"...from Topographic Oceans": Analyzing Progressive Rock

Emerging out of late 1960s psychedelia, progressive rock deviates from the norms of mainstream popular music through its extreme stylistic contrasts, complex grooves, and extended song forms. Through close listening, transcription, and musical analysis, we'll discover how prog musicians play with listener expectations to realize their aesthetic ambitions while also exploring related socio-cultural and aesthetic concerns. Beginning with key exemplars of 1970s prog like King Crimson and Yes, we will also examine related musical styles (e.g., jazz fusion), more recent subgenres of prog (e.g., progressive metal), and prog's influence on video game and anime music.