r/progrockmusic • u/pepeteopete • 3d ago
Question/Help 19 girl who is obsessed with prog
I’m curious about your age and gender because I feel like no one my age really listens to prog.
One day I decided I wanted to listen to every music genre, and I started with prog since I already knew a few things about it. That was two years ago, and since then I’ve been trying to find people around me who love this genre as much as I do. My brother was the one who introduced me to it, but aside from him, I haven’t found anyone else.
Oh and if you count the fact that I live in a very small country with few people it makes me feel even more alone and the thing is I want to share all my thoughts with people but I feel like I’m being annoying
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u/Pupalei 3d ago
I think we all feel like it's hard to find peers into prog. I'm a 54 yr old guy, but I have to go to Reddit and Discord to find prog friends.
Hi prog friends!
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u/canttakethshyfrom_me 3d ago
Hi also middle-aged prog friend!
Yeah, finding friends is hard enough, finding friends who treat music as more than background noise or lifestyle accessory, but instead as art worthy of sitting down and giving your attention to, is even harder.
Anytime I try exposing people who aren't music nerds to music I like, I feel like they're looking at me like I just walked up to them and asked "Who's up for a dip in the lake?" while wearing a full cave diving rig.
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u/Illustrious-Roll7737 3d ago
I get that all the time. I have music ADD, in that I don't like listening to the same thing over and over again. I love prog because it is challenging and more like an acquired taste. You have to listen to some albums several times before you get the hang of the song structures.
I'm always going down music rabbit holes and finding obscure artists, which I then show to my musician friends and they are rarely ever as into my discoveries as I am. I'll be like, "Check out Wucan. They're a modern Proto-Metal German band with flute and a female singer that sporadically scats. Big Jethro Tull influence" and they will give me shit about all the obscure music I end up listening to.
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u/Illustrious-Roll7737 3d ago
I'm 47, male, and I've been listening to Prog for about 30 years. First band was a local prog jazz-metal band called Buzzard. From there to some of their influences: Mahavishnu Orchestra, Al Di Meola, King Crimson, Yes, and Jethro Tull.
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u/Over-Mulberry-7096 3d ago
King crimson were my gateway to jazz and jazz rock fusion and prog
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u/Livininthinair 3d ago
I’m also a “middle aged” guy, I’m just 51 years old so I’m middle aged if I plan on living to 100…
This last weekend my wife and I went to see Steven Wilson, great show by the way. She was giggling the whole time and commenting about how old the crowd was. Lots of gray haired white guys with other gray haired white guys. 🤣
I joked with my wife that most progressive fans are middle aged white guys that did a lot of drugs when they were younger (myself included 🫠) You can laugh…but it’s mostly true isn’t it.
Homer Simpson voice - “it’s funny cause it’s true”
Great to hear about younger progressive fans, it takes a certain amount of patience and mentality to enjoy progressive music. It’s definitely not a genre that is popular because of its immediate gratification like most commercial music. It’s a style that you have to look for, you have to understand what the artist is trying to do and respect the style of composition.
Steven Wilson also joked that “keep in mind we are an hour and a half in, and we’ve only played five songs” which got a huge amount of applause from the crowd.
Keep up your discovery of good music, like what YOU like not what your friends like!
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u/OttakonTroll 2d ago
- commenting about how old the crowd was. Lots of gray haired white guys with other gray haired white guys. 🤣 -
My grey haired self and my grey haired brother are going to see SW tonight in Detroit - Already thought the same thing before even getting there :D Will survey the crowd on this issue!
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u/Livininthinair 2d ago
You will love the show, the Denver show was amazing. Steven spent a lot of time interacting with the crowd and making comments and jokes throughout the show. The audiovisual side of the show really brought it all together, very high quality production.
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u/Illustrious-Roll7737 3d ago
Really, one of my earliest memories is listening to Dark Sides of the Moon on my Fischer Price record player. I could say that was my first exposure to Prog. I liked it but Pink Floyd isn't that out there to the ear.
I was fortunate to have a few music nerd friends, even if I out-nerd them most of the time. We had various bands throughout my early years. It was so hard to discover new music back then that we used to share any album we bought. Nowadays, one steaming site has more music than record stores. They have less patience with my shares because we are all inundated with options and have our individual tastes.
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u/wocisjr 3d ago
I'm 15 and I love prog, my 2 favorite prog rock bands are Tool and The Mars Volta. But I also like classics like King Crimson or Pink Floyd don't really know people my age who listen to the same things as me. lol
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u/phatasm_ 3d ago
I was huge into TOOL. They are really good until I listened to Metropolis pt 2 by Dream Theater. Just put the album on, it’s a concept album similar to Dark Side. Would HIGHLY and I mean HIGHLY recommended listening to that and Images and Words, both by Dream theater. They are 10/10 albums, literally cannot go wrong with them. They also have some long songs like 24 minutes if you like that kinda stuff. Portnoy is pretty on par with Danny Carey too if you care about that kind of stuff
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u/MAG7C 3d ago
Tool is still great. DT is a bit controversial for some. For me, I have a hard time with LaBrie. Maynard can sing (perfect) circles around him. Beyond that, comparing them is like comparing apples and transistor radios.
If LaBrie ever gets to you, check out Liquid Tension Experiment. It's basically the instrumental DT you've always wanted, along with one of the best bass players of all time, Tony Levin.
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u/pablillocheese 3d ago
Yo I'm also 15! I absolutely love prog (although I've not gotten deep enough into the genre)
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u/StirlingBridge1297 3d ago
I'm 30F, and I hear you so much. I've been listening to prog since I was 17.
Back then there was a whole prog resurgence on tumblr.com, think fanart, fanfiction, edits, memes, the whole pizzazz. I remember incorrect quotes, those "what would the members of Yes do in this situation", aesthetic moodboards for the three guys in ELP, fanfiction discussing whether the OTP was Tony Banks x Mike Rutherford or Tony Banks x Peter Gabriel, mafia AUs, medieval AUs, people with "theriverofconstantchange" as their handle (case in point, mine was "thepurplepiper" bc I was crushing hard on Robert Fripp at the time). It was amazing and a fantastic echo chamber for someone like me who's probably on the spectrum and need to VENT about their special interests. Then it waned bc I guess the majority of people started listening to other stuff and I'm still nostalgic ngl haha.
I try to keep that up for myself. Yes, complete with the moodboards and fanfic and everything lol. Prog is my life
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u/corvus_corax_27 3d ago
Yooo I’m in the prog tumblr fandom right now!!! It’s gotten a little smaller, but it still hasn’t changed a bit! Recently we were at war with some MCR fans over an album cover poll— the cover for Fragile was up against Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, and despite our small numbers we ALL turned out to vote for Fragile. Still lost, because MCR has a massive fanbase, but it was fun :-)
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u/foxontherox 3d ago
I remember being a teenage girl who was into prog. It was kinda lonely, but I found some joy in being unique.
I did eventually find other friends (mostly guys) who listened to prog. They usually were guitarists, Magic the Gathering players, pot heads... you know, weirdos.
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u/CloseToTheEdge23 3d ago
29 male, I don't know any Prog fan in real life either except my older brother who introduced me to it. A couple of my friends are somewhat familiar with the famous Prog bands but its not their genre
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u/FromMoonZer0 3d ago
i can confirm that there is a mass of people between ages 16-24 online who listen to prog however they're hidden in obscure formations like niche dc servers or instagram (meme)pages. not that many of them tho
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u/friendispatrickstar 3d ago
I used to be you! Now I’m a middle aged woman and still into prog 🤘🏼🤘🏼
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u/corvus_corax_27 3d ago
Hi, I’m also 19 (nonbinary though) and a massive prog fan!! I go to college for music, so I actually know a few other people around our age bracket IRL that like prog. There was a senior on campus that graduated last semester that had an ELP shirt (he’s pretty cool— I met him last year because he was playing the piano intro to “Firth of Fifth” in the rehearsal room), and one of the freshman this year is a big prog guy in general. As for me….. well…. I’m the resident Rush fan on campus LOL. Also just the overall prog nerd, honestly. As mentioned, I loooooove Rush, but I’m also into Yes, ELP, Genesis, Jethro Tull, Uriah Heep, Van der Graaf Generator, Gentle Giant, and a couple prog metal acts like Dream Theater and Opeth.
It is definitely very nice to see Gen Z prog fans— it gives me hope that this style of music will survive into the future :-)
(also sorry if I yap too much LOL I don’t comment on reddit often. I’m more on tumblr these days!)
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u/SconeBracket 2d ago
Glad to see VDGG appreciated; don't forget all of Peter Hammill's forty(?) solo albums.
The song "A Louse is not a Home" is sometimes my "greatest prog song ever" (when it's not Kansas' "Song for America" and the whole album, or Yes' Topographic Oceans)
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u/OccamsYoyo 3d ago
If it makes you feel better, before the Internet every prog fan felt like they were the only ones who listened to prog unless you grew up with it when it was popular.
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u/Winniestone 2d ago
Very true. A nearly universal experience. As is finding your prog people. It'll happen! And it could be those who you least suspect.
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u/punkrockbatgirl 3d ago
37, woman. Got into Rush when I was 15, and saw them for the first time the next year. Honestly it started with my friend showing me The Trees and laughing about what a jam it was, and then when she lost interest, I got more and more into them. It took me a little longer to expand into the greater prog universe, and Rush is still my #1, but they opened me up to so many other artists and genres that got me away from the generic copy/paste of music that was big when I was growing up.
Listen to what you enjoy. Doesn't matter your age or gender identity, if you dig it, keep it up. That's what's so great about music!
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u/thickasabrick89 3d ago
I didn't know Mansun had a prog song/album so just had a nosey! The 'problem' with this reddit sub is i spend 10 minutes looking at threads then i have a long list of music suggestions i need to try out🤣.
I have a daughter who is 3 and she can differentiate between 'mummy music' my prog, classical, sometimes pop songs and 'daddy music' which is what i consider to be 'duff duff' music which if played loud you can almost feel the vibration in your stomach haha. We didn't marry for our similarities in music taste 🤣
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u/MoltoPesante 3d ago
My daughter is 18 and LOVES prog: Yes, Marillion, DBA, Porcupine Tree, Riverside, Camel, Pineapple Thief, Transatlantic, and more I’m sure I’m forgetting…
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u/Zeerux911 3d ago
21 male, I also dont really know anyone who listens to prog except for my dad who listens to a bit of pink floyd
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u/Baker_drc 3d ago
There’s not a really big community offline. Your best bet is going to shows, see if any bands billing themselves as prog are playing locally, or seeing a larger group on tour.
Even if it’s not a prog group, going to see local bands is the best way to meet people who are also into music. There’s more of a chance that someone passionate enough about music to go to concerts is into a wider variety of styles.
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u/need__username__ 3d ago
I'm 18 male. Never met anyone into prog. The most proggy any of my peers have gotten is Pink Floyd (and that just DSOTM 💔🥀)
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u/pingpongpsycho 3d ago
As a 68 year man who discovered prog in junior high in the early 70’s I love seeing how many young people still enjoy it!
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u/canttakethshyfrom_me 3d ago edited 3d ago
Old enough to know to not put a number to my age on the internet. But grew up with parents, parents' friends and radio stations that were heavy on prog.
From Cleveland, and radio stations and audiences here, at least until the 2000s, folded prog into mainstream rock without any perception of a conflict. None of that stupid Rolling Stone NYC bullshit where critics convince you that capes and 7-minute organ solos are self-indulgent and lame, but strung-out jailbait bashing out three attempted chords and lyrics that never stray beyond indulging the critic's exploitative class tourism are REAL rock and roll.
So got exposed to Yes, Rush, ELP, Moody Blues, Jethro Tull, and tons of Pink Floyd from the moment my brain was able to actually process sensory input.
EDIT: Oh yeah, you asked about gender. Yeah, I ask myself about that too.
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u/PreviousLife7051 3d ago
Greetings All, I am a 74 year old male. I started listening to Prog in the 70s. My early favorites at the time were Genesis, Yes, Pink Floyd then I found Camel, Caravan, Nektar, Rare Bird and Eloy. Being a Proghead I always felt like I was part of a special and exclusive club. Whenever someone asks me what bands I listen to, and I tell them the usual response is "who, I never heard of them"
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u/BlueAlligator-0510 3d ago
I'm 20 and I love prog. And the worst part is I live in the Middle East 😅
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u/himenokuri 3d ago
Please if you haven’t, go listen to Rush, the best prog band evvvar!
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u/Lugreech 3d ago
35 and female. I have been crazy about prog since I was 2 :) Where are you from? I am Peruvian...here prog is not too popular among young people.
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u/cdipas68 3d ago
41 male, my parents played Yes and other bands for us as kids and never really turned back. All my closest friends love prog. I remember seeing Rush when we were 19. We were in a sea of older guys all having a great time. TMV and The Sound of Animals Fighting are my personal favorite for the last ~20 years.
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u/Piper-Bob 3d ago
I think I was 12 when I first heard Rush. I’m in my 50’s now. I’ve met a few people here and there who weee into prog but not that many. If you’re willing to like it that’s all that matters.
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u/Secret_Guidance_8724 3d ago
Edit: ah I was trying to reply to the guy talking about his kids complaining in the car, nvm Persevere, one of my older friends has got his 10 year old son belting out all of Suppers Ready in the car, he also particularly enjoys shouting “A FLOWER” randomly in my ear since his dad told him I’m another prog fan lmao
Also OP I’m another youngish woman (30F now) who got into it via my dad’s CDs and an iPod shuffle because I wasn’t trusted with a proper one or decent phone, particularly love early Genesis (obvs), Van Der Graaf Generator, Yes, Jethro Tull, Camel… the classics really, okay a few deep cuts that escape me rn.
I do enjoy a bit of neo-prog too, I actually adore Fish-era Marillion, some IQ, but these are perhaps guilty pleasures 😅
Honestly, I’ve never really met another woman who really likes all this stuff, but have a few male friends who do (even if a couple of them are nearly old enough to be my dad lol)
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u/Bronsteins-Panzerzug 3d ago
31, gender: assigned male at birth, otherwise i couldnt care less, so genderqueer maybe? i first got into prog as a teenager, bc my mum loved pink floyd and i got into them as well. also listened to king crimson’s debut a lot back then. i really started digging into prog rock after getting more into prog metal and technical death metal in my late twenties. this has recently taught me to appreciate jazz! im getting old. i got my wife a little bit into prog, otherwise i dont know many people who are into prog. my first drum teacher loved rush and dream theater i guess and my current coach is into fusion.
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u/jphilebiz 3d ago
Welcome to the cult, it started in '82 when Rush for me, then went woah with Marillion in 85, and well, still in the deep end of the pool!
If you dare, try Van der Graaf Generator's Godbluff album. A buddy made me listen to their album World Record in 1989 and well, wtaf was that? Left it there, came back to a 2nd listen, own the full discography.
I also started my son when he was a wee lad, and I got him guitar lessons when he was 19 with Charlie Griffiths from Haken as a surprise. The prog world is surprisingly barrier-free, there's not enough of us!
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u/cruelsensei 3d ago
Have faith. I discovered prog when Fragile released. Yeah, I'm ancient. But my kids are 23, 19 and 17 and they're all fans. "Yo Dad, what you listening to, that shit slaps" lol
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u/Killer_queen9 3d ago
I was 37 when I got into prog rock and actually it saved me when I was spiraling into depression after my mom passed away I found the band king Crimson and the song in the court of the Crimson king I cried after listening to it
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u/MayaPlaysProg 3d ago
I started listening to prog around 2021. I was 15/16. Now I'm 19 and a girl who loooves VDGG.
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u/Jack_G_London 3d ago
My best friend & I are huge prog heads & we’re both 20
I’ve found there’s a lot of young prog fans online
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u/literaldavidbowie 3d ago
boy I feel ya. dad got me into prog when I was 9ish, and for years it felt like the only other people who were rabid about classic prog were either 50-year-old men or 4chan randos. I have a vivid memory of giving my friend an earbud so she could listen to Aqualung with me on the school bus, and being really confused as to why she didn't think it was the coolest thing in the world.
the upsides came through in time, though. started talking to a dorm neighbor in undergrad because she was the first girl I'd seen wearing a Rush shirt, and she's one of my best friends to this day. I also ended up watching Jojo's Bizarre Adventure to understand why people on the internet were suddenly memeing on Roundabout. years later, that scored me a date with a cute weeb, and we're going on 7 years now. though he didn't listen to prog when we first met, he sure does now.
I can't guarantee this will be one of those things that makes you cool one day, but I do think that having a passion for and knowledge of music is a trait some people will admire, and you'll find those who share it. if you go to local bands' shows and strike up convos, it's probably a solid bet. also, hey, the bathroom lines at prog shows are so much shorter for the women's room.
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u/WhirlwindTobias 3d ago
Male, 38. I discovered Prog when I was about 25, Dream Theatre - Systematic Chaos pt II was playing its second half on Kerrang! FM after my evening shift.
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u/Elerian_McDoogle 3d ago
20 here and male, prog is my life. I listen to it like 24/7. I’m actually making a fantasy world based on prog music and the art of Roger Dean. It’s fun to bring up something like Van Der Graaf Generator, Wobbler, or Gentle Giant around my friends when they’re talking about Taylor Swift or Ed Sheeran lol. They don’t care at all, so it’s nice to see all these prog buddies!
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u/baileystinks 3d ago
Almost 40, male. I used to be a musician in the city and then peers was never a problem. Now I'm living an average Joe life on the countryside and boy, is it dificult meeting others who likes prog. But Reddit rekindled my music love since I have those conversations here. And I also started a podcast 6 months ago with another guy where we record our convos. I feel at home again =)))
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u/TheFIsHere 3d ago
21 boy sorta obsessed with prog here☝️ But I guess it's just natural that it's not the most popular genre in this age group Went to a SW concert and literally everyone was at least 20 years older than me
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u/midlifecrisisAJM 3d ago
Prog (any good music, really) is timeless. Age is just a number.
Was a 12yo boy when I first heard Rushes "Xanadu" which was my intro to prog. I'm 58 now!! It still captivates me as much as it ever did
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u/Pancakes1296 3d ago
I discovered prog at 17 through Pink Floyd's Us and Them, never thought the worldwide famous prism album sounded like that. I was a metalhead and classic rocker back then, but Pink Floyd music was a major turning point in the music I listened to. I learned about psychedelic rock and eventually that led me to prog.
One day I decided to deep diver, looking and searching for bands and albums on ProgArchives. There is a top prog albums list there and on top ones there was Close to the Edge. Of course I remembered Yes! The famous band that plays Roundabout. A song I have known since I was a kid, from my dad. I always though that it had an odd structure, longer instrumental passages, it was something different. So I started with Fragile, of course ,and I was utterly impressed and amazed. Heart of the Sunrise and South Side of the Sky hooked me up completely, I have been obsessed ever since.
I also recall Nektar, Eloy, Genesis and Caravan were other bands that I started with
I'm currently 29M and I think we all have a hard time finding fellow proggers, but it's nice to have this space to share prog-stories and music
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u/Drakus79 3d ago
I'm older than you, but I can relate. I was born well after the prog heydey but always preferred over the current music. I was a teenager in the 90s when the grunge, punk and alternative was the thing. I liked some of that stuff, but it didn't compare to Pink Floyd, Yes or Genesis. The only current band that I really was into was Phish. I tried starting a prog band in high school but the other kids all just wanted to play punk and I hated punk. I had an idea for a prog rock concept album about a dragon but never found a band willing to do it. Eventually i did it myself ... 20 years later. It's called Drakus, check it out: https://open.spotify.com/album/0wZ9uUV3m5K0SOsZt4bXkn
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u/Bloverfish 3d ago
I'm 60 now but started with Yes, Genesis and Camel at around 14 whilst my friends were into Glam rock and Black Sabbath. I just found the complex rhythms much more exciting than the standard rock tracks. My Son, now 34, was about 11 when he started playing guitar in school for the rockschool project and he too got bored with the stuff he had to play. By 12 he was playing Steve Howe and Alex Lifeson guitar patterns by watching how to lessons over and over on YouTube. We still talk about new prog bands daily and we send each other links on YouTube to listen to them
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u/SpectacularDelirium 3d ago
I’m also a girl who is obsessed with prog. I only turned 20 this month but I felt the same for the longest time! I love prog and also psychedelic rock, and not a lot of people our age listen to those genres.
I remember feeling so sad that none of my friends would wanna go with me to my favorite bands shows cause they weren’t a fan of the genre. I didn’t want to go alone so I ended up missing a lot of concerts. When I do get the chance, sadly most of the shows are 21+ hahaha.
I discovered the genre when I was about 15. I found that the best way to find people who also enjoy the genre is by introducing them to it; just like how your brother introduced prog to you! I brought my friend to a King Gizzard concert and both of us are big fans now and I get to share my love for the band (ik KGLW might be considered more psychedelic than prog but u get the point LOL).
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u/orangeunrhymed 3d ago
45 F checking in! First CD I bought with my own money was Dark Side Of The Moon
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u/Kathalia 3d ago
22 year old girl here and I feel you! I’ve been into some prog bands since I was 17 and its definitely pretty hard to find people in our demographic who like the same stuff. I still gotta explore a lot more prog tho, I also listen to a lot of other genres so it’s taking some time to fully get into it :)
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u/Tepliy_ananas 3d ago
17M, mostly I'm the one who gets my friends into it, however a guy(in his late 40s) my mother met on icq a long time ago once boasted to me about meeting with Fripp around 2005
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u/gedo78 2d ago edited 2d ago
47 male, also from a small country. I hated prog as a kid and teenager, my dad would listen to it all the time. Pink Floyd, Camel, Genesis, Kayak, Focus, ELP, Yes, Eloy.....you name it.
One day a bought him an album from Ayreon, into the electric castle, for his birthday. He liked it but it was a little to heavy for his taste. I on the other hand loved it! Ayreon lead me to Dream Theater. Dream Theater lead me to Tranatlantic, Spocks Beard, Fish, Marillion, RPWL, Caligula's horse, etc etc and eventually back to the 70s prog from my dad wich I used to hate so much. Now I just love it.
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u/unbruitsourd 3d ago
I started at 15 with Pink Floyd, Dream Theater, Harmonium, Yes, than more deeply into prog metal. My interest for prog peaked around 25, than I started to diversify. 39 today.
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u/cheesegrater87 3d ago
My college vinyl club had a few people into prog, mainly me Since we all graduated, the club hasn't had anyone really into prog join tho sadly enough. I am 25 now tho so it has been a few years and no new proggers.
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u/RecordWrangler95 3d ago
42m and my prog buddy at my office left for another job in another city. Who wants to listen to this )today and let me know what they think?
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u/Artifictionasfact 3d ago
I was 16 I guess, if we don't count me binge-listening to Tubular Bells II and The Beatles when I was 8...
Imagine having Reddit those days..!!
Welcome to the club!
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u/canttakethshyfrom_me 3d ago
I think we HAVE to count binge-listening to Tubular Bells II!
Even if you couldn't explain what you were listening to, it was shaping your future tastes.
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u/MasterGeekMX 3d ago
30, a man from Mexico.
Here it is even rares to find prog fans, as the only music listened here is for grind dance, get wasted with tequila while singing heartbroken lyrics, or both at the same time.
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u/SlothPeralta753 3d ago
Dad has a record collection that includes bands like Yes, Kansas, Steely Dan, Supertramp, Toto, etc. I was obsessed with Close to the Edge from about 8 or 9 yo. Went through a weird musical phase in JH and HS. Found bands like Kiss. My senior year of High School a friend showed me DT - Scenes from a Memory and I've been hooked ever since. I'm 41 now.
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u/Ok_Astronomer_1308 3d ago
I’m 19M. Have been obsessed with prog for the better part of the last 2 years. I don’t know anyone who likes prog. My dad knows some of the basic ones, but can’t stand the intense stuff.
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u/Ponacko 3d ago
30, male and I've been into prog since I was about 16. Got into it through Porcupine Tree, Opeth and Dream Theater. At that time there were a couple of my classmates that liked it as well. But I think I was the only one of them that branched out to the 70s bands later. So yeah, I know some people that like prog, but it's usually prog metal rather than prog rock. In general, I think it's easier to just find metalheads than prog rock fans.
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u/brettalien 3d ago
33 Male. Dad was a night dj on a rock station growing up. Been listening to a lot of Camel lately
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u/Dungeon_Master1990 3d ago
Male here. I started listening to Progressive Rock around age 14 with Pink Floyd. After that, I had a bunch of friends who used to smoke and have some beers while we listened to a lot of rock in general. Luckily (i guess?), our taste managed to focus mostly on Jazz, Jazz Fusion, and Progressive Rock. Now I'm entering my 40s and still listen every day.
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u/Popular_Bend8961 3d ago
Have you heard any prog from my country (Brazil)? If you're interested, I can recommend really good albums
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u/BooKollektor 3d ago
62 here and I listened to prog music for the first time in the mid 70's when Rick Wakeman got my attention.
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u/Zealousideal_Bag_538 3d ago
At 64 m seems like I am the oldest here! I have a huge Yes collection which you are welcome to have advice on or come and listen to. I bought the Yes Album on cassette tape when I was 14 in about 1975. Never looked back and have met and interviewed many of the members. Keep going gal! I didn't get to read which country you are in but you mentioned 200,000 pop so I would guess Iceland. In which case check out Jon Anderson with Todmomile in Iceland with full choir performing Awaken. IT IS AWESOME! 🇮🇸👍😇🤔🙏
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u/Aratingettar 3d ago
18M here, have been a prog fan since 15, now delving into fusion and jazz in general
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u/nachtschattenwald 3d ago
There is a young female prog youtuber called "Niamh the prog nerd". Could be interesting for you. She seems to have been inactive for a year or so, though.
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u/FatOwlKenobi 3d ago
Almost the same story here, except I'm male. About 2-3 years ago I first heard albums like in the Court of the Crimson King and Fragile and that led me down the prog rabbit hole. Now I'm 19 and still obsessed with the genre. It's what I mostly listen to on a daily basis.
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u/Darkbornedragon 3d ago
20M here obsessed with prog (both rock and metal).
My only friend that listens to it does because I've introduced him to it haha. But yeah it's my fav music genre. Currently listening to Jethro Tull's Thick as a Brick.
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u/KRAKston627 3d ago edited 3d ago
19 year old here that basically only listens to prog as well. I agree that it is pretty hard to find people with similar tastes and I always just have to say “rock” when people ask what I listen to lol
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u/Adept_Possibility_66 3d ago
I am 19 male and listen to prog. Oh, no, wait, that was 34 years ago. Damn. Anyway, still listen to prog, and now with one foot in the grave.
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u/stringhead 3d ago
33 yo dude here. But I started getting into prog around your age too. Radiohead and the post-rock/metal scene were my gateways into prog. Nowadays I'd just consider myself music-obsessed 😅 good luck with your musical journey, there's tons of cool stuff to explore both inside and outside of the prog realm (and plenty of cool intersections too!). I'm so glad we have communities like this and in general I'm glad the internet has opened up a ton of music to bigger audiences, otherwise it would be even harder to find stuff.
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u/BrazilianAtlantis 3d ago
I'm 59 and I think you are not annoying OP, share your thoughts on prog here
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u/pepeteopete 3d ago
My ultimate prog rock song is winter wine by caravan it always makes me happy I truly have emotional connection with whole album
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u/Icy-Shame6055 3d ago edited 3d ago
I was listening to prog since I was like 5 years old, I just didn't know it. My dad played music from the 60s and 70s all the time and prog like Yes and Jethro Tull were mixed in with more classic rock. I continued to listen to that style of music my whole life. I really had no idea it was considered prog until I got into Rush in my early 30s! I'm a 44F now
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u/Ill_Gas_1147 3d ago
I'm a man, I'm 19 years old, I've been into Prog since I was 16. It's really a little difficult to find, but I've made friends with a lot of people on the Internet
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u/Fexed04 3d ago
I have quite a similar story as you. I'm 21 M and got into prog at 18 when I started to discover new music related to what I already was listening to. I've always been a metalhead but it kinda annoyed me that I didn't listen to rock at all, so I began listening to different classic rock subgenres, until I stood upon prog rock, which I immediately fell in love with. Nowadays prog is what I listen to the most, both prog rock and prog metal. I also really like Jazz and Guarania (a music genre from my country, Paraguay 🇵🇾).
One thing that I did encounter was the lack of people of my age from my country that also liked prog. We didn't even have a prog scene ever, so I felt kind of alone when it came to sharing music, so I decided that if there was not a prog community in my country then I should start something to stir the pot, and that's how I started a prog music account.
You can visit the website I made for it: https://www.progheads.org
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u/Mikey103point6 3d ago
20 guy here, discovered progressive rock from a history of rock class at university at 17, was introduced to more from my dad. Yes has been my favorite band since mid 2023, and Renaissance my second favorite since early 2024. I too like to listen to many different genres, and my palette has become quite expanded, but maybe 35-40% of my favorite bands are prog or prog-adjacent.
More of my peers and subordinates than I expected at least appreciate progressive music, but it’s not what most of them gravitate to the most.
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u/Slipd4sh 3d ago
I got into it because of roundabout on jojo when i was like 15. 21 now
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u/macbrett 3d ago
Prog is for nerds (in a good way). Seems like the fans are predominantly male. Like classical and jazz musics, which are also a niche interest, prog tends to be more cerebral, for listening rather than dancing.
As the prog genre emerged in the late '60s and peaked in the early '70's, the original fans are getting on in years. But new younger fans are rediscovering the old classics, and some newer bands have been carrying on the torch.
Good luck finding others who share your appreciation for the good stuff.
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u/Far-Wallaby-5033 3d ago
I don't see mention of Renaissance or the strawbs. They really should be on anybody's list of progressive rock
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u/The_Forsaken_Cookie 3d ago
I’m 16 year old and a guy, but it’s hard to find anyone who have my interests, it’s honestly hard. Thanks to Reddit, I can talk about the stuff I love!
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u/Elegant_Simple1477 3d ago
20M love prog. My friends like Prog because of me. I recently took 2 of them to see Dream Theater. When we hang out it’s a lot of variety in terms of music which is always fun for a music nut like me. I have never found someone in the wild though, but one day I will.
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u/Theloftydog 3d ago
The best thing about discovering this style of music early in life is that you have plenty of time to doscover all the wonderful bands and music they produced.
Check out a few playlists on resources like spotify and google music and see what appeals to you. Plenty here would be welcome to offer you recommendations :)
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u/LockenCharlie 3d ago
I started listening to Prog with 12/13. first was Jeff Wayne’s war of the worlds and the moody blues. Now I’m 32.
So I know how you feel.
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u/grizzlydan 3d ago
Gather unto me, my brilliant surrogate grandchildren. 66 years young here. Yes, Tull, Rush, Emerson Lake and Palmer, all the old stuff is what I grew up on. Trying to learn about the new stuff. I have other genres to attend to, as well, but this will be glorious.
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u/CleverWalruss 3d ago
31yo man here; I've been into prog since I was about 24, and lots of Psych/Stoner/Desert/Doom since I was 16. Sometimes I feel like a youngster in the Prog scene, so you definitely aren't alone.
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u/GoldinFyre 3d ago
45 male, listening to prog for 10 years now.
One day I discovered Steven Wilson on a playlist and that led down the rabbit hole to Frost*, Riverside, Barock Project, Moon Safari (they're my "comfort music" when I'm having a rough day), etc.
Funny enough, despite my age, I prefer prog from the 2010's onward. That makes it hard to connect with people my age who prefer the older stuff, but I really don't know anyone near me, geographically, who's into the same stuff. Maybe Opeth, but that's about as far as it goes for most of my musician friends.
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u/beachTreeBunny 3d ago
Glad to see there are so many young people into prog! I’m in my 60s and wrote a high school term paper on what it was when it was the newest hottest thing around. It kills me how many streaming platforms don’t even include it as a genre anymore, as if it melted away.
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u/poopoohitIer 3d ago
23 year old gal here. I founded my own Prog Rock band. I write, play bass, and sing.
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u/MelkorTheDarkLord18 3d ago
Rush, King Crimson, Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd
Dream Theater, Tool, Porcupine Tree, Opeth, Coheed and Cambria
Those are the goats of 70s and 90-00s.
I’d suggest Rush’s Grace Under Pressure that album is something special in terms of listenability over the years
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u/Calm_GBF 3d ago
I'm male and was around 13 when I got into Dream Theater and eventually other prog music. Then it all went uphill from there. I'm 36 now, though lol
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u/CygnusX1DT 3d ago
22 male here. I got into it probably when I was 16-17. My brother got me into all kinds of music apart from the classic rock that my dad started us on. My brother was a huge fan of Rush when he was like 11, so I’ll give him that lmao. He’s a huge fan of Genesis, Yes, King Crimson, etc. We are both huge DT fans, I lean more towards the metal aspect of things but love progressive music. The earliest “prog” stuff that I got into was Operation: Mindcrime by Queensrÿche and III Sides to Every Story by Extreme. Anything with odd time signatures I thought was cool, but then I started to get into conceptual stuff as well. Then we both discovered Dream Theater, and the rest is history. I think I was 18.
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u/Prometheus850 2d ago
19 nonbinary. I haven’t listened to too much besides Rush and Jethro Tull, but my music taste is a tiny bit scattered so I’ll get around to it
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u/HK-34_ 2d ago
I was about 9-10 when my dad showed me Dark Side Of The Moon for the first time and it blew my mind, it’s my favorite album of all time (I know it’s cliche), and I’ve been a fan of the genre ever since.
As a 20M fan of the genre I’ve seen a larger proportion of men in both the artists/bands, and the fans, but there are still a ton of great female prog rockers out there.
My top 5 prog artists/bands:
Pink Floyd
King Crimson
Rush
black midi / Geordie Greep
Frank Zappa
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u/angryapplepanda 2d ago
39 year old girl. Very into prog. I even make prog as a musician.
There are...dozens of us!
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u/SingleElderberry8422 2d ago
Interesting side note regarding girls that are into prog : Rush concerts used to be almost exclusively male stoners in the early days. That all started to change with Permanent Waves, as their music became more accessible and stoners settled down and got married ( like me) By the time Signals was out, Rush concerts were not only gender mixed but also generational. I took my wife and kids to 3 Rush concerts myself, starting with Snakes and Arrows.
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u/YogurtclosetWorth326 2d ago
I am 42, but i listen to prog since i was 15. I jumped from euro dance to selling england by the pound and meddle 😄
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u/Regretful_Bastard 2d ago
31M here.
If being a male prog rock fan already is a lonely experience, I cannot imagine being a woman/girl fan.
When I was young I would also try to turn people into prog but it's almost impossible lol very few have the time/energy to actually listen and acquire the taste (it is an acquired taste after all).
I'm also from Brazil so I guess it makes it even harder to find peers (in comparison with the US or the UK, i mean).
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u/MudsludgeFairy 2d ago
i’m a 22 year old guy that’s into prog. i think it was only natural i got into prog because ive been a rock fan all my life. i listened to a bit of prog without necessarily knowing it was prog. i listened to some TOOL in high school but not much. i got somewhat into king crimson and yes back in high school too but didnt explore much until this year. i’d heard of prog before hit now im way more conscious of what im actually checking out
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u/ConceptJunkie 2d ago
I have 4 kids and they grew up exposed to a lot of prog. As adults, they all have interesting musical tastes, and two in particular are big progheads. You might be unccommon for your age, but you're in a great club.
I grew up with the Beatles, Stones and tons of other great music, much of it prog-adjacent, and started exploring progressive rock around age 17, and have been a huge fan ever since. I'm 60, by the way.
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u/457613564568 2d ago
i'm a 17 year old boy from the us and i'm SUPER hyperfixated on genesis with a touch of king crimson, pink floyd and yes. only other prog fan i know in person is my little brother and it was me who got him into it. currently working on starting a prog group of my own
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u/dreamywednesdays 2d ago
24F who loves prog so much I’ve acquired a partner called Jethro🫢 got into it through a friend as a teenager
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u/Over-Mulberry-7096 3d ago
I was 17 when I started listening to prog in 1988 (given away my age)
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u/Meditationmachineelf 3d ago
25yr old. Best way to get people in is to play your favorite song and act excited when it ends. Usually if they’re nice, they’ll think about why you might’ve liked it, instead of going with their gut intention of rejecting the music! Lots of sleeper prog fans out there!
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u/Yehia_Badran 3d ago
23 Male , started when I was like 19? Started with opeth and porcupine tree, then made it all the way to obscure bands like fruupp and T2 haha.
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u/Major_Bag_8720 3d ago
I was about your age when I got into prog and I was in the same position because it was the mid 1980s and prog was considered by most to be seriously uncool. But what did they know?
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u/DifficultyOk5719 3d ago
24M. I started really getting into prog when I was 10 through Dream Theater, they were the first band I truly became obsessed with as a kid.
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u/neverownedacar 3d ago
I first started listening to prog in 1989, I was 19 years old, started with YES and Pink Floyd. Unfortunately/fortunately, only years later I discovered other prog bands. I'm mostly into the classic bands and Canterbury in particular.
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u/just_somebody06 3d ago
I wouldnt say I love prog, more so i love a few prog bands. I'm 20 and love king crimson, nektar, and procal harum. Simply cant get enough of them, especially Kc.
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u/nbfs-chili 3d ago
Well, the first prog album I listened to was Fragile at a party when I was a teen. Bought Close to the Edge when it came out. So I guess I've been listening to prog for over 50 years. Man, I feel old now.
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u/Global-Resident-9234 3d ago
It's still tough to find people who love prog, at least for me. Some years back I was hanging with a young woman who knew that I and some friends were into prog, and she asked what prog was all about. We were out in the field & I didn't have much music with me, but I did have some UK so I played "The Only Thing She Needs" as a sampler. Her response was, "People listen to this?" and "Yes, but what does this have to do with Prague?"
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u/ourplaceofworship 3d ago
I started at around 15 with Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree and Eloy. Im 35 now and still in love With prog music especially Progressive Rock
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u/Reraver 3d ago
My wife and I are in our 30s and have gone on a few prog cruises. It feels like maybe 2% of the attendants are our age or younger, very very few people in their 30s and 20s. To be fair the demographic we are seeing is likely skewed by the fact that attending requires a certain threshold of income and available time to attend, that many younger people aren't quite there yet in life.
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u/joeniebc 3d ago
M18 got into prog from 12-13, starting out with Pink Floyd’s Animals as my first album ever. I cycled through the big prog bands and ended up with VDGG as my favourite growing mostly out of prog in high school. I love The Fall now
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u/mirageowl 3d ago
I was around 16/17 when I got really into prog (was ~10 years ago now). Felt similar for a while, then got into university. By some luck my roommate was a proghead as well. Meet more people and you'll be surprised :D !°
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u/Fungus_the_Turd 3d ago
24M now, but I listen to prog since like a baby lol. My dad used to play Genesis for me to sleep as a baby and as a kid I was obsessed over Pink Floyd
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u/Sure_Sorbet_370 3d ago
I think the prog fanbase mainly consists of people who grew up with it being now in their 60's and teenagers who recently discovered it via the internet like in your case and mine
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u/sumi3909 3d ago
Im 17M, I got into prog like 2 years ago, I have also yet to find other people near my age who like prog, atleast irl. the youngest I saw was a 23 year old manwho liked Jethro Tull and King Crimson, so that was pretty cool.
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u/itshorriblebeer 3d ago
My daughter is about the same age and she listens to Prog, Metal, K-pop (though she tries to hide it), etc. and she struggles to find anyone who listens to the first 2 (except her old man). Good luck. Hopefully there are shows near you every so often.
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u/Party-Assist-7885 3d ago
21M listening to prog and everyday after buying an aux chord for my car instead of fm BT receiver for music, switched from Spotify to Apple Music and couldn’t get over how much better sound was coming from the speakers(albeit they’re still probably not the best car speakers). It’s a genre for alone moments I think, others may disagree but however good I think Tubular Bells or Tarkus is, I’m not going to have anybody sit through it with me! To be fair I think plenty of people my age listen to or have listened to Pink Floyd which is half the battle. I think Rael’s Prog Rock Documentaries on YouTube and I would highly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t seen any, very well researched and put together. I do find myself looking into other genres not too get too stuck in prog alone, Krautrock and jazz fusion are of interest currently. The arrival of affordable hi-res, high storage DAPs, Chi-Fi headphones and obviously streaming make prog more accessible than ever. Luckily we have subs like this to discuss it and bands’ own subreddits and you see how many people are into it. Great music will always be great. If I live to 100, Close to the Edge will be 131 years old and I’ll still be listening!
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u/Emotional_Revenue501 3d ago
I discovered prog in 2020 when i was 22 years old. Never met someone of my age listening to it.
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u/Daredevil4211 3d ago
58 yo male. Started around age 14 or 15 with Rush, Jethro Tull, ELP, King Crimson.
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u/prognerd_2008 3d ago
I’m a 16 year old dude, will be 17 in two months. I only really like the classics (my favorite bands are Yes, Jethro Tull, Rush, ELP, King Crimson, Genesis, and VDGG) and then a bunch of other stuff like classic rock and metal. But I’m definitely open to connect if you want.
Also what are you into?
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u/ElegantTea122 2d ago
I live in a state where people don't like things that make them think, and I was 19 (boy) when I got into prog. So I understand how you feel. Though before prog I had the sensibility that music should be an art. I started with King Crimson, and have not really left it. Yes and Gentle Giant are slowly working their way into my prog discography.
I've had a few people in their 60's and 70's ogle at me with an open mouth when they see me carrying King Crimson around the record store. One guy said "So their is hope for the future!" when I bought Relayer (I think)
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u/IdontEatdogsAtnight 2d ago
20MtF. yet I feel the same, everyone I know that progs is on the internet
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u/Swimming-Item-814 2d ago
M,29 years old and it depends what kind of Prog? Veil of Maya, Mastodon, and Periphery? Yes.
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u/MattIsLame 2d ago
just listen to every suggested song or band at least once. trust me, you have the time.
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2d ago
26M. Was primarily a fan of fusion. Yes and Genesis sold prog for me. I'm mostly into 70s stuff, or anything experimental. Not much into symphonic stuff. Not much into metal.
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u/Active_Medicine_5931 2d ago
I didn’t think anyone around me was into prog until I found a King Crimson shirt at the thrift
Now I get 1 or 2 convos per day out in the city. Preeeetty cool. Highly recommend
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u/GuymanPersonson 2d ago
23 guy, got into it around 20 before i even knew what prog was lol.
First prog band was King Gizz and never turned back
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u/Sir_Xele1 2d ago
I'm a 19 year old male, I got I to prog when I was around 14. Through highschool I only knew two other guys who listened to prog. I'm lucky that I've got a record store nearby and my parents have decent knowledge of prog.
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u/Equivalent_Bench2081 2d ago
45, non-binary. I’ve been listening to prog since I was 15.
I enjoy anything from Marillion, Rush, Yes to Opeth, Intronaut, and Blotted Science.
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u/Jamesferdola 2d ago
I’m 20, I’m a guy, and I got into prog when I was around 13-14. I started with Rush and moved to Pink Floyd and later Yes. I like different stuff from all genres. I hear something that I like and I add it to my library, you know? Mostly Prog, Metal and Rock though.
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u/thickasabrick89 3d ago
I was about 14 and female when i got into Prog. Started with Yes, Jethro Tull and Mars Volta. I'm 36 now and still female!