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Gong |
1969 |
Refused entry to the UK, former Soft Machiner Daevid Allen remained in France and started Gong. Their earliest recordings take a cue from Barrett-era Floyd, but the hypnotic Continental Circus is underrated. Always... |
France |
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Uriah Heep |
1969 |
Masters of heavy organ rock, Uriah Heep |
United Kingdom |
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Eloy |
1969 |
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Germany |
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Magma |
1969 |
Perhaps most idiosyncratic of all progressives, Christian Vander's Magma documented the other-worldly parables of the planet Kobaia. The early side project Univeria Zekt album The Unamables is great introduction, but... |
France |
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Beggars Opera |
1969 |
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United Kingdom |
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Embryo |
1969 |
Led by drummer Christian Burchard, Embryo was part of the fertile fusion of new music coming from Munich in the late 60s. The band's roots were in jazz, first supporting Mal Waldron, while the 70s saw Charlie Mariano... |
Germany |
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Supertramp |
1969 |
Founded in 1969 by Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson, Supertramp were the benefactor of a Dutch millionaire, Stanley August Miesegaes, who bankrolled their initial lineup. After two unsuccessful albums, the band changed... |
United Kingdom |
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Triumvirat |
1969 |
The German ELP? |
Germany |
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Steeleye Span |
1969 |
Led by Maddy Prior and Tim Hart, with Rick Kemp, Bob Johnson and Peter Knight one of Britian's finest folk-rock bands. |
United Kingdom |
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Rush |
1969 |
Canada's finest sons. From their early days copping Led Zep riffs, through the kimono "prog" era, and onto mainstream acceptance and platinum success in the 80s, Rush has defied all odds, remaining true to their spirit... |
Canada |
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Socrates (Drank the Conium) |
1969 |
Greece's premiere rock band |
Greece |
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Rustic Hinge |
1969 |
After Brown left to form Kingdom Come, the rest of the Crazy World continued on as Rustic Hinge, before morphing into High Tide. Their lone recording was released some twenty years later. |
United Kingdom |
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Brainbox |
1969 |
Jan Akkerman's group prior to joining Focus. There only album is rather dated mix of blues and psychedelia. Of note is the sixteen minute "Sea Of Delight", however, as it would blueprint many of Focus' longer... |
Netherlands |
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Manfred Mann's Chapter Three |
1969 |
Manfred Mann and Mike Hugg's jazz rock outfit pre-dated the Earth Band. |
United Kingdom |
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Doldinger's Motherhood |
1969 |
Motherhood pre-dates Klaus Doldinger's work in Passport, and features Lothar Meid. |
Germany |
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Renaissance (Yardbirds) |
1969 |
Jim McCarty and Keith Relf's post-Yardbirds project was one of the early experiments fusing classical and rock music. |
United Kingdom |
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Spektakel |
1969 |
Detlef Wiedecke (guitar), Eduard Schicke (drums), and Werner Protzner (bass), were all members of Oldenburg`s underground rock scene. |
Germany |
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Gnidrolog |
1969 |
Goldring brothers, Stewart and Colin, made the switch from acoustic folk to prog rock, recording two albums for RCA in the early 70s. Colin Goldring is best known for playing recorder on the song "Your Move" from the... |
United Kingdom |
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High Tide |
1969 |
From the onset, High Tide garnered attention; the band had a publishing deal with Apple Corps and was managed by Doug Smith's Clearmountain Productions. Their two albums on Liberty/United Artists are undisputed classic... |
United Kingdom |
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Samla Mammas Manna |
1969 |
Zappa-influenced band from Sweden were leading component of the Rock In Opposition movement. Samla's albums were a mix of fusion, musicianship and humor. |
Sweden |
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Stackridge |
1969 |
Originally called "Lemon Stackridge", this Bristol based band recorded several albums during the 70s, including the George Martin produced Man With The Bowler Hat. |
United Kingdom |
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Nucleus |
1969 |
Arguably one of the first "fusion" bands, Ian Carr's Nucleus were Britian's parallel to Miles Davis' electric bands of the early '70s. Trumpeter Carr came to prominence in the 60s with saxophonist Don Rendell. A... |
United Kingdom |
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Kluster |
1969 |
As Kluster, Conrad Schnitzler and Hans-Joachim Roedelius, were pioneers of sound from a slightly older generation, using traditional instruments in the most untraditional ways to craft their art. They founded the Zodiac... |
Germany |
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Gila |
1969 |
Hailing from Stuttgart, Gila were a psychedelic band that featured the talents of guitarist Connie Veit. |
Germany |
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Catharsis |
1969 |
Led by keyboardist Roland Bocquet |
France |
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Mogul Thrash |
1969 |
James Litherland led band from Scotland, featured John Wetton on bass and the "Dundee Horns", Roger Ball and Malcolm Duncan. Eponymous album is much in the vein of Colosseum's horn rock. |
United Kingdom |
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Kin Ping Meh |
1969 |
Hailing from Mannheim, heavy progressives Kin Ping Meh first few albums were produced by Achim Reichel for his Zebra Records. |
Germany |
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Tasavallan Presidentti |
1969 |
Founded by guitarist Jukka Tolonen and drummer Vesa Aaltonen, and Frank Robson and Mans Groundstroem from Blues Section in 1969, their early albums bear some Colosseum, Traffic or Jethro Tull due to the strong English... |
Finland |
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Spring |
1969 |
Spring was best known for their eponymous album's mighty Mellotron sound, and their members post-Spring careers. |
United Kingdom |
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Brown, Pete & Piblokto |
1969 |
Pete Brown's band, following his expulsion from The Battered Ornaments |
United Kingdom |
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Audience |
1969 |
Combining the talents of Howard Werth on vocals and acoustic guitar and Keith Gemmell on saxophone, with the rhythm section of Trevor Williams and Tony Connor, Audience's second album (first on Charisma) will appeal to... |
United Kingdom |
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Yes |
1968 |
Nothing defines the good and back of Prog Rock other than Yes. From their striking early albums and genre-defining middle era, through to the chart-topping 80s best sellers, the band has -- in one form or another --... |
United Kingdom |
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Colosseum |
1968 |
Led by Jon Hiseman, one of Britian's first jazz-rock bands. The core lineup came together in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers #89, for the Bare Wires album. |
United Kingdom |
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Van Der Graaf Generator |
1968 |
Led by the indefatigable Peter Hammill, perhaps the most original and significant group of the era; even "without the capes". Hammill is a complicated character, and so then is Van Der Graaf Generator: one moment placid... |
United Kingdom |
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King Crimson |
1968 |
From their debut album and striking cover art, constantly shuffling lineup, groundbreaking music, never-say-die reformations, no band epitomizes the "British prog" ethos better than King Crimson. |
United Kingdom |
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Amon Düül II |
1968 |
Led by Chris Karrer, the musical half of the Munich commune hippie band of the same name; a little to rough around the edges for prog standards, but most certainly not to be overlooked; Amon Düül II are Germany's finest... |
Germany |
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Aphrodite's Child |
1968 |
Led by Demis Roussos, Aphrodite's Child found success throughout Europe with pop singles, eventually residing in Paris, France. Their legacy however is the posthumously released psychedelic masterpiece, 666, and its... |
Greece |
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Can |
1968 |
Dubbed "the world's most original rock band" by the British music press, Can are simply without peer. |
Germany |
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Deep Purple |
1968 |
Heavy rock, defined. |
United Kingdom |
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Earth and Fire |
1968 |
Dutch group featuring the vocals of Jerney Kaagman. |
Netherlands |
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Jade Warrior |
1968 |
One of the most original of the British progressives, Jade Warrior were one of the first bands to incorporate "world" elements into their unique sound. |
United Kingdom |
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Led Zeppelin |
1968 |
It is impossible to underestimate the impact of the early Zeppelin recordings. |
United Kingdom |
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Henry Cow |
1968 |
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United Kingdom |
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Guru Guru |
1968 |
If Cream or Jimi Hendrix invented the "power trio", Germany's Guru Guru defined it on acid, offering the purest psychedlic freakouts on their early albums. Later albums, ever under the direction of Mani Neumeier,... |
Germany |
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Birth Control |
1968 |
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Germany |
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Wigwam |
1968 |
Finland's world-class progressive rock band featured Englishman Jim Pembroke. Wigwam eventually signed to Virgin Records. |
Finland |
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Wonderland |
1968 |
Frank Dostal and Achim Reichel's post-Rattles band scored a series of singles in the late 60s, and produced one strange album as Wonderland Band. |
Germany |
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Uriel (Arzachel) |
1968 |
Precursor to Egg, Uriel also included Steve Hillage on guitar. The band changed their name to Arzachel for their only album. |
United Kingdom |
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July |
1968 |
Notable for members Tom Newman (producer), and John Field and Tony Duhig, both later in Jade Warrior. |
United Kingdom |
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Argent |
1968 |
Rod Argent and Russ Ballard's 70s rock outfit. |
United Kingdom |
