What Was The First Prog Album

should we go back to India like 1500 years or so ago?
some old Indian drone music I'd say is pretty progressive, even those were derived out of middle eastern stuff, which in turn was influenced by ancient Greek stuff

If we're looking at like modern era, then I'd say Beethoven, with the creation of the Romanticism period of classical music really pushed music into a "progressive" realm, which Tchaikovsky would later exemplify with his long, linear flowing compositions.

Perhaps if we want to look even more modern, then I guess Miles Davis? I'm not too educated on mid-20th century jazz, which is part of the foundation of prog rock.

My vote is Beethoven, ultimately.

Disconnect wrote: ... Not a fan of Varèse, eh Pedro? I admit his works are extremely demanding listens. Still I am surprised more people here aren't fans of his work...or at least familiar with it.

Hi,

I had more Varese LP's at home (dad had massive collection that ended up near 3K) and knew it some way before my first LP of "art rock" ... ELP's "Pictures at an Exhibition", though I was familiar with the hit song from their first album, but did not get it for at least a year ... I bought it after I got "Tarkus".

You should be able to tell that music history is not an alien concept for me, like it is for most folks here! Like music is not an evolution, but has been about hits for 500 years ... interesting, and no radio or communicating devices in until some 100 years ago! Music travelled by scores, or someone's memory! It just speaks for the commercial mentality of the Internet that the record companies have been trying to instill into the masses ... and we continue supporting them, and trying to keep "progressive" afloat ... we're doomed to see it die, because we do not understand how they got to where they are accepted, or ever appreciated the anti-commercial invisible messages in the early days ... it was what made the American FM radio so huge in the 1970's before the Great American FM Radio Rape by the largest corporations in America ... heck, I think I heard that Texaco was the actual buyer/owner of the station when it was sold in 1980 or so ... just like all the others ... and the worst case that we allowed it to continue, when one conglomerate shut down KMET in LA and came up in the next morning as hew age mish mash stuff. Or better yet ... The Firesign Theater's sign of the double cross! And some think that SNL is funny. HAH!

Edited by moshkito - 8 hours 29 minutes ago at 12:04

Disconnect wrote: ... To be fair, the thread title is "What Was the First Prog Album", not "What Was the First Prog Rock Album".

Hi,

I'm inclined to think that the idea/OP is not clear on that matter, and that the listener is not interested in music, but what others think!

Maybe William J. Lederer was right! ... A Nation of Sheep? Heck, and that was 1961, right around the first mentions shown in this thread ... it says something about the time and place, that TODAY, we simply don't care about, or anymore!

^Can't recall that it actually rocks, but in that case it's the first ever rock-album too. Well done, Varèse!

Edit: didn't notice your reply and wrote basically the same as you

Nogbad_The_Bad wrote: Well technically the first one listed is Miles Davis - First Miles in 1945 but we can discount that as Miles is here for his fusion albums and they start much later.

Edited by Saperlipopette! - 15 hours 5 minutes ago at 05:28

Right! I see the problem.

Do you mean Foxtrot by Genesis? That is 1972, right? I wonder what is the earliest Prog album listed on PA. That should be the one.

Which is the first one listed in PA?

It was a gradual evolution of course, but Prog as we understand it now ~ high musicianship, full use of organ & keyboards, classical and jazz incorporation, long compositions ~ for me it would have to be the Nice, Davjack in 1967 and ALVB in '68.   Zappa, Floyd, and the Beach Boys come close, but no cigar.

ITCOTCK was probably the first prog album of note as if ushering a new genre.