Progressive / Art Rock
familyStarted 1967Peak 1971-1977Last big hit still active
Rock that treats the album as a canvas: extended suites, odd meters, classical and jazz harmony, banks of keyboards and concept narratives. Mellotrons swell, time signatures shift mid-phrase, and side-long pieces unfold in movements. Virtuoso musicianship and ambition over hooks; immersive, cerebral, theatrical headphone music.
History
Born in late-1960s Britain as bands pushed psychedelia toward symphonic scale and conservatory technique. The Beatles' studio experiments and King Crimson's 1969 debut set the template; the early 1970s saw Yes, Genesis and ELP fill arenas. Punk soured critics, but the ethos survived through metal, math rock and Krautrock-rooted experimentalists.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_rock
- https://www.progarchives.com/
- https://www.allmusic.com/style/prog-rock-art-rock-ma0000002798