folk ▁fusion . ▁Bruce ▁E der ' s ▁ess ay ▁The ▁Early ▁History ▁of ▁Art - R ock / Pro g ▁Rock ▁states ▁that ▁"' progress ive ▁rock ,' ▁also ▁sometimes ▁known ▁as ▁' art ▁rock ,' ▁or ▁' class ical ▁rock '" ▁is ▁music ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁" b ands ▁[ are ] ▁playing ▁su ites , ▁not ▁songs ; ▁borrow ing ▁r iffs ▁from ▁Bach , ▁Be eth oven , ▁and ▁Wagner ▁instead ▁of ▁Ch uck ▁Ber ry ▁and ▁Bo ▁D idd ley ; ▁and ▁using ▁language ▁closer ▁to ▁William ▁Bla ke ▁or ▁T . ▁S . ▁Eli ot ▁than ▁to ▁Carl ▁Per kins ▁or ▁Will ie ▁D ixon ." ▁ ▁History ▁▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁The ▁boundaries ▁between ▁art ▁and ▁pop ▁music ▁became ▁increasing ly ▁bl ur red ▁throughout ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁The ▁first ▁usage ▁of ▁the ▁term ▁" art ▁rock ", ▁according ▁to ▁Mer ri am - Web ster ▁Online ▁Dictionary , ▁was ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 . ▁As ▁pop ▁music ' s ▁dominant ▁format ▁transition ed ▁from ▁singles ▁to ▁albums , ▁many ▁rock ▁bands ▁created ▁works ▁that ▁asp ired ▁to ▁make ▁grand ▁art istic ▁statements , ▁where ▁art ▁rock ▁would ▁fl our ish . ▁As ▁it ▁progress ed ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁– ▁in ▁tan dem ▁with ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁progress ive ▁rock ▁– ▁art ▁rock ▁acquired ▁not or iety ▁alongside ▁experimental ▁rock . ▁ ▁Pro ponents ▁