 The Nice were one of the pioneering progressive rock bands and their fusion of styles strongly influenced the movement into the 1970s . Their commercial success on Charisma Records was key to establishing the label , which went on to include several other progressive acts , including Genesis and Van der Graaf Generator . Genesis were fans of the Nice and " The Knife " from their album Trespass was directly inspired by the band . Though the Nice were not the first to combine a rock band and orchestra , they did inspire similar attempts by other groups , such as Pink Floyd 's Atom Heart Mother . 
