Rock in Opposition might be better described as a consortium of
musicians, rather than as a genre of music. It began in London in 1978
as an organization of neglected artists - ignored by the record
companies - who took it upon themselves to produce and promote their own
concerts and recordings. Within a few years, after hosting concerts all
over Europe, RiO had become an international phenomenon...for those in
the know. The styles of music varied widely among the musicians involved
in the RiO movement, from the quirky Zappa-like lectures of Henry Cow,
to the abstract progressive adventures of Univers Zero. One thing that
these artists all had in common was enough strangeness to be rejected by
the conventional music business. A label was founded in 1978 by Chris
Cutler, called Recommended Records, to publish and distribute the music.
After the official RiO organization itself had disbanded, the term
"Rock in Oppostion" continued to be applied to bands carried by
Recommended Records, and any other acts that had appeared at RiO music
festivals.Wikipedia article: Rock in Opposition
