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A rock opera is a musical piece in the form of an opera or a musical in a modern rock and roll style rather than more traditional forms. It differs from conventional rock and roll music, which is often a song that is unlinked in plot or story with other songs, but overlaps considerably with concept album or rock musical.

The distinction may be that the rock opera tells a story and a concept album sets a mood, but some albums tell moody stories and others tell stories about moods. The rock musical is defined by having no identification with a band and a generally stronger air of show business. The categories are flexible, to say the least.

Examples of rock operas include:

• S.F. Sorrow[?] by the Pretty Things[?], either the first rock opera or the first concept album
• The Who's Tommy and Quadrophenia
• David Bowie's The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
• Pink Floyd's The Wall
• Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar, considered a rock musical[?]
• Godspell[?], also a rock musical
• Moulin Rouge (2001 movie), a stretch, uses a collection of rock songs from many sources to tell a story.
• Meatloaf[?]'s Bat out of Hell[?] and Bat out of Hell II[?]
• Styx Kilroy was Here[?]

External link

• List of rock musicals (http://www.donlinke.com/musicals/)

Elsewhere

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