"So prog was mainstream because a glorified psych album sold a lot?"

Whaa? You just hyped up The Moody Blues a few comments ago.

Album Rating: 4.0

Prog was derided far more for than it was ever praised.

Album Rating: 4.0

"Whaa? You just hyped up The Moody Blues a few comments ago."



Yes, as more influential to the formation of the genre. The genre itself's own commercial success overall is more suspect.

"So prog was mainstream because a glorified psych album sold a lot?"
Alright, if you don't consider Pink Floyd prog, look at the sales of Yes, Genesis, Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Jethro Tull. Not the biggest numbers but bigger than, let's say, Frank Zappa, for example.

Album Rating: 5.0

"Prog was derided far more for than it was ever praised."





so is Justin Bieber

"Prog was derided far more for than it was ever praised."

Retrospective reviews have been more positive, but yeah prog. rock was polarizing back then to say the least.

Album Rating: 5.0

"The Beatles, just like Queen, is one of those cases in which a band is so overrated by the masses that in the end you'll see them being underrated by more serious music aficionados"



The funny thing about Queen is that, at least in my opinion, they could easily be considered one of the most overrated and underrated bands at the same time. The more their overrated (albeit still often good) hits push away their deep cuts, the more those deep cuts become underrated gems to the more dedicated aficionados of the group. I still consider songs like The Prophet Song, March of the Black Queen, and Fairy Feller's Master Stroke to be some of the most underappreciated songs of the era

Album Rating: 4.0

Queen's first two albums are pretty ace.

Album Rating: 5.0

"Retrospective reviews have been more positive, but yeah prog. rock was polarizing back then to say the least."



Which has nothing to do with the fact of it being popular back in the days or not, hence my Justin Bieber comment

@MrSirLordGentleman no I was following up with Casavir regarding critical reception more than commercial success.

Album Rating: 5.0

@Strike I know, just wanted to explain the reasoning behind my JB before someone misunderstood it

Prog was plenty mainstream in the early seventies. Court of the Crimson King, Wake of Poseidon, Fragile, Close to the Edge, Relayer, Going for the One, Selling England by the Pound, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, and a shitload more peaked in at least the Top 10 of the Charts in the UK and/or US.

So yes, they had a brief but very real, mainstream moment.

Album Rating: 5.0

To be fair, a lot of that backlash toward prog came from certain reviewers who kept pushing their constant anti-prog biases toward the public. Robert Christgau was probably one of the biggest offenders in that regard

"prog. rock's popularity in the 70's quickly faded."
True, it was popular for like 5 years, lol.

Album Rating: 5.0

Christgau is an imbecile

@Sir gotcha

Album Rating: 4.0

Sentiments that exist to this very day.

Also, critical praise != commercial success. Look at Nickelback for crying out loud.

Christgau is an imbecile [2]

It was progressive until bands could no longer progress so to speak.