Rush certainly takes the cake for me, and I realize I'm quoting myself, but I'm surprised Jethro Tull doesn't get mentioned more on this forum.

I think their output of Aqualung, Thick as a Brick, A Passion Play, Warchild, Minstrel in the Gallery, Too Old to Rock and Roll to Young to Die, Songs from the Wood, Heavy Horses, and Stormwatch are all completely phenomenal and progressive, and to think that all those album were put out in the course of just 8-years (1971-1979) is amazing.

This whole video is worth watching, but I love the section that starts at 7:55

Epic dancing. I always thought that something so long would be boring, although that clearly wasn't one of that videos vices! I think the keyboard player looked altogether too jolly for prog.

Progressive rock is the genre that made me fall in love with music before I knew any better, and my interest in it was what originally spurred me to join MusicBanter a couple years ago.

But anyway, as time's gone on, I've found that I've become more interested in groups that incorporate more "progressive" nuances or influences from the golden 70's rather than bands who try to recreate the era directly (which sums up most neo-prog. bands post Marillion I'd warrant).

Take, for example, a modern group like Brother Ape - they're a power trio like Rush, but their singer's got that whole Swedish power-pop thing going on and their instrumental backdrops tend to be rather jazzy and complex without losing out on melodicism. Hell, there's even drum n' bass touches where you'd least expect them. Basically, they're a fascinating, contemporary sort of crossbreed that really need more exposure...and on top of that, they remain "progressive" without being particularly reminiscent of the period that influenced them.

You'll find a rather large progressive rock influence in a lot of jazz-fusion too, in particular with some of the more technical heavyweights like The Pat Metheny Group or any post 85' solo album by Allan Holdsworth.

The pop world has had it's fair share of proggy crossover too, with my biggest nods going to Tears For Fears, Toto, Mr. Mister and It Bites for the 80's and bands/acts like Seal, Radiohead, Mansun, etc. once you get into the 90's.

And as for the 2000's...*points at signature*.

I'll always love 70's prog. and be in awe of what groups like Yes, Gentle Giant and Van Der Graaf Generator accomplished during the decade, but their output has had quite a ripple effect even going into the present day that I think people aren't necessarily aware of.

King Crimson, by a very large margin, cept for Lizard and Islands, which aren't exactly "awful", just unfocussed and all over the place

i spell my name PatriKc in homage to them

following them would be Tool, a pretty "pretentious" band - how else would you qualify writing time signatures in the Fibonacci sequence or whatever it was they did?

Iron Maiden and NoMeansNo, since they will always be my favorite.

Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull as well.