Thursday , March 28 2024

Prog Rock

Prog Rock (short for progressive rock) is a rock music sub-genre which for lack of a better description is best categorized by its "progginess."

Although the genre is most often associated with seventies bands like Yes, Rush, Genesis, and Emerson Lake & Palmer, prog rock's origins actually date back to the sixties, where the burgeoning free-form FM rock stations of the time designated the new format as "progressive rock". In that respect, you can actually count bands like The Doors and Cream among the very first prog rock bands.

By the seventies, the term grew to be more associated with an ultra serious brand of rock, where the music invariably featured very long songs with intricate structures and time changes played on synthesizers as often as guitars. Prog rock musicians also soon became known for dabbling in other genres ranging from jazz to even baroque and classical.

Today, prog rock lives on with modern-day practitioners ranging from Porcupine Tree and Marillion to heavier prog bands like Tool. Prog fans are also among the most devoted you'll find anywhere, blogging about their favorite prog bands at sites like ProgRock.com, Proggnosis and ProgRock.org.

About Glen Boyd

Glen Boyd is the author of Neil Young FAQ, released in May 2012 by Backbeat Books/Hal Leonard Publishing. He is a former BC Music Editor and current contributor, whose work has also appeared in SPIN, Ultimate Classic Rock, The Rocket, The Source and other publications. You can read more of Glen's work at the official Neil Young FAQ site. Follow Glen on Twitter and on Facebook.

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