This is the progressive rock glossary: a plain-English guide to the words the genre throws around, each explained in a couple of minutes. Whether you have hit “zeuhl” in a review or simply wondered what a Mellotron actually is, start here and follow the links through to the full entries below.

The genres

Prog is really a family of styles rather than one sound. Start with the big picture in what progressive rock is, then branch into the hypnotic German world of Krautrock, the jazz-tinged the Canterbury scene, the grand orchestral symphonic prog, the 1980s revival of neo-prog and the heavier progressive metal. Each has its own entry with three records so you can hear the difference for yourself, and every genre page points to the neighbours it is most often confused with.

The forms and devices

The music’s shapes have names too, and getting them right matters. Learn what a concept album and a rock opera actually are, why a side-long track fills a whole LP side, and how a odd time signature differs from a polyrhythm — a distinction even seasoned writers fumble.

The instruments

Prog has a signature toolkit. Meet the Mellotron that gave it its orchestral wash, the Moog synthesizer that supplied its lead voice, the growling Hammond organ at its heart, and the odder gear that colours the corners of the genre, from the Chapman Stick to the Taurus bass pedal.

The questions people ask

Some entries simply answer the questions everyone has. Why do prog songs run so long? Why is the music even called progressive? And, for the sceptics, is it still being made, or did it stop in 1979? There are short, clear definitions here too, including a supergroup and a session musician.

Go deeper

Once the vocabulary makes sense, the records are the reward. Browse the best progressive rock albums, the best progressive rock songs and a set of listening recommendations to start listening, or trace how the sound changed decade by decade.

Want the whole story, not just the terms? The books map every era of prog →

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