I was introduced to Yes in high school, in the late 90's. After listening to Fragile and realizing it was the same band that did Owner of a Lonely Heart, I too was saddened by the 80's.

Entirely understandable disappointment, after some of the greatest prog rock albums of all time in the 70s a pivot to commercial pop in the 80s is completely out of left field. Granted part of the reason for that was Bill Bruford leaving to join King Crimson, so maybe it ended up a net positive for prog rock as a whole.