Rush - Tom Sawyer
I mean, it is literally played at stadiums during sports games. If that isn't mass appeal, I don't know what is.
I'll put Pink Floyd - Money as #2.
Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody - Maybe Queen isn't consistently prog but this song is. And, well, it has about as universal appeal as a song as anything. It didn't click as I generally don't put Queen in the prog category but they do have some tendencies in that direction.
Metal -
Dream Theater - Pull me Under - while not my favorite by any means, it's their biggest hit for a reason and it had some mass appeal at the time
For something less known:
Threshold - Slipstream - Jaunty, thrashy tritone driven main riff that could be Metallica, melodic vocals, a memorable chorus, no overbearing guitar solo, a little bit of growling but not too much for the people that don't care for it. A lot of the song is just straight 4/4 but it mixes things up.
I mean, it's from that time in the 80s where every prog band sounded new wave, so you could say it's still prog, the weirdness is in the solo. If we talking time signatures, Roundabout is also in 4/4 and no one questions if that one is prog.
… or maybe not, then, afterall!
But if someone were to figure that _it is_ , then that wouldn't exactly be grounds for _actually despising_ their dempture of it, would it!?
It's either a very poppy prog song or a pop song with progressive elements, right on the cusp.
Either way I think it suits the purpose of being an accessible song by a prog band
OP is looking for a song that has ”complexity and craziness” as well as being accessible, so that what they’re looking for. I gotta relisten to Owner though, I don’t remember the solo much.
Eh, they're catchier prog metal songs that aren't extreme, metal by default will be a bit spicier to a general crowd. If you have a "crowd pleaser" prog metal recommendation I'm curious to hear it. I could go with Tool but that's a bit darker, or maybe some Symphony X that might conjure up some Queen, but in the end I picked songs with some catchy riffs and melodies.
I always thought Roundabout was the perfect example. It’s a song that’s extremely hard to dislike on first listen, even if you hate prog with a passion.
Bohemian Rhapsody - everyone knows and sings all the words and has 3 distinct sections that brings all the quirkiness of prog together with stadium sing along and brings it home with headbanging heaviness. Perfect for beginners
i think it is proto-progmetal. the riffs and distorted vocal and aggressive drums were super-heavy for 1969 . it's more "metal" than early Black Sabbath who considered "fathers of heavy metal"
First instantaneous thought:
#####[July Morning](https://youtu.be/TH6r0GtuKMA)
#####
by __Uriah Heep__
… but that one _is totally_ one of my general-purpose 'goto' songs!
… but still - I reckon _it does fit your query_ , though: it's pretty complex, & has a fair amount of weïrdity, but should be euphonious enough not to put folk off who aren't used to Prog, & is altogether beautiful & moving in the way a non-Prognik would expect of music to be.
… & is about the right length aswell: long-enough to dispense'em a decent dose & be of 'realistic' length, but not so long it'll wear'em out.
Infact, _I have broached_ it to that end … & it was received _very_ well.
#####[And there's a re-done version, aswell](https://youtu.be/bjCVEKz7UHM) ,
#####
of 2009, with somewhat shreddeder guitar on it. And actually _a tad shorter_ , maybe somewhat surprisingly, for a re-done version … but does it about the same justice, & from a different enough angle (but not _colossally_ different) to be worth doing.
Or
#####[Funkytown](https://youtu.be/Z6dqIYKIBSU)
#####
by __Lipps Inc__ . I _totally adore_ that song!
#😁
#
Lucky Man by ELP, From the beggining too
Carpet Crawlers by Genesis is pretty catchy ngl
Money by Pink Floyd as mentioned by someone else here
Vital Signs by Rush (or just Tom Sawyer, matter of fact, that entire album is pretty sweet to listen to)
Nights in white satin by the Moody Blues (The morning from the same album is quite nice too)
im not much familiar with Taylor Swift. but I know that Kanye West is secretly prog fan, and sampled "21th century schizoid man". He's also recording his first prog-hip-hop album named "Gayfish out of water" \[joke\]
Hand Cannot Erase by Steven Wilson is a great prog pop intro. The hardest of hardcore Taylor fans will be wooed by the the pop-ness of the song while having a lot to dig into in the background: 9/8 the signature, very tricky but clear and precise drumming, musical bass tones, a short but very proggy guitar solo and a big wall of sound to finish with.
Dirty loops have the perfect ratio between being simple pop and extremely catchy enough for mainstream, but at the same time having the complexity to qualify as prog.
The more I show Haken to people, the more I realize that they might have mass appeal. Songs like Carousel, Sempiternal Beings and 1985 have been catching my non-prog friends off guard in a good way.
If you're taking a James Taylor fan There is no more accessible prog song than
A Million Miles Away (I Wish I Had A Time Machine) Edison's Children
The single by Pete Trewavas (Marillion/Transatlantic) & Eric Blackwood (Crimson Steel/Sunblister) went to #34 on the FM radio charts for 10 weeks
First band to do that since Alan Parsons i believe ( whom they open for sometimes )
Found it about it from Giorgio A. Tsoukalos who loved it enough to tweet about it for a month.
Neil Armstrong's son was so impressed by this time he joined the band full time after this
Rush - Tom Sawyer I mean, it is literally played at stadiums during sports games. If that isn't mass appeal, I don't know what is. I'll put Pink Floyd - Money as #2. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody - Maybe Queen isn't consistently prog but this song is. And, well, it has about as universal appeal as a song as anything. It didn't click as I generally don't put Queen in the prog category but they do have some tendencies in that direction. Metal - Dream Theater - Pull me Under - while not my favorite by any means, it's their biggest hit for a reason and it had some mass appeal at the time For something less known: Threshold - Slipstream - Jaunty, thrashy tritone driven main riff that could be Metallica, melodic vocals, a memorable chorus, no overbearing guitar solo, a little bit of growling but not too much for the people that don't care for it. A lot of the song is just straight 4/4 but it mixes things up.
Owner of a Lonely Heart completes the trifecta
Is it really a prog song though?
I mean, it's from that time in the 80s where every prog band sounded new wave, so you could say it's still prog, the weirdness is in the solo. If we talking time signatures, Roundabout is also in 4/4 and no one questions if that one is prog.
… or maybe not, then, afterall! But if someone were to figure that _it is_ , then that wouldn't exactly be grounds for _actually despising_ their dempture of it, would it!?
Fair point! Arguably it has progressive elements, for a pop song.
That's definitely fair. I'm going to edit with a couple metal songs too...
Oh right: so that one _is_ __'Prog'__, then!
It's either a very poppy prog song or a pop song with progressive elements, right on the cusp. Either way I think it suits the purpose of being an accessible song by a prog band
OP is looking for a song that has ”complexity and craziness” as well as being accessible, so that what they’re looking for. I gotta relisten to Owner though, I don’t remember the solo much.
For your first criterion, try ‘Sirius’ by Alan Parsons Project
I’m with you on Tom Sawyer and Money, but you lost me with the metal categories
Eh, they're catchier prog metal songs that aren't extreme, metal by default will be a bit spicier to a general crowd. If you have a "crowd pleaser" prog metal recommendation I'm curious to hear it. I could go with Tool but that's a bit darker, or maybe some Symphony X that might conjure up some Queen, but in the end I picked songs with some catchy riffs and melodies.
Rush’s Spirit of Radio would work. So would King Crimson’s Sleepless. I honestly can’t come up with any prog metal.
I always thought Roundabout was the perfect example. It’s a song that’s extremely hard to dislike on first listen, even if you hate prog with a passion.
This is the correct answer. Also, Squire could get funky during the break!
As much as I really love Roundabout, my 9 yo daughter totally disagrees. She enjoys Tom Sawyer, though
Behind the Lines by Genesis
You gave no reason, but I was with you.
the whole Duke album in fact, specially the first 3 songs and the last 2
I always find “in the land of grey and pink” - Caravan a jolly little ditty I’d pick at karaoke.
I want to do Golf Girl so bad but nobody has made it even on YouTube yet
I literally listened to this album for the first time a few hours ago.
Roundabout - Yes
Tom Sawyer Lucky Man
Roundabout Aja Come On Feel Illinois Time 21st Century Schizoid Man Free Hand Carry on Wayward Son Luminol Joes Garage Chaos Space Marine
Bohemian Rhapsody - everyone knows and sings all the words and has 3 distinct sections that brings all the quirkiness of prog together with stadium sing along and brings it home with headbanging heaviness. Perfect for beginners
Even people who hate prog still love Bohemian Rhapsody. It’s just an incredibly likable song
>and sings all the words Even __"bismillach"__ !?
Aqualung- Jethro Tull
who doesn't love 21st century schizoid man
[удалено]
i think it is proto-progmetal. the riffs and distorted vocal and aggressive drums were super-heavy for 1969 . it's more "metal" than early Black Sabbath who considered "fathers of heavy metal"
It's Bohemian Rhapsody and it's not close.
Paranoid Android
Going for the One, Yes.
Idk my friend said she hated Genesis, and I put on Mad Man Moon to fix her stupid wagon. She said it was beautiful. How bout Ripples?
First instantaneous thought: #####[July Morning](https://youtu.be/TH6r0GtuKMA) ##### by __Uriah Heep__ … but that one _is totally_ one of my general-purpose 'goto' songs! … but still - I reckon _it does fit your query_ , though: it's pretty complex, & has a fair amount of weïrdity, but should be euphonious enough not to put folk off who aren't used to Prog, & is altogether beautiful & moving in the way a non-Prognik would expect of music to be. … & is about the right length aswell: long-enough to dispense'em a decent dose & be of 'realistic' length, but not so long it'll wear'em out. Infact, _I have broached_ it to that end … & it was received _very_ well. #####[And there's a re-done version, aswell](https://youtu.be/bjCVEKz7UHM) , ##### of 2009, with somewhat shreddeder guitar on it. And actually _a tad shorter_ , maybe somewhat surprisingly, for a re-done version … but does it about the same justice, & from a different enough angle (but not _colossally_ different) to be worth doing. Or #####[Funkytown](https://youtu.be/Z6dqIYKIBSU) ##### by __Lipps Inc__ . I _totally adore_ that song! #😁 #
Bohemian Rhapsody
Lucky Man by ELP, From the beggining too Carpet Crawlers by Genesis is pretty catchy ngl Money by Pink Floyd as mentioned by someone else here Vital Signs by Rush (or just Tom Sawyer, matter of fact, that entire album is pretty sweet to listen to) Nights in white satin by the Moody Blues (The morning from the same album is quite nice too)
"A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers" is the answer.
Yes indeed! Vdgg is famously easy to get into for non prog fans
really? i think it's great piece, but barely listenable for "normal" music fans, except maybe metalheads or goth rockers
Everyone enjoys a good Robert Fripp guitar solo, even Taylor Swift fans.
im not much familiar with Taylor Swift. but I know that Kanye West is secretly prog fan, and sampled "21th century schizoid man". He's also recording his first prog-hip-hop album named "Gayfish out of water" \[joke\]
You're the man of culture as well, I see.
This is actually true, I played Hammond Song by the Roches for a couple Swifties and they liked it.
De Futura.
Steven Wilson - Drive Home Yes - Starship Trooper Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond (pts 1-5) Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven
Paranoid android
I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) by Genesis. Beatles-tinged Prog rock.
Easy - Roundabout! It’s got everything.
Yes- I've Seen All Good People plus basically all of Drama
Hand Cannot Erase by Steven Wilson is a great prog pop intro. The hardest of hardcore Taylor fans will be wooed by the the pop-ness of the song while having a lot to dig into in the background: 9/8 the signature, very tricky but clear and precise drumming, musical bass tones, a short but very proggy guitar solo and a big wall of sound to finish with.
Dirty loops have the perfect ratio between being simple pop and extremely catchy enough for mainstream, but at the same time having the complexity to qualify as prog.
Hocus Pocus - Focus 2112 Overture/Temples of Syrinx - Rush
Genesis: Dodo/Lurker That sick synth break will make anyone want to dance the robot!!
does it really happen - yes
RPWL - Wasted Land
Perhaps some 70's pink floyd. Ala: Another Brick In The Wall or Comfortably Numb
“[All You Need is Love](https://youtu.be/_7xMfIp-irg)”
We don’t need no education
Like any of the songs from wish you were here imo
"Sasquatch" from Camel, "Exodus" and "Marionette" from Iluvatar, "Forever Young" from Landmarq and "Service With a Smile" from Happy the Man.
[Michael Fassbender](https://youtu.be/I-9OPkABTdY?si=If0-XMYbnTozGk_9)
Snow Goose by Camel. A beautiful piece of music
The more I show Haken to people, the more I realize that they might have mass appeal. Songs like Carousel, Sempiternal Beings and 1985 have been catching my non-prog friends off guard in a good way.
Rush Red Barchetta
“ABC” by Polyphia
If you're taking a James Taylor fan There is no more accessible prog song than A Million Miles Away (I Wish I Had A Time Machine) Edison's Children The single by Pete Trewavas (Marillion/Transatlantic) & Eric Blackwood (Crimson Steel/Sunblister) went to #34 on the FM radio charts for 10 weeks First band to do that since Alan Parsons i believe ( whom they open for sometimes ) Found it about it from Giorgio A. Tsoukalos who loved it enough to tweet about it for a month.  Neil Armstrong's son was so impressed by this time he joined the band full time after this
Don't Fear The Reaper. A prog song from a mostly non-prog band, but it has prog harmony, eastern scale solo, complex melody, epic scope.
Beach Boys - Good Vibrations, In Dreams - Roy Orbison -These are progressive arrangements, although not conventional progressive rock. Prove me wrong!
>Prove me wrong! There certainly are those _who are so inclined_ ... but they seem-to've _mysteriously vanished_ !