Progressive Rock
Emerged from late 1960s UK art rock scene
Rock with ambition. Concept albums, odd time, no rules.
Progressive rock asked: what if rock musicians had classical ambitions? The result was sprawling concept albums, irregular time signatures, virtuosic performances, and the conviction that a song could be twenty minutes long if it needed to be.
From King Crimson's dissonant fury to Yes's symphonic grandeur to Pink Floyd's cinematic soundscapes, prog pushed rock's boundaries further than anyone thought possible, and drew punk's ire precisely because of it.
Defining Characteristics
—Complex compositions
—Unusual time signatures
—Concept albums
—Virtuoso musicianship
—Symphonic elements
—Extended song structures
Essential Artists
Essential Albums
1973
The Dark Side of the Moon—Pink Floyd
1969
In the Court of the Crimson King—King Crimson
1972
Close to the Edge—Yes
1981
Moving Pictures—Rush
2001
Lateralus—Tool