4/01/2016

Facts About Scandinavian Prog Rock

By Martha Graham


Prog is one of the subgenres of rock music. In most cases, the short forms prog or prog rock are often used. Others prefer using the term art rock to refer to this genre. The term progressive pop was in wide use before it started being abandoned for progressive rock instead. The United Kingdom is the country of origin of progressive pop and the main reason behind its development was elevating the genre to higher levels.

Although the main country of development was the United Kingdom, several other countries also took part in developing the subgenre even further. Some of the most notable countries are Italy, France, and Germany. Scandinavian prog rock is just one of the many versions that later emerged based on the country of origin. The parent genre of music from which progressive pop emerged was psychedelic rock.

Efforts to develop the subgenre began in mid 1960s and progressed into late 1970s. Prog pop was primarily developed to give this music credibility and more artistic weight. Instrumentation and compositional techniques that bands started to adopt were borrowed from jazz and classical music. The intention was to earn the genre more critical respect and raise it to a higher level of musical sophistication.

The danceable beats that were typical in the early version were dropped completely or incorporated less. Instead, artists started preferring incorporating harmony, rhythm, lyrical content, and compositional structure instead. Thus, to enjoy the music, listeners have to put in some effort. This subgenre is a collection of styles because it borrows musical styles from several genres such as jazz. This makes it more sophisticated than any one genre or music.

The song structure of verse/chorus form that dominates popular music is often avoided in prog pop. Artists play around with sections of the song to produce classical-style suites that cannot be accomplished in most popular genres. Thematic unity between sections is emphasized to achieve harmony. Dynamic contrast is often attained through transitions between acoustic and electric sections. Group improvisation is also a common technique that bands employ.

In progressive pop, more emphasis is given to the band as a whole than to individuals. The genre does not live by the idea of a single, dominant singer leading while being accompanied by a band. The length of most songs range between three and five minutes, but there are some very long pieces too. For example, one should not be surprised to find a piece that plays for over twenty minutes or more.

The public received this new genre with mixed reaction. From the year of being launched, there was a lot of criticism and critical acclaim at the same time. The genre has been described by many as paralleling classical music by renowned musicians in the industry. The cause of criticism was often the desire held by some artists to expand its boundaries even more.

The desire to expand boundaries was often accompanied by dismissal of mainstream pop music by some musicians. Such dismissiveness was viewed as a sign of elitism. The subgenre also presented exotic themes in songs that most adolescents in Britain could not identify with because of bad economic situation at the time.




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