Progressive Rock Era
tagStarted 1969Peak 1971-1977Last big hit 1979
Located in 1 route
Ambitious, conceptual album rock: extended multi-movement suites, odd time signatures, classical and jazz borrowings, Mellotron and Moog textures and virtuosic instrumental interplay. Side-long compositions, fantastical lyrics and elaborate gatefold concepts — rock reaching for symphonic scale and high-art legitimacy over the three-minute single.
History
Emerging in late-60s Britain from psychedelia's experimental wing, prog peaked in the early-to-mid 1970s as King Crimson, Yes, Genesis and Pink Floyd filled arenas with concept albums and elaborate stage shows. Its grandeur drew a direct punk backlash by 1977, though Floyd's mass success extended its commercial life.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_rock
- https://www.britannica.com/art/progressive-rock
- https://www.allmusic.com/style/prog-rock-ma0000002797