Art Rock

Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, with influences from art, avant-garde, and classical music. The first usage of the term, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, was in 1968. Influenced by the work of The Beatles, most notably their album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, art rock was a form of music which wanted to "extend the limits of rock & roll", and opted for a more experimental and conceptual outlook on music. Art rock took influences from several genres, notably classical music, yet also jazz in later compositions. Art rock, due to its classical influences and experimental nature, has often been used synonymously with progressive rock; nevertheless, there are differences between the genres, with progressive putting a greater emphasis on symphony and melody, whilst the former tends to focus on avant-garde and "novel sonic structure". Art rock, as a term, can also be used to refer to either classically-driven rock, or a progressive rock-folk fusion, making it an eclectic genre. Common characteristics of art rock include album-oriented music divided into compositions rather than songs, with usually complicated and long instrumental sections, symphonic orchestration, and an experimental style. Art rock music was traditionally used within the context of concept records, and its lyrical themes tended to be "imaginative", philosophical, and politically-oriented.

Whilst art rock developed towards the end of the 1960s, it enjoyed its greatest level of popularity in the early 1970s through groups such as Jethro Tull, Electric Light Orchestra, The Moody Blues and Procol Harum. Several other more experimental-based rock singers and bands of the time were also regarded as art rock artists. Art rock's success also continued throughout the 1970s into the 1980s and 90s, and several pop and rock artists and bands of the period, including Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush, incorporated elements of art rock within their work. Art rock, as well as the theatrical nature of shows and performances associated with the genre, was able to appeal to "artistically inclined" adolescents and younger adults, especially due to its "virtuosity" and musical "complexity".