Timeline of progressive rock (1960–1969)

This is a timeline of artists, albums, and events in progressive rock and its subgenres. This article contains the timeline for the period 1960–1969.

1962–1967: Background and roots
The roots of progressive rock developed from pop groups in the 1960s, like the Beatles and the Yardbirds, who "progressed" rock and roll by exploiting new recording techniques, and by merging electric blues with various other music styles such as Indian ragas, oriental melodies and Gregorian chants. Hegarty and Halliwell identify the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Doors, the Pretty Things, the Zombies, the Byrds, the Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd as "not merely as precursors of prog" but "essential developments of progressiveness in its early days". According to musicologist Walter Everett, the Beatles' "experimental timbres, rhythms, tonal structures, and poetic texts" on their albums Rubber Soul (1965) and Revolver (1966) "encouraged a legion of young bands that were to create progressive rock in the early 1970s". Dylan's poetry, the Mothers of Invention's album Freak Out! (1966) and the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) were all important in progressive rock's development. The productions of Phil Spector were key influences, as they introduced the possibility of using the recording studio to create music that otherwise could never be achieved. The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds (1966), which Brian Wilson intended as an answer to Rubber Soul influenced the Beatles when they made Sgt. Pepper.

Folk rock groups such as the Byrds, based their initial sound on that of the Beatles. In turn, the Byrds' vocal harmonies inspired those of Yes, and British folk rock bands like Fairport Convention, who emphasised instrumental virtuosity. Some of these artists, such as the Incredible String Band and Shirley and Dolly Collins, would prove influential on progressive rock through their use of instruments borrowed from world music and early music.

Date of formation of bands who are later identified as progressive
• Phoenix (1962)

• Omega (1962)

• Dinamiti (1963)

• Sfinx (1963)

• Los Jaivas (1963)

• The Moody Blues (1964)

• The Wilde Flowers (1964)

• Pink Floyd (1965)

• The Syn (1965)

• Nirvana (1965)

• Barclay James Harvest (1966)

• Family (1966)

• Sam Gopal (1966)

• Soft Machine (1966)

• Stormy Six (1966)

• Touch (1966)

• Unit Delta Plus (later White Noise) (1966)

• Genesis (1967)

• Quill (1967)

• Gong (1967)

• Jethro Tull (1967)

• The Nice (1967)

• Procol Harum (1967)

• Supersister (1967)

• Traffic (1967)

• Van der Graaf Generator (1967)

Disbandments

 * The Syn (1967–1969)
 * The Wilde Flowers (1967–1968)

Events

 * David Gilmour joins Pink Floyd in December 1967.

Newly formed bands
• Amon Düül II

• Art Zoyd

• Brainbox

• Can

• Caravan

• Catherine Ribeiro + 2Bis

• Colosseum

• Deep Purple

• Dogovor iz 1804.

• Earth & Fire

• Henry Cow

• King Crimson

• Korni Grupa

• Krokodil

• O Terço

• Porodična Manufaktura Crnog Hleba

• Rush

• Yes

Disbandments

 * The United States of America

Events

 * Syd Barrett leaves Pink Floyd in April 1968.

Newly formed bands
• Atomic Rooster

• Beggars Opera

• Egg

• Elonkorjuu

• Eloy

• Embryo

• Focus

• Fusion Orchestra

• Glass

• Hawkwind

• If

• Marsupilami

• May Blitz

• Nektar

• Organisation

• Renaissance

• Samla Mammas Manna

• Stackridge

• Supertramp

• Triumvirat

• Uriah Heep

• Wigwam

Disbandments

 * Dinamiti