Progressive rock is known for MANY things - obtuse lyrical concepts, really long songs, and of course, odd time signatures. They weren't first heard in 70's prog, but that era definitely made odd times more famous (well, more so than Dave Brubeck's "Take Five" and other odd-time jazz pieces had already done). In the world of rock music, odd times are mostly used by progressive rock bands, and many of us here are fans of them, so the poll here is simple - what is your favorite of these three time signatures? Songs in 5, songs in 7, or the rarer ones in 9?
Back when I first discovered prog with Rush and Dream Theater, I'd say that 7 was EASILY my favorite, as a lot of Rush and DT songs use 7 in many places, but as time has gone by over the last 13 or so years since then, I've grown fond of songs using 5/4 and 5/8, but i'm not sure which of the two I would call my favorite. They both have their own merits and can be used in a multitude of ways for different feels.
Then there's the odd one out - 9/4 or 9/8 - which typically doesn't get used for whole songs as much as 5 or 7 do, but it can be used to great effect in epics or other longer pieces, such as the famous example of Genesis' "Supper's Ready" and the aptly titled "Apocalypse In 9/8". The Flower Kings have used 9 on many occasions, most notably in "Stardust We Are", and one more recent example I really enjoy is "Everything" by Anathema, from We're Here Because We're Here, which employs a fast 9/8 piano part (or perhaps its 9/16).
And yes, I know I'm not including any time signatures ABOVE 9, simply because anything in 11 or 13 or 15 or above are simply just combinations of smaller time signatures, like Genesis "Robbery, Assault and Battery", where the middle section is often noted as being "in 13" but is really just a combination of 7/8+6/8, then 9/8+4/8. I know 9 can technically be conceived in this way but I felt like including it in addition to 5 and 7 because it can be used in a few unique ways apart from just sounding like two groups of different bar times mashed together.
Anyways, this post is probably WAY too long already...just pick one, list some examples and say why you like what you picked.
-Marc.