▁Or phe us ▁and ▁E ury d ice ▁was ▁described ▁with ▁this ▁term , ▁though ▁the ▁term ▁" rock - opera " ▁was ▁already ▁known ▁in ▁the ▁Soviet ▁rock ▁music ▁circles . ▁ ▁A ▁rock ▁opera ▁that ▁experienced ▁commercial ▁recording ▁and ▁Broadway ▁success ▁is ▁Jesus ▁Christ ▁Super star , ▁written ▁by ▁Andrew ▁Lloyd ▁Web ber ▁and ▁Tim ▁R ice , ▁and ▁in ▁respect ▁of ▁which ▁Lloyd ▁Web ber ▁said ▁" the ▁piece ▁was ▁written ▁as ▁a ▁rock ▁album ▁from ▁the ▁out set ▁and ▁set ▁out ▁from ▁the ▁start ▁to ▁tell ▁the ▁story ▁through ▁the ▁music ▁itself ." ▁ ▁Style ▁▁ ▁According ▁to ▁F lem ing , ▁rock ▁oper as ▁are ▁more ▁a kin ▁to ▁a ▁cant ata ▁or ▁suite , ▁as ▁they ▁are ▁not ▁usually ▁acted ▁out . ▁ ▁Similarly , ▁Andrew ▁Clement s ▁of ▁The ▁Guardian ▁called ▁Tommy ▁a ▁sub vers ively - l abeled ▁musical . ▁ ▁Clement s ▁states ▁that ▁lyr ics ▁drive ▁rock ▁oper as , ▁which ▁makes ▁them ▁not ▁a ▁true ▁form ▁of ▁opera . ▁ ▁Res pond ing ▁to ▁accus ations ▁that ▁rock ▁oper as ▁are ▁pret ent ious ▁and ▁over b low n , ▁P ete ▁Town sh end ▁wrote ▁that ▁pop ▁music ▁by ▁its ▁very ▁nature ▁reject s ▁such ▁characteristics ▁and ▁is ▁an ▁inher ently ▁simple ▁form . ▁Town sh end ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁only ▁goal ▁of ▁pop ▁music ▁is ▁to ▁reach ▁aud ien ces , ▁and ▁rock ▁oper as ▁are ▁merely ▁one ▁more ▁way ▁to ▁do ▁so . ▁ ▁Peter ▁K ies ew alter