The five greatest prog songs from before the invention of prog

The article argues that progressive rock was defined retrospectively: in the late 1960s, “prog” could describe music that seemed less commercial and more album-focused, while the genre’s modern identity is commonly traced to landmark 1969 albums. It looks back to 1968 for songs that anticipated prog’s experimentation, setting aside the better-known influence of the Beatles and the Beach Boys.

The supplied text discusses two examples: Joe Meek’s “I Hear a New World”, whose unusual tape effects and homemade electronics created an otherworldly sound, and Sun Ra’s “Interplanetary Music”, which blended jazz with space-age experimentation. It also notes that “Telstar”, Meek’s 1962 hit for the Tornados, brought him little financial reward during his lifetime after a plagiarism dispute. The article text provided ends partway through its discussion of Sun Ra, so the other selections are not included here.