Progressive Rock History

Progressive rock is a very general and intertwined genre of music which got its start in the late 60s, and continues to this day. Progressive rock is often lumped together with other similar genres like art rock, symphonic rock, and progressive heavy metal. The artists try to take the roots of rock and apply them to a Progressive rock musicmore classically influenced structure. The music is often very elaborate and generally requires very exceptional musicians with a great deal of talent. It is not unusual for prog rock pieces to be very lengthy in some cases they are over an hour in length. Echoes by Pink Floyd is an early example of this phenomenon and the tradition continues to this day in other pieces like Garden of Dreams by the Flower Kings to name just one.

It is also not unusual for the songs to be subdivided in to sub-pieces, a normal device in classical composing. The lyrics are complex and carefully constructed, coving an almost limitless subject matter including but not limited to social and political commentary. Another staple of the genre is albums incorporating a theme or set of themes like Tales from Topographic Oceans by Yes, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway by Genesis, and Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd or more recentlyProgressive rock music, King Crimson, Yes, Pink Floyd, Genesis, Dream Theater, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Marillion, Spock's Beard, Flower Kings, Symphony X Snow by Spock's Beard. Some of the unusual devices used in this style of music are unusual vocal phrasing, use of classical or electronic instruments, layered vocal harmonies, unusual or multiple time signatures, liberal use of techniques from other genres, unusual scales and tunings, incredibly complex instrumental moments or solos, and multiple tempos. Rush released their pivotal Fly By Night album the band changed its approach to create music some argue is the cornerstone for the movement. They continued to push the envelope of music on albums like Hemispheres and A Farewell to Kings defining and redefining the genre as they went. Bands like King Crimson, Yes, Pink Floyd, Genesis, Dream Theater, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Marillion, Spock's Beard, Flower Kings, and Symphony X are also all classic examples of progressive rock.

First appearing in the 60s it gained its greatest critical acclaim when it surpassed the popularity of traditional rock in the mid 70's. With the advent of punk rock in the late 70s, the genre began to wane in popularity but it still has a very dedicated and Progressive rock bandsloyal following up to present day. In the early 80s a new generation of bands sometimes called neo-progressive, for example Marillion and others, began to regain some of the popularity enjoyed by their predecessors. Also some of the original prog rock bands began to garner more mainstream success simplifying their music to reach a wider audience. Genesis and Yes both had big hits which retained the elements of progressive rock while remaining accessible enough to become a part of the pop movement. In the 90s progressive metal began to show up and the genre changed returning to the less commercial roots of the movement incorporating long and un-commercial songs which made no excuses for their progressive roots. Groups like Radiohead, Godspeed You Black Emperor and Sigur Ros are new bands which have roots in progressive rock and fused with elements of punk rock creating a very interesting mixture.