10 Best Progressive Rock Bands Of All Time
4. Genesis
In prog rock circles, Genesis is either one of the kings of the genre or the reason why prog gets a bad reputation. Although they may have started out as one of the most exciting bands going at the time, the Phil Collins years have made for some songs that fall on the wrong side of cringy from time to time. For all of the more embarrassing moments though, that doesn't take away from the many innovations that happened in their heyday.
After going from the sounds of flower power into something a little more real, the Peter Gabriel era of Genesis was a sight to behold in the early days...quite literally. Aside from the amazing performances on songs like Supper's Ready, it was even more extravagant to see them live, with Gabriel making his stage getup more and more insane, from dressing like a flower to an STD depending on what song you were listening to.
As much as the shows could feel like a distraction, the music always kicked major ass, from Tony Banks flirting with different time signatures behind his keyboard on Firth of Fifth to Steve Hackett practically inventing techniques like tapping on Dancing with the Moonlit Knight. And before he went for softer rock, Phil Collins was still a powerhouse of a drummer, able to stand leagues above most of the session musicians that were making the rounds at the time. Genesis might not be the most consistent band in terms of prog rock, but if you swear them off, you're leaving some amazing music on the table.