Art rock is a sub-genre of rock music that is characterized by its heavy use of lyrical imagery and exotic instruments. Art rock reached its height with the popularity of progressive rock groups such as Pink Floyd in the 1970s. It has, however, enjoyed a slight resurgence during the late 1990s and early 2000s, due in part to the popularity of the critically-acclaimed Britpop group Radiohead, whose recent albums Kid A and Amnesiac have sold astoundingly well despite being somewhat inaccessible.

The popularity of heavy metal has likewise caused increased interest in art metal, lead by groups such as Tool.\n