Timeline of progressive rock (1960–1969)

This is a timeline of artists, albums, and events in progressive rock and its subgenres. This article contains the timeline for the period 1960–1969.

1962–1967: Background and roots

The roots of progressive rock developed from pop groups in the 1960s, like the Beatles and the Yardbirds, who "progressed" rock and roll by exploiting new recording techniques,[1] and by merging electric blues with various other music styles such as Indian ragas, oriental melodies and Gregorian chants.[2] Hegarty and Halliwell identify the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Doors, the Pretty Things, the Zombies, the Byrds, the Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd as "not merely as precursors of prog" but "essential developments of progressiveness in its early days".[3] According to musicologist Walter Everett, the Beatles' "experimental timbres, rhythms, tonal structures, and poetic texts" on their albums Rubber Soul (1965) and Revolver (1966) "encouraged a legion of young bands that were to create progressive rock in the early 1970s".[4] Dylan's poetry, the Mothers of Invention's album Freak Out! (1966) and the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) were all important in progressive rock's development.[5] The productions of Phil Spector were key influences,[6] as they introduced the possibility of using the recording studio to create music that otherwise could never be achieved.[7] The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds (1966), which Brian Wilson intended as an answer to Rubber Soul[8] influenced the Beatles when they made Sgt. Pepper.[9][10]

Folk rock groups such as the Byrds, based their initial sound on that of the Beatles.[11] In turn, the Byrds' vocal harmonies inspired those of Yes,[12] and British folk rock bands like Fairport Convention, who emphasised instrumental virtuosity.[13] Some of these artists, such as the Incredible String Band and Shirley and Dolly Collins, would prove influential on progressive rock through their use of instruments borrowed from world music and early music.[14]

Recordings influential on later progressive rock bands

Release Date Artist Recording Country
16 May 1966 The Beach Boys Pet Sounds[15][16] US
27 June 1966 The Mothers of Invention Freak Out![5] US
5 August 1966 The Beatles Revolver England
10 October 1966 The Beach Boys "Good Vibrations" US
November 1966 Love Da Capo US
January 1967 The Left Banke Walk Away Renée/Pretty Ballerina US
1 February 1967 Jefferson Airplane Surrealistic Pillow US
March 1967 The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground & Nico US
26 May 1967 The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band[5] England
26 May 1967 The Mothers of Invention Absolutely Free US
July 1967 The Incredible String Band The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion Scotland
24 July 1967 The Beach Boys "Heroes and Villains" US
August 1967 Vanilla Fudge Vanilla Fudge US
4 August 1967[17] Pink Floyd The Piper at the Gates of Dawn England
September 1967 Procol Harum Procol Harum England
October 1967 Nirvana The Story of Simon Simopath England
November 1967 Love Forever Changes US
10 November 1967 The Moody Blues Days of Future Passed[18] England
27 November 1967 Jefferson Airplane After Bathing at Baxter's US
8 December 1967 Traffic Mr. Fantasy England

Date of formation of bands who are later identified as progressive

Disbandments

Events

1968

Newly formed bands

Albums

Release date Artist Album Country
22 January 1968 Spirit Spirit US
February 1968 Vanilla Fudge The Beat Goes On US
21 February 1968 Blood, Sweat & Tears Child Is Father to the Man US
1 March 1968[19] The Nice The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack [18] England
4 March 1968 The Mothers of Invention We're Only in It for the Money US
6 March 1968 The United States of America The United States of America US
March 1968 The Incredible String Band The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter Scotland
March 1968 The Move Move England
13 May 1968 Frank Zappa Lumpy Gravy – An original rare release appeared in late 1967 on Capitol, but was pulled quickly because of threatened legal action by MGM. This MGM/Verve release was the first popularly available version. [1] US
June 1968 The Crazy World of Arthur Brown The Crazy World of Arthur Brown England
28 June 1968[20] Pink Floyd A Saucerful of Secrets England
June 1968 Fairport Convention Fairport Convention England
June 1968 Vanilla Fudge Renaissance US
5 July 1968 Tyrannosaurus Rex My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair... But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows England
17 July 1968 Deep Purple Shades of Deep Purple UK
19 July 1968 Family Music in a Doll's House England
26 July 1968 The Moody Blues In Search of the Lost Chord England
August 1968 The Jeff Beck Group Truth US
13 September 1968 Giles, Giles and Fripp The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles and Fripp England
September 1968 Procol Harum Shine on Brightly England
September 1968 Jefferson Airplane Crown of Creation US
October 1968 Aphrodite's Child End of the World Greece
October 1968 Caravan Caravan England
October 1968 Traffic Traffic England
October 1968 Deep Purple The Book of Taliesyn UK
14 October 1968 Tyrannosaurus Rex Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages England
25 October 1968 Jethro Tull This Was England
1 November 1968 George Harrison Wonderwall Music England
November 1968 The Nice Ars Longa Vita Brevis England
November 1968 The Left Banke The Left Banke Too US
November 1968 The Incredible String Band Wee Tam and the Big Huge Scotland
11 December 1968 Blood, Sweat & Tears Blood, Sweat & Tears US
December 1968 The Pretty Things S.F. Sorrow England
December 1968 Soft Machine The Soft Machine – the original album was only available in the US, an import in the UK; later re-issued as Volume One. England
December 1968 Spirit The Family Plays Together US
1968 International Harvester – originally called Pärson Sound (recordings from Pärson Sound weren't released until 2001) Sov gott Rose-Marie Sweden
1968 Touch Touch US

Disbandments

Events

1969

Newly formed bands

Albums

Release Date Artist Album Country
January 1969 Sam Gopal Escalator England
February 1969 Jefferson Airplane Bless Its Pointed Little Head US
February 1969 Vanilla Fudge Near the Beginning US
5 March 1969 The Byrds Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde US
7 March 1969 Genesis From Genesis to Revelation England
March 1969 Colosseum Those Who Are About to Die Salute You England
March 1969 Family Family Entertainment England
21 April 1969 The Mothers of Invention Uncle Meat US
25 April 1969 The Moody Blues On the Threshold of a Dream England
28 April 1969 Chicago Chicago Transit Authority US
9 May 1969 George Harrison Electronic Sound England
16 May 1969 Tyrannosaurus Rex Unicorn England
19 May 1969[21] The Who Tommy England
May 1969 Traffic Last Exit England
13 June 1969 Pink Floyd More England
16 June 1969 Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band Trout Mask Replica US
June 1969 Deep Purple Deep Purple UK
June 1969 It's a Beautiful Day It's a Beautiful Day US
June 1969 Procol Harum A Salty Dog England
25 July 1969 Yes Yes England
30 July 1969 Miles Davis In a Silent Way US
1 August 1969 Jethro Tull Stand Up England
August 1969 Organisation Tone Float Germany
August 1969 Santana Santana US
26 September 1969 The Beatles Abbey Road England
September 1969 The Nice The Nice England
September 1969 Soft Machine Volume Two[18] England
September 1969 Van der Graaf Generator The Aerosol Grey Machine England, however album was originally released only in the US
September 1969 Vanilla Fudge Rock & Roll US
10 October 1969 King Crimson In the Court of the Crimson King [18] England
10 October 1969 Frank Zappa Hot Rats US
October 1969 Spirit Clear US
7 November 1969[22] Pink Floyd Ummagumma England
7 November 1969 Manfred Mann Chapter Three Manfred Mann Chapter Three UK
21 November 1969 The Moody Blues To Our Children's Children's Children England
November 1969 Quintessence In Blissful Company UK
November 1969 Kevin Ayers Joy of a Toy UK
November 1969 The Incredible String Band Changing Horses Scotland
November 1969[23] Renaissance Renaissance England
December 1969 Fairport Convention Liege & Lief [18] England
1969 Amon Düül Psychedelic Underground Germany
1969 Amon Düül Collapsing / Singvögel Rückwärts & Co Germany
1969 Amon Düül II Phallus Dei Germany
1969 Brainbox Brainbox Netherlands
1969 Cromagnon Orgasm US
1969 East of Eden Mercator Projected England
1969 Catherine Ribeiro + 2Bis Catherine Ribeiro + 2Bis France
1969 Rare Bird Rare Bird UK
1969 Wigwam Hard 'n' Horny Finland
1969 The Tony Williams Lifetime Emergency! US

Disbandments

See also

References

  1. ^ Paul Willis (2014). Profane Culture. Princeton University Press. p. 219. ISBN 978-1-4008-6514-7.
  2. ^ Pete Prown; Harvey P. Newquist (1997). Legends of Rock Guitar: The Essential Reference of Rock's Greatest Guitarists. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 78. ISBN 978-0-7935-4042-6.
  3. ^ Paul Hegarty; Martin Halliwell (2011). Beyond and Before: Progressive Rock Since the 1960s. New York: The Continuum International Publishing Group. p. 11. ISBN 978-0-8264-2332-0.
  4. ^ Walter Everett (1999). The Beatles as Musicians: Revolver Through the Anthology. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 95. ISBN 0-19-512941-5.
  5. ^ a b c "Prog-Rock". AllMusic.
  6. ^ Martin 1998, p. 47.
  7. ^ Tamm 1995, p. 29.
  8. ^ Leas, Ryan (5 August 2016). "Tomorrow Never Knows: How 1966's Trilogy Of Pet Sounds, Blonde On Blonde, And Revolver Changed Everything". Stereogum. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  9. ^ Martin 1998, p. 53.
  10. ^ Cotner 2001, p. 30.
  11. ^ Jackson, Andrew Grant (2015). 1965: The Most Revolutionary Year in Music. Thomas Dunne Books. pp. 64–65. ISBN 978-1-250-05962-8.
  12. ^ Martin 1996, p. 4.
  13. ^ Hegarty & Halliwell 2011, pp. 54–55.
  14. ^ Sweers 2004, p. 72,204.
  15. ^ Macan 1997, p. 15,20.
  16. ^ Martin 1998, pp. 39–40.
  17. ^ "Pink Floyd official site".
  18. ^ a b c d e "50 Albums That Built Prog Rock". Classic Rock (146). July 2010.
  19. ^ Edward Macan, Endless Enigma: A Musical Biography of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, pp. 19, 657; Richard Morton Jack, Galactic Ramble
  20. ^ "Timeline". Pink Floyd - The Official Site. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  21. ^ "RIAA certifications". Recording Industry Association of America.
  22. ^ Povey 2008, p. 115.
  23. ^ "Album Reviews" (PDF). Melody Maker. 29 November 1969. p. 19. Retrieved 15 September 2021.

Sources

Further reading

  • Snider, Charles. The Strawberry Bricks Guide To Progressive Rock. Chicago, Ill.: Lulu Publishing (2008) 364 pages, ISBN 978-0-615-17566-9 (paperback). A veritable record guide to progressive rock, with band histories, musical synopses and critical commentary, all presented in the historical context of a timeline.
  • Lucky, Jerry. The Progressive Rock Files Burlington, Ontario: Collector's Guide Publishing, Inc (1998), 304 pages, ISBN 1-896522-10-6 (paperback). Gives an overview of progressive rock's history as well as histories of the major and underground bands in the genre.
  • Macan, Edward. Rocking the Classics: English Progressive Rock and the Counterculture. Oxford: Oxford University Press (1997), 290 pages, ISBN 0-19-509887-0 (hardcover), ISBN 0-19-509888-9 (paperback). Analyzes progressive rock using classical musicology and also sociology.