Is Radiohead progressive rock?

[NX013]

In tribute to the "Is (insert band her) metal" Im gonna do one now for prog rock.

So are radiohead prog? Tom Yorke has stated theyve never been influenced on genesis or pink floyd, even saying they hate prog. But a lot of their songs have prog elements, so are they?

[a21schizoidman]

they sound alternative to me

[DarkSide247]

No. Johny Greenwood did say that Pink Floyd's "Meddle" slightly influenced OK Computer, though.

[Micsktafa]

Progressive rock, yes. Prog rock, no. This may seem confusing, but these types of discussions are done to death elsewhere. Short story is this: Progressive is a term for rock that pushes the boundaries. Prog is a term for progressive rock that has a certain sound that links similar acts together (there are many subgenres of prog rock as well).

Rarely do artists enjoy being labeled prog, simply because prog artists typically transcend specific genres. Fripp of King Crimson hates the term, but their In the Court of the Crimson King arguably invented the "genre."

[rickjames284]

Micsktafa said exactly what i was about to say. They definetly pushed bounderies for music, but theyre definetly not prog.

[Rockbandfan23467]

Either way could be right.

[defenestrater]

I think people tend to throw this label at Radiohead because they don't really know how to classify albums like Kid A, Amnesiac, and even OK Computer (which doesn't sound that weird to me now, but I remember when it came out and it sounded like something entirely new and different to a lot of people). Its not an accurate label, especially now that their last couple of cds have seen the band make its way back towards more conventional material.

[flop404]

Kid A's (and Amnesiac) references are much more into contemporanean, kraut, with some free jazz here and there, than prog rock...
Also, Radiohead kept a minimalisme that is the absolute anti-prog rock

[defenestrater]

Yeah I wasn't saying Kid A and Amnesiac were prog albums. I was trying to say that I think they both fell out of a lot people's frame of reference, and so the default reaction was along the lines of "Oh, this is weird and spacy. Kinda like Pink Floyd. Radiohead must be making modern prog!" I know the first time I heard that label started getting applied to them was around the time of Kid A, at least.

[Alright_Computer]

Radiohead are many things, rock, alternative, art rock, electronic, experimental, but prog? No. Though Paranoid Android is pretty close.

[Stewie]

they sound alternative to me

I concur....

[Solid_Snake]

I have no idea where you're getting prog from. The easiest way to label them is Alternative. There I just saved you days of arguments. Now we can end this thread.

Thread closed.

[Parodygm]

I think the argument really becomes "progressive rock" versus "concept album". OK Computer certainly has conceptual threads running throughout it but I really don't see how you could consider it prog rock.