[JJ88]

I agree wth Ian, they are a surprising omission to me.

Personally I do not understand the inclusion of prog metal at all, and that features widely in the magazine and in their various lists. To me it is a bolted on genre, used to try and expand the readership. I do not think it has anything to do with progressive rock, but then prog fans here are always claiming all sorts of musical off-shoots as being proggy, as if they each need this justification to be cool.

None of this bothers me, it is just an observation, but taking out the metal acts would allow space for more esoteric progressive music.

I too am very dubious about prog metal...at least what I've heard.