" ▁and ▁" the ▁necessary ▁prototype " ▁that ▁major ▁artists ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Rol ling ▁St ones ▁( with ▁After math ) ▁and ▁the ▁Beach ▁Boys ▁had ▁felt ▁comp elled ▁to ▁follow . ▁ ▁The ▁period ▁when ▁rock ▁music ▁became ▁most ▁closely ▁aligned ▁with ▁art ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 6 ▁and ▁continued ▁until ▁the ▁mid ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁Academ ic ▁Michael ▁Johnson ▁associ ates ▁" the ▁first ▁documented ▁moments ▁of ▁asc ension ▁in ▁rock ▁music " ▁to ▁the ▁Beach ▁Boys ' ▁Pet ▁S ounds ▁and ▁the ▁Beat les ' ▁S gt . ▁Pe pper ' s ▁L on ely ▁He arts ▁Club ▁Band ▁( 1 9 6 7 ). ▁Re leased ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 6 6 , ▁Pet ▁S ounds ▁came ▁from ▁Wilson ' s ▁desire ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁" complete ▁statement ", ▁as ▁he ▁believed ▁the ▁Beat les ▁had ▁previously ▁done ▁with ▁Rub ber ▁Soul . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 8 , ▁bi ograph er ▁David ▁Le af ▁wrote ▁that ▁the ▁album ▁her ald ed ▁art ▁rock , ▁while ▁according ▁to ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Ob server , ▁" P et ▁S ounds ▁proved ▁that ▁a ▁pop ▁group ▁could ▁make ▁an ▁album - length ▁piece ▁compar able ▁with ▁the ▁greatest ▁long - form ▁works ▁of ▁Bern stein , ▁Cop land , ▁I ves , ▁and ▁Rod gers ▁and ▁Ham mer stein ." ▁Pet ▁S ounds ▁is ▁also ▁noted ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁rock ▁concept ▁album . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 1 , ▁C ue