They say that the invention of the microphone changed music forever, and a new style of singing evolved that wasn't possible before. Guys like Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, the crooners, etc couldn't have done what they did before the microphone. Before that, tunes had to be belted out. Sing softly and no one would hear you - that is, until the microphone changed all that.
Likewise, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, etc and technology revolutionized music again after 1970. By 1975, the change was complete. The heavy, distorted guitar sound was here to stay. Early, classic prog was not dependent on that sound. Use of distortion was sporadic before Hendrix. So classic prog was going to have to reinvent itself, which it eventually did, to incorporated that sound or listeners would disappear. Classic prog faded. Any acoustic popular music was threatened. Also Motown, crooners, anything too 60's sounding, other styles. Jazz went through changes that were gut renting to the old guard. - After 1975, nothing was as it was in the music industry. Technology had struck again.
Thankfully though - the democratization of the recording and distribution process today has kept all music styles alive to some extent. Classic prog lives on.....
Edited by aldri7 - November 30 2013 at 16:32