Ongoing History Daily: Prog rock vs. punk

There were many reasons for the rise of punk rock in the 1970s. For some, it was an art movement while for others it had to do with class struggle. And then there were the punk rockers who felt that rock needed a reboot. It had become too complicated, difficult to play, and artistically arrogant in some quarters. Progressive rock, the most complex of all the rock that emerged in the late 60s and early 70s, was a prime target.

The early punks embarked on something very reactionary, a move to bring rock back to its roots of two or three chords and an attitude. At the same time, though, there were punks who quietly admired prog rock because it was, after all, extremely artsy in its own right. For example, if you talk to Johnny Lydon—the Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols—he’ll tell you that he’s always been fond of groups like Hawkwind, Van de Graaf Generator, and the German band Can.

If you’re looking to get deeper into what made punk tick, you might want to take a dive into those groups.