# Who was the Best of the Progressives? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 14, 2011, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-best-of-the-progressives/588946 "2011-07-14T00:16:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-best-of-the-progressives/588946/1 "2011-07-14T00:16:59Z")
1. Yes 2. Genesis 3. Rush 4. Kansas 5. Emerson, Lake and Palmer 6. King Crimson There were others from the late, great rock & roll days, but these were the biggest. Of course, there are still bands doing prog rock, including some youngsters. But who was the best, and how would you rank them? ---
**Author:** ![Sunshine\_and\_Smiles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Sunshine\_and\_Smiles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunshine_and_Smiles)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-best-of-the-progressives/588946/2 "2011-07-14T00:27:29Z")
Voted **King Crimson** , because I know their works much better than the other groups and the day my Dad gave me _In the Court of the Crimson King_ on vinyl, I was forever changed. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-best-of-the-progressives/588946/3 "2011-07-14T00:30:57Z")
First! Me wins the Internets! ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-best-of-the-progressives/588946/4 "2011-07-14T00:33:35Z")
I think it has to be Yes. They were progressive throughout and still are. Rush was my fave overall but they went through stages, and not all were that progressive. Kansas, ELP and King Crimson’s life spans were not as long. Genesis was a great prog rock band, but they found greater success becoming…basically a pop band. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-best-of-the-progressives/588946/5 "2011-07-14T00:45:17Z")
When I saw the thread title I immediately thought of [Robert LaFollette](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.). But I wasn’t looking at the forum. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-best-of-the-progressives/588946/6 "2011-07-14T01:01:24Z")
Where’s Floyd? ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-best-of-the-progressives/588946/7 "2011-07-14T01:04:07Z")
And Roosevelt? ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-best-of-the-progressives/588946/8 "2011-07-14T01:20:47Z")
Gentle Giant. ---
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-best-of-the-progressives/588946/9 "2011-07-14T01:35:53Z")
I love Genesis, especially _Selling England By the Pound_, but I find Yes more satisfying overall. _Fragile_, _Close to the Edge_ and _Relayer_ (and _Drama_, too, but I doubt I’ll get much agreement) are all just perfect. Even _The Ladder_ is a great album, and that’s from 1999! King Crimson I respect more than I like. I love Discipline, but a lot of their other stuff is hard work to enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-best-of-the-progressives/588946/10 "2011-07-14T01:40:42Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > When I saw the thread title I immediately thought of [Robert LaFollette](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.). But I wasn’t looking at the forum. Have a LaFollette-Wheeler campaign button somewhere… Which one I listen to most? Yes. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-best-of-the-progressives/588946/11 "2011-07-14T01:42:52Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > And Roosevelt? Teddy or FDR? Because I’d totally vote for Teddy. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-best-of-the-progressives/588946/12 "2011-07-14T01:59:07Z")
Yes. Tough because I love Genesis and ELP, but multiple vocals always wins me. ---
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-best-of-the-progressives/588946/13 "2011-07-14T02:10:37Z")
For interest’s sake, if you look at the [Prog Archives Top 100](http://www.progarchives.com/top-prog-albums.asp?salbumtypes=1#list), you have the following notable artists/bands: Genesis: 5 albums in the Top 100 Yes: 4 Pink Floyd: 4 Van Der Graaf Generator: 4 Rush: 4 Gentle Giant: 4 King Crimson: 3 Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso: 3 Camel: 3 Frank Zappa: 3 ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-best-of-the-progressives/588946/14 "2011-07-14T02:20:24Z")
> [@Lobot](#): > > For interest’s sake, if you look at the [Prog Archives Top 100](http://www.progarchives.com/top-prog-albums.asp?salbumtypes=1#list), you have the following notable artists/bands: > > Van Der Graaf Generator: 4 > Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso: 3 > Camel: 3 Looks like I’m browsing the ITunes store when I get home. Never even heard of these guys. And in the ‘respect more than like’ catagory, I could never get into Zappa. I bought \*\*Joe’s Garage \*\*from a friend dumping his CD collection. Paid 2 bucks. Felt robbed. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-best-of-the-progressives/588946/15 "2011-07-14T02:33:00Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > And in the ‘respect more than like’ catagory, I could never get into Zappa. > > I bought \*\*Joe’s Garage \*\*from a friend dumping his CD collection. Paid 2 bucks. Felt robbed. You’ll be hearing from my second presently… ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-best-of-the-progressives/588946/16 "2011-07-14T02:38:07Z")
I went with Yes, since the obvious choice – [Soft Machine](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soft_Machine) – isn’t listed. Gentle Giant and Mike Oldfield also are as good if not better than any of the groups mentioned. And calling Rush “progressive rock” is like calling Led Zeppelin polka music. At their closest, they’re third-rate Styx. ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-best-of-the-progressives/588946/17 "2011-07-14T02:47:57Z")
While I confess I’m not as familiar with the other band in the genre (though all to at least some limited degree), I voted **Genesis** without hesitation. ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-best-of-the-progressives/588946/18 "2011-07-14T03:10:41Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Where’s Floyd? Or Jethro Tull, Procol Harum, or the Moody Blues? Forgot or don’t consider them prog for some reason? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-best-of-the-progressives/588946/19 "2011-07-14T03:19:22Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Where’s Floyd? Concur with that axe, Eugene[.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Careful_with_That_Axe,_Eugene) ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-best-of-the-progressives/588946/20 "2011-07-14T03:19:56Z")
Gotta go with Crimso. I love Floyd, Yes, ELP and the rest, but seeing Fripp and Co. on their Larks Tongues and Discipline tours made me a convert for life. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-best-of-the-progressives/588946.md?page=2)