List of progressive rock artists

List of progressive rock artists
The following is a list of artists who have released at least one album in the progressive rock genre. Individuals are included only if they recorded or performed progressive rock as a solo artist, regardless of whether they were a member of a progressive rock band at any point.
0–9
21st Century Schizoid Band: Band of former King Crimson members that performs a mixture of original songs, King Crimson classics, and material from the various members' solo efforts
5uu's: Mid-1980s RIO band from Los Angeles
10cc: British band active in the 1970s with their art pop music
A
Acqua Fragile
A.C.T
Aeon Zen
Agitation Free: German band from the 1970s similar to early Pink Floyd
Air: French duo whose retro synth-based electronica and space pop music features progressive rock leanings
Alamaailman Vasarat
The Alan Parsons Project
Alux Nahual: Politically oriented band that formed in Guatemala in the 1980s
Ambrosia: Early 1970s California band that later played soft rock
Amon Düül II: Band that formed out of the German late 1960s political art commune Amon Düül
Analogy
Anathema
And So I Watch You from Afar
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
Jon Anderson: Lead singer of Yes
Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe: Late-1980s attempt by singer Jon Anderson to restore Yes to its progressive rock direction and lineup
Anekdoten
Ange: French symphonic prog band active mainly from the early 1970s through the mid-1980s. Their later work displays a simpler, pop orientation
Änglagård: Swedish band of the early 1990s that played 1970s-style symphonic prog
Aphrodite's Child: Greek trio
Aquarium: Band formed in the Soviet Union in the 1970s
Arcadea: American prog synth band with Brann Dailor on drums and vocals
Area: Politically oriented 1970s multinational band from Italy
Arena
Ark
Armonite
Ars Nova
Art Bears: Henry Cow offshoot featuring Fred Frith
Art in America
Art Zoyd: French Zeuhl band
Ash Ra Tempel
Atheist
Atoll
Atomic Rooster: British heavy prog band originally featuring Carl Palmer before his departure to Emerson Lake & Palmer
Kevin Ayers: Founding member of Soft Machine
Ayreon: Dutch progressive metal project from the mid-1990s onward
Ayurveda
B
Babylon
Back Door: Once produced by Carl Palmer
Bad Religion: though a hardcore punk band, they released a prog album Into the Unknown to reflect members early influences.
Banco del Mutuo Soccorso: Italian band, formed in the 1970s
Barclay James Harvest
Be-Bop Deluxe: British band who combined art rock and glam rock, influencing new wave
Jeff Beck
David Bedford
Beggars Opera: Scottish band of the early 1970s
Bi Kyo Ran
Big Big Train: English progressive rock band formed in Bournemouth in 1990
Bigelf
The Birds of Satan: American progressive hard rock supergroup led by the Foo Fighters' drummer Taylor Hawkins
Birth Control: German band from the early 1970s
Bozzio Levin Stevens: A late 1990s supergroup
Braen's Machine: early 1970s studio project with Piero Umiliani and Alessandro Alessandroni
Brainticket
Brand X: Late 1970s band influenced by jazz and funk, frequently associated with Phil Collins
Arthur Brown
Jack Bruce
Bruford: Jazz and Canterbury-style supergroup with Bill Bruford, Allan Holdsworth, Dave Stewart and Jeff Berlin
Buckethead: Highly virtuosic and experimental guitarist
Kate Bush: British singer-songwriter with progressive rock leanings, discovered by David Gilmour
C
Camel: Band from the mid-1970s classic era of prog
Can: German band heavily influenced by 20th century composition
The Cancer Conspiracy
Captain Beefheart
Caravan: Canterbury band, active primarily during the 1970s
Caravan of Dreams: Solo project of Caravan bassist Richard Sinclair
Cast: Mexican band that formed in the late 1970s, who frequently appeared at or organized prog festivals during the 1990s
Cathedral
Cherry Five: Italian band who finally released a second album in 2015
Chicago
Chiodos
Clearlight: French band from the 1970s similar to early Gong but closer to symphonic prog
Cluster
Coheed and Cambria
Cold Fairyland: Band from Shanghai rooted in traditional Chinese music
Colosseum
Crack the Sky
Curved Air
Cynic
Holger Czukay
D
Darryl Way's Wolf
Dead Can Dance
Death Organ
The Decemberists: Indie rock band with strong Jethro Tull and Genesis influences.
Deep Purple: British hard rock band with strong progressive influences. Often considered one of the first three heavy metal bands along with Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin.
Demon Fuzz: English band that played progressive rock, soul and funk, with influences from psychedelic soul, jazz, acid rock and world music
Deus Ex Machina: 1990s Italian rock band that updates the 1970s Italian progressive rock style
DFA
The Dillinger Escape Plan
Discipline: Led by the Matthew Parmenter, combined the stylings of Genesis and Van der Graaff Generator
Dixie Dregs
Djam Karet: 1980s US band that was a precursor to math rock
The Doors: American band considered part of the proto-prog subgenre
Dream Theater: American/Canadian band of ex-Berklee students that helped to raise the profile of progressive metal during the 1990s and 2000s
Dungen
Francis Dunnery and the New Progressives
E
East of Eden
Echolyn: Prog band of the 1990s, with metaphysical, literary-inspired lyrics
Edison's Children: Pete Trewavas of Marillion and Transatlantic's band with Eric Blackwood featuring Rick Armstrong (son of astronaut Neil Armstrong)
Egg: Dave Stewart on keys
Elbow: English rock band with progressive leanings
Electric Light Orchestra (ELO): English band who played string and synth-based "Beatlesque" prog rock, as well as pop and disco-influenced music
Eloy: A German band most prominent during the 1970s but who have continued to perform through lineup changes
Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP): "Classic era" prog band
Emerson, Lake & Powell: A brief, mid-1980s incarnation of ELP in which Cozy Powell was the drummer
England: A late 1970s British band that was a forerunner to neo-progressive rock
The Enid: A British band formed in the 1970s by Barclay James Harvest arranger Robert John Godfrey, who have remained intermittently active from the 1980s onward.
Brian Eno
F
Faith No More
Family: 1960s–1970s British band that contributed members to Blind Faith and King Crimson
Faust
Finch (Dutch band) Instrumental Dutch symphonic prog band from the 1970s
Fish: Former Marillion lead singer
Flash: Band formed by Peter Banks after his departure from Yes
The Flower Kings: Symphonic prog band, from Sweden, active from the 1990s onward
Focus: Mainly instrumental Dutch group who recorded the 1971 song "Hocus Pocus"
Robert Fripp: Founding member and lead guitarist of King Crimson
Fripp & Eno
Fred Frith
Hasse Fröberg and the Musical Companion
FromUz
Frost*: Neo-progressive band from the 2000s
Frumpy: German prog band from the early seventies with female vocals
FSB
Fusion Orchestra
The Future Kings of England
G
Peter Gabriel: Former lead singer of Genesis, who used many world music influences in his solo material
Genesis: One of the major classic era bands and a definitive example of the symphonic prog style. They transitioned to more accessible music starting in 1978, though they still included progressive rock songs on later albums
Gentle Giant: Band with a medieval-sounding style who are considered to be among the most important of the 1970s progressive rock bands
Ghost
Gilgamesh
Glass Hammer
Goblin: Funk-influenced Italian band known for film soundtrack work
Gong
Gov't Mule: Combines elements of blues, hard rock, and jazz fusion
Grails: Eclectic, textural band from the 2000s
Marek Grechuta
Greenslade
Grobschnitt: 1970s symphonic prog band from Germany who pursued a more commercial direction during the 1980s
Gryphon: 1970s British band who used a medieval folk style and played period instruments such as krumhorns
Guru Guru
H
Hail the Sun
Peter Hammill: Lead singer of Van Der Graaf Generator
Bo Hansson
Happy the Man: Highly virtuosic 1970s symphonic prog band who performed mainly in the Washington, D.C. area
Harmonium (band)
Hatfield and the North
Hawkwind: Long-running space rock band with science fiction lyrics and some crossover with heavy metal
Haze
Henry Cow: Highly experimental and political 1970s British band who founded the Rock in Opposition movement
Here & Now: Late-1970s British band that combined elements of punk rock and progressive rock
Hidria Spacefolk: Space rock band
Steve Hillage: Guitarist from Gong
Hoelderlin: German prog band from the 1970s who started out in folk prog before moving into symphonic prog
Steve Howe: English musician and lead guitarist of Yes
I
The Incredible String Band: Early British folk/prog hybrid
Indian Summer
Iona: British band active since the late 1980s whose lyrics contain a Christian element
IQ: Neo-progressive rock band of the 1980s
Iron Butterfly
It Bites: 1980s pop/prog band
IZZ
J
Jade Warrior
Jadis: Neo-progressive band
Jane: Early 1970s krautrock band
Jeavestone
Jethro Tull: Started in the late 1960s as a British blues band, heavily influenced by jazz and British folk rock, who later moved into progressive rock
Jon Lord
K
Kaipa: 1970s Swedish band whose Roine Stolt went on to form The Flower Kings
Kansas: United States symphonic prog band of the 1970s, who underwent numerous personnel changes and moved to a more commercial style in the 1980s
Karnataka
Karnivool: Early work was in alternative metal style, more recent albums have been in progressive rock style.
Mike Keneally
Khan
King Crimson: One of the genre's best-known and most influential bands, who have frequently disbanded and regrouped with radically different lineups and musical styles
King's X
Kingdom Come: Early 1970s British band fronted by Arthur Brown
Kingston Wall
Klaatu: Canadian trio whose anonymity and style lead the press to believe they were the Beatles reincarnated
Kraan
Kraftwerk
Krokus: Debuted as a progressive rock band, then became a metal band in the style of AC/DC
L
Landberk
Lana Lane
Bill Laswell
Lightning Bolt
Liquid Tension Experiment: A band that formed as a Dream Theater side project and includes John Petrucci and Tony Levin
Lucifer's Friend: early heavy metal and progressive rock band
Marco Lo Muscio
Arjen Anthony Lucassen: Leader of the Ayreon project
M
Magellan
Magenta
Magma: A French band who launched the Zeuhl subgenre in the 1970s
Magna Carta: An English progressive folk group
Magnum
Mahavishnu Orchestra: An early fusion band that was a major influence on King Crimson and others
Manfred Mann's Earth Band: A mixture of hard rock, fusion, and progressive rock
Albert Marcoeur
Marillion: British neo-progressive band
The Mars Volta
Mastermind
Mastodon
Matching Mole: A 1970s Canterbury band
McDonald & Giles: An early King Crimson offshoot
Mercury Rev
Metamorfosi: Italian prog band from the early 1970s who reformed in the 2000s
Mew
Midlake
Miriodor: A Canadian RIO band
miRthkon
Mogul Thrash: Early 1970s British band that included John Wetton
Mona Lisa
The Moody Blues: Classical rock pioneers who are credited as having created the first progressive rock album, Days of Future Passed
Moon Safari: A Swedish band that makes extensive use of complex vocal harmonies
Mt. Helium
Patrick Moraz
Mostly Autumn
Mr. Bungle: American experimental rock/metal band that has included progressive rock elements
Mudvayne
Muse
Museo Rosenbach
My Brightest Diamond
Mystery Jets
N
National Health
Nektar
Neu!
Nexus: Progressive symphonic rock from Argentina
The New York Rock & Roll Ensemble: A 1960s–1970s classical rock group
Niacin
The Nice: Highly influential early classical rock band fronted by Keith Emerson
Czeslaw Niemen
Erik Norlander: Keyboardist who has performed solo and with Ayreon
O
Oceansize
Mike Oldfield: Studio performer who often played every instrument in his large-scale compositions
Omega: Hungarian band formed in the 1960s
Opeth: Swedish progressive rock band with death metal roots
Le Orme: One of the most important Italian progressive rock bands
Osibisa: Ghanaian Afro-pop and Afrobeat band who incorporate funk, jazz, and progressive rock. Their album covers were illustrated by Roger Dean
Ozric Tentacles
P
Pain of Salvation
Pallas: A neo-progressive band
Carl Palmer
Panzerballett
Passport
Pavlov's Dog: US art rock band from the 1970s featuring much mellotron. Bill Bruford from Yes guested on drums on their second album.
Pendragon: A neo-progressive band
Anthony Phillips: Original guitarist for Genesis
The Physics House Band: Brighton-based experimental rockers
Picchio dal Pozzo
The Pineapple Thief
Pink Floyd: Pioneering space rock band who went on to become one of the major progressive rock bands
Planet X: A band fronted by former Dream Theater keyboardist Derek Sherinian
The Plastic People of the Universe
Platypus
Popol Vuh
Porcupine Tree
Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM): A major Italian band of the early 1970s, once produced by Peter Sinfield, who also wrote English lyrics for the band
Present: 1990s Belgian group led by Univers Zero guitarist Roger Trigaux and his son Reginald
Primus: American trio who channel funk metal, alternative metal, and progressive rock
Procol Harum: Early progressive rock band which recorded with orchestras
Proto-Kaw: A progressive jam band formed by Kerry Livgren of Kansas
Pulsar
Puppet Show
Pure Reason Revolution
Q
Quasar
Quatermass
Queen: Throughout their career, Queen embraced progressive rock, heavy metal, music hall, glam rock, and pop mostly on their first two albums Queen and Queen II
Quiet Sun
R
Rare Bird
Rare Earth
Refugee
Remedy
Renaissance: Early 1970s symphonic prog band known for a strong classical influence and Annie Haslam's operatic vocals
Ritual
Riverside
Roxy Music
RPWL
Todd Rundgren
Jordan Rudess
Rudess/Morgenstein Project: A collaboration between Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess and Dixie Dregs drummer Rod Morgenstein
Rush
S
Sa–Sm
Saga: Canadian neo-progressive band
Sailor Free
Samla Mammas Manna: A RIO band with folk influences
SBB
Klaus Schulze: electronic music pioneer, composer, and musician. Was a member of the Krautrock bands Tangerine Dream, Ash Ra Tempel, and The Cosmic Jokers before launching a solo career consisting of more than 60 albums.
Paul Schutze
Secret Machines
Semiramis
Seventh Wave
Derek Sherinian
Shub-Niggurath: A French Zeuhl band
Sigur Ros: Icelandic post-rock band
Sikth: British progressive metal and djent band
Peter Sinfield
Skin Alley: Progressive band from the late '60s-early '70s whose work has influences from blues rock, jazz fusion, and art rock
Slapp Happy: A late-1970s offshoot of Henry Cow
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum: A Californian RIO band
Smak: Serbian and Yugoslav band
Sn–Sz
Snovi: A hybrid Electro-Organic band that congregates influences of several branches of the Electronic Music and Heavy Progressive Rock
Soft Heap
Soft Machine: Canterbury scene band initially playing psychedelic rock, later moving into experimental jazz rock and free jazz
Solaris
Solstice
Sparks: American art rock duo who played glam rock, synth-pop and disco
Spirit: A psychedelic band that was a major influence on early progressive rock
Split Enz: Started out as a prog band, but moved to new wave starting in 1979
Spock's Beard: 1990s United States symphonic prog band
Chris Squire: English musician and bassist of Yes
Starcastle: A progressive band from the US similar to Yes
Stackridge: English progressive rock, pop, and folk band who have been described as precursors of Britpop
Al Stewart
Stormy Six: A politically active 1970s Italian band who later aligned with RIO
Strawbs: British 1970s symphonic prog band with strong folk roots
Stick Men
Still: A late-1990s version of Echolyn
Stolen Babies
Stranglers: Formed in 1974 and heavily influenced by prog rock though generally regarded as a punk rock act
Styx: A US band who played extended compositions and classical adaptations with a hard rock edge, then played arena rock
Supertramp
Survival: Dutch progressive/symphonic rock band
Syd Arthur: A modern band in the Canterbury style
Sylvan
Symphony X
System of a Down: American-Armenian nu metal band that has also played progressive metal
T
Taï Phong
Tangerine Dream: A highly influential German band of electronic innovators
Serj Tankian
Tasavallan Presidentti
Tears For Fears
Tempest: A 1970s band featuring Allan Holdsworth and Jon Hiseman
Ten Jinn: A band featuring former Happy the Man guitarist Stan Whitaker
The Tangent: An eclectic progressive band
Thinking Plague: A 1990s RIO band
Third Ear Band
Thirty Seconds to Mars: Alternative rock band whose early work contained progressive rock influences
This Heat: A late 1970s British band with prog, punk, and avant-garde elements
Three
Tomahawk
Ton Steine Scherben: A politically vocal Krautrock band
The Tony Williams Lifetime: A rock-oriented fusion band with psychedelic elements
Tool: A Los Angeles alternative band who helped define the progressive metal genre during the 1990s and 2000s
Touchstone
Transatlantic: A supergroup with members of Dream Theater, Spock's Beard, The Flower Kings and Marillion
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
TriPod
Triana: A flamenco-influenced 1970s Spanish band
Triumvirat: German power trio fronted by virtuoso keyboardist Jürgen Fritz
Twelfth Night
U
U.K.: Late 1970s supergroup that recorded just two studio albums With King Crimson's John Wetton and Bill Bruford on their first album
Umphrey's McGee: 6-piece progressive jam band from South Bend, Indiana
Univers Zero: A 1970s Belgian Zeuhl band
Uriah Heep: British progressive rock band who draw on metal, acid rock, and folk
Utopia
V
Van der Graaf Generator: 1970s British band
Christian Vander
Vangelis
Voivod: Canadian progressive metal band with thrash metal roots
Von Hertzen Brothers
W
Rick Wakeman: Keyboard player who recorded a string of concept albums as a solo artist as well as being a member of Yes and recording with David Bowie
Jeff Wayne
John Wetton
White Willow
Wigwam
Steven Wilson
Winger
Wishbone Ash
Robert Wyatt
Y
Stomu Yamash'ta
Yes: A British symphonic prog band from the 1970s onward
Z
Frank Zappa: The experimentalism, eclecticism and virtuosity in Zappa's music are of a progressive rock nature.
See also
Ambient music
Art rock
Berlin School of electronic music
British folk rock
Italian progressive rock
Minimalism
Musique concrete
No wave
Post-rock
Serialism
Steely Dan
Third stream
References
Progressive rock artists