History Main / ProgressiveRock

* TransatlanticEquivalent: While prog was mainly a British and European phenomenon, with Music/{{Rush|Band}} and Music/{{Kansas}} being the most prominent North American exponents of the genre, the rise of the jazz fusion movement in the U.S. coincided with the peak popularity of progressive rock, with Music/MilesDavis, Music/JohnMcLaughlin and Music/HerbieHancock among the leaders of jazz fusion. Jazz fusion was also an attempt to add more complex textures to rock music, in this case jazz, though the Canterbury Scene was very similar. At the same time, RAndB artists like Music/StevieWonder, Music/MarvinGaye and [[Music/GeorgeClinton Parliament-Funkadelic]], seemed to be influenced by the movement, creating {{Concept Album}}s, incorporating more serious lyrics, experimenting with synthesizers and adopting stage theatrics.

* Music/JethroTull -- also BluesRock and Folk Rock
** 1971 - ''[[Music/AqualungJethroTullAlbum Aqualung]]''
** 1972 - ''Music/ThickAsABrick''

* Music/{{Quatermass}}

* Music/{{Genesis|Band}} -- early works; later albums were Art Rock, Progressive Pop and Pop Rock
** 1970 - ''Music/{{Trespass|GenesisAlbum}}''
** 1971 - ''Music/NurseryCryme''
** 1972 - ''Music/{{Foxtrot|Album}}''
*** "Music/SuppersReady" (song from the above album that has its own page; it takes up [[EpicRocking almost half the album length]])
** 1973 - ''Music/SellingEnglandByThePound''
** 1974 - ''Music/TheLambLiesDownOnBroadway''
** 1976 - ''Music/ATrickOfTheTail''
** 1976 - ''Music/WindAndWuthering''

* Music/EmersonLakeAndPalmer
** 1971 - ''Music/PicturesAtAnExhibition''
** 1973 - ''Music/BrainSaladSurgery''

* Music/{{Kansas}}

* Music/{{Renaissance}}

* [[Music/ToppatakkejaJaToledonTerasta YUP]]

* Music/TheMarsVolta

* Music/PorcupineTree -- initially a Psychedelic/Space Rock band, and also a Progressive Metal band on their later releases.

* Music/{{Rush|Band}}
** 1975 - ''Music/FlyByNight''
** 1975 - ''Music/CaressOfSteel''
** 1976 - ''Music/TwentyOneTwelve''
** 1977 - ''Music/AFarewellToKings''
** 1978 - ''Music/{{Hemispheres}}''
** 1980 - ''Music/PermanentWaves''
** 1981 - ''Music/{{Moving Pictures|Album}}''
** 1982 - ''Music/{{Signals}}''
** 1984 - ''Music/GraceUnderPressure''
** 1985 - ''Music/PowerWindows''
** 1987 - ''Music/HoldYourFire''
** 1989 - ''Music/{{Presto|Album}}''
** 1991 - ''Music/RollTheBones''
** 1993 - ''Music/{{Counterparts}}''
** 1996 - ''Music/TestForEcho''
** 2002 - ''Music/VaporTrails''
** 2007 - ''Music/SnakesAndArrows''
** 2012 - ''Music/ClockworkAngels''

* Music/UriahHeep

* Music/KingGizzardAndTheLizardWizard (although this ''really'' depends on the release; they are one of modern music's most notorious practitioners of the NewSoundAlbum, and their large discography is a frequent source of ArchivePanic)

The rise and fall of progressive rock parallels the UsefulNotes/NewHollywood movement in film: ambitious creators using their newfound creative freedom at the start of the '70s to create enduring masterpieces before collapsing under the weight of their own pretensions by the end of the decade. The closest thing the genre has to ''Film/HeavensGate'' is the infamous Music/EmersonLakeAndPalmer album, ''Love Beach'', [[ContractualObligationProject which was only made because the band owed their label another album]].

The introduction of the UsefulNotes/CompactDisc format, with its digital clarity, longer running time, and complete lack of surface noise, spurred a trend in record production toward more lush production from artists like Music/TalkTalk, Music/TearsForFears, and Music/DireStraits, in turn contributing to the mainstream rise of AlternativeRock and eventual interplay between the two genres. The popularity of the back catalogs of major prog artists like Music/{{Yes}}, Music/EmersonLakeAndPalmer, and Music/PinkFloyd on CD, along with the aformentioned neo-prog movement, showed that there was still an appetite for the genre among the music-buying public.

* TroubledProduction: The complex music, temperamental synthesizers and electromechanical keyboards of the era, and complicated stage theatrics prior to digital show control technology made recording and touring a nightmare for many progressive rock bands. Music/{{Genesis|Band}}, for instance, testified that they never had a single show go 100% right when touring for ''Music/TheLambLiesDownOnBroadway'', and the stress of making the album itself nearly broke up the band. These problems often resulted in [[HostilityOnTheSet tensions with other band members]], which is one reason some of them [[RevolvingDoorBand became infamous for lineup changes]]. As with UsefulNotes/NewHollywood, the reputation for prog rock albums and tours suffering from this contributed to a backlash against the genre. The constant stresses that bands faced with production problems is one reason many of them broke up [[TheBandMinusTheFace or lost key members]] by the end of the '70s, and those that stayed together often simplified their music and their stage shows.

* Music/TheByrds

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KCbqhJt16k Aphrodite's Child - The Four Horsemen]] (progressive rock)

* '''Avant-Prog/Rock in Opposition''': Two different genres that are related enough to be grouped together. Avant-prog is a combination of Prog and AvantGardeMusic, while Rock in Opposition is a group of artists only related by their ties to the [[TropeNamer Rock in Opposition festival]] run by Music/HenryCow. The group is so named because the bands were united in opposition of the British music industry that had been ignoring their music despite their popularity in mainland Europe, as well as their left-wing leaning politics. Well-known avant-prog artists include Music/FrankZappa, Music/CaptainBeefheart, Music/ThisHeat, and Music/{{Cardiacs}}, while RIO is known for Music/HenryCow and Music/UniversZero.

* Music/{{Cardiacs}}

* Music/SoftMachine (early albums, Jazz Fusion in The70s)

** 1979 - ''Music/OrchestralFavorites''

** 1984 - ''Music/ThingFish''

* '''Symphonic Prog''': The one you're most likely to think of when you think of Progressive Rock. Characterised by much of the characteristics listed above, albeit with more focus on the ClassicalMusic influence. Also known for EpicRocking, fantasy elements, and long and flashy keyboard solos, particularly the use of the Mellotron. Pioneered in the late 60s by Music/TheMoodyBlues and Music/ProcolHarum. Well-known bands include Music/{{Yes}}, Music/{{Genesis|Band}}, Music/AphroditesChild, Music/{{Camel}}, and Music/EmersonLakeAndPalmer.

Prog was largely a European phenomenon, although Music/{{Kansas}} and Music/{{Rush|Band}} were significant examples from America and Canada, respectively. Most of the major bands were from the United Kingdom, although there were several important acts in the genre that came from Germany (the {{Krautrock}} scene, and particularly Music/{{Can}}, Music/{{Neu}} and Music/AmonDuulII), Greece (Aphrodite's Child, whose keyboardist Music/{{Vangelis}} later had a successful solo career), France (Music/{{Magma}}, the creators of the Zeuhl subgenre, and Music/{{Gong}}), and Italy (The Progressivo Italiano scene, which featured bands like Premiata Forneria Marconi). JazzFusion can be seen as a primarily American counterpart to progressive rock, and many of the big names of that genre like [[Music/JohnMcLaughlin Mahavishnu Orchestra]] and Return to Forever weren't too far off sonically from prog bands of the day.

* Music/AphroditesChild

* Music/CoheedAndCambria

** 1992 - ''Music/CarnivalOfCarnage''
** 1993 - ''Music/BeverlyKills50187''
** 1994 - ''Music/{{Ringmaster}}''
** 1995 - ''Music/RiddleBox''
** 1996 - ''Music/TunnelOfLove''
** 1997 - ''Music/TheGreatMilenko''
** 1999 - ''Music/TheAmazingJeckelBrothers''
** 2000 - ''Music/BizaarBizzar''
** 2002 - ''Music/TheWraithShangriLa''
** 2004 - ''Music/HellsPit''
** 2007 - ''Music/TheTempest''
** 2009 - ''Music/BangPowBoom''
** 2012 - ''Music/TheMightyDeathPop''

** 2019 - ''Music/FearlessFredFury''
** 2021 - ''Music/YumYumBedlam''

* TheFaceless: Prog rock bands had a habit of not showing their faces on their album covers, preferring more fanciful designs. This irked a lot of critics and helped turned them against the genre. This also backfired when members of established progressive rock bands like Music/PinkFloyd's Music/RogerWaters and Music/{{Supertramp}}'s Roger Hodgson attempted to go solo -- nobody knew who they were. Combined with the increasingly personality-driven nature of popular music, this is one reason there are relatively few solo artists working in progressive rock apart from eccentrics like Music/PeterGabriel or Music/KateBush or people who filled an idiosyncratic enough niche like Music/MikeOldfield, and even then they eschew a lot of tropes commonly associated with "traditional" prog.

* Music/TheResidents