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If ’60s psychedelia elevated rock and roll to new heights, then ’70s prog-rock pushed it into the stratosphere. Drawing from classical music, the prog-rockers retained rock and roll’s essential components while adding orchestral, symphonic, and electronic flourishes. Most of the prog pioneers went the way of the dinosaur around 1977, driven to extinction by the punk movement. But as evidenced on the following albums, they left behind some spectacular fossils.
Genesis ― Selling England By the Pound (1973)
Everything Peter Gabriel-era Genesis had striven for came together on this 1973 opus. More emphatically British than most of its prog-rock counterparts, Selling England By the Pound boasted subtle elegance, sublime textures, and lyrical splendor. “I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)” and “The Battle of Epping Forest” mixed melody and mirth brilliantly, while the symphonic classic “Firth of Fifth” gave each band member a chance to shine.
Emerson Lake and Palmer ― Trilogy (1972)
Some people may prefer Brain Salad Surgery, but no album presented all facets of ELP’s talents like this 1972 effort. “From the Beginning” remains essential for all aspiring students of acoustic guitar, while “The Endless Enigma” veers from spaghetti western spookiness to Hammond organ-driven swing. The rollicking “The Sheriff” illustrates the band’s humor, and is capped off with some hilariously revved-up ragtime piano from Keith Emerson.
King Crimson ― In the Court of the Crimson King (1969)
Often cited as the first-ever prog-rock album, this disc served notice of Robert Fripp's jagged, angular guitar talents. “21st Century Schizoid Man” roars with thunderous jazz-rock aggression; conversely, the woodwind-driven “I Talk to the Wind” brims with stately, hypnotic beauty. Alongside the Moody Blues’ Days of Future Passed, this album also pointed the way for the use of the mellotron as a rock instrument.
Nektar ― Remember the Future (1974)
Founded in Germany in 1969, Nektar were actually four British musicians who sought to weave German-based experimental music into the more conventional approach of bands from their homeland. The group accomplished exactly that on this 1974 effort. More guitar-centric than the work of many of their prog-rock peers, Nektar tempered their symphonic flavors with lots of funky guitar grooves.
Rush ― 2112 (1976)
Rush joined the prog-rock fray a bit late with this sci-fi concept extravaganza, but there’s no denying the group slapped a distinctive mark on the genre. Paired with Geddy Lee’s banshee wail, guitarist Alex Lifeson’s heavy metal style gave the music a hard edge that distinguished it from the flighty tendencies of the band’s British counterparts. Few prog-rock epics are as fun-filled as the 20-minute title track.
Moody Blues ― Seventh Sojourn (1972)
Pop and prog collided brilliantly on this 1972 album by the Moody Blues. The child-like lilt of “For My Lady” (essentially a sea shanty) sounds classic today, as does the emotional tug of “Isn’t Life Strange” (a song the Bee Gees would probably have paid a fortune to have written). And proving the band wasn't just gifted balladeers, “I’m Just a Singer (in a Rock and Roll Band)” rocked with a ferocity few prog artists could have imagined.
Flash ― In the Can (1972)
Formed in 1971 by former Yes guitarist Peter Banks, this criminally overlooked prog-rock quartet made three stunning albums before disbanding in 1974. Their second album was their best. Tracks such as “Lifetime” and “Monday Morning Eyes” distilled all the ingredients of vintage Yes to their streamlined, guitar-centered essence.
Jethro Tull ― Thick as a Brick (1972)
Sporting one of rock’s most ambitious album packages (14 pages of bogus newsprint, including a fake review of the music contained therein), this 1972 classic consisted of one track split over two sides. Centered on a fictional child prodigy named Gerald Bostock, the concept album pulled together all the raw materials laid out on its predecessor, Aqualung. Guitarist Martin Barre dazzled in both electric and acoustic settings, while frontman Ian Anderson performed in full minstrel mode.
Tangerine Dream ― Phaedra (1974)
Having scored massive success with Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells, Virgin founder Richard Branson signed this German-based band just as it was finding commercial success. A landmark in electronic music, the resulting album pulsated with throbbing synthesizers and haunting mellotrons, and pretty much dispensed with conventional rock forms. Both New Age musicians and practitioners of trance music owe a heavy debt to this singular effort.
Yes ― Close to the Edge (1972)
The three tracks that comprise this seminal work are breathtaking. The title track remains one of rock’s most brilliantly structured pieces―a 19-minute epic suite that flows through various movements with seamlessly connected beauty. The band exudes spectacular synergy as well, crafting intricately melodic passages without succumbing to complexity for its own sake. In a word, a masterpiece.
