The term "progressive" applied to music refers more to a number of general qualities shared by a wide range of different bands. It is not a style of music that forces musicians to stick to a certain musical pattern.

The term "progressive" began to be used in the 70's to refer to bands like Yes, Genesis, King Crimson, Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Pink Floyd to name just a few. These bands were characterised by their virtuoso arrangements, songs that extended beyond 10 minutes, time changes, extremely virtuoso vocalists, and sometimes an influence of classical music.

Progressive music can be seen as an attempt to take music beyond the confines of more comercial, FM-oriented music as the lenght and high complexity of progressive music made it very dificult for it to make it into radio waves. However, this music became very popular and still today there is a vibrant scene of diverse progressive rock/metal/neoclassical/power metal bands that follow the trend of longer epic songs, complex arrangements and virtuoso musicianship. some of these bands are Dream Theater, Queensryche, Fates Warning, Opeth or Planet X, to name just a few.