This is a slideshow containing information on different Progressive rock bands.

1. The Bands of Progressive
Rock
A roughly chronological guide by
Lucas Crawford.

2. Although not usually associated with the genre,
The Beatles are often credited with helping start
progressive rock, especially with their album,
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The
album shows an album-wide theme, musical
experimentation, and influences from classical
music, all characteristics of progressive rock.

3. PINK FLOYD

4. Genesis, especially the Peter Gabriel years,
is often called one of the most influential
and extravagant progressive rock bands.
With their wide instrumentation and
theatrical concert performances, they
became one of the first really popular
progressive rock bands.

5. POWERPOINTS:
INNOCENT
PRESENTATIONS OR
RUTHLESS KILLERS?
PG. 5
The
St. Cleve
Chronicle
JETHRO TULL
AN ECLECTIC FLAUTIST AND OTHER BLUES
MUSICIANS START A BAND IN 1967, RISE TO
STORY BEHIND “THICK AS A
PROGRESSIVE ROCK STARDOM
BRICK” DECLARED
FICTICIOUS
Released in 1972, Jethro Tull’s
album, Thick as a Brick, was
actually a poem by a young
Gerald “Little Milton” Bostock,
according to the newspaper
sleeve, but recent evidence has
shown that these claims might be
false. LIES, pg. 4
The band, Jethro Tull
(not to be confused
with the Scottish
inventor of the same
name), started out as
a blues band, but
upon the release of
their second album,
they
rapidly
approached the genre
of progressive rock.
Heavily influenced
by jazz, blues, and
folk, the sound of
Jethro Tull is like no
other band. In 1971,
they released their
best known album,
Aqualung,
which
expanded their fan
base, allowing them
to experiment more
with music. The
result
of
this
experimentation was
the massive Thick as
a Brick. With one 20minitue song on each
side, they had plenty
of room to expand
musical ideas,
Ian Anderson, flautist-singer-occaisonal guitar player of Jethrto
Tull
which they did amazingly,
producing
one
of
progressive rock’s best
albums

6. An often underrated group,
Kraftwerk started as the krautrock band,
Organisation in 1967. Kraftwerk was a band who
was far ahead of their time. If you listen to some of their
70’s albums, especially Die Mench Maschine (The Man Machine)
you could easily think that it is techno from the early 2000’s. Their
first big success was the album Autobahn. The great title track didn’t get
much radioplay; it was 20 minutes long. That album was their first to feature
heavy use of synthesizers, especially the Moog MiniMoog, and ever since, their
albums had featured 100% synthesizers, some of them even home made.
Kraftwerk didn’t sound like other progressive rock bands, and some may argue that
they aren’t really progressive rock, but the influence that they have had on electronic
music (and hence, progressive rock) will always be considered an immense force.

7. A band that is sadly known for
one song, Procol Harum had
massive success with their song,
“A Whiter Shade of Pale”, but they
are so much more. This Gary
Brooker and Robin Trower band
has output amazing, hard-rocking
progressive rock songs, some of
their best being on the albums,
Salty Dog and Broken Barricades.
The song Conquistador, although
not very popular when it was
released on their first album, was
a big hit in the US when it was
released on Live in Concert with
the Edmonton Symphony
Orchestra.

8. Caravan, and other bands from the ‘Canterbury Scene’, although not
technically “progressive rock”, have a lot of importance in making
progressive rock what it was. Founded in 1968, Caravan mixed pop-ish
music with some sort of weird psychedelic-folk music, but the results sound
a lot better than that statement. One of their most famous album is In the
Land of Grey and Pink (I won’t name any other albums, their names get
comically suggestive). Side B has a great 20 minute song, “Nine Feet
Underground”, that features a Hammond organ through a guitar amp as
the main instrument.

9. King Crimson
(Now It Gets Real)
Although they weren’t really a huge hit, King Crimson will always be considered
one of the best progressive rock bands. Founded by guitar player Robert Fripp in
1968 as a mix between jazz-fusion and early progressive rock, they have always
been very different. Their first album, In the Court of the Crimson King, had pretty
good success, with the help of the songs “21st Century Schizoid Man” and “In the
Court of the Crimson King”. Between 1968 and 1974, there were three different
lineups, the last of which they had some of their greatest success. With John
Wetton on bass and vocals (from Family, later joined Asia), Bill Bruford on drums
(from Yes), David Cross on violin, and Robert Fripp on guitar, they had a much
harder sound and released three albums in this time. First, Larks’ Tongues in Aspic,
a huge success, then Starless and Bible Black, with most songs actually recorded
live, although you can’t tell, and then Red, their most selling album in the US. After
a hiatus from 1975-1980, they released a very different album, but I talked about
that’s another story…

10. Yes is often considered the epitome of
progressive rock. The melodic bass
lines and frequent synth solos made
them the unofficial definition of
progressive rock. The song
“Roundabout” helped popularize the
band, and the massive album Tales
from Topographic Oceans, with four
side-long songs, really defined their
sound and the sound of progressive
rock in the late 70’s.

11. RUSH RUSH RUSH RUSH RUSH | RUSH RUSH
RUSH
®
RUSH RUSH RUSH ®RUSH
rUsh rush Rush µ® RUSH RŒSH
Formed in 1968, the Canadian rock band Rush originally
consisted of Geddy Lee on bass and vocals, Alex Lifeson on
guitar, and John Rutsey on drums. After the first album, Rutsey
was replaced by Neil Peart, and the lineup has stayed constant
since. After releasing a few hard rock albums, they started to
enter progressive rock with Caress of Steel, but it was a
commercial failure. The next year, they released 2112, which
was a huge success. They have since released numerous
albums and they are third in number of platinum and gold
albums, after The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. They recently
released their first concept album, and went on a world tour
that sold out every venue. They have left their mark on
progressive rock, and they will always be considered one of the
most important bands of the genre.
(and yes, I have the Rush font pack)

12. Electric Light Orchestra
ELO, although more pop-oriented than other progressive
rock bands, definitely belong in the genre. Lead singer
Jeff Lyne’s first band, The Move, was a psychidellic rock
band, and as time went on, their sound changed to be
more rock-oriented, but with an orchestral side. The most
‘progressive rock’ ELO got was with Face the Music, and
Out of the Blue.

13. Emerson
Lake &
Palmer
In 1970, three musicians, Kieth Emerson, keyboardist from The Nice,
Greg Lake, bassist from King Crimson, and Carl Palmer, drummer
from Atomic Rooster, formed one of progressive rocks most defining
bands. When asked what is progressive rock, many people will
answer Yes and ELP. The reason for their popularity in the genre is
caused greatly by Emerson’s keyboard playing. He used the piano,
electronic organ and the Moog synthesizer in ways that would be at
home in rock music and in classical compositions. This, along with
the powerful bass and drums, and the lyrical themes, made ELP one
of the best known bands of their era. Their greatest success was with
Brain Salad Surgery and the song, “Karn Evil 9: 1st Impression, Part
Two”. After this, they released a few more albums, but then declined,
and broke up in 1978. Some say that their sound was too overblown,
too prog-y, and that they were the reason for the downfall of
progressive rock, and although they did meet their demise at the end
of the progressive rock heyday, the genre still lives on with the help
of more recent bands.

14. The Alan parsons
project

15. Theme Guide
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles
The Wall, Pink Floyd
Foxtrot, Genesis
Thick as a Brick, Jethro Tull
Man Machine, Kraftwerk
Procol Harum, Procol Harum
In the Land of Grey and Pink, Caravan
Red, King Crimson
Yes, Yes
Just a bunch of Rush stuff.
Electric Light Orchestra II, Electric Light Orchestra
Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Emerson, Lake & Palmer
I Robot, Alan Parsons Project