1 9 6 7 ) ▁by ▁British ▁psych ed el ic ▁band ▁N ir v ana ▁as ▁an ▁" ear ly ▁for ay ▁into ▁the ▁rock ▁opera ▁sub - gen re ". ▁Neil ▁Stra uss ▁of ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁wrote ▁that ▁S . F . ▁Sor row ▁( 1 9 6 8 ) ▁by ▁The ▁Pre tty ▁Things ▁is ▁" gener ally ▁acknowled ged ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁rock ▁opera ". ▁ ▁Although ▁P ete ▁Town sh end ▁denied ▁taking ▁any ▁influence ▁from ▁S . F . ▁Sor row , ▁critics ▁have ▁compared ▁The ▁Who ' s ▁Tommy ▁to ▁it . ▁ ▁Scott ▁Mer vis ▁of ▁the ▁Pitts burgh ▁Post - G az ette ▁wrote ▁that , ▁although ▁Tommy ▁was ▁not ▁the ▁first ▁rock ▁opera , ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁album ▁to ▁be ▁bil led ▁as ▁such . ▁ ▁Tommy ▁would ▁go ▁on ▁to ▁influence ▁On ▁and ▁On , ▁a ▁rap ▁opera ▁by ▁The ▁F at ▁Boys ▁and ▁American ▁Id iot , ▁a ▁punk ▁rock ▁opera ▁by ▁Green ▁Day . ▁ ▁In ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁appeal ▁to ▁more ▁modern ▁aud ien ces , ▁opera ▁companies ▁have ▁wel com ed ▁more ▁pop ▁and ▁rock ▁influ ences . ▁ ▁The ▁resulting ▁rock ▁oper as ▁have ▁met ▁varying ▁degrees ▁of ▁success ▁as ▁the ▁world s ▁of ▁high ▁art ▁and ▁low ▁art ▁mix . ▁ ▁In ▁Russian ▁music , ▁the ▁term ▁z ong - opera ▁( З он г - о пера ) ▁is ▁sometimes ▁used , ▁since ▁the ▁first ▁Soviet - Russ ian ▁rock - opera