The Italian progressive rock scene was born in the early 70s, mostly inspired by the progressive movement in Britain, but with certain features of its own that makes some sources mention it as a separate musical genre.

In the early-to-mid-70s, Italy was one the European countries most interested in this genre; many English bands such as Genesis, Van der Graaf Generator and Gentle Giant were discovered by the Italian public before they had consolidated a fan base in their home country. Consequently, progressive Italian groups were prolific. Some received worldwide attention, such as Le Orme, Premiata Forneria Marconi, Area - International POPular Group and Banco del Mutuo Soccorso. Most of the bands, however, were mainly known inside Italy.