10 Best Progressive Rock Bands Of All Time
1. Pink Floyd
One of the biggest challenges when it comes to prog rock is trying to fit into the sounds of the times. As much as writing different suites into your music might seem cool to you, it's always up in the air as to whether the rest of the world is going to like it. In a rock scene where writing these long songs feels anti commercial, Pink Floyd has always been the main exception to the rule.
While the band were already a bit wacky during the days of Syd Barrett in the band, the loss of their friend due to mental health issues helped inform everything that came afterwards. From Meddle onward, Floyd never compromised their vision for new sounds, and somehow got the rest of the rock community to go along for the ride, like on the complete album experience of Dark Side of the Moon or the rock opera juggernaut that came with the Wall.
Along the way, you also had a handful of decent singles that haven't dulled in the slightest over the years, with Money still being one of the most famous rock songs in the world that's in an odd time signature. Throughout rock and roll, fans can never grasp the complexity of this stripe of band. They do recognize heart though, and Pink Floyd managed to build their legions of fans by always keeping their prog spectacles close to the chest.