The Best Pop Song by 10 Classic Prog Rock Bands
Here is the very best pop track by 10 basic (Seventies) progressive rock bands!
Given that progressive rock artists like to create actually lengthy songs with virtuosic taking part in and fantastical ideas, you’d assume that veering towards pop music could be the furthest factor from their minds.
Yet, that’s precisely what a variety of basic (Seventies) prog rock bands did as they tried to outlive within the Eighties (together with Yes, Genesis, Rush and Emerson, Lake & Palmer). Naturally, their transformations into easier and extra commercially viable acts meant that they deserted a lot of what longtime followers beloved. Plus, even when taken by itself deserves, lots of the ensuing materials was mediocre, if not embarrassingly lame and dated.
READ MORE: The Best Non-‘Epic’ Song by 10 Classic Prog Rock Bands
That wasn’t all the time the case, although! As the 10 tracks we’re discussing under show, a number of the greatest classic prog rock bands have been capable of craft at the very least one comparatively simple and poppy tune that also turned out nice.
Undoubtedly, nearly all these picks are greatest categorised as pop-rock, progressive pop or another variant/combination since most of those teams by no means ventured into pure pop. That mentioned, they deviate sufficient from the place the teams began – and home sufficient pop parts – to be thought-about.
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The Best Pop Song by 10 Classic Prog Rock Bands
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Genesis, “Land of Confusion”
Genesis’ time as a pop trio (following the departures of vocalist Peter Gabriel and guitarist Steve Hackett) marked arguably probably the most stark and egregious conversion of all of them. True, they’d some first rate materials going into the Eighties, however by the top of the last decade and into the early ‘90s, they’d punished us with a number of cringeworthy singles and album cuts (“That’s All,” “Illegal Alien,” “I Can’t Dance,” “Invisible Touch,” and so on.)
That’s why it’s so surprising that they managed to create the masterful “Land of Confusion” throughout that point. Famously lined by Disturbed in 2005, the multi-part “Land of Confusion” was the clear spotlight of 1986’s Invisible Touch because of its powerfully sociopolitical lyrics (which stays related), compelling melodies, subtle instrumentation and playful manufacturing. Really, it discovered the right center floor between fashionable mainstream accessibility and classic complexity/strangeness.
That it birthed one of many best music movies of all time is simply the icing on the cake!
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Yes, “Changes”
Released in 1983, 90125 noticed the newly reformed Yes doubling down on Drama’s merger of prog rock and pop-rock (earlier than fully embracing the latter model on 1987’s Big Generator). Although “Owner of a Lonely Heart” is well the most important track from 90125 (and this whole period of Yes), it’s “Changes” that will get the nod.
For one factor, it’s far much less antiquated and way more commendable as a result of it largely lacks the superficial new wave/synth pop sounds and tacky songwriting.
Instead, it’s a primary however earnest and cultured ballad with interesting harmonies and welcoming but adventurous preparations. In different phrases, it looks like Yes respectably tailored to the epoch with out foregoing an excessive amount of of their standout traits.
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Rush, “Time Stand Still”
In distinction to “Land of Confusion,” the music video for “Time Stand Still” – from 1987’s Hold Your Fire – has aged fairly poorly (to place it properly). Fortunately, it’s a small blemish on the in any other case excellent legacy of the track. Written by Neil Peart, it sees Geddy Lee enthusiastically dueting with different rocker Aimee Mann about how our nonstop busyness can forestall us from appreciating our family members and taking within the modest, moment-to-moment pleasures of life.
Mann and Lee complement one another splendidly and the trio’s motivational riffs and rhythms are equally properly supplemented by borderline New Age textures and vibes. Consequently, “Time Stand Still” is a stunning earworm whose central material – like loads of different Rush messages – is life-affirmingly timeless.
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The Alan Parsons Project, “Games People Play”
Admittedly, The Alan Parsons Project emphasised artwork/symphonic rock over conventional progressive rock. Nevertheless, their earliest collections – 1976’s Tales of Mystery and Imagination and 1977’s I Robot – have been markedly proggier than their fifth LP, 1980’s The Turn of a Friendly Card.
Even so, second single “Games People Play” is a terrific instance of why The Turn of a Friendly Card upheld Parsons’ signature knack for punchy songwriting, immaculate manufacturing/preparations and discovering the very best vocalist to deliver his compositions to life.
Sung by frequent collaborator Lenny Zakatek, its haunting harmonies, hanging lyrics and infectious hooks are as irresistible as its pop/funk/disco basis. While the longer model is superior because of its lengthier guitar solo and ethereal instrumental bridge, the truncated radio edit sacrifices little or no of the magic.
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Supertramp, “The Logical Song”
Like The Alan Parsons Project, Supertramp’s mid-’70s output was nonetheless pretty direct regardless of often crossing into intricate and unconventional territories (“School,” “Fool’s Overture,” “A Soapbox Opera”). It was 1979’s Breakfast in America, although, that yielded their business peak and their progressive pop peak thanks largely to coming-of-age meditation “The Logical Song.”
Born out of founder Roger Hodgson’s “questions about what really matters in life,” its whimsical piano chords are matched by harrowing narration, susceptible singing and energetic timbres. As such, it successfully embodies the thematic contrasts between idealistic childhood and orthodox maturity. It’s bolstered by a killer saxophone solo, playful results (handclaps, whistles, and so on.) and tender backing vocals as properly, permitting “The Logical Song” to be delightfully deep from begin to end.
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King Crimson, “Heartbeat”
King Crimson basically created progressive rock with 1969’s In the Court of the Crimson King and remained its most abrasively experimental torchbearers for a number of years afterward. Therefore, the considered them ever exploring pop would’ve been completely laughable – that’s, till they did with their new wave/dance-rock ‘80s trilogy (Discipline, Beat and Three of a Perfect Pair). Although they retained a lot of their beloved prog rock/avant-garde tendencies along the way, they dished out some atypically mellow and melodic material, too, with “Heartbeat” from 1982’s Beat being their pinnacle pop composition.
Performed by guitarist Adrian Belew, each component is soothingly romantic and reflective, however with simply the correct quantity of shimmering peculiarities and sophistications to be recognizably King Crimson. It’s definitely not a top-tier observe inside their complete catalog, but it’s dignified and fulfilling sufficient to point out that they may’ve succeeded on this model in the event that they wished to.
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Pink Floyd, “One Slip”
The preliminary (Syd Barrett) period of Pink Floyd was bathed in acid pop/British psychedelia, however since 1967’s The Piper on the Gates of Dawn and 1968’s A Saucerful of Secrets predate the quartet’s prog rock interval, we’re wanting elsewhere. In reality, there’s debatably just one tune that matches the invoice – “One Slip” from 1987’s A Momentary Lapse of Reason – and by chance, it’s an excellent one!
As Floyd followers know, the retooled lineup had a lot to show on A Momentary Lapse of Reason because it was their first with David Gilmour fully main the cost after Roger Waters left. He was greater than succesful, in fact, with “One Slip” (co-written by Roxy Music’s Phil Manzanera) shelling out an thrilling array of radiant instrumentation and breezy sentiments relating to likelihood, serendipity and the blinding pleasure of affection. It’s almost unimaginable to not get misplaced in its splendor.
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Electric Light Orchestra, “Mr. Blue Sky”
As their title implies, Electric Light Orchestra (like The Move earlier than them) specialised in bringing symphonic parts – classically structured overtures/interludes, strings, woodwinds, and so on. – to prog rock. During the latter half of the Seventies, they perpetually steered towards progressive/energy pop, prompting hits resembling “Livin’ Thing,” “Turn to Stone,” “Do Ya,” “Don’t Bring Me Down” and the very best of the bunch, “Mr. Blue Sky.”
Lifted from 1978’s Out of the Blue, the track was unsurprisingly penned by mastermind Jeff Lynne as a tribute to gorgeously sunny and uplifting days. With its driving tempo and fantastically baroque spiritedness, it inescapably places the listener in an excellent temper amidst conjuring the joyful magnificence and elaborateness of a number of Beatles classics (to not point out Pet Sounds and SMiLE by Brian Wilson/The Beach Boys).
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Jethro Tull, “European Legacy”
By the mid-80s, Jethro Tull have been just about unrecognizable in comparison with their Seventies progressive/folks rock heyday and an enormous motive why was their rising penchant for digital rock and synthpop. Even their worst LP (1984’s Under Wraps) was capable of generate just a few sturdy choices, although, together with “Under Wraps #2” and “Later, That Same Evening.” It additionally delivered “European Legacy,” the group’s best stab at reasonably easygoing and easy poppiness.
Four many years later, there’s no defending the corniness of the programmed drumming and sound results; nonetheless, there’s no denying the affective urgency and fluidity of frontman Ian Anderson’s verses and acoustic guitar work, both. Similarly, “European Legacy” is mostly fleshed out with tastefully vivid ornamentation, making it distinguished and engrossing sufficient to face out.
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Kansas, “Play the Game Tonight”
You might argue that Kansas normal the final mix of progressive rock and pop-rock with 1976’s “Carry On Wayward Son,” and by the time 1982’s Vinyl Confessions rolled round, they’d already jumped additional into the pop-rock pool by way of main releases resembling “Point of No Return” and “Hold On.”
That mentioned, these tracks have been nonetheless considerably advanced and heavy, whereas comeback lead single “Play the Game Tonight” is smooth, pensive and energetic. Beginning with a young piano prelude, new singer/keyboardist John Elefante quickly demonstrates why he was a superb option to quickly exchange Steve Walsh. Backed by music that alternates between intense and calming (however all the time elegant), his hovering singing is absorbingly pure and impassioned.
It’s no surprise why the piece turned the hit that Kansas wanted on the time.
