I’m trying to create the history of prog

Well, meybe you can start with The Pipper at the Gates of Down  as the first Prog record or someting like Proto- Prog bands or Sgt. Pepper.

Nice project, mister...  Well, to begin, you need a couple of albums that changed the face of rock because of their prog side.  In 67, Sgt Peppers form The Beatles, and The Piper at the gates of dawn, from Pink Floyd.  Those two aren't quite prog, but very psychedelic and innovative.  Then, the monster, in 69, by King Crimson: In the court of the Crimson King.  That is the father of prog, the album that influenced most of the groups that are on this site.  Then, few groups did classic albums into the seventees.  These are some of the most important:

Emerson Lake and Palmer - Their self-titled album and Brain Salad Surgery

Pink Floyd - Dark side of the moon, Wish you Were Here, Animals and The Wall

Jethro Tull - Aqualung and Thick as a Brick

Genesis - Foxtrot, Nursery Crime, Selling England by the Pound, The Lamb lies down on Broadway

King Crimson - Lizard, Lark's toungues in aspic, Islands, Starless and Bible Black

Yes - Fragile, The Yes album, Close to the Edge, Relayer

This is actually what's called the Big 6.  Other groups from the first prog era are very important, too

Gentle Giant, Frank Zappa, Van Der Graaf Generator, Camel, Rush, Kraftwerk, Mahavishnu Orchestra, to mention only them...

At the end of the seventees, groups were going more commercial, leaders were leaving groups and good stuff was getting rare...  Punk was getting big and hated prog, so that dropped the popularity of prog.  That's when the neo-prog era comes in, with one group that saved prog: Marillion.  It was a group strongly influenced by Genesis that was very popular in the eighties. IQ, Soft Machine and a lot of stuff made by old groups members, like Steve Hackett, Peter Gabriel, Roger Waters, etc.  But King Crimson was still living, with Robert Fripp being the only one left from the first albums, and they were still creating good stuff.  ELP, Genesis, Gentle Giant and Yes completly fell into commercial, their last albums are very not as good as the first...  I think the second era of Prog is the less interseting...

Then, the ninetees brouth prog as it is today, with groups that are mostly divided into two: metal and electronica.  For the first types, Dream Theater, Opeth, Symphony X, Mars Volta, Tool were the most important.  Their sound is way more heavier than Rush.For the second, it was Porcupine Tree, Radiohead, Godspeed You Black Emperor...  Those were in the majority more space.  There were other groups who sounded more like the previous era, like Anglagard.

That's it, man, a prog history in 20 minutes.  Of course, there are a lot of people I didn't mention, but for excellent albums, look the top 100 prog albums, you'll enjoy.

^ How can you mention the 90's without Spocks Beard and The Flower Kings.  On top of that the Prog Fests that started up and some continuing until today!!  Very important reason Prog is doing as well today.

 

There is another very important album released in 1968 called Touch by a band called Touch.  members from Yes, King Crimson and Kerry Livgren from Kansas have all stated this album was very influential in their works.

 

 

Arguably the first album of progressive rock was released in 1966:

See reading the bios here at PA really helps

 

This is an excerpt from the brilliant Bio written about Touch by our own Dick Heath:

 

"Praise for TOUCH’s music came from many well known rock artists, e.g. Hendrix (who part bank rolled studio costs of the recording), and Mick Jagger. Glowing endorsements as to the influence of TOUCH have been made subsequently by Jon Anderson and Kerry Livgren – see the liner notes of the Renaissance Records reissue on CD. And the album as an import, was played heavily by the DJs in the London underground clubs – where future British prog stars relaxed in the early hours of the morning, after a hard days night gigging."

 

Here is the link to the whole bio:

http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive_rock_discography_BAN D.asp?band_id=1552

No one can recognize when progressive rock was born. If I start such collection, I would make Sun Ra. Sun Ra is usually put into jazz, however I think Sun Ra produced progressive music in the middle of 1960s. Ii was prior to Frank Zappa/Freak Out !

Also I suggest different way. Progressive rock has been produced all around the world. Do you wish to create the history of each country ? USA, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Brazil have been produced quite large number of progressive rock bands/musicians since 1960s. Also, Sweden, Spain, Argentina etc have interesting history. Though many European and American fans don't notice the movement, Indonesia is very fantastic country. As far as I know Indonesia is a big progressive rock country next to Japan in Asia.

I think that any history of prog should also include
artists from other countries besides England
Other early 70's albums to consider are

Billy Cobham - Spectrum(USA)
Herbie Hancock - Headhunters
Bo Hansson - Lord of the Rings(SWE)
Samla Mammas Manna - Matlid
Focus - 3(HOL)
Clearlight - Symphony(FRA)
Annexus Quam - Osmose(GER)
Can - Tago Mago
PFM - Per Un Amico(ITA)
Banco - Darwin


Edited by DallasBryan

protokaw? who do they sound like???

You know, there was a prog movement after the 70's. It's called Neo-Prog. It's a nice subgenre.