Prog is one of the subgenres of rock music. In most cases, the short forms prog or prog rock are often used. Others prefer using the term art rock to refer to this genre. The term progressive pop was in wide use before it started being abandoned for progressive rock instead. The United Kingdom is the country of origin of progressive pop and the main reason behind its development was elevating the genre to higher levels.

The United Kingdom was the country where prog started being developed, but other western countries participated in further development. Italy, Germany, and France are among western countries that helped in developing the genre. Similarly, artists in other European countries also developed their own versions that came to be known by their countries of origin. Scandinavian prog rock is one such version that was developed in Scandinavia. Psychedelic rock was the original genre from which progressive pop was birthed.

The subgenre started being developed in mid 1960s and continued throughout 1970s. The primary reason for development was to give credibility and higher artistic weight to the music of the time. Compositional methods and instrumentation was now being borrowed from classical music and jazz. This was done so that the genre could earn more critical respect and be more sophisticated like other genres.

The danceable beats that characterized the traditional version initially were incorporated less or dropped completely. Instead, musicians started incorporating harmony, rhythm, compositional structure, and lyrical content instead. This makes listeners to pay attention and put in more effort in order to enjoy or understand songs. The subgenre is more complex because it borrows musical styles from various genres including jazz and folk.

The song structure of verse/chorus form that dominates popular music is often avoided in prog pop. Artists play around with sections of the song to produce classical-style suites that cannot be accomplished in most popular genres. Thematic unity between sections is emphasized to achieve harmony. Dynamic contrast is often attained through transitions between acoustic and electric sections. Group improvisation is also a common technique that bands employ.

In progressive pop, individuals receive less emphasis compared to the band. The traditional idea of a band accompanying a single, soloist does not exist. Typically, most songs run for 3-5 minutes, but there are also longer songs. There are artists who record songs that play for over 20 minutes. Such songs have often been recorded in response to too much criticism.

The public received this new genre with mixed reaction. From the year of being launched, there was a lot of criticism and critical acclaim at the same time. The genre has been described by many as paralleling classical music by renowned musicians in the industry. The cause of criticism was often the desire held by some artists to expand its boundaries even more.

As musicians worked to expand the boundaries of the genre, they also started to dismiss mainstream pop music in preference for the new version. This dismissiveness was taken as elitism. European adolescents, especially British ones also failed to identify with the exotic themes incorporated in songs.