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With Understanding Comes Appreciation To put it simple for those who are not familiar with the musician and his music, Miles Davis is a Jazz God, period. There’s a reason —or many, I would say— he’s at my top 3 of my book along with Frank Zappa and John Zorn. He was cut with the same scissors Frank and John were cut. He was prolific, demanding bandleader, extraordinary talent recruiter & developer, composer, perfectionist, natural at the instrument, boundary-pusher, uncompromising talent and strict work-ethic, and I could go on and on, and the adjectives just wouldn’t be enough. An enigma who started with Charlie Parker, shocking the establishment with be-bop, but whose hero was Louis Armstrong; then takin' off for places unknown with sidemen and today’s legends like John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock and John McLaughlin to name a few. In the process, he created whole new jazz forms: cool, contemporary and fusion. Yet, through everything he created, Davis was the singular image of the true artist —like Picasso, sketching here, workin' and steamin' there, and defying the listener and critic alike. A feat which has given many modern jazz artists the courage to do their own thing. Again, just like Frank and John. Miles Davis made music that grew from an uncanny talent to hear the future and a headstrong desire to play it. From his beginnings in the circle of modern jazz, he came to intuit new worlds of sound and challenge. While the vast majority of musicians – jazz, rock, R&B, otherwise – find the experimental charge and imperviousness of youth eventually running down, Miles forever forged ahead. In doing so, Miles became the standard bearer for successive generations of musicians, shaped the course of modern improvisational music more than a half-dozen times. A monumental innovator, icon, and maverick, our Jazz God helped define the course of jazz as well as popular culture in the 20th century, bridging the gap between bebop, modal music, funk, and fusion. Throughout most of his 50-year career, Davis played the trumpet in a lyrical, introspective style, often employing a stemless Harmon mute to make his sound more personal and intimate. It was a style that, along with his brooding stage persona, earned him the nickname "Prince of Darkness." However, Davis proved to be a dazzlingly protean artist, moving into fiery modal jazz in the '60s and electrified funk and fusion in the '70s, drenching his trumpet in wah-wah pedal effects along the way. More than any other figure in jazz, Davis helped establish the direction of the genre with a steady stream of boundary-pushing recordings, among them 1957's chamber jazz album Birth of the Cool (which collected recordings from 1949-1950), 1959's modal masterpiece Kind of Blue, 1960's orchestral album Sketches of Spain, and 1970's landmark fusion recording Bitches Brew. Davis' own playing was obviously at the forefront of those changes, but he also distinguished himself as a bandleader, regularly surrounding himself with sidemen and collaborators who likewise moved in new directions, including the luminaries John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, and many more. While he remains one of the most referenced figures in jazz, a major touchstone for generations of trumpeters (including Wynton Marsalis, Chris Botti, and Nicholas Payton), his music reaches far beyond the jazz tradition, and can be heard in the genre-bending approach of performers across the musical spectrum, ranging from funk and pop to rock, electronica, hip-hop, and more. Now that I got your attention, this post was made as a digital resource (access to public customized playlists) and guide to understand and appreciate bit better the official catalog of Miles Davis, which at times is not easy how to dive into it, especially for newbies, casual listeners and even some more familiarized fans, whose appetite to explore and listen to more never cease. First things first. While out there are tons of recordings of the music of our beloved Jazz hero, this post only considers the official catalog which is still colossal —check out the milestones below and you’ll figure out. I have divided the catalog in five main categories; Studio Albums, Live Albums, Collaboration/Sideman Albums, Soundtrack Albums and Boxset/Compilations/Series/Posthumous Albums. I’m also sharing the public playlists I assembled manually on Apple Music (Why Apple Music?) of each category, and a playlist which gathers the five categories; i.e the whole official catalog. The latter will save you days if not weeks of manual assembling, trust me. Also, I’ll keep dissecting the catalog in order to create more detailed and cool customized/smart playlists, so follow this post and subscribe to my blog to stay tuned. Each album shows some key information like the year of release, year of recording, label record, released formats and its best digital resolution available on Apple Music —it applies to most streaming platforms which offer lossless music though. It’s worth to mention that while most albums are available in its streaming service, some are only available through compilations, especially those recorded by Prestige and Blue Note Records from 1951 to 1961. The good news is that those compilations come in Hi-Res Lossless, so the sound quality is guaranteed, especially when you consider that those albums were recorded almost 75 years ago! When the latter is the case, I also indicate in which compilation and disk can be found. While most of the official catalog is available in its service, I’m also indicating which albums are not available for streaming, so if you are interested to add them as well, you either have to upload them from your own CDs/digital files or buy them. I’m also suggesting those compilations and posthumous albums that are redundant. Tip: those albums don’t worth to be added to your library —obviously in case you already added what I’m sharing here through the different categories. Regarding the Studio Albums, I divided them as well by the years Miles Davis worked with his different label records, which clearly marked his different music styles he developed throughout his career — modal, orchestral, funk, electric, fusion, etc. While the data presented here was carefully verified through several reliable sources, it is not exempt of errors, so if you find inaccurate or inexact information, let me know in order to correct it. I’ll really appreciate it. Having said that, hopefully you like all the effort and passion put here. Remember, since the label record is constantly releasing new official material, I’ll keep this updated; again, follow this post and subscribe to my blog to stay tuned. Music is the best. Enjoy it! Milestones: 139 Albums. 1,795 Songs. 8.7 Days of continuous listening. 27 GB of music stored. Link to the Playlist of The Official Discography of Miles Davis on Apple Music Studio Albums Milestones: 54 Albums. 440 Songs. 2 Days of continuous listening. 6.4 GB of music stored. Link to the Playlist of The Official Studio Albums by Miles Davis on Apple Music Prestige/Blue Note/Debut, 1951–1961 The New Sounds (Released: 1951, Recorded: 1951, Label: Prestige, Format: 10" LP)(On The Complete Prestige 10-inch LP Collection; Disc twoPrese) (Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Modern Jazz Trumpets (Released: 1953, Recorded: 1951, Label: Prestige, Format: 10" LP.) (On The Complete Prestige 10-inch LP Collection; Disc 0ne) (Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Lee Konitz Featuring Miles Davis (Released: 1951, Recorded: 1951 ,Label: Prestige, Format: 10" LP.) (On The Complete Prestige 10-inch LP Collection; Disc Eleven) (Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Young Man with a Horn (aka Miles Davis, Vol. 1) (Released: 1953, Recorded: 1952, Label: Blue Note. Format: 10" LP)(On Take Off:The Complete Blue Note Albums) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Blue Period (Released: 1953, Recorded: 1953, Label: Prestige, Format: 10" LP.) (On The Complete Prestige 10-inch LP Collection; Disc Four)(Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) The Compositions of Al Cohn (Released: 1953, Recorded: 1951, Label: Prestige, Format: 10" LP.) (On The Complete Prestige 10-inch LP Collection; Disc Three) (Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Miles Davis Volume 2 (Released: 1953, Recorded: 1952, Label: Blue Note. Format: 10" LP)(On Take Off:The Complete Blue Note Albums)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Miles Davis, Volume 3 (Released: 1954, Recorded: 1954, Label: Blue Note. Format: 10" LP)(On Take Off:The Complete Blue Note Albums)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Miles Davis Quartet (Released: 1954, Recorded: 1954 Label: Prestige, Format: 10" LP.)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Miles Davis All Star Sextet (Released: 1954, Recorded: 1954, Label: Prestige, Format: 10" LP.) (On The Complete Prestige 10-inch LP Collection; Disc Six)(Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Miles Davis Quintet (Released: 1954, Recorded: 1954, Label: Prestige, Format: 10" LP) (On The Complete Prestige 10-inch LP Collection; Disc Seven)(Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Blue Haze (Released: 1954, Recorded: 1954 Label: Prestige, Format: LP) (Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Miles Davis with Sonny Rollins (Released: 1955, Recorded: 1954, Label: Prestige, Format: 10" LP.) (On The Complete Prestige 10-inch LP Collection; Disc Eight)(Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Miles Davis All Stars, Volume 1 (Released: 1955, Recorded: 1954, Label: Prestige, Format: 10" LP) (On The Complete Prestige 10-inch LP Collection; Disc Nine)(Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Miles Davis All Stars, Volume 2 (Released: 1955, Recorded: 1954, Label: Prestige, Format: 10" LP) (On The Complete Prestige 10-inch LP Collection; Disc Ten)(Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) The Musings of Miles (Released: 1955, Recorded: 1955, Label: Fantasy Records, Format: LP) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Collectors' Items (Released: 1955, Recorded: 1953-56, Label: Prestige, Format: LP) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Blue Moods (Released: 1956, Recorded: 1956, Label: Fantasy Records, Format: LP) (Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Dig (Released: 1956, Recorded: 1951, Label: Prestige, Format: LP.) (Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Miles: The New Miles Davis Quintet (Released: 1956, Recorded: 1955, Label: Fantasy Records, Format: LP.) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Miles Davis and Horns (Released: 1956, Recorded: 1951-53, Label: Prestige, Format: LP) (Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Quintet / Sextet (Released: 1956, Recorded: 1955, Label: Prestige, Format: LP) (Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Walkin’(Released: 1957, Recorded: 1954, Label: Prestige, Format: LP) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Cookin'(Released: 1957, Recorded: 1956, Label: Prestige, Format: LP) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Bags' Groove (Released: 1957, Recorded: 1954, Label: Prestige, Format: LP) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Relaxin'(Released: 1958, Recorded: 1956, Label: Prestige, Format: LP) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants (Released: 1959, Recorded: 1954-56, Label: Prestige, Format: LP) (On Chronicles —The Complete Prestige Recording (tracks: 1,2,3,4,5) and Prestige Records: Chill Jazz Ballads (Track 3)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Workin'(Released: 1960, Recorded: 1956, Label: Prestige, Format: LP) (Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Steamin'(Released: 1961, Recorded: 1956, Label: Prestige, Format: LP) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Columbia, 1955–1976 Round About Midnight (Released: 1957, Recorded: 1955-56, Label: Columbia, Format: LP) (Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Miles Ahead (Released: 1957, Recorded: 1957, Label: Columbia, Format: LP) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Milestones (Released: 1958, Recorded: 1957, Label: Columbia, Format: LP) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Jazz Track (Released: 1958, Recorded: 1957, Label: Columbia, Format: LP) (On Ascenseur Pour L’echafaud (Tracks:1-10) (Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming),and Kind of Blue (Legacy Edition) (Tracks:11-13) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming)) Porgy and Bess (Released: 1959, Recorded: 1958, Label: Columbia, Format: LP) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Kind of Blue (Released: 1959, Recorded: 1959, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/Reel Tape) (Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Sketches of Spain (Released: 1960, Recorded: 1959, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/Reel Tape) (Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Someday My Prince Will Come (Released: 1961, Recorded: 1961, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/Reel Tape)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Seven Steps to Heaven (Released: 1963, Recorded: 1963, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/Reel Tape)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Quiet Nights (Released: 1963, Recorded: 1963, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/Reel Tape) (Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) E.S.P. (Released: 1965, Recorded: 1965, Label: Columbia, Format: LP) (Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Miles Smiles (Released: 1967, Recorded: 1966, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/Reel Tape) (Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Sorcerer (Released: 1967, Recorded: 1962-67, Label: Columbia, Format: LP)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Nefertiti (Released: 1968, Recorded: 1967, Label: Columbia, Format: LP)(Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Miles in the Sky (Released: 1968, Recorded: 1968, Label: Columbia, Format: LP)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Filles de Kilimanjaro (Released: 1968, Recorded: 1968, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/Reel Tape)(Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) In a Silent Way (Released: 1969, Recorded: 1969, Label: Columbia, Format: LP)(Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Bitches Brew (Released: 1970, Recorded: 1969-70, Label: Columbia, Format: LP)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Jack Johnson (Released: 1971, Recorded: 1970, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/Reel Tape/CD/CS)(Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Live-Evil (Released: 1971, Recorded: 1970, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/CD)(Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) On the Corner (Released: 1972, Recorded: 1972, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/CD)(Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Big Fun (Released: 1974, Recorded: 1969-72, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/CD)(Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Get Up with It (Released: 1976, Recorded: 1967-68, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/CD)(Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Water Babies (Released: 1976, Recorded: 1967-68, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/CD)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Columbia/Warner Bros., 1981–1991 The Man with the Horn (Released: 1981, Recorded: 1980-81, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/CD)(Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Star People (Released: 1983 Recorded: 1982-83, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/CD)(Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Decoy (Released: 1984 Recorded: 1983, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/CD)(Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) You're Under Arrest (Released: 1985 Recorded: 1984-85, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/CD)(Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Tutu (Released: 1986 Recorded: 1986, Label: Warner Bros, Format: LP/CD/CS)(Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Amandla (Released: 1989 Recorded: 1988-89, Label: Warner Bros, Format: LP/CD/CS)(Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Aura (Released: 1989 Recorded: 1985, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/CD/CS)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Doo-Bop (Released: 1992 Recorded: 1991, Label: Warner Bros, Format: LP/CD/CS)(Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Rubberband (Released: 2019 Recorded: 1985, Label: Warner Bros, Format: LP/CD/Digital Download)(Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Collaboration/Sideman Albums Milestones: 17 Albums. 78 Songs. 6 hr. 22 min. of continuous listening. 823 MB of music stored. Link to The Official Collaboration/Sideman Albums by Miles Davis Sarah Vaughan In Hi-Fi (Released: 1955, Recorded: 1950 Label: Columbia/Legacy, Format: LP) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Cannonball Adderley – Somethin’ Else (Released: 1958, Recorded: 1958 Label: Blue Note Records, Format: LP) (Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Michel Legrand – Legrand Jazz (Released: 1958, Recorded: 1958 Label: Universal Music Division Decca Records France, Format: LP) (Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Billy Eckstine – Mister B. And The Band (Released: 1976, Recorded: 1946 Label: Savoy, Format: LP) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Sun City Artists United Against Apartheid (Deluxe Edition) (Released: 1985, Recorded: 1985 Label: Steven Van Zandt Catalog, Format: LP/CD) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Toto – Fahrenheit (Released: 1986, Recorded: 1986, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/CD) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Scritti Politti – Provision (Released: 1988, Recorded: 1988, Label: Rough Trade, Format: LP/CD) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Cameo – Machismo (Released: 1988, Recorded: 1988, Label: RiskTakkers, LLC, Format: LP/CD) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Chaka Khan – CK (Released: 1988, Recorded: 1988, Label: Rhino/Warner Records, LLC, Format: LP/CD) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Coleman Hawkins – Hollywood Stampede (Released: 1989, Label: Blue Note Records) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Quincy Jones – Back On The Block (Released: 1989, Label: Universal Music Enterprises) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Shirley Horn – You Won’t Forget Me (Released: 1991, Label: Verve) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) The Birth Of The Third Stream (Released: 1996, Label: Columbia/Legacy) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Zucchero – Zu & Co (Released: 2004, Label: Universal Music Italia srL) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Evolution Of The Groove (Released: 2007, Label: Columbia/Legacy Recordings) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Prince – Sign O’ The Times Remastered Super Deluxe Edition (Released: 2020, Label: Legacy Recordings) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) M.E.B. – That You Not Dare To Forget (Released: 2023, Label: Legacy Recordings) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Live Albums Milestones: 39 Albums. 454 Songs. 2.6 Days of continuous listening. 8.33 GB of music stored. Link to The Playlist of the Official Live Albums by Miles Davis on Apple Music In Person Friday Night at the Blackhawk, San Francisco, Volume 1 (Released: 1961, Recorded: 1961, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/Reel Tape) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) In Person Saturday Night at the Blackhawk, San Francisco, Volume 2 (Released: 1961, Recorded: 1961, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/Reel Tape) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Miles Davis at Carnegie Hall (Released: 1962, Recorded: 1961, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/Reel Tape) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Miles & Monk at Newport (Released: 1963, Recorded: 1958, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/CD) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Miles Davis in Europe (Released: 1964, Recorded: 1963, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/Reel Tape/CD) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Miles in Berlin (Released: 1965, Recorded: 1964, Label: Columbia, Format: LP) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) My Funny Valentine (Released: 1965, Recorded: 1964, Label: Columbia, Format: LP) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Four & More (Released: 1966, Recorded: 1964, Label: Columbia, Format: LP) (Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Miles in Tokyo (Released: 1969, Recorded: 1964, Label: CBS/Sonny, Format: LP) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Miles Davis at Fillmore: Live at the Fillmore East (Released: 1970, Recorded: 1970, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/CD) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Isle Of Wight (Released: 1971, Recorded: 1970, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/CD) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Black Beauty: Miles Davis at Fillmore West (Released: 1973, Recorded: 1970, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/CD) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) In Concert (Released: 1973, Recorded: 1972, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/CD) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Jazz at the Plaza Vol. I (Released: 1973, Recorded: 1958, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/CD) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Agharta (Released: 1975, Recorded: 1975, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/CD/CS)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Pangaea (Released: 1976, Recorded: 1975, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/CD/CS)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) At Plugged Nickel, Chicago, Vol. 1 (Released: 1976, Recorded: 1965, Label: Columbia, Format: LP)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) At Plugged Nickel, Chicago, Vol. 2 (Released: 1976, Recorded: 1965, Label: Columbia, Format: LP)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Dark Magus (Released: 1977, Recorded: 1974, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/CD)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) In Paris Festival International De Jazz May, 1949 (with Tadd Dameron Quintet) (Released: 1977, Recorded: 1949, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/CD)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) We Want Miles (Released: 1982, Recorded: 1981, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/CD)(Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) (with Tadd Dameron Quintet) Miles Davis And The Lighthouse All-Stars – At Last! (Released: 1990, Recorded: 1953, Label: Fantasy Records, Format: LP/CD)(Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux (Released: 1993, Recorded: 1991, Label: Warner Bros, Format: CD/CS)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Live Around the World (Released: 1996, Recorded: 1988-91, Label: Warner Bros, Format: LP/CD/CS)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) At Newport 1958 (Released: 2001, Recorded: 1958, Label: Columbia/Legacy, Format: LP/CD)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Live at the Fillmore East, March 7, 1970: It's About That Time (Released: 2001, Recorded: 1970, Label: Columbia/Legacy, Format: CD)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Miles Davis And Sonny Stitt – Olympia Oct. 11th, 1960 (Released: 2002, Recorded: 1960, Label: Delta Music, Format: CD)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Birdland 1951 (Released: 2004, Recorded: 1951, Label: Blue Note, Format: CD)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Bitches Brew Live (Released: 2011, Recorded: 1969-70, Label: Columbia/Legacy, Format: CD)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Miles Davis Quintet – Live In Europe 1967: The Bootleg Series Vol. 1 (Released: 2011, Recorded: 1967, Label: Sony/Legacy, Format: LP/CD/DVD)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Miles At The Fillmore – Miles Davis 1970: The Bootleg Series Vol. 3 (Released: 2014, Recorded: 1970, Label: Sony/Legacy, Format: LP/CD)(Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Miles Davis At Newport 1955-1975: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4 (Released: 2015, Recorded: 1955-75, Label: Sony/Legacy, Format: LP/CD/DL)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Merci Miles! Live at Vienne (Released: 2021, Recorded: 1991, Label: Rhino, Format: 2 LP/2 CD)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Miles Davis Quintet – Freedom Jazz Dance: The Bootleg Series Vol. 5 (Released: 2016, Recorded: 1966-68, Label: Columbia/Legacy, Format: LP/CD/DL)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Miles Davis & John Coltrane – The Final Tour The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6 (Released: 2018, Recorded: 1960, Label: Columbia/Legacy, Format: LP/CD/DL)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) That’s What Happened 1982-1985: The Bootleg Series Vol. 7 (Released: 2022, Recorded: 1982-85, Label: Sony/Legacy, Format: LP/CD/DL)(Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96kHz; on Streaming) What It Is: Montreal 7/7/83 (Released: 2022, Recorded: 1983, Label: Columbia/Legacy)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Miles In France 1963 & 64– The Miles Davis Quintet: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8 (Released: 2024, Recorded: 1963-64, Label: Columbia, Format: LP/CD/DL)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Soundtracks Milestones: 6 Albums. 116 Songs. 5 hr. 53 min of continuous listening. 792 MB of music stored. Link to the Playlist of the Official Soundtrack Albums by Miles Davis on Apple Music Ascenseur pour l'échafaud (Released: 1958, Recorded: 1957, Label: Universal Music Division Decca Records France, Format: LP) (Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Music from Siesta (Released: 1987, Recorded: 1987, Label: Warner Bros, Format: LP) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) The Hot Spot (Released: 1990, Label: Island Records) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Dingo (Released: 1991, Label: Rhino/Warner Records) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Miles Ahead Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Released: 2016, Recorded: 1956-81, Label: Columbia/Legacy) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Miles Davis – Music From And Inspired By “Miles Davis Birth Of The Cool,” A Film By Stanley Nelson (Released: 2016, Label: Columbia/Legacy) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Compilations/Box Sets/Series/Posthumous Milestones: 27 Albums. 762 Songs. 3.6 Days of continuous listening. 11.7 GB of music stored. Link to the Playlist of The Official Compilations/Box Sets/Series/Posthumous Albums by Miles Davis on Apple Music Conception (Released: 1951, Recorded: 1951 Label: Fantasy Records, Format: LP.)(Lossless ALAC 16 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Birth Of The Cool (Released: 1957, Recorded: 1949-50, Label: Blue Note, Format: LP) (Hi-Res Lossless ALAC 24 bits/96 kHz; on Streaming) Nefertiti (Bonous Track Version) (Released: 1968, Recorded: 1967, Label: Columbia/Legacy)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Circle in the Round (Released: 1979, Recorded: 1955-70, Label: Columbia, Format: LP) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Directions (Released: 1981, Recorded: 1960-70, Label: Columbia, Format: LP) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel 1965 (Released: 1995, Recorded: 1965, Label: Columbia/Legacy, Format: LP/CD) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Miles Davis & Gil Evans: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings (Released: 1996, Recorded: 1957, Label: Columbia/Legacy, Format: LP/CD) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Panthalassa – The Music Of Miles Davis 1969-1974The Complete In a Silent Way Sessions (Released: 1998, Recorded: 1960-74, Label: Columbia/Legacy, Format: LP/CD) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings Of The Miles Davis Quintet January 1965 To June 1968 (Released: 1998, Recorded: 1965-68, Label: Columbia/Legacy, Format: LP/CD) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) The Complete Birth of the Cool (Released: 1998, Recorded: 1948-50, Label: CM Blue Note (A92), Format: LP/CD) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Charlie Parker – The Complete Live Performances On Savoy (Released: 1998, Recorded: 1948-50, Label: Savoy, Format: LP/CD) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions (Released: 1998, Recorded: 1969-70, Label: Columbia/Legacy, Format: LP/CD) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) The Complete Miles Davis Featuring John Coltrane (Released: 2000, Recorded: 1955-59, Label: Columbia/Legacy, Format: LP/CD) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) The Complete In A Silent Way Sessions (Released: 2001, Recorded: 1968-69, Label: Columbia/Legacy, Format: LP/CD) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Charlie Parker – The Complete Savoy & Dial Master Takes (Released: 2002, Recorded: 1945-48, Label: Savoy, Format: LP/CD) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) In Person Friday and Saturday Nights at the Blackhawk Complete (Released: 2003, Recorded: 1961, Label: Columbia/Legacy, Format: LP/CD) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions (Released: 2003, Recorded: 1970, Label: Columbia/Legacy, Format: LP/CD) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) ‘Round About Midnight (Legacy Edition) (Released: 2005, Recorded: 1956, Label: Columbia/Legacy, Format: LP/CD) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) The Cellar Door Sessions 1970 (Released: 2005, Recorded: 1970, Label: Columbia/Legacy, Format: LP/CD) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) The Complete On The Corner Sessions (Released: 2007, Recorded: 1972-75, Label: Columbia/Legacy, Format: LP/CD) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Kind Of Blue (Legacy Edition) (Released: 2009, Recorded: 1959, Label: Columbia/Legacy, Format: LP/CD) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Sketches of Spain (50th Anniversary Legacy Edition) (Released: 2009, Recorded: 1960, Label: Columbia/Legacy, Format: LP/CD) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Bitches Brew (Legacy Edition) (Released: 2010, Recorded: 1969, Label: Columbia/Legacy, Format: LP/CD) (Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Tutu (Deluxe) (Released: 2011, Recorded: 1986, Label: Warner, Format: LP/CD)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Everything’s Beautiful (Released: 2016, Label: Columbia/Legacy)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Early Minor: Rare Miles From The Complete In A Silent Way Sessions (Released: 2019, Recorded: 60s, Label: Columbia/Legacy)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Double Image: Rare Miles Davis From Complete Bitches Brew Sessions (Released: 2020, Recorded: 69-70, Label: Columbia/Legacy)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Champions: Rare Miles from the Complete Jack Johnson Sessions (Released: 2021, Recorded: 1971, Label: Columbia/Legacy)(Lossless ALAC 24 bits/44.1 kHz; on Streaming) Redundant Compilations Miles Davis, Volume 1 (1955) Miles Davis, Volume 2 (1956) Early Miles (1969) Chronicle: The Complete Prestige Recordings (1987) The Columbia Years 1955-1985 (1988) The Complete Studio Recordings of The Miles Davis Quintet 1965–1968 (1998) The Essential Miles Davis (2001) Seven Steps: The Complete Columbia Recordings Of Miles Davis 1963-1964 (2004) The Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions (2006) The Complete Columbia Album Collection (2009) 1986-1991 The Warner Years (2011) The Original Mono Recordings (2013) (Unless you want mono versions, those versions are available but separately at Hi-Res btw) The Last Word – The Warner Bros. Years (2015) Miles Davis The Electric Years (2023) (The albums have all been mastered AAA from 1-to-1 tape transfers of the master tapes by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound though) Not Available for Streaming on Apple Music Amsterdam Concert (1984) Live Miles: More Music from the Legendary Carnegie Hall Concert (1987) First Miles (1990) 58 Sessions (1991) Miles! Miles! Miles! (1992) 1969 Miles: Festiva de Juan Pins (1993) The Complete Illinois Jacquet Sessions 1945-50 (1996) At The Royal Roost 1948 - At Birdland 1950, 1951, 1953 (1996) Benny Carter And His Orchestra 1943-1946 (1997) Miles in Paris (2000) The Complete Miles Davis At Montreux 1973-1991 (2002) Live at the 1963 Monterey Jazz Festival (2007) Kind Of Blue Deluxe 50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition (2008) Bitches Brew: 40th Anniversary Collector’s Edition (2010) Miles Davis Quintet – Live In Europe 1969: The Bootleg Series Vol. 2 (2013) The Lost Septet (2020)

With Understanding comes Appreciation Learn how this ranking was built on my site’s Rankings page. Back to the top of the ranking 1... HERE! 🇺🇸🎷The Crusaders This remarkably versatile group's career encompassed R&B, jazz, soul, and funk styles. 1. Free As the Wind, 2. The 2nd Crusade, 3. Southern Comfort, 4. Those Sothern Knights, 5. Chain Reaction, 6. Crusaders 1 🇯🇵🎷Miku Yonezawa is a prominent Japanese jazz and fusion saxophonist known for her energetic playing style and numerous chart-topping albums. 1. Exotic Gravity, 2. Another World, 3. Delight. 4. Landscape, 5. Works 1&2 🇯🇵🎷Senri Kawaguchi is a highly acclaimed Japanese jazz fusion drummer. Widely recognized as one of the world's top drummers, she is known for her exceptional technical ability, particularly her speed ("Princess of Many Strokes") and limb independence. 1. Buena Vista, 2. CIDER ~Hard & Sweet~, 3. Dynamogenic 🇺🇸🎷Matrix is a critically acclaimed 1970s American jazz-fusion ensemble founded by keyboardist John Harmon in 1974 in Appleton, Wisconsin. Known for complex, tight brass-heavy arrangements and literary themes, they played major festivals like Monterey and Newport. 1. Tale of the Whale, 2. Wizard 🇺🇸🎷Herbie Mann was an innovative American jazz flautist and a pioneer of world music and jazz fusion. He popularized the flute in jazz, heavily featuring Afro-Cuban, Brazilian bossa nova, and funk influences throughout his prolific career. 1. Memphis Underground, 2. Muscle Shoals Nitty Gritty, 3. Impressions of the Middle East, 4. Stone Flute, 5. Do the Bossa Nova with Herbie Mann, 6. London Underground, 7. At the Village Gate (Live), 8. America/Brasil, 9. Flute, Brass, Vibes & Percussion, 10. Flute Soufflé 🇪🇸🎼🎷Guadalquivir was a pioneering Spanish jazz-fusion and progressive rock band formed in Seville, Andalusia, in 1978. Known as one of the most prominent jazz-fusion bands from Southern Spain, they became an essential part of the "Rock Andaluz" (Andalusian rock) movement, merging traditional Spanish flamenco with jazz-rock influences. 1. Camino del Concierto, 2. Guadalquivir 🇪🇸🎼🎷Iceberg was a prominent Spanish progressive rock and jazz fusion band from Barcelona, Catalonia, active between 1974 and 1979. The music is noted for its strong Latin and Spanish folk influences, complex time signatures, and high-energy, technically proficient performances. 1. Sentiments, 2. Coses Nostres, 4. Arc-En-Ciel, 4. Tutankhamon 🇺🇸🎷🎸The Fusion Syndicate is a jazz-rock fusion supergroup project formed in 2012 in Los Angeles, CA, conceived and led by multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer Billy Sherwood—best known for his work with the progressive rock band Yes. Unlike a traditional band, The Fusion Syndicate operates more as a rotating collective of elite musicians, brought together for studio recordings rather than live performances. The project emerged as a spiritual successor to Sherwood’s earlier Prog Collective, but with a focused shift toward jazz fusion and instrumental rock. 1. Beautiful Horizon, 2. A Speedway On Saturn’s Rings 🇧🇷🎷🪇Eumir Deodato is a renowned Brazilian pianist, composer, arranger, and record producer who became a pivotal figure in the jazz fusion and crossover jazz movements of the 1970s. He is primarily known for his eclectic melding of big band and combo jazz with elements of pop, rock, R&B, funk, classical, and Latin music, particularly bossa nova. 1. Prelude, 2. Deodato 2, 3. Night Cruiser, 4. Os Catedráticos 73, 5. Inútil Paisagem - As Maiores Composições De Antonio Carlos Jobim, 6. Donato Deodato 🇺🇸🎷🎸Tribal Tech is an American progressive jazz fusion band founded in 1984 by guitarist Scott Henderson and bassist Gary Willis. The group is widely recognized for its virtuosic instrumental prowess and significant influence on the modern fusion scene, blending elements of blues, jazz, and rock. Their music is characterized by complex polyrhythms, aggressive guitar tones, and elastic bass grooves, often pushing technical boundaries while maintaining a strong rhythmic drive. 1. Illicit, 2. Tribal Tech, 3. Nomad, 4. Face First, 5. Dr. Hee 🇺🇸🎷🎸Lee Ritenour A prolific session player and musical chameleon, a guitarist whose speed, facility, phrasing, and technique are always flawless. 1. Captain Fingers, 2. The Captain's Journey, 3. Larry & Lee, Alive in L.A., 4. This is Love 🇺🇸🎷Snarky Puppy Texas-based, multiple-Grammy-winning jam collective centered around bassist Michael League that fuses jazz, funk, and rock. 1. Empire Central, 2. Culcha Vulcha, 3. Immigrance, 4. Bring Us the Bright, 5. The World is Getting Smaller 🇯🇵🎷🎸Space Circus was a Japanese jazz-rock/fusion band from Osaka that released two studio albums in the late 1970s. The band’s style is characterized by precise musicianship, tight riffs, and blend of jazz fusion with Progressive rock elements. Their sound is often compared to Return to Forever (from whose song they took their name), Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Camel. 1. Fantastic Arrival, 2. Funky Caravan 🇺🇸🎷Chuck Mangione A talented and respected jazz trumpeter who achieved popular success with his melodic, uncluttered music. 1. Land of Make Believe, 2. Feels So Good, 3. Children of Sanchez 🇺🇸🎷Steps Ahead Its music combines advanced jazz, R&B, rock, and fusion and is frequently exciting. 1. Moder Times, 2. Steps Ahead, 3. Smokin’ in the Pit 🇬🇧🎸🎷Level 42 English band whose blend of smooth jazz, sophisticated pop, and funk topped the British charts during the 1980s and '90s. 1. The Early Tapes, 2. Level 42, 3. The Pursuit Of Accidents, 4. Standing In The Light 🇺🇸🎸🎷Norah Jones Pianist who sold millions with her beguiling vocals and a musical blend featuring jazz, traditional vocal pop, bluesy country, and contemporary folk. 1. Come Away with Me, 2. The Fall, 3. Feels like Home, 4. Day Breaks, 5. Foreverly, 6. Little Broken Hearts, 7. Visions, 8. Pick Me Up Off the Floor 🇺🇸🎙️🎷🪇🎤Melody Gardot Acclaimed vocalist, known for her dusky mix of jazz, Brazilian traditions, folk, and artful pop. 1. Worrisome Heart, 2. Sunset in the Blue, 3. Currency of Man, 4. My One and Only Thrill 🇷🇺🎸🪇Vespero From Russia playing psychedelic music in the beginnings and later Natalya Tjurina (vocals) joined, and the band moved into more progressive rock-related areas. 1. The Four Zoas, 2. Hollow Moon, 3. Shun-Shir, 4. Songo, 5. Rito, 6. Surpassing All Kings, 7. By The Waters Of Tomorrow, 8. Subkraut - U-Boats Willkommen Hier, 9. Droga, 10. Lique Mekwas 🇳🇴🎸Needlepoint Oslo-based Norwegian band founded in 2010 by guitarist/vocalist Bjørn Klakegg, blending 1970s progressive rock, jazz-rock, and psychedelic pop. Known for a Canterbury-scene sound, the group features seasoned musicians from the Nordic scene, including members of Elephant9 and Bigbang.1. Walking up That Valley, 2. Aimless Mary, 3. Remnants Of Light, 4. The Diary of Robert Reverie 🇵🇱🎸🎷SBB is one of the most important Polish bands of the seventies. SBB, rightfully listed in the eclectic progressive genre, mainly plays a hybrid of symphonic prog, space/atmospheric prog and fusion. 1. Memento z banalnym tryptykiem, 2. Pamięć, 3. SBB, 4. Ze Słowem Biegnę Do Ciebie, 5. Nowy Horyzont, 6. Follow My Dream, 7. Welcome, 8. The Rock 🇳🇴🎸🪈Popol Ace Having roots as far back as 1959 with The Scavers and later releasing a single Arman Stumpe Dur Express, this Norwegian quintet that released two albums under the Popol Vuh moniker (a Maya mythology-related name), until they became aware of a German band using the same name, they changed their names to Popol Ace 1. Popol Vuh, 2. Quiche Maya, 3. Stolen from Timex 🇩🇪🎸Versus X is a German progressive rock band from Frankfurt, formed in 1984 under the name "Vague Venture" before changing their name in 1991. The band plays symphonic and intricate progressive rock in the vein of 1970s classics like King Crimson, ELP, and Van der Graaf Generator, incorporating influences from classical music, heavy rock, and jazz-rock. Their style is characterized by lengthy songs with fantastic arrangements, grandiose pianos, obscure synths, and strong guitar riffs. 1. Primordial Ocean, 2. The Turbulent Zone, 3. Disturbance 🇺🇸🎸Jack O’ the Clock Acclaimed American avant-prog/folk band from Oakland, California, formed in 2007 by multi-instrumentalist Damon Waitkus and Nicci Reisnour, blending intricate folk songwriting with complex composition, exploring themes of modern life, nostalgia, and identity with a unique palette of instruments like bassoon, hammer dulcimer, and violin, creating a sound compared to Sufjan Stevensmeets Henry Cow. 1. How Are We Doing and Who Will Tell Us? 2. Night Loops, 3. All My Friends, 4. Repetitions of the old City I, 5. Repetitions of the old City II, 6. The Warm, Dark Circus, 7. Portraits 🇺🇸🪈Mannheim Steamroller Neoclassical pop group that became a commercial juggernaut with the Fresh Aire series and modernized takes on Christmas material. 1. Fresh Air III, 2. Fresh Air V, 3. Fresh Air I, 4. Fresh Air IV, 5. Fresh Air II, 6. Christmas 🇩🇪🎸🎻Anima-Sound was an avant-garde Krautrock duo from Germany, formed in 1969 by the married couple Paul and Limpe Fuchs. They are renowned for their radical, experimental approach that blended atonal sound structures, wordless vocalizations, and ritualistic percussion, creating a style often described as primitive acoustic improvisation or experimental modern classical. 1. Stürmischer Himmel, 2. Musik für Alle, 3. 1978 (feat. Limpe Fuchs & Paul Fuchs) 🇳🇱🎸Supersister was a Dutch progressive rock band formed in 1968, known for its unique sound that blended jazz, psychedelia, and the Canterbury scene. 1. To the Highest Bidder 2. Present from Nancy, 3. Pudding en Gisteren [Aka: Pudding & Yesterday] 🇳🇱🎸Ekseption In their eight-year existence, Ekseption came as close as any group from the European continent ever did to stealing the thunder of early classical rock outfits such as the Nice and rivaling the early work of Emerson, Lake & Palmer. 1. Trinity, 2. 3, 3. 00.004, 4. Bingo 🇬🇷🎸Aphrodite's Child Greek psych/prog band that gave birth to the career of keyboard wizard Vangelis. 1. 666, 2. End Of The World 🇬🇧🎸Uriah Heep British hard rockers with a revolving-door lineup and an eclectic sound that grandly draws on prog, metal, acid rock, and pastoral folk. 1. Demons and Wizards, 2. Look at Yourself, 3. Salisbury 🇨🇦🎸Harmonium was a highly successful French-Canadian folk-progressive rock band from Quebec, active in the 1970s. Formed in 1973 by Serge Fiori, Michel Normandeau, and Louis Valois, the band achieved both commercial and artistic success in French and English Canada by blending folk, rock, and jazz into innovative albums like their self-titled debut, Si on avait besoin d'une cinquième saison, and the concept album L'Heptade. 1. Les Cinq Saisons, 2. L'heptade XL, 3. Harmonium 🇦🇷🎸🪘Ave Rock The progressive sound of this group —full of rhythm changes and rich melodic treatments— was based on the virtuosity of Caló, Borda and Sainz. 1. Ave Rock, 2. Espacios 🇦🇺🎸Frozen Planet 1969 Australian instrumental psychedelic rock trio formed in 2012. The band is known for its improvisational, long-form "jamming" sessions, which have resulted in numerous albums released through their own Pepper Shaker Records and Headspin Records. 1. Not From 1969, 2. Lost Traveller Chronicles Vol. 2., 3. The Heavy Grand Explotion, 4. Cold Hand of a Gambling Man 🇧🇷🎸🪇🪘Gal Costa An artist of extraordinary range who became a Brazilian icon and the most illustrious female singer of the Tropicália movement. 1. Cantar, 2. Legal, 3. Gel Costa, 4. Índia 🇩🇪🎸🎷Kraan Among those German groups who include psychedelic, sometimes ethnic elements to their distinctive, innovative jazz rock. They were influenced by Pharaoh Sanders and Frank Zappa. 1. Kraan, 2. Let it Out, 3. Andy Nogger, 4. Wintrup, 5. Live 🇩🇪🎸La Düsseldorf was an influential German krautrock/art-rock band formed in 1975 by multi-instrumentalist Klaus Dinger following the breakup of Neu!. Consisting of Klaus Dinger, his brother Thomas Dinger, and Hans Lampe, the group combined melodic, hypnotic "motorik" beats with pop, electronic, and punk elements. 1. La Düsseldorf, 2. Viva 🇺🇸🎸Clown Core (stylized as ClownC0re) is an American experimental music duo from California, active since 2008. The group consists of two anonymous musicians who perform in clown masks and jumpsuits. While their identities are not officially confirmed, it is widely speculated that the members are Louis Cole (drums) and Sam Gendel (saxophone), both of whom are known for their work in other experimental projects like Knower. Their musical style is a chaotic and difficult-to-categorize fusion of grindcore, free jazz, electronic music, avant-garde metal, and breakbeat. 1. Van, 2. Toilet, 3. Clown Core 🇺🇸🎸Big Black was an influential noise rock and post-hardcore band founded in 1981 in Evanston, Illinois, by Steve Albini. The group was active until 1987, with a brief partial reunion in 2006, and is characterized by its abrasive, industrial-tinged sound and controversial, transgressive lyrical themes. 1. Atomizer, 2. Songs About Fucking 🇲🇽🎸🪇Chac Mool was a prominent Mexican progressive rock band formed in Mexico City in 1979, active until 1985. Led by Jorge Reyes and Carlos Alvarado, the band was known for its atmospheric sound that blended complex progressive rock with elements of pre-Hispanic music, jazz, and folk. 1. Nadie en Especial, 2. Sueños de Metal, 3. El Mensajero de los Dioses, 4. Chac Mool, 5. Cintas En Directo 🇬🇧🎸Argent Zombies keyboard maestro Rod Argent found a place to explore all of his musical notions and incorporated more classical, jazz, and art rock influences. 1. Nexus, 2. All Together Now, 3. Circus 🇨🇭🎸Brainticket The obscure late-'60s/early-'70s experimental/Krautrock outfit Brainticket originally formed in 1968, consisting of members from Swiss, German, and Italian descent. 1. Celestial Ocean, 2. Cottonwoodhill, 3. Psychonaut, 4. Adventure, 5. Voyage 🇬🇧🎷🎸🪇Osibisa is an Afro-rock band formed in London in 1969 by Ghanaian musicians Teddy Osei, Sol Amarfio, and Mac Tontoh. Their music is a fusion of African highlife, with rock, jazz, and funk, and they became one of the first African-heritage bands to achieve widespread international recognition. 1. Osibisa, 2. Boyaya 🇨🇱🎸🪇Los Jaivas This Chilean band offers one of the most interesting blends of folk and symphonic rock. 1. Los Jaivas 2. Alturas de Macchu Picchu 🇸🇪🎸🎷Janne Schaffer As one of the most prominent guitarists and session musicians in Sweden, Janne Schaffer has played with almost everyone at home, and quite a few important bands abroad. 1. Katharsis, 2. Janne Schaffer, 3. Earmeal 🇨🇦🎸🪇Maneige Their music is probably one of the best example of what Fusion music can be by blending in classical and folk elements together with jazz tones the whole thing having a very progressive rock ideal and could also fit the chamber rock style. 1. Les porches, 2. Maneige, 3. Ni Vent... Ni Nouvelle, 4. Libre Service - Self Service 🇩🇪🎸🎻📟Cluster has recorded many albums of ambitious, pre-ambient electronic music with gorgeous synth arrangements, a groovy tone and a constant sense of melody. 1. Cluster, 2. Cluster II, 3. Zuckerzeit, 4. Sowiesoso 🇺🇸🎷🎻🎹🎸Thank You Scientist A 21st century progressive rock septet that formed at Montclair State University in New Jersey. 1. Stranger Heads Prevail, 2. Maps of Non — Existent Places, 3. Terraformer 🇦🇷🎸🪘Aquelarre Argentinean progressive rock band Aquelarre got involved in the local music scene in March of 1972 while performing at a local venue, releasing a self-titled album that same year. 1. Aquelarre, 2. Brumas 🇦🇷🎸🪇 Crucis Their music is half instrumental/half with strong Spanish vocals and the emphasis is on the keyboards (organ, string-ensemble, synthesizers, Steinway - and Fender Rhodes piano), the rhythm-section sounds powerful and adventurous. 1. Los Delirios del Mariscal, 2. Crucis 🇬🇧🎸The Pop Group Politically motivated post-punk collective from Bristol, characterized by slicing guitars, primitive funk rhythms, and agit-prop lyrics. 1. Y, 2. For How Much Longer Do We Tolerate Mass Murder? 🇬🇧🎸Spirogyra Formed in Canterbury, England in 1970, Spirogyra was one of a group of young progressive folk bands signed to B&C Records at the same time as Steeleye Span. 1. St. Radigunds, 2. Old Boot Wine 🇫🇷🎸Clearlight is a project by French song-writer and composer Cyrille "CLearlight" Verdeaux, with a blend of classical romanticism and prog-rock experimentation. 1. Clearlight Symphony, 2. Forever Blowing Bubbles, 3. Impressionist Symphony, 4. Infinite Symphony, 5. Symphony II, 6. Les Contes Du Singe Fou 🇧🇪🎸🪇 Aksak Maboul is a Belgian avant-rock band founded in 1977 by Marc Hollander and Vincent Kenis. Known for their eclectic and experimental music, the band has explored diverse styles, including post-punk, free jazz, electronic music, and traditional folk. 1. Un peu de l'âme des bandits, 2. Onze Danses Pour Combattre La Migraine 🇬🇧🎸Steamhammer pioneering British blues-rock band formed in Worthing, England, in 1968, known for blending blues with progressive rock, jazz, and folk elements. 1. MK II, 2. Mountains, 3. Reflection 🇺🇸🎸This Will Destroy You Texas quartet makes sprawling, experimental instrumental rock influenced by shoegaze, ambient, and doom metal. 1. Young Mountain, 2. Another Language, 3. This Will Destroy You, 4. Tunnel Blanket, 5. S/T 🇬🇧🎸Fruupp One of the hardest-working progressive bands to end up languishing in relative obscurity, Fruupp was begun in 1971 by guitarist Vince McCusker. 1. Future Legends, 2. Seven Secrets, 3. Modern Masquerades 🇺🇸🎸Styx The rare art rock band with commercial success, capable of producing monster hits with stadium rock, sweeping power ballads, and concept albums. 1. The Grand Illusion, 2. Pieces of Eight 🇨🇿🎷🎸 🎬Jan Hammer Pioneering Czech jazz fusion keyboardist best known for his television scores. 1. Timeless, 2. Oh, Yeah? 3. The First Seven Days, 4. Malma Mainly 🇮🇸🎸Sigur Rós Pioneering Icelandic post-rockers whose uniquely dreamlike, slow-motion sound is popular with shoegazers and filmmakers. 1. Ágætis Byrjun, 2. (), 3. Takk… 🇨🇦🎸Sloche was a seminal Québécois progressive rock band formed around 1971 in the Chicoutimi region, known for blending jazz-rock, symphonic prog, and funk. Active during the mid-70s, they released two acclaimed albums—J'un Oeil (1975) and Stadaconé (1976)—before disbanding. 1. Stadacone, 2. J'un œil 🇨🇦🎸🎷Lighthouse is a renowned Canadian "rock orchestra" formed in 1969 in Toronto by Skip Prokop and Paul Hoffert, blending rock, jazz, and classical elements. 1. One Fine Morning, 2. Suite Feeling, 3. Thoughts of Movin’ On 🇸🇪🎸Hällas is a Swedish "adventure rock" band formed in 2011 in Jönköping, known for blending 1970s progressive rock, hard rock, and folk with 1980s heavy metal. They are famous for conceptual, fantasy-driven lyrics and a melodic, synth-heavy sound. 1. Conundrum, 2. Panorama, 3. Excerpts From a Future Past, 4. Isle of Wisdom 🇮🇸🎼🎸📟Björk Iconic Icelander whose unique sonic adventurousness has extended to pop, jazz, electronica, and beyond. 1. Vespertine, 2. Homogenic, 3. Post, 4. Debut, 5. Vulnicura, 6. Medúlla 🇦🇺🎸🪈Dead Can Dance Project that combines elements of European folk music, particularly the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, with ambient pop and worldbeat. 1. Within the realm of a Dying Sun, 2. The Serpent’s Egg, 3. Into the Labyrinth, 4. Spleen and Ideal, 5. Anastasis, 6. Dionysus 🇳🇴 🎸Leprous is a Norwegian progressive metal/rock band formed in 2001 in Notodden by vocalist/keyboardist Einar Solberg and guitarist Tor Oddmund Suhrke. Known for a complex, emotional, and evolving style, they moved from progressive metal to an experimental art rock sound featuring clean vocals, synths, and orchestral elements. 1. Tall Poppy Syndrome, 2. Coal, 3. Malina, 4. Bilateral, 5. Pitfalls, 6. The Congregation 🇬🇧🎸Zopp is a Nottingham, UK-based progressive rock project formed around 2010 by multi-instrumentalist and composer Ryan Stevenson. Known for a modern revival of the 1970s "Canterbury Scene" sound—fusing fuzz organs, complex time signatures, and catchy melodies—they are often labeled as neo-Canterbury. 1. Dominion, 2. Zoop 🇺🇸🎸Planet P Project is a science-fiction-themed progressive and space rock project led by American keyboardist and composer Tony Carey, formerly of the band Rainbow. Carey adopted this pseudonym to distinguish his experimental, synthesizer-driven work from his mainstream pop-rock solo releases. The project is heavily influenced by Pink Floyd and features dystopian narratives, interstellar isolation, and Cold War paranoia, with the name inspired by the fictional "Planet P" in Robert A. Heinlein's Starship Troopers. 1. Planet P Project, 2. Pink World 🇮🇹🎸Nuova Idea was a Rock Progressivo Italiano (RPI) band formed in Genoa, Italy, in 1969 and disbanded in 1973. They originated from the beat group Plep and are recognized for their evolution from beat-oriented music to complex symphonic and psychedelic progressive rock, characterized by predominant keyboards, choir-like vocals, and vibrating guitar solos. 1. Clowns, 2. Mr. E. Jones, 3. In the Beginning 🇦🇷🎸Arco Iris was a pioneering Argentine rock band formed in 1968 in El Palomar, Buenos Aires. The band's musical style evolved from early pop-rock and beat influences to a distinctive folk-rock fusion, characterized by Santaolalla's electric guitar work and the use of native instruments. Their mid-70s output, particularly the double rock opera "Sudamérica o el Regreso a la Aurora" (1972) and the symphonic progressive album "Agitor Lucens V" (1975), showcased complex arrangements blending jazz, blues, and Latin rhythms. Following Santaolalla's departure in 1975, the remaining members shifted toward jazz-rock and new-age music after relocating to California in 1978. 1. Sudamérica o el Regreso a la Aurora, 2. Los Elementales (Fuerzas Magicas de la Naturaleza), 3. Agitor Lucens V, 4. Arco Iris - Cronología I, 5. Inti Raymi 🇬🇧🇺🇸🇸🇪🎸Transatlantic Prog rock supergroup featuring members of Dream Theater, Spock's Beard, Marillion, and the Flower Kings 1. Bridge Across Forever, 2. SMPT E, 3. The Whirlwind, 4. The Absolute Universe: Forevermore, 5. Kaleidoscope, 6. The Absolute Universe: The Breath Of Life (Abridged Version) 🇬🇧🎸Haken English band whose original prog-metal sound has evolved into a kaleidoscopic swirl of prog-rock, electronic pop, and anthemic rock. 1. The Mountain, 2. Visions, 3. Aquarius 4. Affinity, 5. Fauna, 6. Vector, 7. Virus 🇺🇸🎸Deluge Grander is a progressive rock band formed in Baltimore, Maryland, in 2005 by Dan Britton, who also leads projects like Birds and Buildings. The band, a successor to Britton's previous project, Cerebus Effect, was founded with drummer Patrick Gaffney to perform Britton's complex compositions. Early lineups included guitarists Dave Berggren and bassists Brett d'Anon, and their music is characterized by intricate, symphonic progressive. 1. August in the Urals, 2. The Form of the Good, 3. Oceanarium, 4. Heliotians 🇩🇪🎸📟🎻🎬🪈Tangerine Dream Innovative Berlin group whose pioneering synthesizer and sequencer work helped found the new age of popular ambient and electronica. 1. Rubycon, 2. Phaedra, 3. Stratosfear, 4. Force Majeure, 5. Tangram, 6. Exit, 7. Encore, 8. Logos, 9. White Eagle, 10. Hyperborea 🇬🇧🎸Ozric Tentacles British neo-psychedelic jam band who bridged the gap between techno and space rock in the 1980s and '90s 1. Erpland, 2. Strangeitude, 3. Jurassic Shift, 4. Arborescence, 5. Pungent Effulgent, 6. Curious Corn, 7. The Hidden Step, 8. Lotus Unfolding, 9. Spirals in Hyperspace, 8. Technicians of the Sacred, 10. Space for the Earth 🇺🇸🎸Dream Theater Standard-bearing American progressive metal standard bearers who have influenced the entire genre with their impeccable musicianship and recordings. 1. Awake 2. Images and Words, 3. A Dramatic Turn of Events, 4. Metropolis, Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory, 5. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, 6. Train of Thought, 7. Octavarium, 8. Distance Over Time, 9. A View from the Top of the World, 10. Black Clouds & Silver Linings 🇩🇪🎸📟Klaus Schulze German electronic music pioneer and a central figure in the development of progressive electronic, Krautrock, and "Berlin School" ambient music. As a composer, drummer, and synthesizer virtuoso, his career spanned over six decades and 60+ solo albums, often characterized by long, hypnotic, and symphonic soundscapes that bridged experimentalism with a reflective, dreamy aesthetic. 1. Mirage, 2. Timewind, 3, “X” 🇺🇸🎼🎸Queensrÿche Seattle quintet who constructed a progressive form of heavy metal drawing equally from guitar pyrotechnics and art rock. 1. Operation: Mindcrime, 2. Empire, 3. Rage For Order, 4. The Warning, 5. Promised Land 🇺🇸🎸🎬Explosions in the Sky Austin-based instrumental post-rock quartet known for moody, cinematic compositions as well as film and television scores. 1. The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place, 2. Take Care, Take Care, Take Care, 3. All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone, 4. The Wilderness 🇺🇸🎸Pain of Salvation has evolved from a Dream Theater-inspired, technical metal band into a stylized, syncopated fusion powerhouse. 1. Remedy Lane, 2. The Perfect Element, Pt. I, 3. Entropia, 4. One Hour By The Concrete Lake, 5. “BE” 🇬🇧🎸Big Big Train Veteran British ensemble blends progressive rock and thoughtful pop melodicism. 1. English Electric, Pt. One, 2. English Electric, Pt. Two, 3. The Underfall Yard, 4. Folklore, 5. Grimspound, 6. Grand Tour, 7. Common Ground, 8. Welcome to the Planet, 9. Ingenious Device, 10. The Likes of Us 🇺🇸🎸Magellan was an American progressive rock/metal duo formed in 1985 in San Francisco, California, by brothers Trent Gardner (vocals, keyboards) and Wayne Gardner (guitar, bass). The band is distinct for never employing permanent drummers, instead relying on programmed drum tracks in their early work before collaborating with guest musicians like Ian Anderson and Tony Levin. Their sound heavily draws from 1970s pioneers such as Yes, Genesis, and Kansas, blending classic symphonic prog with neo-progressive melodies and progressive metal aggression. 1. Impending Ascension, 2. Tests of Wills, 3. Hundred Years of Flood, 4. Hour of Restoration 🇬🇧🎸I.Q. Prolific British progressive rock band active since the early '80s. 1. The Road of Bones, 2. Ever, 3. Subterranea, 4. The Wake, 5. The Seventh House, 6. Tales from the Lush Attic, 7. Dark Matter, 8. Frequency, 9. Resistance 🇸🇪🎸The Flower Kings Longstanding, innovative prog rock band from Sweden led by guitarist and composer Roine Stolt. 1. Banks of Eden, 2. Back in the World of Adventures, 3. Flower Power, 4. Desolation Rose, 5. Stardust We Are, 6. Retropolis, 7. Space Revolver, 8. Unfold the Future, 9. Paradox Hotel, 10. Islands 🇺🇸🎸Spock’s Beard Los Angeles neo-progressive rock band known for its catchy songwriting and technical playing style. 1. Snow, 2. The Light, 3. V, 4. Beware of Darkness, 5. Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep, 6. The Oblivion Particle, 7. X, 8. Noise Floor 🇸🇪🎸Beardfish Swedish progressive rock band celebrated for their technical prowess and muscular interpretation of the genre. 1. Sleeping In Traffic, Pt. 2, 2. Sleeping In Traffic, Pt. 1, 3. +4626-Comfortzone, 4. Destined Solitaire, 5, Mammoth, 6. Songs for Beating Hearts, 7. The Void 🇺🇸🎸Flying Colors Progressive rock supergroup featuring former members of Dream Theater, the Dixie Dregs, and Spock's Beard. 1. Second Nature, 2. Third Degree, 3. Five Colors 🇬🇧🎸Be Bop Deluxe British band of the mid-'70s, led by talented guitarist Bill Nelson, that balanced art rock and glam, proving a heavy influence on new wave. 1. Modern Music, 2. Sunburst Finish, 3. Futurama 🇭🇺🎸Solaris Hungarian progressive rock band Solaris got its start in 1980. They took their name, and the content of all their songs, from classic science fiction. 1. Martian Chronicles, 2. Martian Chronicles II, 3. 1990 🇬🇧🎸Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come This UK band was formed in 1971 by the eccentric Arthur Brown a vocalist who had achieved momentary commercial fame three years earlier with his memorable single, "Fire." Considered one of the prime movers behind the British progressive underground, Brown's flamboyant stage act - flaming helmet, outlandish costumes, bizarre facial make-up and crazy, incendiary vocals - appropriately suited the band's manic, psychedelic sound. 1. Galactic Zoo Dossier, 2. Journey 🇬🇧🎸The Edgar Broughton Band British blues-rock and psychedelic band formed in Warwick in 1968, known for their gritty, heavy sound and countercultural, anti-establishment ethos. Often compared to Captain Beefheart, the trio (later a quartet) was popular for their high-energy live performances and the 1970 hit single "Out Demons Out". 1. Wasa Wasa, 2. Sing Brother Sing, 3. Rings of Earthly Light 🇺🇸🎸Maudlin of the Well (stylized as maudlin of the Well or motW) was a Boston-based avant-garde metal band (1996–2003) founded by Toby Driver and Jason Byron. Known for blending death/doom metal with progressive rock, jazz, and chamber music, their music and lyrics focused on astral projection and lucid dreaming. 1. Part the Second, 2. “Bath”, 3. Leaving Your Body Map 🇺🇸🎸Astra is a progressive psychedelic space rock band from San Diego, California, formed in 2001 under the name Silver Sunshine before rebranding in 2006. The band is known for its 1970s retro style, utilizing extensive analog equipment such as Mellotrons, Moog synthesizers, Hammond organs, and echoplexes to create long, jam-based compositions that blend heavy rock with symphonic elements. 1. The Weirding, 2. The Black Chord 🇦🇺🎸🪇 King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Australian psychedelic collective with an intense work ethic and a wildly experimental outlook that reaches from synth prog to folk-rock. 1. Polygondwanaland, 2. Flying Microtonal Banana, 3. Nonagon Infinity, 4. I'm In Your Mind Fuzz, 5. Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms And Lava, 6. Changes 🇨🇭🎸Krokodil was a pioneering Swiss progressive/psychedelic rock band formed in 1969 by drummer Düde Dürst and pianist Hardy Hepp, blending blues-rock with Eastern, ethnic, and folk influences. 1. An Invisible World Revealed, 2. Krokodil, 3. Swamp, 4. Getting Up For The Morning, 5. Sweat and Swim 🇮🇪🎤🪇🪈Clannad Irish family band who debuted with traditional instruments and Gaelic vocals, then enjoyed global success by bridging folk, rock, and new age. 1. Dúlamán, 2. Clannad 2 🇺🇸🎸Yezda Urfa was an American progressive rock band formed in 1973 that gained a cult following for its technically complex, quirky, and humor-filled music, influenced by bands like Yes and Gentle Giant. 1. Boris, 2. Sacred Baboon 🇺🇸🎻📟🎷🎹Terry Riley Widely influential Californian composer who pioneered the use of tape loops and delay/feedback systems. 1. A Rainbow In Curved Air, 2. Church of Anthrax, 3. In C, 4. Persian Surgery Dervishes, 5. Atlantis Nath, 6. In C/Djembé 🇩🇪🎸Jeronimo was a German heavy blues rock/krautrock band active between 1969 and 1972, known for hits like "Heya" and "Na Na Hey Hey". Founded in 1969 by Rainer Marz, Gunnar Schäfer, and Ringo Funk, the power trio blended heavy guitar riffs with progressive elements, touring with Steppenwolf and playing festivals with Deep Purple. 1. Jeronimo, 2. Time Ride, 3. Cosmic Blues 🇺🇸🎸Metallica California metal band whose aggressive yet melodic style made them one of the most popular bands of all time. 1. …And Justice for All, 2. Master of Puppets, 3. Kill 'Em All, 4. Metallica 5. Ride the Lightning 🇺🇸🎸Megadeth One of the most popular and important thrash metal bands, led by Dave Mustaine, with strong social and political messages throughout their music. 1. Rust In Peace, 2. Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? 3. Countdown to Extinction, 4. Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good! 5. So Far, So Good... So What! 🇬🇧🎸Mott the Hoople British hard rock band whose mix of glam, metal, and attitude was bolstered by Ian Hunter's strong, thoughtful songwriting. 1. The Hoople, 2. All the Young Dudes, 3. Mott 🇺🇸🎸Cinderella was a prominent American rock band from the Philadelphia suburbs that rose to fame in the mid-1980s Initially categorized as a glam/hair metal act due to their image and debut sound, they later evolved into a rootsy blues rock style that set them apart from their contemporaries. 1. Long Cold Winter, 2. Night Songs, 3. Heartbreak Station, 4. Still Climbing 🇺🇸🎸Ratt Aqua-netted glam metal band from the 1980s, who infused their brand of hard rock with serious pop hooks. 1. Invasion of Privacy, 2. Out of the Cellar, 3. Detonator, 4. Dancing Undercover, 5. Reach for the Sky, 6. Tell the World: The Very Best of Ratt Remastered, (Over the Edge), 7. Ratt 🇺🇸🎸Tesla Blues-based hard rock band marked by smart songwriting who rose to fame during the Hair Metal boom of the 1980s and '90s.1. The Great Radio Controversy, 2. Mechanical Resonance, 3. Psychotic Supper, 4. Bust a Nut, (Signs (Live at the Trocadero)) 🇺🇸🎸Guns N’ Roses Best and most influential hard rockers of the 1980s and '90s, a straight-ahead guitar boogie band that often displayed a surprising musical diversity. 1. Appetite for Destruction, 2. Use Your Illusion II, 3. G N' R Lies, 4. Use Your Illusion I 🇺🇸🎸Mötley Crüe Joyously sleazy and stupid, they became one of the top heavy metal bands of the '80s, but garnered more headlines for their infamous antics. 1. Dr. Feelgood, 2. Shout at the Devil, 3. Girls, Girls, Girls, 4. Theatre of Pain, 5. Too Fast for Love 🇦🇺🎸AC/DC One of the defining acts of '70s hard rock, driven by the bazooka roar of the Young brothers' twin guitars and Bon Scott's snarling vocals. 1. Back in Black, 2. Highway to Hell, 3. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, 4. Let There Be Rock, 5. High Voltage, 6. Powerage, 7. If You Want Blood You've Got It, 8. The Razors of Edge, 9. Live, 10. For Those About to Rock. (Special Mention: Ballbreaker, Flick the Switch, Fly On the Wall, Blow Your Video) 🇩🇪🎸Scorpions German band who blew in with the first wave of '70s heavy metal, then stuck around for decades while unleashing many a classic anthem. 1. Taken by Force, 2. Lovedrive, 3. Love at First Sting, 4. In Trance, 5. Blackout, 6. Crazy World, 7. Virgin Killer, 8. Lonesome Crow, 9. Fly to the Rainbow 🇺🇸🎸Poison the definitive hair band of the '80s, with a long string of pop-metal hits to go along with their highly visual approach to rock & roll. 1. Look What the Cat Dragged In, 2. Open Up and Say... Ahh!, 3. Flesh & Blood, 4. Native Tongue 🇺🇸🎸Overkill An integral part of the early-'80s thrash metal movement that spawned acts like Metallica and Anthrax. 1. Horrorscope, 2. The Years of Decay, 3. Taking Over, 4. Feel the Fire, 5. Under the Influence 🇺🇸🎸Meat Loaf A one-man rock opera responsible for such epics as "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" and "I Would Do Anything for Love." 1. Bat Out of Hell I, 2. Bat Out of Hell II 🇺🇸🎸Anthrax Combining the speed and fury of hardcore punk with the prominent guitars and vocals of heavy metal, they helped create a new subgenre of heavy metal on their early albums. 1. Among the Living, 2. Speeding the Disease, 3. Persistence of Time 🇬🇧🎸Rainbow Early metal heroes led by Deep Purple's guitar virtuoso Ritchie Blackmore and charismatic singer Ronnie James Dio. 1. Rising, 2. Long Live Rock 'n' Roll, 3. Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow 🇺🇸🎸DIO Classic heavy metal band formed by Ronnie James Dio, headbanging icon and perennial frontman (Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath). 1. The Last in Line, 2. Dream Evil, 3. Magica, 4. Holy Diver, 5. Strange Highways 🇺🇸🎸Sleep Northern California pioneers of stoner rock and doom metal who chose to disband rather than compromise their aesthetic with their label. 1. Dopesmoker, 2. Sleep's Holy Mountain, 3. The Sciences 🇩🇪🎸Sodom One of German thrash's Big Three, and a pioneer of early death metal. 1. Persecution Mania, 2. Agent Orange, 3. Tapping the Vein, 4. M-16 🇺🇸🎸W.A.S.P. L.A. metal outfit who rose to infamy in the 1980s thanks to their shock rock image, lyrics, and outrageous live concerts. 1. The Headless Children, 2. W.A.S.P., 3. The Crimson Idol, 4. The Last Command, 5. Inside the Electric Circus 🇺🇸🎸Dokken Los Angeles-based heavy metal band with an intimate fusion of hard rock, melody and atmospherics. 1. Under Lock and Key, 2. Tooth and Nail, 3. Back for the Attack 🇺🇸🎸🎷Joe Satriani One of the great guitarists of the '80s, a rare shredder whose popularity crossed over from six-string obsessives and into the mainstream. 1. Surfing with the Alien, 2. Time Machine, Vol. 1, 3. Flying In a Blue Dream, 4. The Extremist, 5. Strange Beautiful Music, 6. Crystal Planet 🇺🇸🎸🎷Steve Vai Fleet-fingered guitar hero who worked with Frank Zappa, David Lee Roth, and Whitesnake as well as recording solo. 1. Passion and Warfare, 2. Flex-Able, 3. The Ultra Zone, 4. Fire Garden, 5. Alien Love Secrets 🇺🇸🎼🎸Mr. Bungle Free-form rock radicals (sounds of funk, death metal, ska, video games, carnivals) who provided the first experience (and later, a side project) for Faith No More's Mike Patton. 1. Mr. Bungle. 2. Disco Volante, 3. California, 4. The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo 🇸🇪🎸In Flames is a Swedish heavy metal band formed in 1990 in Gothenburg by guitarist Jesper Strömblad. Alongside At the Gates and Dark Tranquillity, they are credited as pioneers of the melodic death metal genre, often referred to as the "Gothenburg sound," which blends the brutality of traditional death metal with melodic guitar harmonies and keyboard elements. 1. The Jester Race, 2. Colony, 3. Whoracle 🇺🇸🎸Van Halen One of the best and most popular American hard rock/heavy metal bands, primarily distinguished by the fleet fingers of guitarist Eddie 1. Van Halen, 2. 1984, 3. Woman and Children First, 4. Van Halen II, 5. Fair Warning, 6. Diver Down, 7. 5150 🇺🇸🎸Britny Fox American glam/hair metal band from the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. They emerged as part of the late-1980s hard rock scene, known for their flashy style, big hair, and energetic anthems reminiscent of bands like Cinderella (with whom they shared early connections). 1. Britny Fox, 2. Boys in Heat, 3. Bite Down Hard 🇫🇮🎸Dark Buddha Rising Finnish psychedelic sludge/doom metal band formed in 2007 in Laitila by Vesa Ajomo, Jukka Rämänen, and Petri Rämänen. Known for their occult themes and long, droning, ritualistic compositions. 1. Ritual Ix, 2. Mathreyata, 3. Entheomorphosis, 4. Inversum, 5. Dakhmandal 🇬🇧🎸The Groundhogs influential English blues-rock band formed in London in late 1963. They are known for transitioning from traditional blues to a more progressive, heavy rock sound while maintaining a "power trio" format. 1. Thank Christ for the Bomb, 2. Split, 3. Blues Obituary, 4. Who Will Save the World? The Mighty Groundhogs, 5. Hogwash 🇬🇧🎸Humble Pie was an English hard rock band formed in 1969 by Steve Marriott (ex-Small Faces), Peter Frampton (ex-The Herd), Greg Ridley (ex-Spooky Tooth), and Jerry Shirley (ex-Apostolic Intervention). The group’s music style was a powerful fusion of blues rock, hard rock, and soul, characterized by raw energy, heavy guitar riffs, and Marriott’s distinctive, powerful vocals. 1. Smokin', 2. Rock On, 3. Humble Pie, 4. As Safe As Yesterday Is, 5. Town And Country 🇬🇧🎸Napalm Death Groundbreaking British grindcore band who pushed heavy metal into new levels of extremity and intensity. 1. Scum, 2. Enemy of the Music Business, 3. From Enslavement to Obliteration, 4. Harmony Corruption, 5. Utopia Banished, 6. Fear, Emptiness, Despair, 7. Apex Predator - Easy Meat 🇺🇸🎸Faster Pussycats American hard rock/sleaze glam metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1985 by vocalist Taime Downe and guitarist Brent Muscat. Famous for hits like "Bathroom Wall" and "House of Pain," the band sold over two million records, bridging glam and punk with a gritty, Hollywood Sunset Strip style. 1. Faster Pussycat, 2. Wake Me When It's Over, 3. Whipped 🇺🇸🎸Mastodon One of the most acclaimed metal bands of the new millennium, with an innovative, lyrically astute blend of progressive metal, grindcore, and hardcore. 1. Crack the Sky, 2. Leviathan, 3. Blood Mountain, 4. The Hunter, 5. Once More ‘Round the Sun, 6. Emperor of Sand 🇺🇸🎸Ancestors L.A.'s suitably named Ancestors are conversant with all manner of "classic" hard rock and heavy metal influences, ranging from the primordial doom of Black Sabbath, to the futuristic space rock of Hawkwind, 1. Of Sound Mind, 2. In Dreams and Time 🇨🇦🎸Max Webster Toronto's Max Webster blended metal, prog, and rock elements into a genre-defying blend that won the group a cult following in the mid- to late '70s. 1. High Class in borrowed Shoes, 2. A Million Vacations, 3. Mutiny Up My Sleeve, 4. Max Webster 🇺🇸🎼🎸The Chocolate Watchband formed in 1965 in Los Altos, California, was a premier 1960s American garage/psychedelic rock band known for a gritty sound often compared to the Rolling Stones. Led by vocalist David Aguilar and guitarist Mark Loomis, the group blended rebellious garage rock with psychedelic experimentation. 1. Inner Mystique, 2. No Way Out 🇨🇭🎼🎸Toad was a Swiss hard rock and blues-rock band formed in Basel, Switzerland, in 1970. Known for their heavy, fuzz-laden guitar sound and high-energy live performances, they were a significant, albeit often overlooked, force in the early 1970s European rock scene, influencing later Swiss bands like Krokus and Celtic Frost. 1. Toad, 2. Tomorrow Blue 🇺🇸🎼🎸Fever Tree was a Houston-based late-1960s psychedelic rock band known for their 1968 hit "San Francisco Girls (Return of the Native)". Formed in 1966 from The Bostwick Vines, the group blended rock with baroque pop and blues, releasing four albums before disbanding in 1970. Their sound featured dramatic vocals, heavy fuzz guitar, and orchestral arrangements. 1. Another Time, Another Place, 2. Fever Tree 🇺🇸🎼🎸The Fallen Angels The band was known for its psychedelic sound, featuring sitar, horns, and experimental, often cynical lyrics that mirrored the era's counterculture attitudes. 1. It's a Long Way Down, 2. The Fallen Angels 🇺🇸🎼🎸Ultimate Spinach Short-lived psychedelic/acid rock band who were one of the most successful acts associated with the Bosstown Sound of the late '60s. 1. Ultimate Spinach, 2. Behold and See 🇬🇧🎸Arena is a British neo-progressive rock band formed in 1995 in Virginia Water, Surrey, by drummer Mick Pointer (a founding member of Marillion) and keyboardist Clive Nolan (known for his work with Pendragon and Shadowland). The band is characterized by its supergroup-like lineup, intricate compositions, and consistent output of concept albums that blend symphonic prog elements with hard rock and progressive metal influences. 1. The Theory of Molecular Inheritance, 2. Contagion, 3. The Visitor, 4. Inmortal? 5. Songs From the Lions Cage 🇪🇸🎸Bloque was a prominent Spanish progressive rock band formed in 1973 in Torrelavega, Cantabria, known for their sophisticated blend of symphonic rock, hard rock, and jazz-rock elements. The band’s musical style is characterized by dual-guitar harmonies, complex multi-part compositions, and a hybrid of regional Spanish rock sensibilities with sweeping symphonic textures. 1. Bloque, 2. El Hijo del Alba, 3. Hombre, Tierra, Alba 🇸🇪🎸Edge of Sanity Swedish extreme metal band which was among the first to fuse death and black metal with progressive rock. 1. Purgatory Afterglow 2. The Spectral Sorrows 3. Crimson 🇺🇸🎼🎸Deftones Alternative metal quintet who evolved beyond the nu-metal era with a dynamic blend of beauty and brutality. 1. White Pony, 2. Koi no yokan, 3. Around the Fur, 4. Diamond Eyes, 5. Saturday Night Wrist 🇬🇧🎸Squid are a critically acclaimed English post-punk/art-rock band formed in Brighton in 2016, known for their frantic, genre-blending sound featuring brass, synths, and intricate rhythms. Described as post-punk, art-rock, and krautrock-influenced, featuring "half-yelped, half-sung" vocals, angular guitars, and experimental instrumentation. 1. Bright Green Field, 2. Cowards, 3. O Monolith 🇷🇺🎸The Gourishankar is a Russian progressive rock band formed in 2002 in Syktyvkar, known for blending classic retro-prog with experimental, modern touches. Renowned for technical proficiency, they released acclaimed albums Close Grip (2003) and 2nd Hands (2007), often featuring complex instrumentation, melodic depth, and eclectic influences, gaining recognition in the early 2000s prog scene. 1. 2nd Hands, 2. Close Grips 🇬🇧🎸Mandalaband is a British progressive rock band formed in 1974 by composer and producer David Rohl, known for concept albums featuring revolving all-star lineups. Their 1975 debut and the 1978 space-fantasy epic The Eye of Wendor: Prophecies (featuring members of 10cc and The Moody Blues) are highly regarded in prog circles. 1. Mandalaband, 2. The Eye of Wendor: Prophecies 🇮🇹🎸Blacksmith Tales is an Italian progressive rock/metal band formed around the musical vision of multi-instrumentalist David Del Fabro, with roots in the 1990s. The group is known for conceptual, melodic, and symphonic prog, blending vintage keyboards (Hammond, Mellotron) with modern heavy metal, folk, and classical influences. 1. Pathway to Hamlet’s Mill, 2. The Dark Presence 🇬🇧🎸Jade Warrior British progressive rock band formed in 1970 by Tony Duhig (guitar), Jon Field (flute/percussion), and Glyn Havard (vocals/bass), known for blending rock with folk, jazz, and world music influences. Emerging from the band July, they developed a distinct sound featuring soft/loud contrasts and ethereal, atmospheric textures. 1. Last Autumn's Dream, 2. Floating Worlds, 3. Released, 4. Waves, 5. Jade Warrior 🇺🇸🎼🎸Strawberry Alarm Clock is a renowned 1960s American psychedelic rock band from Glendale, California, best known for their 1967 #1 hit, "Incense and Peppermints". Formed in 1966 as Thee Sixpence, they quickly pivoted from garage rock to a signature psychedelic sound. 1. Wake Up...It's Tomorrow, 2. Incense & Peppermints 🇸🇪🎸Candlemass Swedish quintet whose dirge-like, sustain-laden guitar riffing made them pioneers of the doom metal genre. 1. Nightfall, 2. Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, 3. Ancient Dreams, 4. Tales of Creation, 5. Candlemass, 6. Death Magic Doom, 7. King of the Grey Islands 🇺🇸🎸Sacred Reich is an influential American thrash metal band formed in 1985 in Phoenix, Arizona, known for socially conscious, political lyrics and fast-paced music. 1. Ignorance, 2. The American Way, 3. Surf Nicaragua 🇺🇸🎸Nuclear Assault were among thrash metal's most socially aware groups, making room for serious subject matter (and occasional goofs) in their careening speed metal riffing. 1. Handle with Care, 2. Game Over 🇩🇪🎸Helloween Innovative German group whose vision of high-speed power metal made them one of the prime European rock bands to emerge in the '80s. 1. Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II, 2. Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I, 3. Walls of Jericho, 4. The Time of the Oath, 5. The Dark Ride 🇬🇧🎸Heads, Hands and Feet Their self-titled debut album, populated with guests from the folk and singer/songwriter scenes, was released as a double record in the U.S., but only as a single album in Europe. The record was very well regarded, with Lee's guitar work garnering attention. 1. Heads, Hands and Feet, 2. Tracks 🇳🇱🎸Golden Earring Boogie rock legends in their Dutch homeland, and worldwide hitmakers with 1973's "Radar Love" and 1982's "Twilight Zone." 1. Moontan, 2. Golden Earring [Aka: Wall of Dolls], 3. Eight Miles High, 4. Seven Tears 🇬🇧🎸Queen Larger-than-life British arena-glam rockers who mastered the art of the pop single, led by the incomparable Freddie Mercury. 1. A Night At The Opera, 2. Queen II, 3. Sheer Heart Attack, 4. A Day At The Races, 5. Queen, 6. Jazz, 7. News of the World, 8. The Game 🇺🇸🎸Aerosmith Boston quintet that epitomized '70s sleaze, but then had a remarkably sober comeback in the '80s that eclipsed their down-and-dirty heyday. 1. Toys in the Attic, 2. Rocks, 3. Pump, 4. Get Your Wings, 5. Permanent Vacation, 6. Aerosmith, 7. Draw the Line, 8. Get a Grip 🇺🇸🎸Bon Jovi One of rock's biggest acts, they bridged the gap between heavy metal and pop with style and ease, remaining consistently popular for decades.1. New Jersey, 2. Slippery When Wet, 3. Keep the Faith, 4. Bon Jovi, 5. 7800° Fahrenheit 🇺🇸🎸Skid Row One of the very last pop-metal bands to hit the mainstream before grunge took over in the early '90s. 1. Skid Row, 2. Slave to the Grind 🇬🇧🎸Def Leppard Stadium rock perennials whose catchy, guitar-driven, power pop/rock was one of the most imitated styles of the '80s. 1. Pyromania, 2. Hysteria, 3. High 'N' Dry 🇩🇪🎸Accept One of Germany's earliest and best speed metal bands, their brutal riffs and aggressive tempos exemplified on the 1983 smash "Balls to the Wall." 1. Balls to the Wall, 2. Restless and 3. Wild, Metal Heart, 4. Breaker, 5. Russian Roulette 🇺🇸🎸Whitesnake Hard rock hitmakers, led by David Coverdale, who combined brutal, powerful hard rock and chart-topping power ballads. 1. Whitesnake, 2. Ready an' Willing, 3. Slide It In, 4. Saints & Sinners 🇺🇸🎸White Lion Brooklyn rockers who scored hits at the peak of the 1980s glam metal craze with their shimmering hooks. 1. Mane Attraction, 2. Pride, 3. Fight to Survive, 4. Anthology 83’-89´ 🇦🇺🎸Buffalo Pioneering Australian hard rock/heavy metal band formed in Sydney in August 1971 by vocalist Dave Tice and bassist Peter Wells, evolving from the blues-rock band Head. Known for early, heavy pub rock. 1. Volcanic Rock, 2. Only Want You For Your Body, 3. Dead Forever. 🇺🇸🎸Kiss Garish glam rockers with anthems galore, who became rock legends with a reputation for incredible live shows. 1. Alive! 2. Destroyer, 3. Dressed to Kill, 4. Kiss, 5. Love Gun, 6. Hotter than Hell, 7. Creatures of the Night, 8. Ace Frehley, 9. Rock and Roll Over (Odyssey) 🇬🇧🎸Morrissey With the Smiths and solo, a spokesman for millions of the disaffected with his poetic, biting lyrics and theatrical vocals. 1. Your Arsenal, 2. Viva Hate, 3. Vauxhall and I, 4. Bona Drag 🇺🇸🎸Ramones Seminal punk rockers who lit up the mid-'70s New York City scene by stripping rock & roll to the basics. 1. Rocket to Russia, 2. Leave Home, 3. Ramones, 4. Road to Ruin, 5. Too Tough to Die, 6. End of the Century, 7. Pleasant Dreams 🇺🇸🎸Pearl Jam The prototypical Seattle grunge band, with a driving sound and a long run as one of the most principled and hard-working groups in rock. 1. Ten 2. Vs, 3. Vitalogy, 4. Lost Dogs, 5. MTV Unplugged 🇺🇸🎸Nirvana Second-generation punk's most unlikely success story, a rampaging hard rock trio that influenced countless artists but ended in tragedy 1. Nevermind, 2. In Utero, 3. Bleach, 4. MTV Unplugged In New York (Live Acoustic) 🇬🇧🎸The Clash The best and most accomplished punk band, critically important provocateurs influenced by reggae, rockabilly, and blues. 1. London Calling, 2. The Clash, 3. Give 'Em Enough Rope, 4. Sandinista! 🇺🇸🎸Iggy Pop Punk godfather who began shocking in the late '60s, influencing and outlasting practically every punk movement to come. 1. Lust For Life, 2. The Idiot, 3. Raw Power, 4. Kill City, 5. New Values, 6. Fun House, 7. Brick by Brick, 8. American Caesar 🇺🇸🎸Jane’s Addiction Alternative rock band fronted by Perry Farrell, who became era icons at the turn of the 1990s with their distinctive sound and style. 1. Nothing's Shocking, 2. Jane's Addiction, 3. Ritual de lo Habitual 🇬🇧🎸Pulp Pioneering Brit-pop band known for its stylish sound and vocalist Jarvis Cocker's lyrical obsessions (sexual foibles, working-class misfits). 1. Different Class, 2. His 'n' Hers, 3. This Is Hardcore, 4. We Love Life, 5. Separations 🇲🇽🎸🪘Caifanes Pioneering Mexican rock band of the 1980s known for their dark fusion of post-punk, goth, new wave, Latin and Mexican traditions. 1. Caifanes, Vol. 1, 2. El Diablito, 3. El Nervio del Volcán, 4. El Silencio. Offshoot: 🇲🇽🎸🪘Jaguares In 1995, Jaguares was formed out of the skeleton of Califanes, a Mexico City rock group. 1. Bajo el Azul de Tu Misterio, 2. El Equilibrio de Los Jaguares, 3. Cuando la Sangre Galopa, 4. El Primer Instinto, 5. Cronicas de un Laberinto 🇪🇸🎸Héroes del Silencio Spanish band whose musicianship and innovation kick-started the rock en español movement. 1. Senderos de traición, 2. El Mar No Cesa, 3. El Espíritu del Vino, 4. Avalancha, 5. Senda 91’ 🇺🇸🎙️🎷🎬Frank Sinatra One of the towering figures of the 20th century, the first teen idol and the definitive saloon singer, the latter exemplified on a series of '50s concept albums. 1. Watertown, 2. Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely, 3. No One Cares, 4. September of My Years, 5. In the Wee Small Hours, 6. Songs for Swingin' Lovers! 7. A Swingin' Affair!, 8. Where Are You? 9. Come Fly With Me 10. Duets 🇺🇸🎺Stevie Wonder A teenage soul sensation in the '60s who racked up smash after smash, then explored adventurous, risky territory on his pioneering '70s albums. 1. Songs in the Key of Life, 2. Innervisions, 3. Talking Book, 4. Fulfillingness' First Finale, 5. Music of my Mind 🇦🇷🎸Sumo was a highly influential Argentine rock band (1982-1987) led by Italian-Scottish Luca Prodan, known for pioneering post-punk, reggae, and ska in Argentina, with English lyrics challenging the military dictatorship, despite facing censorship. 1. Divididos por la Felicidad, 2. After Chabon, 3. Llegando los Monos, 4. Corpiños en la Madrugada. 🇦🇷🎸🪘Soda Stereo One of the seminal bands in the rock en español movement. 1. Dynamo 2. Canción Animal, 3. Signos, 4. Sueño Stereo, 5. Nada Personal, 6. Soda Stereo, 7. Doble Vida, 8. El Ultimo Concierto 🇲🇽🎸🪘El Tri Legendary Mexican Rock & Roll band lead by Alex Lora. The group has sold more than 30 million records in its career and has had five nominations for the Grammy Award. 1. 40 años Vol. 1 &2, 2. En Vivo en la Cárcel de Santa Martha, 3. Sinfónico 1,2,3 🇦🇷🎸🪘Los Fabulosos Cadillacs Argentinean band who mixed punk, ska, and South American sounds. 1. Los Fabulosos Calaveras, 2. Rey Azúcar, 3. El Satánico Dr. Cadillac, 4. El León, 5. Yo Te Avisé!!, Bares y Fondas, El Ritmo Mundial, La Marcha del Golazo Solitario, Chau, Hola, Obras Cumbres, La Salvación de Solo y Juan 🇲🇽🎸🪘Maldita Vecindad y Los Hijos del Quinto Patio Mexican musical group, formed in Mexico City in 1985 that fuses rhythms such as rock, ska, reggae, punk and traditional influences of Mexican music such as danzón and bolero. Comprising vocalist Roco, guitarists El Pato and Sax, bassist Aldo, and drummer Pacho. 1. El Circo, 2. Maldita Vecindad y Los Hijos del Quinto Patio 🇬🇧🎸New Order Seminal British alternative act, formed from the ashes of Joy Division, that transitioned from moody rock to extroverted dance. 1. Movement, 2. Power Corruption and Lies 3. Low-Life 🇺🇸🎸Mazzy Star was an American alternative rock band formed in 1989 in Santa Monica, California, by David Roback and Hope Sandoval, emerging from the group Opal. Known for their dreamy, melancholic sound and the 1993 hit "Fade into You," the duo created a signature blend of psychedelic folk, blues, and moody dream pop. 1. So Tonight That I Might See, 2. Among My Swan, 3. She Hangs Brightly 🇺🇸🎸Icon was a Phoenix, Arizona-based heavy/glam metal band formed in 1981, known for their blend of melodic hard rock and AOR. 1. Night of the Crime, 2. Icon, 3. Right Between the Eyes. 🇺🇸🎸KIX Their roots in blue-collar Baltimore produced one of the hardest rocking, hardest working bands in rock history. 1. Kix, 2. Blow my Fuse, 3. Hot Wire, 4. Cool Kids 🇳🇱🎸Picture Pioneering Dutch heavy metal band formed in 1979, recognized as the first hard rock/metal band from the Netherlands to secure an international record deal. 1. Diamond Dreamer, 2. Heavy Metal Ears, 3. Eternal Dark 🇬🇧🎸Oasis Enduringly popular Manchester rockers who stood at the vanguard of the Brit-pop movement. 1. Definitely Maybe, 2. (What's the Story) Morning Glory? 3. Be Here Now, 4. Dig Out Your Soul 🇺🇸🎸Camper Van Beethoven is an American alternative rock and college rock band formed in Redlands, California, in 1983. The group is known for its do-it-yourself ethos and eclectic musical fusion that blends punk, ska, folk, country, psychedelia, and world music. 1. Key Lime Pie, 2. Telephone Free Landslide Victory, 3. Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart, 4. Camper Van Beethoven, 5. II & III 🇺🇸🎸Minutemen One of the most influential punk bands, an eclectic trio that ranged from jazz and funk to beat poetry and classic rock, with a wry sense of humor. 1. Double Nickels on the Dime, 2. What Makes a Man Start Fires?, 3. The Punch Line, 4. 3-Way Tie (For Last) 🇺🇸🎸Cows Minneapolis punk agitators take rawness of their influences to extremes. 1. Daddy Has a Tail, 2. Cunning Stunts, 3. Sorry in Pig Minor 🇬🇧🎸Coldplay Earnest alternative pop group whose sweet melodies and swooning lyrics made them one of the biggest bands of the new millennium. 1. X&Y, 2. A Rush of Blood to the Head, 3. Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends, 4. Parachutes (Coloratura) 🇲🇽🎸🪘Fobia Mexican alternative pop/rock pioneer Fobia made their debut with the release of a self-titled album in 1990, featuring "Microbito," the band's first hit. 1. Fobia, 2. Mundo Feliz, 3. Leche, 4. Amor Chiquito, 5. Rosa Venus 🇺🇸🎸Interpol Enduring post-punk revivalists updating the moody sounds of Joy Division, the Chameleons, and the Smiths for the 21st century. 1. Turn on the Bright Lights, 2. Antics, 3. Marauder, 4. Our Love to Admire, 5. Interpol, 6. El Pintor, 7. The Other Side of Make-Believe 🇺🇸🎸The Black Keys Intense Akron, Ohio blues-soaked duo that began by overwhelming indie rock critics and quickly moved to arena audiences. 1. Rubber Factory, 2. Thickfreakness, 3. Brothers, 4. Attack & Release, 5. El Camino, 6. The Big Come Up, 7. Magic Potion, 8. Turn Blue, 9. Delta Kream, 10. Dropout Boogie 🇬🇧🎸The Sisters of Mercy Goth rock's prime mover of the 1980s, with a vision sustained by singer Andrew Eldritch and his love of psychedelia, metal, and dance. 1. Floodland Collection, 2. First and Last and Always Collection 🇦🇺🎸Tame Impala Australian indie rockers who channel crunchy '60s psych, trippy pop and modern electronics to deliver a much in-demand sound. 1, Lonerism, 2. Innerspeaker, 3. Currents, 4. The Slow Rush 🇺🇸🎸The Strokes New York City band that ushered in a new era of indie rock in the 2000s, with spiky guitars, chugging backbeats, and self-assured songwriting. 1. Is This It, 2. Room on Fire 🇨🇦🎸Arcade Fire Montreal indie rockers who topped charts and won awards with their intense, anthemic, multi-layered vision of alternative rock. 1. Funeral, 2. The Suburbs, 3. Neon Bible, 4. Reflektor 🇲🇽🎸🪘Café Tacvba At the forefront of the Rock en Español movement, the band mixes rock, punk, electronics, and the occasional traditional Mexican flavoring. 1. Café Tacvba, 2. Re, 3. Cuatro Caminos, 4. Jen Beibi, 5. El Objeto Antes Llamado Disco 🇲🇽🎸🪘Maná Latin rock stars from Mexico who are one of the best-selling recording and touring acts in Latin music history. 1. Falta Amor, 2. ¿Dónde Jugarán los Niños?, 3. Sueños Líquidos. Offshoot: 🇲🇽🎸Sombrero Verde Mexican rock band formed in the late 1970s in Guadalajara, Jalisco, which later became the internationally renowned band Maná Led by vocalist Fher Olvera and featuring early members like drummer Alex González, they played reggae-rock and pop-rock. They rebranded to Maná in 1986, achieving massive success. 1. Sombrero Verde Back to the top of the ranking 1... HERE! Check out my selection of superb compilations, albums, and songs by artists who are not necessarily at the top of my book and didn't make the rankings, but round pretty well my musical taste on my blog's RANKINGS webpage.

With Understanding comes Appreciation Milestones 5,500+ Albums 57,000+ Songs 500+ Artists Ranked 450+ Compilations & Albums Suggested by artists who are not necessarily at the top of my book and didn't make the rankings, but round out well my musical taste. 800+ Great Mainstream Songs which complement well the whole selection. 215+ Days of Continuous Listening 710+ GB of Music Stored Updated: 04.2026 Gods’ Milestones 1,900+ albums 18,000+ songs 270+ GB of music stored 80+ days of continuous music 11 Gods Learn all the details on how this ranking was built HERE! Music is the best. Enjoy! My Gods in Music Delve into My Gods in Music Playlist of the Official Music of Frank Zappa 🇺🇸🦈🎸🎷🎹 🎺🎻God of Gods: Frank Zappa; IMHO the greatest composer in the XX century. My all-time hero. He opened me the door to all kinds of avenues in music. His influence is immeasurable. Heck, his scores and music are taught in the most prestigious institutions of music around the world. The creator of “radical rock” during the '60s, who later pursued even more adventurous avenues, ranging from R&B to jazz fusion to comedy rock, hard rock, art rock, prog rock to experimental music, avant-garde, modern composition, musique concrète to classical composition, chamber music to complex & elaborated computer music to… you name it; yet rabid and die-hard fans (are out there any other kind of Zappa’s fans, anyways?) will tell you labels are far and away from his colossal catalog since the master plays in a league of his own. Multi-instrumentalist, uncompromising talent and creativity, self-taught, eclectic, boundary-pushing & prolific composer, virtuoso guitarist, film maker, arranger, producer, orchestral conductor, demanding recruiter, perfectionist bandleader, successful businessman, and not the least, uncensored and sharply articulated speaker, especially on social and political critique of the American culture. Shark’s Top 10 Albums: 1. Hot Rats, 2. Läther, 3. The Yellow Shark, 4. Civilization Phaze III, 5. Absolutely Free, 6. Uncle Meat, 7. Apostrophe (‘), 8. Lumpy Gravy Primordial, 9. Over-Nite Sensation 10. Joe’s Garage. Playlist of the Official Music of John Zorn 🇺🇸🦈🎸🎹 🎷🎻🎬🪇Avant-Garde God: John Zorn; The one word virtually everyone can agree on in any discussion of the work of composer John Zorn is "prolific" in the strictest sense of the definition. Musical gadfly who has collaborated with countless artists. John Zorn is a highly influential, prolific avan-garde composer, bandleader, producer, and saxophonist known for his genre-defying music that blends free jazz, rock, hardcore, Jewish folk, film scores, and classical music into fast-paced, collage-like compositions. A central figure in New York's "downtown" experimental music scene since the mid-1970s, he founded the Tzadik record label and key venues like The Stone, leading influential projects such as the punk-jazz band Naked City and the klezmer-influenced quartet Masada. Shark’s Top 10 Albums: 1. Bar Kokhoba, 2. Andras: The Book of Angels, Vol. 28, 3. The Gift, 4. Godard/Spillane, 5. Cobra: Game Pieces, Vol. 2, 6. Naked City 7. Masada - The Circle Maker, 8. At the Mountain of Madness - Live In Europe, 9. The Big Gundown, 10. The Best of Filmworks - 20 Years of Soundtrack Music. Playlist of the Official Music of Miles Davis 🇺🇸🦈🎷Jazz God: Miles Davis; The epitome of cool, an eternally evolving trumpeter who repeatedly changed the course of jazz between the 1950s and '90s. A monumental innovator, icon, and maverick, trumpeter Miles Davis helped define the course of jazz as well as popular culture in the 20th century, bridging the gap between bebop, modal music, funk, and fusion. Shark’s Top 10 Albums: 1. In a Silent Way, 2. Bitches Brew, 3. A Tribute To Jack Johnson, 4. Kind of Blue 5. Miles Ahead 6. Get Up With It, 7. 'Round About Midnight, 8. Sketches of Spain, 9. Miles Smiles, 10. On the Corner. Playlist of the Official Music of Anthony Braxton 🇺🇸🦈🎻🎹 🎷 Structured Improviser God: Anthony Braxton; Innovative avant-garde multi-instrumentalist and composer, one of the most important figures in the later free jazz community. Multi-instrumentalist Anthony Braxton is among the most influential and prolific musicians and theorists to emerge from the 20th century. His hundreds of albums offer everything from experimental compositional techniques, graphic and non-specific notation, serialism, electronic, and improvisation, while employing vast knowledge of the jazz tradition from bebop to vanguard to post-bop. Shark’s Top 10 Albums: 1. The Montreux/Berlin Concerts, 2. New York, Fall 1974, 3. Dortmund (Quarter) 1976 (Live), 4. Conference of the Birds, 5. One in Two – Tw in One (Live), 6. 3 Compositions of New Jaz, 7. For Alto, 8. Five Pieces 1975, 8. Creative Orchestra Music 1976, 9. Six Monk´s Compositions (1987), 10. Birth and Rebirth. Playlist of the Official Music of Sun Ra 🇺🇸🦈🎷🎻Avant-Garde Jazz God: Sun Ra; Bandleader, composer, arranger, keyboard player, poet, philosopher, and cosmonaut Sun Ra advanced jazz into the space age. Through his elaborate concerts, films, and countless recordings, he fused imagery and mythology related to ancient Egypt as well as science fiction, planting the seeds for what would eventually be referred to as Afrofuturism. Shark’s Top 10 Albums: 1. Lanquidity, 2. Sleeping Beauty, 3. Strange Celestial Road, 4. Space is the Place, 5. The Magic City, 6. Jazz in Silhouette, 7. Cosmic Tones For Mental Therapy, 8. Sound of Joy, 9. Atlantis, 10. The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra Vol. 1. All his Official catalog which is available for streaming is also included (174 Albums/1,664 songs. 6.7 days of continuous listening) Playlist of the Official Music of John Surman 🇬🇧🦈🎷🎻🎹Multi-Instrumental God: John Surman; A pioneering British composer and multi-instrumentalist, born in 1944, renowned for his innovative work on baritone and soprano saxophones, bass clarinet, and synthesizers, expanding the international horizons of jazz with a deeply personal style that blends lyrical beauty with intense improvisation, drawing from folk music, choral music, and electronics. English saxophonist John Surman is a world-class composer, his large, diverse body of work —classical, theatrical, and soundtrack— has extended the boundaries of jazz. He studied clarinet as a child, then tenor, baritone, and soprano saxophones. He began playing jazz at the London College of Music and later studied at the London University Institute of Education. Shark’s Top 10 Albums: 1. A Biography of the Rev. Absalom Dawe, 2. Upon Reflection, 3. Coruscating, 4. Road to Saint Ives, 5. Cloud Line Blue, 6. Adventure Playground, 7. Proverbs and Songs, 8. Adventure Playground, 9. Westering Home, 10. Private City. Playlist of the Official Music of McCoy Tyner 🇺🇸🦈🎷Piano God: McCoy Tyner; Jazz pianist whose inventive two-handed forays, extensive modal solos, and dashing phrases made him arguably the best pianist to debut in the '60s. One of the most celebrated and influential jazz pianists of his generation, McCoy Tyner was known for his harmonically expansive modal voicings, commanding two-handed block-chord style, and fearless improvisational lines that touched upon African and Eastern musical traditions. Along with contemporaries Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, and Chick Corea, Tyner redefined the sound of the modern jazz piano from the '60s onward, and his playing continues to guide up-and-coming musicians. Shark’s Top 10 Albums: 1. The Real McCoy, 2. Sama Layuca, 3. Sahara, 4. Extensions, 5. Expansions, 6. Trident, 7. Time for Tyner, 8. Song of the New World, 9. Asante, 10. Echoes of a Friend. Playlist of the Official Music of John Coltrane 🇺🇸🦈🎷🎻Sax God: John Coltrane; A titan of the 20th century, the saxophonist pioneered many of the jazz revolutions of the post-hard bop era. A towering musical figure, saxophonist John Coltrane reset the parameters of jazz during his decade as a leader. At the outset, he was a vigorous practitioner of hard bop, gaining prominence as a sideman for Miles Davis before setting out as a leader in 1957, when he released Coltrane on Prestige and Blue Train on Blue Note. Coltrane quickly expanded his horizons, pioneering a technique critic Ira Gitler dubbed "sheets of sound," consisting of the saxophonist playing a flurry of notes on his tenor within the confines of a few chords. Shark’s Top 10 Albums: 1. Blue Train, 2. Giant Steps, 3. My Favorite Things, 4. Africa/Brass, 5. Duke Ellington & John Coltrane, 6. A Love Supreme, 7. Ascension, 8. John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman 9. Bags & Trane, 10. Olé Coltrane. Playlist of the Official Music of King Crimson 🇬🇧🦈🎸Prog-Rock Gods: King Crimson; If there is one group that embodies progressive rock, it is King Crimson. Led by guitar/Mellotron virtuoso Robert Fripp, during its first five years of existence the band stretched both the language and structure of rock into realms of jazz and classical music, all the while avoiding pop and psychedelic sensibilities. The absence of mainstream compromises and the lack of an overt sense of humor ultimately doomed the group to nothing more than a large cult following, but it made their albums some of the most enduring and respectable of the prog rock era. Shark’s Top 10 Albums: 1. Discipline, 2. Larks' Tongues in Aspic 3. In the Court of the Crimson King, 4. In the Wake of Poseidon, 5. Islands, 6. Lizard, 7. Starless and Bible Black, 8. Red, 9. Beat, 10. Three of a Perfect Pair. Playlist of the Official Music of Buckethead 🇺🇸🦈🎸🎷🎻Guitar God: Buckethead; An accomplished prolific multi-instrumentalist best known for his virtuosic command of the electric guitar. Buckethead is one of the instrument's most recognizable contemporary innovators, his rapid-fire riffing, near-robotic fretwork, and idiosyncratic lead lines combining elements of Yngwie Malmsteen, Adrian Belew, Slayer's Kerry King, P-Funk's Eddie Hazel, and avant-improv artist John Zorn's Scud-attack sax abuse. Shark’s Top 10 Albums: 1. Colma, 2. Giant Robot, 3. Electric Tears, 4. Crime Slunk Scene, 5. Monsters and Robots, 6. Population Override, 7. Chicken Noodles, 8. Enter the Kitchen, 9. Kaleidoscalp, 10. Acoustic Shards. Playlist of the Official Music of The LPD 🇬🇧🦈🎸📟🎻Experimental Gods: The Legendary Pink Dots & Edward Ka-Spel; Influential, staggeringly prolific group led by enigmatic frontman Edward Ka-Spel. Emerging from the early-'80s post-punk underground and sometimes categorized as industrial due to associations with bands like Skinny Puppy, the group's music is nearly impossible to pin down, drawing from Krautrock, ambient, folk, synth pop, and numerous other styles; The Dots' music is by turns melodic pop and exotic psychedelia, with classical influences, sampling, and relentlessly dark, violent, apocalyptic lyrics. Shark’s Top 10 Albums: 1. The Maria Dimension, 2. Poppy Variations, 3. Crushed Velvet Apocalypse, 4. The Golden Age, 5. Asylum, 6. Your Children Placate You from Premature Graves, 7. Stained Glass Soma Fountain, 8. Island of Jewels, 9. The Whispering Wall 10. Any Day Now. My Earthy Artists Ranking my Overall Musical Taste by Artists 🇺🇸🦈🎸🎻Captain Beefheart Influential figure who fused disparate forms like free jazz, the avant-garde, blues, and rock into a highly original and nearly unclassifiable style. 1. Trout Mask Replica, 2. Sun Zoom Spark: 1970 to 1972, 3. Grow Fins: Rarities 1965-1982, 4. Doc at the Radar Station, 5. Strictly Personal, 6. The Mirror Man Sessions, 7. Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller), 8. Ice Cream for Crow, 9. Bluejeans and Moonbeams, 10. Safe As Milk. (Special Mention: Magnetism I,II,II, Clear Spot, Unconditionally Guaranteed, The Spotlight Kid, The Legendary A&M Sessions, Son of Dust Sucker, London '74 – Live, Lick My Decals Off, Baby, I'm Going to Do What I Wanna Do (Live at My Father's Place 1978), Dust Sucker) Shark’s entry point: Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band: fast and bulbous; a massively misunderstood masterpiece 🇬🇧🦈🎸🎻Henry Cow During their brief and tumultuous lifespan, fiercely political British art rockers Henry Cow spawned a musical subgenre that became known as Rock In Opposition. 1. Western Culture, 2. Unrest, 3. Leg End, 4. In Praise Of Learning, 5. Desperate Straights, 6. Concerts, 7. A Cow Cabinet Of Curiosities, 8. Vol. 1: Beginnings, 9. Vol. 2: 1974-5, 10. Glastonbury and Elsewhere. Special Mention (1. Vol. 3: Hamburg, 2. Vol. 4 & 5: Trondheim, 3. Henry Cow: Stockholm & Göteborg, 4. Later and Post-Virgin, 5. Vol. 8: Bremen, Vol. 9: Late) Offshoots: 🇬🇧🎸🎻 Art Bears was an English avant-rock group formed in 1978 by three members of Henry Cow: Chris Cutler (percussion), Fred Frith (guitar, etc.), and Dagmar Krause (vocals). Their music was experimental, blending the avant-garde with more accessible song structures, often featuring political and surreal lyrics by Cutler. 🇬🇧🎸🎻 News From Babel was an English avant-garde rock group active from 1983 to 1986, formed by Chris Cutler, Lindsay Cooper, Zeena Parkins, and Dagmar Krause. They were a studio-based project inspired by the literary critic George Steiner's book, After Babel. The band, a successor to Art Bears and Henry Cow, released two albums, Work Resumed on the Tower (1984) and Letters Home (1986), before disbanding. 1. News Sirens and Silences / Work Resumed On the Tower, 2. Letters Home. Shark’s entry point: Western Culture by Henry Cow: a beautifully crafted and sophisticated Rock-in-Opposition masterpiece 🇬🇧🦈🎼🎸🎷Soft Machine A pioneering Canterbury psychedelic group that initially featured Robert Wyatt and Kevin Ayers, later developing into an experimental jazz-rock unit. 1. Third, 2. Bundles, 3. Volume 2, 4. The Soft Machine, 5. Softs, 6. Seven, 7. Fourth, 8. Six, 9. Fifth, 10. Other Doors (Special Mention: Hidden Details, Land of Cockayne, Thirteen , (The Dew at Dawn / Slightly) Slightly All the Time – Single) Offshoot: 🇬🇧🎸 Matching Mole Short-lived prog group formed by Robert Wyatt following his departure from Soft Machine. 1. Little Red Record, 2. Matching Mole. Shark’s entry point: Third by Soft Machine: an ambitious album, which push back the frontiers of space modal jazz-rock far beyond while defining the Canterbury Scene moving forward 🇺🇸🎻🎷🎹Moondog (born Louis Thomas Hardin) was a blind American composer, poet, and musician who became a legendary figure in New York City. Born in Kansas and blinded at age 16 by a dynamite cap accident, he studied music at schools for the blind and moved to New York in 1943, where he established himself as the "Viking of 6th Avenue" by wearing a horned helmet and tunic while performing on street corners. Moondog’s music was a unique fusion of avant-garde jazz, minimalism, and classical counterpoint, heavily influenced by Native American rhythms, Latin American music, and urban street sounds like subway trains and foghorns. He is famous for developing "snaketime," a rhythmic concept he described as "a slithery rhythm, in times that are not ordinary," explicitly rejecting standard 4/4 time signatures in favor of complex, shifting meters. 1. Moondog, 2. Sax Pax For A Sax, 3. In Europe, 4. H'art Songs, 5. Moondog 2, 6. Moondog, 7. Moondog and his Friends, 8. More Moondog / The Story of Moondog, 9. Moondog, 10. A New Sound of an Old Instrument (Special Mention: Big Band, Erk – Moondog, On the Streets of New York) 🇬🇧🦈🎸Genesis Seminal British prog band whose ambitious, classical-tinged art rock gradually became more accessible by the '80s. 1. Selling England by the Pound, 2. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, 3. Archive #1 (1967-1975), 4. Nursery Cryme, 5. Foxtrot, 6. Trespass, 7. A Trick of the Tail, 8. Wind & Wuthering, 9. From Genesis to Revelation 10. And Then There Were Three. (Special Mention: Duke, Abacab, Genesis, Invisible Touch, We Can’t Dance, Genesis Live) Shark’s entry point: Selling England by the Pound by Genesis: everything is firing on all cylinders on this genre-defining & hallowed record 🇩🇪🦈🎸🎻Can Influential German group who produced a spontaneous yet highly disciplined form of groove-heavy experimental rock. 1. Unlimited Edition, 2. Tago Mago, 3. Ege Bamyasi, 4. Monster Movie, 5. Soundtracks, 6. Delay 1968, 7. Landed, 8. Future Days, 9. Soon Over Babluma, 10. Flow Motion. Shark’s entry point: Tago Mago by Can: a Stockhausen-esque, which fuses an avant-garde rock symphony with shamanic avant-funk trance 🇺🇸🎷🎹Ornette Coleman Father of the free jazz movement, and a saxophonist and composer who became one of the prime innovators in jazz and modern music. 1. The Shape of Jazz to Come, 2. Change of the Century, 3. Free Jazz, 4. Science Fiction, 5. Something Else!!!!, 6. This is Our Music, 7. The Art of Improvisers, 8. Tomorrow is the Question! 9. Ornette! 10. Dancing in Your Head 🇺🇸🎷Bill Evans American jazz pianist and composer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest jazz pianists (If not the greatest) of all time. Virtual king of the modern jazz pianists who forged a gentle style of his own from the 1950s on. Evans' musical style is defined by his impressionist harmony, inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, use of block chords, and trademark rhythmically independent, "singing" melodic lines. 1. You Must Believe In Spring, 2. Symbiosis, 3. Everybody Digs Bill Evans, 4. Portrait In Jazz, 5. Explorations, 6. Moon Beams, 7. Alone, 8. Sunday At The Village Vanguard (Live At The Village Vanguard / 1961), 9. Waltz for Debby, 10. Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz (feat. Bill Evans) (Special Mention: Conversations With Myself, The Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Album) 🇺🇸🎷🎻Charles Mingus A legendary composer, innovator, and bass virtuoso who articulated contemporary emotional currents as well as anyone in jazz. 1. The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, 2, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, 3. Blues and Roots, 4. Mingus Ah Um, 5. Let My Children Hear Music, 6. Pithecanthropus Erectus, 7. Tijuana Moods, 8. The Clown, 9. Oh Yeah, 10 Changes Two (Special Mention: Cumbia & Jazz Fusion, Charles Mingus presents Charles Mingus, Changes One) 🇺🇸🎷🎻Rahsaan Roland Kirk Prodigiously talented jazz multi-instrumentalist, renowned for his ability to play several horns simultaneously. 1. The Inflated Tear, 2. Rip, Dig, and Panic, 3. Prepare Thyself to Deal With A Miracle, 4. I Talk To The Spirits, 5. Volunteered Slavery, 6. Domino, 7. We Free Kings, 8. Reeds and Deeds, 9. The Case of the 3 Sided Dream in Audio Color, 10. Blacknuss (Special Mention: Triple Threat, Here Comes the Whistleman, Now Please Don’t You Cry, Beautiful Edith) 🇺🇸🦈🎷Thelonious Monk A brilliant composer and criminally underrated pianist whose sense of rhythm, space, and harmony made him one of the founders of modern jazz. 1. Monk's Dream, 2. Monk's Music, 3. Brilliant Corners, 4. Misterioso, 5. Underground, 6. Genius of Modern Music, 7. Solo Monk, 8. Big Band and Quartet in Concert, 9. Thelonious Monk & Sonny Rollins, 10. Straight, No Chaser, Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane. Shark’s entry point: Brilliant Corners by Thelonious Monk: innovative and idiosyncratic approach to composition and performance; angular melodies, unexpected chord progressions, and intricate rhythmic patterns 🇺🇸🎷 Sonny Rollins Voted by Miles Davis as the greatest tenor ever, an inventive saxophonist and an astonishing soloist. 1. Saxophone Colossus, 2. Way Out West, 3. Sonny Rollins Vol. 2, 4. Sonny Side Up, 5. Sonny Rollins’ Next Album, 6. The Bridge, 7. East Broadway Run Down, 8. Newk’s Time, 9. Plus 4, 10. Sound of Sonny 🇺🇸🎷 Max Roach American jazz drummer, composer, and educator widely considered one of the most important figures in the history of jazz and a pioneer of bebop. Roach revolutionized drumming by freeing the bass drum from keeping strict time, instead using the ride cymbal to set the pulse while employing the rest of the kit for rhythmic counterpoint and thematic improvisation. 1. It's Time, 2. We Insist! Freedom Now Suite, 3. Members Don't Get Weary, 4. Clifford Brown And Max Roach, 5. Study In Brown, 6. Clifford Brown And Max Roach At Basin Street, 7. Percussion Bitter Sweet, 8. Brown and Roach Inc., 9. Max Roach + 4, 10. Deeds, Not Words (Special Mention: The Max Roach Trio (feat. Hasaan Ibn Ali), M'Boom) 🇺🇸🎷Pharoah Sanders Respected tenor saxophonist whose many acclaimed recordings developed his freedom of expression in a spiritual and often introspective setting. 1. Karma, 2. Love In Us All, 3. Black Unity, 4. Deaf Dumb Blind, 5. Pharoah, 6. Promises, 7. Izipho Zam (My Gifts), 8. Thembi, 9. Jewels of Thought, 10. Tauhid 🇳🇴🎷🎻🪇🪈Terje Rypdal Eclectic, inventive Norwegian electric jazz guitarist and classical composer who has been recording since the late 1960s. 1. Terje Rypdal, 2. Bleak House, 3. Whenever I Seem to Be Far Away, 4. Odyssey, 5. After the Rain, 6. Descendere, 7. Terje Rypdal/Miroslav Vitous/Jack DeJohnette, 8. To Be Continued, 9. Chaser, 10. Blue 🇩🇪🎷🪈Eberhard Weber A prodigiously talented and highly innovative German bassist. Weber's influences are primarily European, notably contemporary classical and new music. 1. The Colours of Chloë, 2. Yellow Fields, 3. The Following Morning, 4. Colours –Silent Feet, 5. Fluid Rustle, 6. Little Movements, 7. Later That Evening, 8. Chorus, 9. Pendulum, 10. Endless Days (Special Mention: Orchestra) 🇺🇸🎷Wayne Shorter was a foundational American jazz saxophonist and prolific composer, revered for his six-decade career, 12 Grammy Awards, and pivotal roles in shaping hard-bop, modal, and fusion jazz. A key member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, Miles Davis’s Second Great Quintet, and co-founder of Weather Report, Shorter’s innovative compositions and unique tenor/soprano saxophone sound profoundly influenced modern music. 1. Speak No Evil, 2. Juju, 3. Adam’s Apple, 4. Night Dreamer, 5. The All Seeing Eye, 6. Odyssey of Iska, 7. Schizophrenia, 8. Super Nova, 9. Native Dancer, 10. The Soothsayer 🇵🇱🎷Tomasz Stańko was a seminal Polish trumpeter and composer, widely recognized as one of Europe's most influential jazz figures and a pioneer of free jazz on the continent. Stańko’s music style is defined by a distinctive, "dirty" yet transparent trumpet tone that he described as an integration of "Slavic melancholy and the blues." While early influences included Miles Davis, Chet Baker, and Ornette Coleman, Stańko developed a unique voice that balanced free improvisation with melodic lyricism, avoiding technical virtuosity in favor of emotional depth and existential expression. 1. Music for K, 2. Dark Eyes, 3. Litania: Music of Krzysztof Komeda, 4. Suspended Night, 5. TWET, 6. Soul of Things, 7. Balladyna, 8. Matka Jona, 9. Leosia, 10. From The Green Hill (Special Mention: Lontano, September Night, Polish Radio Sessions 1970-91, Neighbourhood) 🇺🇸🎷 Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers The guru of hard bop, whose famous technique —frequent, high-volume snare with bass-drum accents— made him one of jazz's all-time best messengers. 1. Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers ( Moanin’), 2. Free For All, 3. Mosaic, 4. Indestructible, 5. The Big Beat, 6. Caravan, 7. The Jazz Messengers, 8. Horace Silver And The Jazz Messengers, 9. Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk, 10. A Night in Tunisia 🇺🇸🎷 Elvin Jones American jazz drummer known for revolutionizing jazz drumming through his powerful polyrhythmic style and improvisational approach. A technical virtuoso within jazz who expanded the role of post-bop drummers, bridging the gap between advanced hard bop and the avant-garde. 1. Puttin' It Together, 2. Poly-Currents, 3. The Ultimate, 4. Heavy Sounds, 5. Elvin!, 6. Dear John C., 7. Bill Frisell With Dave Holland and Elvin Jones, 8. Genesis, 9. African Exchange Student, 10. Mr. Jones (Special Mention: Youngblood, It Don't Mean a Thing...) 🇯🇵🦈🎷Hiromi Uehara Her style brings a wholly new approach to jazz fusion, as her prog influence is derived primarily from such artists as King Crimson, Gentle Giant, and Frank Zappa rather than earlier jazz fusion artists. 1. Hiromi's Sonicbloom: Time Control, 2. Another Mind, 3. Brain, 4. Voice (feat. Anthony Jackson & Simon Phillips), 5. Move (feat. Anthony Jackson & Simon Phillips), 6. Spark (feat. Anthony Jackson & Simon Phillips), 7. Spectrum, 8. Sonicwonderland (feat. Sonicwonder), 9. Beyond Standard, 10. Silver Lining Suite. (Special mention: Spiral, Place to Be, Out There) Shark’s entry point: Time Control by Hiromi: refreshing the jazz-rock fusion airs by an extremely talented virtuoso piano player 🇺🇸🎷🎻Barre Phillips was a pioneering American-born bassist who became a central figure in free jazz and avant-garde improvisation. His music style is characterized by free improvisation, avant-garde jazz, and a deep integration of contemporary classical influences ike Bartók, Schönberg, and Stravinsky. 1. Mountainscapes, 2. Angles of Repose, 3. The Iron Stone, 4. Camouflage, 5. Three Day Moon, 6. For All It Is, 7. Time Will Tell, 8. Music from Two Basses, 9. Call Me When You Get There, 10. Journal Violone (Special Mention Journal Violone II) 🇬🇧🦈🎸Gentle Giant Acclaimed British progressive rock band noted for their meld of hard rock with classical music and medieval approach to singing. 1. Acquiring the Taste, 2. Octopus, 3. Free Hand, 4. Three Friends, 5. The Power and the Glory, 6. In a Glass House, 7. In'terview, 8. Gentle Giant, 9. Playing the Fool: The Official Live, 10. The Missing Piece. Shark’s entry point: Acquiring the Taste by Gentle Giant: techniques borrowed directly from the Renaissance and Baroque proved us all that there's so much more to do in rock music 🇩🇪🦈🎸Jane Krautrock at its finest mixing heavy guitar, dark grooves and organ soaked passages with passionate broken English vocals, while infusing a heavy dose of psychedelia. 1. Together, 2. Fire, Water, Earth & Air, 3. Between Heaven and Hell, 4. Here We Are, 5. Jane III, 6. Lady, 7. Age of Madness, 8. Sign No. 9, Live at Home, 10 Germania. Shark’s entry point: Together by Jane: astonishing blend of jazz fusion, blues rock, psychedelia, space rock, and even heavy metal at times, make this overlooked album a must 🇬🇧🦈🎸Camel Durable English prog rockers who released a spate of majestic, canonical records in the 1970s and '80s. 1. Rajaz, 2. The Snow Goose, 3. A Nod and a Wink, 4. Moonmadness, 5. Nude, 6. Camel, 7. Mirage, 8. Harbour Of Tears, 9. Stationary Traveller, 10. Rain Dances. (Special Mention: Alive Record, Breathless, Dust and Dreams, I Can See You From Here, Never Let Go, The Single Factor) Shark’s entry point: The Snow Goose by Camel: a beautiful fantasy that translates this moving tale of friendship, love, war and separation into a well structured sonic piece of music 🇩🇪🦈🎸🎻Amon Düül Influential German collective rooted in psychedelic, folk, and jazz but using a heavily experimental and improvisational framework. 1. Disaster, 2. Tanz der Lemminge (Dance of the Lemmings), 3. Yeti, 4. Phallus Dei, 5. Paradieswärts Düül, 6. Psychedelic Underground, 7. Airs On a Shoestring 8. Collapsing: Singvögel Rückwärts & Co., 9. Wolf City 10. Carnival in Babylon. (Special Mention: Hijack). Shark’s entry point: Tanz der Lemminge by Amon Düül II: pull out your tickets, and take the most mind-expanding excursion in music history 🇩🇪🦈🎸🎬📟🪈Popol Vuh Experimental German band whose cosmic, trance-like music was a huge influence on modern ambience and worldbeat. 1. Einsjäger & Siebenjäger, 2. In Den Gärten Pharaos, 3. Hosianna Mantra/Tantric Songs, 4. Aguirre, 5. Brüder des Schattens, Söhne des Lichts, 6. Agape-Agape (Love-Love), 7. Nosferatu (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), 8. Sei Still, Wisse Ich Bin, 9. Letzte Tage, Letzte Nächte 10. Sing, For Song Drives Away The Wolves. (Special Mention: Cobra Verde, Affenstunde, Das Hohelied Salomos, Seligpreisung) Shark’s entry point: Letzte Tage - Letzte Nächte by Popol Vuh: an ability to create music that's simultaneously delicate and powerful, detailed and expansive, earthbound in its origins and cosmic in its reach 🇫🇮🪇🎸🎷Piirpauke Truly pioneers in the world-music scene, Piirpauke fuse traditional Finnish folk forms with motifs and rhythms from Latin, Caribbean, Arabic, Balkan, and Asian musical styles. Their music ranges and blends Progressive Folk, Jazz-Rock, Jazz Fusion, Progressive Rock, Chamber Folk and Chamber Jazz. 1. Piirpauke, 2. Piirpauke 2, 3. Birgi Bühtüi, 4. Kajastus, 5. Kirkastus, 6. The Wild East (Villi Itä), 7. Algazara, 8. Zerenade, 9. Lumo, 10. Sillat. (Special Mention: Global Servisi, Tuku tuku, Muuttolinnut (Terra Nova), Ave Maria, Laula sinäkin, Kalevala Spirit, Laulu laineilla, Ikiliikkuja, Kalabalik, Historia of Piirpauke, Vol. 1, Onneliset, Ilo, Juju, Hali) 🇺🇸🦈🎸🎻Tom Waits A neo-beatnik songwriter who grew weirder and wilder in the '80s, earning a cult following that only grew larger as the years passed. 1. Rain Dogs, 2. Swordfishtrombones, 3. Frank’s Wild Years, 4. Bone Machine, 5. The Black Rider, 6. Heartattack and Vine, 7. Alice, 8. Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards, 9. Mule Variations, 10. Blue Valentine. (Special Mention: The Heart of Saturday Night, Small Change, Real Gone) Shark’s entry point: Rain Dogs by Tom Waits: breathtaking dark cabaret and beat poetry, wrapped with seductive jarring rhythms and singular instrumentation 🇩🇪🦈🎸📟🪈Ash Ra Tempel One of the most formidable of the German Krautrock groups, Ash Ra Tempel were a powerful force led by virtuoso guitarist Manuel Göttsching, and also included former Tangerine Dream drummer Klaus Schulze at various points. 1. The Private Tapes Vol. 1-6, 2. Schwingungen, 3. Inventions for Electric Guitar, 4. Starring Rosi, 5. Ash Ra Temple, 6. Seven Up, 7. Join Inn, 8. Le Berceau De Crista,m, 9. Blackouts 10. New Age of Earth. Shark’s entry point: Starring Rosi by Ash Ra Tempel: the definitive trip into cerebral space land 🇬🇧🦈🎸Van Der Graaf Generator & Peter Hammill Art rock unit led by Peter Hammill, distinguished for a dynamic range rivaled only by King Crimson and for their surprising influence on British punk.1. Pawn Hearts, 2. H To He, Who Am The Only One, 3. The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other, 4. Godbluff, 5. Still Life, 6. World Record, 7. The Quiet Zone / The Pleasure Dome, 8. Present 9. The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage 10. In Camera. Shark’s entry point: Pawn Hearts by Van Der Graaf Generator: an album so sublime that it is one of the rare sonic portals into a truly alternative universe 🇬🇧🦈🎸Yes The definitive English progressive rock band, purveyors of virtuoso playing and vast musical tapestries, topped off with gorgeous melodies. 1. Tales from Topographic Oceans, 2. Relayer, 3. The Yes Album, 4. Fragile, 5. Close to the Age, 6. Drama, 7. Keystudio, 8. Yes, 9. Going for the One, 10. Time and a Word. (Special Mention: Progeny Live Series Vol. 1-7) Shark’s entry point: Tales from Topographic Oceans by Yes: a four-suite, progressive, poetic tapestry depicting the human perception of time and memory 🇬🇧🦈🎸Jethro Tull Long-tenured English band known for their mixture of progressive and folk-rock, led by Ian Anderson. 1. Minstrel in the Gallery, 2. A Passion Play, 3. Thick as a Brick, 4. Aqualung, 5. Crest of a Knave, 6. Stand Up, 7. Heavy Horses, 8. This Was, 9. Benefit, 10. Songs from the Wood. (Special Mention: Rock Island, Roots to Branches, Stormwatch, The Broadsword and the Beast) Shark’s entry point: Minstrel in the Gallery by Jethro Tull: evoking the world of Shakespeare in its literate lyrics, Elizabethan imagery, and the mixture of rustic folk music and refined classical airs into their rock 🇬🇧🦈🎸Caravan Musically inventive progressive rock band that came out of the Canterbury scene with a gift for melody as well as imaginative improvisation. 1. For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night, 2. In the Land of Grey and Pink, 3. Caravan, 4. If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You, 5. Waterloo Lily, 6. Caravan & The New Symphonia, 7. Cunning Stunts, 8. Live at the Fairfield Halls, 1974, 9. Blind Dog At St. Dunstans, 10. BBC Sessions and Concerts (70-75). Shark’s entry point: If I Could Do It All Over Again... by Caravan: a healthy dose of the psychedelic scene of the era, smooths things over with pop sensibilities and dresses it all up with progressive rock workouts 🇩🇪🦈🎸🎻Faust Pioneering and influential German rock outfit who blended avant-garde electronics and trippy psychedelia to create a radical musical collage. 1. Faust IV, 2. 71 Minutes of Faust, 3. Faust, 4. The Faust Tapes, 5. So Far, 6. Ravvivando, 7. Outside the Dream Syndicate, 8. Something Dirty, 9. Punkt, 10. Daumenbruch 🇺🇸🎸🎻The Residents Anonymous Fab Four of the avant-garde whose absurd musical deconstructions have alternated between experimentalism and accessibility. 1. The Third Reich 'N' Roll 2. Duck Stab / Buster & Glen, 3. Not Available 4. Meet The Residents 5. Eskimo 6. Fingerprince 7. Demons Dance Alone 8. The 12 Days of Brumalia 9. Wormwood: Curious Stories From the Bible 10. Commercial Album 🇸🇪🎸🎻Samla Mammas Manna was a Swedish experimental/avant-prog band formed in 1969 by keyboardist Lars Hollmer, known for a unique blend of virtuoso musicianship, humor, and circus-like themes. A founding member of the Rock in Opposition (RIO) movement, the group released several albums and went through various name changes and lineup shifts, eventually disbanding in 2008. 1. Måltid, 2. Klossa Knapitatet, 3. Samla Mammas Manna, 4. Gregory Allan Fitzpatrick's Snorungarnas Symfoni, 5. Familjesprickor, 6. För äldre nybegynnare / Schlagerns mystik, 7. Kaka 🇲🇽🎸🎷🎻 🪇Cabezas de Cera is an eclectic trio from Mexico, known for combining homemade and ethnic instruments with electronics and technology. The group's music blends elements of avant-jazz, progressive rock, world music, and RIO (Rock in Opposition). Their sound is characterized by a complex, layered approach that incorporates a wide array of sounds, from acoustic work to searing electric guitar and wind controller parts. The band is noted for their innovative instrumentation and intricate compositions, creating a unique sonic landscape that defies easy categorization. 1. Cabezas de Cera, 2. Metal Música – Aleaciones Aleatoreas, 3. …Un Segundo, 4, Cabezas de Cera – Live USA, 5. Hermandad, 6. Música en Escala de Grises, 7. Hecho en México (En Vivo), 8. Contigo y en Directo: En Vivo en el Alicia. 9. La Otra Orilla (Single), 10. Cabezas de Cera Metaensamble (Special Mention: Ojos de Jade (Single)) Offshoot: 🇲🇽🎼🎸🎷🎻 🪇Luz de Riada is a Mexican progressive rock/fusion band formed in 2010, known for its eclectic sound that blends jazz, experimental, and avant-garde elements. 1. Cuentos y Fábulas, 2. Cuentos y Fábulas (Recapitulación e Inventario), 3. Cuentos y Fábulas, Vol. 3, 4. Rizma. 🇬🇧🎸Hatfield & The North Canterbury prog-rock supergroup featuring members of Caravan, Matching Mole, Egg, and Gong. 1. Hatfield & The North, 2. The Rotters' Club. Offshoot: 🇬🇧🎸 National Health was an English progressive rock band from the Canterbury scene, active from 1975 to 1980. The band was founded by keyboardists Dave Stewart and Alan Gowen and featured members from Robert Wyatt's Hatfield and theNorth and Gilgamesh. Known for their complex compositions and unique blend of rock, jazz, and classical music. 1. National Health, 2. Of Queues and Cures 🇮🇹🦈🎸🪇Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso One of the "big three" in Italian prog rock history (with Le Orme and PFM). Formed in Rome in 1969, the band is celebrated for its complex compositions that blend classical music, jazz, and traditional Italian melodies. 1. Darwin!, 2. Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso, 3. Io Sono Nato Libero, 4. Transiberiana, 5. Banco, 6. Come In Un'ultima Cena, 7. ...Di terra, 8. Canto di Primavera, 9. Orlando: Le Forme dell'Amore, 10. Garofano rosso (Colonna sonora originale del film). Shark’s entry point: Darwin! by Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso: passionate vocals, complex song structure, fantastic keyboards, tranquil moments and powerful passages 🇳🇱🎸Focus Dutch prog rockers, led by Thijs van Leer, who surprisingly hit it big in 1972 with their instrumental single "Hocus Pocus." 1. Focus III, 2. Focus con Proby, 3. Moving Waves, 4. Focus 8, 5. In and Out of Focus, 6. Hamburger Concerto, 7. Jan Akkerman & Thijs Van Leer: Focus, 8. Focus 9 / New Skin, 9. Focus 11, 10. Focus 12 🇬🇧🦈🎸🎷Gong Anarchic, experimental, and whimsical ensemble originally led by guitarist Daevid Allen, a founding member of the Soft Machine. 1. You (Radio Gnome Invisible, Vol. 3), 2. Angel's Egg (Radio Gnome Invisible, Vol. 2), 3. Flying Teapot (Radio Gnome Invisible, Vol. 1), 4. Gazeuse! 5. Camembert Électrique, 6. Expresso II, 7. Shamal, 8. I See You, 9. Acid Motherhood, 10. Rejoice! I'm Dead! Shark’s entry point: You by Gong: incarnates the perfect marriage of Canterbury jazz-rock whimsy, cosmic psychedelic guitar workouts and complex percussive accouterments 🇬🇧🎸🎹The Enid is a pioneering British progressive rock band formed in 1973–1974 by Robert John Godfrey, Steve Stewart, and Francis Lickerish, known for blending classical music with rock, symphonic structures, and romantic, instrumental themes. 1. Aerie Faerie Nonsense, 2. In the Region of the Summer Stars, 3. Invicta, 4. White Goddess, 5. Six Pieces, 6. Sundialer, 7. Journey’s End, 8. Something Wicked This Way Comes, 9. Tripping the Light Fantastic, 10. Arise and Shine (Special Mention: Risen, Dust, Touch Me) 🇺🇸🎷Duke Ellington One of the greatest composers of the 20th century, and the leader for 50 years of a band that became the greatest of all jazz orchestras. 1. Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins, 2. Ellington Uptown, 3. And His Mother Called Him Bill, 4. Masterpieces by Ellington, 5. Such Sweet Thunder, 6. Black, Brown and Beige 7. Duke Ellington: Three Suites, 8. Money Jungle, 9. First Time! The Count Meets the Duke, 10. Duke Ellington's Far East Suite 🇭🇺🪇🎷🎸Gábor Szabó was a highly influential Hungarian-American jazz guitarist renowned for blending jazz with Hungarian folk, pop, rock, and Indian music. 1. Dreams, 2. Bacchanal, 3. Spellbinder, 4. Jazz Raga, 5. Mizrab, 6. Belsta River, 7. High Contrast, 8. 1969, 9. Gypsy ‘66 🇬🇧🎸🎷Hugh Hopper was a British bassist, composer, and a central figure in the Canterbury scene of progressive jazz-rock. Best known for his 1968–1973 tenure in Soft Machine, he was a pioneer of "fuzz bass" and experimental tape-loop composition, later pursuing a prolific solo career and collaborating widely with musicians like Elton Dean and Phil Miller. 1. Vol. 2: Frangloband, 2. Vol. 3: North and South, 3. Vol. 4: Four by Hugh by Four, 4. Vol. 5: Heart to Heart (feat. Phil Miller), 5. Vol. 6: Special Friends, 6. Vol. 7: Soft Boundaries. 8. Vol. 9: Anatomy of a Facelift, 10. Jazzloops (Special Mention: Huge, Cryptids) 🇺🇸🎷Charlie Parker Jazz giant who changed the face of the entire form, practically inventing modern jazz and shaping the course of 20th century music. 1. Jazz at Massey Hall, 2 Bird and Diz, 3. Charlie Parker, 4. The Genius of Charlie Parker #8: Swedish Schnapps, 5. Jam Session, 6. The Genius of Charlie Parker #5: Plays Cole Porter, 7. Charlie Parker With Strings, 8. April In Paris: The Genius Of Charlie Parker #2, 9. Bird (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), 10. The Magnificent Charlie Parker (Special Mention: The Complete Savoy & Dial aster Takes, The Complete Live Performances n Savoy) 🇺🇸🎷Louis Armstrong The most important and influential musician in jazz history, and one of the leading singers and entertainers from the 1920s through the '50s. 1. The Complete Louis Armstrong - Duke Ellington Sessions, 2. Porgy and Bess, 3. Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy, 4. Ella and Louis Again, 5. Satch Plays Fat, 6. Satchmo Plays King Oliver, 7. Ella and Louis, 8. Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson, 9. Hello, Dolly!, 10. Louis and The Good Book 🇺🇸🦈🎷Cannonball Adderley Alto saxophonist whose blues-soaked tone and swinging delivery made him one of the most successful proponents of soul-jazz. 1. Mercy, Mercy, Mercy!: Live at "The Club”, 2. Somethin' Else, 3. Cannonball Adderley and The Poll-Winners, 4. Nancy Wilson & Cannonball Adderley, 5. The Cannonball Adderley Quintet in San Francisco, 6. Know What I Mean?, 7. Them Dirty Blues, 8. Portrait of Cannonball, 9. The Cannonball Adderley Quintet in Chicago, 10. African Waltz/Plus. Shark’s entry point: this music is exceptionally captivating and smooth, effortlessly permeating the mind, body, and soul of the listener 🇺🇸🦈🎷Herbie Hancock Inventive and intelligent jazz pianist/keyboardist whose distinguished career has covered hard bop, fusion, hip-hop, and dance. 1. Maiden Voyage, 2. Crossings, 3. Mwandishi, 4. Head Hunters, 5. Takin’ Off, 6. Mn-Child, 7. Sextant, 8. Thrust, 9. Inventions & Dimensions, 10. Empyrean Isles. Shark’s entry point: Head Hunters by Herbie Hancock: considered to be one of (if not THE) vanguard recordings that gave birth to funk/rock jazz fusion 🇺🇸🎷Eddie Harris Innovative jazz multi-instrumentalist primarily known for his work on the saxophone, particularly his use of plugged-in electronic effects. 1. Exodus to Jazz, 2. The In Sound, 3. The Electrifying Eddie Harris, 4. Swiss Movement, 5. Silver Cycles, 6. Instant Death, 7. Excursions, 8. Dancing by a Rainbow, 9. E.H. in the U.K., 10. For Bird and Bags 🇺🇸🦈🎷Mahavishnu Orchestra Led by guitarist John McLaughlin, a band whose sophisticated improvisations and high-powered music helped pioneer the jazz-rock fusion of the '70s. 1. The Inner Mounting Flame, 2. Birds of Fire & Lost Trident, 3. Between Nothingness & Eternity, 4. Apocalypse, 5. Visions of the Emerald Beyond, 6. Inner Worlds 7. The Lost Trident Sessions 8. Unreleased Tracks From Between Nothingness & Eternity 9. Love Devotion Surrender. Shark’s entry point: Inner Mounting Flame by Mahavishnu Orchestra: a monstrous masterpiece performed at 300 MPH, where virtuosos let us see that they're not normal earthlings 🇺🇸🦈🎷Weather Report Jazz fusion innovators who explored exotic textures and rhythms, revealing a decidedly global aesthetic. 1. Black Market, 2. Mysterious Traveller, 3. Sweetnighter, 4. Weather Report, 5. Heavy Weather, 6. I Sing The Body Electric, 7. Procession 8. Tale Spinnin’, 9. Night Passage, 10. 8:30. Shark’s entry point: Mysterious Traveller by Weather Report: a drop-dead gorgeous jazz-rock fusion record. Complex, yet emotional 🇺🇸🦈🎷Return To Forever & Chick Corea One of the key fusion groups of the '70s, helmed by Chick Corea and featuring an impressive list of leading jazz musicians. 1. Return to Forever, 2. Light as a Feather, 3. Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy, 4. Circle( Paris Concert), 5. Romantic Warrior, 6. Where Have I Known You Before, 7. No Mystery, 8. The Mothership Returns (Live), 9. Now He Sings, Now He Sobs, 10. Three Quartets. (Special Mention: Tone’s for Joan’s Bones, My Spanish Heart, Eye of the Beholder, Remembering Bud Powell, Chinese Butterfly, CoreaHancock: An Evening With Chick Corea & Herbie Hancock (Live), Crystal Silence, Live In Montreux, corea.concerto) Shark’s entry point: Return to Forever by Chick Corea: bossa nova & jazz fusion wielded beautifully together; it's all very warm, light, and airy, like a soft breeze on a tropical beach 🇺🇸🎷🎸🪇Al Di Meola Spellbinding jazz guitarist who is revered for his blazing, complex fretwork in the vein of jazz fusion, Latin fusion, and acoustic styles. 1. Land of Midnight Sun, 2. Elegant Gypsy, 3. World Sinfonia, 4. Diabolic Inventions and Seduction for Solo Guitar, Vol. 1: Music of Astor Piazzolla, 5. Consequence of Chaos, 6. The Grande Passion, 7. Casino, 8. Electric Rendezvous, 9. Flesh On Flesh, 10. Splendido Hotel 🇺🇸🎷🪈Oregon Purveyors of acoustically based fusion incorporating modern jazz, classical chamber music and global folk sounds and traditions. 1. Music of Another Present Era, 2. Winter Light, 3. Rots in the Sky, 4. Beyond Words, 5. Together, 6. Out of the Woods, 7. Mon and Mind, 8. Distant Hills, 9. Our First Record, 10. Friends 🇺🇸🎷John Abercrombie Versatile and inventive guitarist who skirted the edge of fusion and rock while remaining true to jazz. 1. Timeless, 2. Structures, 3. Night, 4. John Abercrombie / Marc Johnson / Peter Erskine, 5. Gateway, 6. Sargasso Sea, 7. Characters, 8. Brewster's Rooster, 9. Five Years Later, 10. Arcade 🇺🇸🎷Gateway An occasional jazz trio featuring the immense talents of John Abercrombie, Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette. 1. Gateway 2, Gateway, 3. Homecoming, 4. In the Moment 🇺🇸🎷Ralph Towner Founder of Oregon and vivid soloist, one of the few top-flight contemporary guitarists who's focused on acoustic. 1. Solstice, 2. Matchbook, 3. Oracle, Anthem, 4. Batik, 5. Ana, 6. Old Friends, New Friends, 7. Diary 🇬🇧🎸🪈Mike Oldfield Talented and successful multi-instrumentalist who will forever be associated with Tubular Bells, a progressive rock masterpiece that sold millions. 1. Amarok, 2. Tubular Bells, 3. Ommadawn, 4. Hergest Ridge, 5. Incantations, 6. Return to Ommadawn, 7. Five Miles Out, 8. Tubular Bells II, 8. The Songs Of Distant Earth, 9. QE2, 10. Crises 🇳🇴🎸Jordsjø Norwegian symphonic progressive rock duo formed in 2014 in Oslo by multi-instrumentalist Håkon Oftung (Tusmørke, The Chronicles of Father Robin) and drummer Kristian Frøland. Known for blending 1970s prog, Norwegian folk, and cosmic music. 1. Jord, 2. Jordsjø, 3. Nattfiolen, 4. Pastoralia, 5. Salighet, 6. Kontraster, 7. Jord Sessions 🇦🇷🎼🎸 Luis Alberto Spinetta was a highly influential Argentine musician, singer, guitarist, songwriter, and poet, considered a pioneer of Argentine rock. Nicknamed "El Flaco," he founded seminal bands like Almendra, Pescado Rabioso, and Invisible, and had a prolific solo career, merging rock with jazz, tango, and folk music. His poetic and experimental lyrics, often drawing from philosophy and art, made him a legendary figure in Spanish-language music. 1. A 18´del Sol, 2. Kamikaze, 3. Tester de Violencia, 4. Un Mañana, 5. Pelusón of Milk, 6. La La La, 7. Don Lucero, 8. Spinettalandia y su Amigos. Offshots: 🇦🇷🎸🪘Pescado Rabioso was a rock band from Argentina, founded in 1971, after the break-up of Almendra, Spinetta's first band. Despite its short life, it is considered a fundamental band in the history of the rock of Argentina. 1. Ataúd, 2. Pescado Rabioso 2, 3. Desatormentándonos. 🇦🇷🎸🪘Invisible was an influential Argentine progressive rock band formed in 1973 by Luis Alberto Spinetta after the dissolution of Pescado Rabioso. 1. El Jardin de los Presentes, 2. Durazno Sangrando, 3. Invisible, 4. En vivo Teatro Coliseo 1975. 🇦🇷🎼🎸🎷 Spinetta Jade was an Argentine rock-jazz band led by Luis Alberto Spinetta that was active from 1980 to 1985. The band was known for its blend of jazz and rock, which was innovative for the time in Argentina. 1. Alma de Diamante, 2. Los Niños que Escriben en el Cielo, 3. Bajo Belgrano. 🇦🇷🎸 Almendra was an influential Argentine rock band formed in 1967, known for pioneering Spanish-language rock songwriting and experimental music. 1. Almendra 2. Almendra II 🇦🇷🎼🎸🪘Charly García Argentinian singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist regarded as the founding father of his country's rock scene. 1. Clics modernos, 2. Parte de la Religión, 3. Piano Bar, 4. Yendo de la cama al living, 5. Filosofía barata y zapatos de goma, 6. Say No More, 7. Cómo conseguir chicas. Offshoots: 🇦🇷🎸🪇La Máquina de Hacer Pájaros Charly Garcia left behind the minimalism to form a real band with real musicians that could play anything he asked them to. The band was the post-Sui Generis musical vehicle for the renowned musician Charly García, who aimed to move away from the folk-rock style of his previous band and venture into more complex symphonic and jazz-rock territories, influenced by acts like Genesis, Yes, PFM, and Steely Dan. 1. La Máquina de Hacer Pájaros, 2. Películas. 🇦🇷🎸🪘Serú Girán Progressive rock band from Argentina, was formed in the late '70s by Charly García, guitarist David Lebón, bassist Pedro Aznar, and drummer Oscar Moro 1. Serú Girán, 2. Grasa de las Capitales, 3. Bicicleta, 4. Peperina. 🇦🇷🎸🪘Sui Generis Argentinean folk-rock band Sui Generis was formed in the early '70s by singer, guitarist, and keyboardist Charly García and singer/instrumentalist Nito Mestre. 1. Pequenas Anécdotas Sobre las Instituciones, 2. Confesiones de Invierno, 3. Vida 🇺🇸🎼🎸Sonic Youth Pioneers in noise rock who continued creating sophisticated, visceral music long after they became an alt-rock institution. 1. Daydream Nation, 2. Sister, 3. Evol, 4. Goo, 5. Washing Machine, 6. Dirty, 7. Murrey Street, 8. Sonic Nurse, 9. Bad Moon Rising, 10. A Thousand Leaves, (Special Mention: Invito Al Cielo (Syr 3)) (Special mention: Sonic Youth, The Whitey Album, Confusion Is Sex/ Kill Yr. Idols, Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star) 🇺🇸🎸🎻🎷Chris Corsano is an American drummer and improviser based in upstate New York, renowned for his work at the intersections of collective improvisation, free jazz, avant-rock, and noise music. Corsano is celebrated for his unique extended techniques and the use of non-percussive instruments of his own making, such as bowed violin strings stretched across drum heads, modified reed instruments, and stockpiles of resonant metal. 1. Made Out of Sound, 2. Brace Up!, 3. The Flower School, 4. This is our Language, 5. The Key (Became the Important Thing [and Then Just Faded Away]), 6. No Place To Fall, 7. The Beloved Music, 8. Identical Sunsets, 9. Identical Sunsets, 10. A History of Nothing. (Special Mention: Under a Double Moon, Scraps and Shadows) 🇺🇸🎼🎸Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 (often shortened to TFUL282) was an influential American experimental indie/noise-rock band formed in 1986, moving from Iowa to San Francisco. Known for blending unconventional sounds ("Feller filler") with structured, avant-pop songs, they were a highly collaborative, multi-instrumental group with a cult following. 1. Strangers from the Universe, 2. Tubby Turdners's Celebrity Avalanche (Bob Dinners and Larry Noodles Present), 3. Mother of All Saints, 4. I Hope It Lands, 5. Lovelyville, 6. Wormed by Leonard, 7. Tangle. 🇬🇧🎸Pink Floyd One of the most predominant and celebrated rock bands of all time, prog- and space-rock legends, known for superlative musicianship. 1. The Dark Side of the Moon, 2. Obscured by Clouds, 3. Atom Heart Mother, 4. Animals, 5. Meddle, 6. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, 7. A Saucerful of Secrets, 8. Wish You Were Here, 9. The Wall, 10. The Final Cut. (Special Mention: The Division Bell, Ummagumma, More, A Momentary Lapse of Reason, The Endless River, The Early Years Collection Boxset, The Later Years Collection Boxset) Offshoot: 🇬🇧🎸 Syd Barret The greatest cult figure in rock history, he created a whimsical, haunting brand of psychedelia both on his own and as the early leader of Pink Floyd. 1. The Madcap Laughs, 2. Barret, 3. Opel 🇨🇦🦈🎸Rush Beloved by millions and scorned by critics, one of the great prog-rock bands, possessing an instrumental acumen rivaled by few other groups. 1. 2112, 2. Moving Pictures, 3. Permanent Waves, 4. Hemispheres, 5. A Farewell to Kings, 6. Signals, 7. Counterparts, 8. Clockwork Angels, 9. Caress of Steel, 10. Grace Under Pressure. (Special Mention: Hold Your Fire, Vapor Trails, Snakes & Arrows, Rush, Power Windows, Fly By Night) Shark’s entry point: 2112 by Rush: conjuring up the kind of sci-fi images and otherworldly magic that would later become the hallmark of the band 🇫🇮🎸🪇 Pekka Pohjola was a renowned Finnish multi-instrumentalist, composer, and bass virtuoso who rose to fame with the progressive rock band Wigwam before embarking on a distinguished solo career blending jazz fusion with progressive rock, heavily influenced by Frank Zappa and eventually developing a unique sound. 1. Visitation, 2. Harakka Bialoipokku, 3. Kätkävaaran lohikäärme, 4. Pewit, 5. Views, 6. Flight of the Angel, 7. Urban Tango, 8. Jokamies, 9. Space Waltz 🇺🇸🎼🎸Fugazi The thinking person's hardcore band, with an independent D.I.Y. ethos and a musical focus on free-form experimentalism. Their sound is characterized as post-hardcore, often featuring dual vocalists (MacKaye and Picciotto) with a dynamic blend of quiet intensity and explosive rock. 1. Repeater & 3 Songs, 2. 13 Songs, 3. The Argument, 4. In On the Kill Taker, 5. Red Medicine, 6. End Hits, 7. Steady Diet of Nothing, 8. First Demo 🇩🇪🎷🎸Missus Beastly was a pioneering German Krautrock/jazz-rock fusion band formed in 1968, known for their evolving psychedelic jams, significant personnel changes, and role in the German music scene, releasing several albums in the 70s with a blend of improvisation, funk, and rock. 1. Missus Beastly, 2. Dr. Aftershave and the Mixed Pickles, 3. Space Guerilla, 4. First 🇺🇸🎸Swans Part of the original No Wave scene in the early 1980's, the New York City rock band Swans has since become one of the most respected experimental rock outfits to the present. 1. Children of God, 2. Soundtracks For the Blind, 3. To Be Kind, 4. White Light From The Mouth Of Infinity, 5. The Great Annihilator, 6. My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky, 7. The Seer, 8. The Glowing Man, 9. Leaving Meaning, 10. The Beggar 🇺🇸🎼🎸Tool American quartet that elevated their early-'90s metal sonics with a sophisticated, progressive flourish. 1. Lateralus, 2. Ænima, 3. 10,000 Days, 4. Fear Inoculum, 5. Undertow 🇸🇪🎼🎸Opeth Influential and acclaimed Swedish prog-metal outfit that deftly mixes death metal crunch with ambitious instrumental flash. 1. Blackwater Park, 2. Still Life, 3. Ghost Reveries, 4. Damnation, 5. My Arms, Your Hearse, 6. Watershed, 7. Deliverance, 8. Morningrise, 9. The Last Will and Testament, 10. Heritage, 11. Pale Communion 🇩🇪🦈🎸Eloy A venerable progressive rock outfit and one of the most popular German bands of the 1970s. 1, Ocean, 2. Dawn, 3. Power and the Passion, 4. Floating, 5. Silent Cries & Mighty Echoes, 6. Inside, 7. Eloy. Shark’s entry point: Ocean by Eloy: worlds atomize and oceans evaporate in eternity on this epic record 🇮🇹🦈🎸🪇PFM Premiata Forneria Marconi Italy's leading progressive rock outfit of the early '70s, PFM would have remained a purely Italian phenomenon had they not been signed to Emerson, Lake & Palmer's Manticore label. 1. Per un Amico, 2. Storia di un Minuto, 3. Photos of Ghosts, 4. L’ Isola di Niente, 5. Chocolate Kings, 6. Stati Di Immaginazione, 7. A.D. 2010 - La Buona Novella. Shark’s entry point: Per Un Amico by Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM): jaw dropping musical acrobatics with ease which never lose the pace of a sophisticated graceful poetic dance of sounds 🇬🇧🎸The Moody Blues Pop mystics of the rock era whose impeccably produced albums exuded pseudo-classical glory, driven by lush Mellotron orchestrations. 1. Days of Future Passed, 2. A Question of Balance, 3. Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, 4. To Our Children's Children's Children, 5. On the Threshold of a Dream, 6. In Search of the Lost Chord, 7. Seventh Sojourn 7. Long Distance Voyager, 8. Octave 🇬🇧🎸🎻 Robert Wyatt. Former Soft Machine drummer and vocalist who merged the avant-garde with English eccentricity. 1. Rock Bottom 2. Sleep, 3. Comicopera, 4. Dondestan, 5. Old Rottenhat, 6. Cuckooland, 7. Rush is Stranger than Richard, 8. The End of an Ear 🇬🇧🦈🎸Emerson Lake and Palmer The original prog rock supergroup of the 1970s, they combined heavy riffs with classical influences. 1. Emerson, Lake & Palmer, 2. Tarkus, 3. Pictures at an Exhibition, 4. Trilogy, 5. Brain Salad Surgery, 6. Works Vol. 1&2. Shark’s entry point: Trilogy by Emerson, Lake & Palmer: everything has been carefully thought, arranged, and performed to perfection, a process that also included some form of sterilization 🇺🇸🦈🎸The Velvet Underground The quintessential bohemian New York band of the '60s that fused art, rock, and poetry in a fashion that proved incalculably influential. 1. Loaded, 2. The Velvet Underground & Nico, 3. The Velvet Underground, 4. White Light/White Heat, 5. VU. Shark’s entry point: The Velvet Underground & Nico: its experimental fingertips and legacy permeated the whole pop/rock realm 🇬🇧🦈🎸Roxy Music Cult favorites, and perhaps the quintessential art rock band, who transitioned from hard-edged glam to sophisticated rock. 1. For Your Pleasure, 2. Roxy Music, 3. Standed, 4. Country Life, 5. Siren, 6. Avalon, 7. Manifesto, 8. Flesh + Blood. Shark’s entry point: Roxy Music by Roxy Music: from an art school project to the most adventurous rock band of the early '70s 🇬🇧🎸The Alan Parson’s Project A high-concept art rock band with several pop hits, formed around talented producer Parsons and songwriter Eric Woolfson. 1. Tales of Mystery and Imagination: Edgar Allan Poem, 2. I Robot, 3. The Turn of a Friendly Card, 4. Pyramid, 5. Eye in the Sky, 6. Ammonia Avenue, 7. Gaudi, 8. Eve 9. Stereotomy 10. Vulture Culture 🇮🇹🎸🪇Le Orme Excellent early-70's Italian progressive trio (still around today) with classical stylings, featuring keyboards to the fore and a unique dreamy/powerful style. 1. Felona E Sorona, 2. Uomo Di Pezza, 3. Contrappunti, 4. Collage, 5. Florian, 6. Storia o leggenda, 7. Verita' nascoste, 8. Il Leone e la Bandiera, 9. La Via Della Seta 🇬🇧🎸Barclay James Harvest Purveyors of pastoral chamber-prog, rife with surging rock energy and boasting a unique, Mellotron-driven sound. 1. Everyone is Everybody Else, 2. Once Again, 3. Time Honoured Ghosts, 4. Octoberon, 5. Xii, 6. Gone to Earth, 7. Barclay James Harvest 🇬🇧🎸Porcupine Tree Contemporary prog act with a wide-ranging set of influences, from classic rock to psychedelic to metal. 1.Fear of a Blank Planet, 2. In Absentia, 3. Stupid Dream, 4. The Sky Moves Sideways, 5. Lightbulb Sun, 6. Deadwing, 7. Up the Downstair, 8. Signify, 9. Metanoia, 10. On the Sunday of Life… (Special Mention: The Incident, Closure/Continuation) 🇬🇧🦈🎸Steven Wilson Prolific progressive rock icon who founded the band Porcupine Tree before going on to a celebrated solo career. 1. The Raven That Refused to Sing and Other Stories, 2. Hand. Cannot. Erase., 3. Insurgentes, 4. Grace for Drowning, 5. To the Bone, 6. The Harmony Codex, 7. NSRGNTS RMXS, 8. The Future Bites, 9. 41/2, 10. The Overview. Offshoot: 🇬🇧🎸Bass Communion Starting in 1994, Wilson began solo recordings described as "experiments in texture," resulting in his work under the name Bass Communion. 1. Bass Communion 1, 2. Bass Communion II. Shark’s entry point: The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories) by Steven Wilson: new prog-rock music in the vain of the 70's with top notch production can't go wrong 🇲🇽🎸Cast is a pioneering Mexican symphonic/progressive rock band formed in Mexicali in 1978 by keyboardist Alfonso Vidales, known for their keyboard-driven, Genesis-esque sound, prolific album output, and organizing the annual Baja Prog Festival, maintaining a long career despite challenges with consistent lineup changes and evolving from English to Spanish lyrics to find their unique voice in the prog scene. 1. Imaginary Windows, 2. Originallis, 3. Arsis, 4. Vida, 5. Power and Outcme, 6. Vigesimus, 7. Com.union, 8. Nimbus, 9. Al Bandaluz 🇺🇦🎸Karfagen is a Ukrainian symphonic art-rock and progressive rock band formed by multi-instrumentalist Antony Kalugin. The band's music is mostly instrumental, characterized by an imaginative use of keyboards, guitars, classical instruments (such as oboe, bassoon, cello, and violin), and ethnic instruments. Their style blends symphonic prog, art-rock, and neo-prog, with influences from bands like Camel, The Flower Kings, UK, and Genesis, as well as classical composers like Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev. 1. Echoes from Within Dragon Island, 2. Lost Symphony, 3. Omni, 4. Omni: A Shuffle of Fate, 5. Land of Chameleons, 6. Passage to the Forest of Mysterious, 7. Land of Green and Gold, 8. Land of Green and Gold, 9. Messages from Afar: Second Nature, 10. Messages from Afar: First Contact (Special Mention: Spektra, Birds of Passage, Solitary Sandpiper Journey, Principles and Theory of Spektra, Dragon Island (Instrumental Symphonic Art Rock Suite)) 🇮🇹🎸🎻ZU is an Italian avant-garde band formed in Ostia, Rome, in 1997, known for their genre-defying fusion of jazz, metal, punk, noise rock, and progressive rock. Their music style is characterized by complex rhythmic structures, aggressive distortion, and controlled chaos, often labeled as RIO/Avant-Prog or "jazz-core." They blend the precision of math rock and avant-garde metal with the spontaneity of free jazz and the energy of punk, creating a sound that is both brutal and intellectually intricate. 1. Carboniferous, 2. Radiale, 3. How To Raise an Ox, 4. Ferrum Sidereum, 5. Igneo, 6. Identification With the Enemy: A Key To the Underworld, 7. The Way of the Animal Powers, 8. Cortar Todo, 9. Jhator, 10. Mirror Emperor (Special Mention: The Left Hand Path, ZU) 🇬🇧🎸🎻This Heat Experimental U.K. band, whose music ranges from quietly beautiful to an all-out assault. 1. Deceit, 2. This Heat, 3. Made Available - John Peel Sessions 🇫🇷🎸Moving Gelatin Plates was a French progressive rock band formed in 1968 by Gérard Bertram and Didier Thibault. Their music, heavily influenced by jazz, was compared to the Canterbury scene, particularly Soft Machine. 1. The World of Genius Hans, 2. Moving Gelatin Plates, 3. Removing 🇬🇧🎸U.K. Featuring members of Yes, King Crimson, Roxy Music, and Soft Machine, U.K. was one of the most prominent progressive rock supergroups of the late '70s. 1. UK, 2. Night After Night, 3. Danger Money, 4. The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo 🇩🇪🎸 Krautwerk is the solo electronic, krautrock project of Nico Seel, approaching music in a minimalistic and DIY way. It is a tribute to German first wave krautrock legends like Can, Kraftwerk, Neu! etc. 1. 1971, 2. 1975, 3. Computerrock, 4. 1973, 5. Nueling, 6. 1972, 7. Fenster, 8. 1974 🇺🇸🎷🎸🎹Larry Coryell Pioneering fusion guitarist who explored everything from psychedelic rock to unaccompanied acoustic music to straight-ahead bebop. 1. Barefoot Boy, 2. Introducing the Eleventh House, 3. Three Guitars, 4. Tricycles (with Paul Wertico & Marc Egan), 5. Monk, Trane, Miles and Me, 6. Coryell, 7. Spaces, 8. Together, 9. Cause and Effect, 10. Level One 🇺🇸🎷🎺Stanley Clarke Gifted jazz bassist who established many contemporary techniques with his dazzling, rapid patterns and a highly influential slapping technique. 1. School Days, 2. Journey to Love, 3. Children of Forever, 4. Stanley Clarke, 5. Live At the Greek, 6. Jazz in the Garden 🇬🇧🦈🎷Brand X English fusion band that included Phil Collins and guitarist John Goodsall. They have a very original, though laidback, approach to their music with a special focus on Percy Jones's brilliant fretless bass playing, something that made the band legendary. 1. Unorthodox Behaviour, 2. Moroccan Roll, 3. Masques, 4. Do They Hurt? 5. Livestock 6. Is There Anything About? 7. Xcommunication, 8. Product, 9. Manifest Destiny: Trilogy I 10. Trilogy III: Live At the Bottom Line. Shark’s entry point: Unorthodox Behaviour by Brand X: frenetic drum rolls, layers of silence, funky bass, atmospheric synthesizers, and rhythmic developments accompanied by proggy jazzed up time signature outbursts 🇺🇸🎷George Duke Fusion pianist with outstanding work alongside Frank Zappa and later a successful crossover career blending rock, jazz, and R&B. 1. The Aura Will Prevail, 2. Soft Shoe (feat. Harry Edison, Jake Hanna & George Duke), 3. Follow the Rainbow, 4. Brazilian Love Affair, 5. Faces in Reflection, 6. The Inner Source, 7. “Live” On the Tour In Europe (The Billy Cobham Band), 8. Feel, 9. I Love the Blues, She Heard My Cry, 10. Dream On 🇬🇧🦈🎸🎷🪕Jeff Beck British guitar god, both with the Yardbirds in the 1960s and while leading his own band into jazz-rock fusion in the '70s. 1. Blow by Blow, 2. Truth, 3. Wired, 4. Beck-Ola, 5. You Had It Coming, 6. Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop, 7. Rough and Ready, 8. Who Else!, 9. Jeff Beck Group Shark’s entry point: Blow by Blow by Jeff Beck: a powerhouse of jazzy funk rock fusion with nine strong tracks by a Guitar God 🇫🇷🦈🎷Jean-Luc Ponty A wide-ranging violinist who helped popularize the use of electronics among string players, and developed a varied style mixing many jazz genres. 1. Enigmatic Ocean, 2. King Kong - Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa, 3. Upon The Wings Of Music, 4. Electric Connection, 5. Aurora, 6. Cosmic Messenger, 7. Mystical Adventures 8. Open Strings, 9. Ponty - Grappelli, 10. Imaginary Voyage. Shark’s entry point: Enigmatic Ocean by Jean-Luc Ponty: flawless playing and utterly fluid transitions and interplay 🇺🇸🎷Jim Hall Richly talented jazz guitarist known for his fluid, bop-based style and pioneering work in a solo and duo context. 1. Telephone, 2. Concierto, 3. Undercurrent, 4. Commitment, 5. Intermodulation, 6. Folk Jazz, 7. Alone Together, 8. Dialogues, 9. Something Special, 10. Magic Meeting. (Special Mention: Jazz Guitar) 🇺🇸🎺Steve Khan Session guitarist for the likes of Lou Rawls, Steely Dan, and Michael Franks, among others; also recorded as a leader, starting with 1977's Tightrope. 1. Evidence, 2. Tightrope, 3. The Blue Man, 4. Eyewitness, 5. Let’s Call This, 6. The Green Field, 7. Public Access, 8. Casa Loco, 9. Borrowed Time, 10. Modern Times 🇺🇸🎷 John Scofield is a highly influential American jazz guitarist and composer known for his eclectic blend of jazz, funk, blues, and soul. His music style is characterized by a meaty, bluesy sound mixed with elastic lines and crunchy dissonances, effectively merging bebop traditions with rock and funk influences. 1. Meant to Be, 2. Hand Jive, 3. A Go Go, 4. I Can See Your House from Here, 5. Loud Jazz, 6. Groove Elation, 7. Works for Me, 8. Swallow Tales, 9. Blue Matter, 10. This Meets That 🇩🇪🎷Monika Roscher Bigband is a German collective of 18 musicians which tries to stretch the stylistic conventions of the brass-centered big band format to their limit. 1. Failure in Wonderland, 2. Of Monsters and Birds, 3. Witchy Activities and the Maple Death 🇬🇧🎸🪕Led Zeppelin Acknowledged as the most successful and influential band of the heavy rock era, with a catalog that continues to inspire. 1. Led Zeppelin I-IV, 5. Houses of the Holy, 6. Physical Graffiti, 7. Presence 8. In Through the Out Door, 9. Celebration Day, 10. Coda 🇬🇧🎸Black Sabbath The embodiment of heavy metal, with the overpowering volume, sludgy attack, and fantasy lyrics that would define the genre. 1. Paranoid 2. Black Sabbath, 3. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, 4. Master of Reality, 5. Vol. 4, 6. Sabotage, 7. Heaven And Hell, 8. 13, 9. Mob Rules 🇬🇧🎸Budgie Hard rockers from Cardiff, Wales who were one of the earliest British heavy metal bands. 1. Never Turn Your Back on a Friend, 2. Budgie, 3. In for the Kill! 4. Squawk, 5. Bandolier, 6. If I Were Brittania I'd Waive The Rules, 7. Impeckable 🇺🇸🎸Death Aptly named Florida metal band whose aggressive style helped spawn both the death metal and grindcore genres. 1. Human, 2. Scream Bloody Gore, 3. Individual Thought Patterns, 4. The Sound of Perseverance, 5. Spiritual Healing, 6. Leprosy, 7. Symbolic 🇺🇸🎼🎸Primus One of the original and most distinctive alt-metal groups, a whimsical party band with the chops to absorb punk rock, thrash, and funk. 1. Frizzle Fry, 2. Sailing the Seas of Cheese, 3. Tales from the Punchbowl, 4. Pork Soda 5. Brown Album, 6. Antipop, 7. Green Naugahyde, 8. Suck on This, 9. Primus & The Chocolate Factory with The Fungi Ensemble, 10. The Desaturating Seven 🇺🇸🎼🎸Grateful Dead Legendary Haight-Ashbury sextet who took a long, strange trip from acid-testing jugband to worldwide countercultural institution. 1. Blues for Allah, 2. Workingman's Dead, 3. American Beauty, 4. Wake of the Flood, 5. Anthem of the Sun, 6. Live/Dead, 7. Europe '72, 8. Grateful Dead, 9. From the Mars Hotel, 10. Terrapin Station 🇬🇧🎼🎸The Who An explosive combo that pioneered progressive and arena rock, each new sound increasing their influence and legacy. 1. Who's Next, 2. Quadrophenia, 3. The Who Sell Out, 4. The Who Sings My Generation, 5. Tommy, 6. A Quick One, 7. The Who by Numbers, 8. It’s Hard 🇮🇪🎸🪇🎤Horslips Irish rock band whose style was a unique mix of folk, hard rock, and progressive influences. 1. The Táin, 2. Book of Invasions: A Celtic Symphony, 3. Dancehall Sweethearts, 4. Happy to Meet, Sorry to Part, 5. Aliens 🇩🇪🎸🎷Embryo Long-running German jazz-rock group who have incorporated numerous global styles and instruments. 1. Embryo's Rache, 2. Rocksession, 3. Steig Aus [also released as: This Is Embryo], 4. Opal, 5. Father, Son And Holy Ghosts 🇬🇧🎸🎻📟🎹🪈Brian Eno A trailblazer in ambient, experimental music, and electronica as well as a producer of numerous major rock acts. 1. Another Green World, 2. Ambient 4 - On Land, 3. Brian Eno & David Byrne: My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts, 4. Before And After Science, 5. Eno, Moebius & Roedelius: After The Heat, 6. Small Craft On A Milk Sea, 7. Apollo - Atmospheres & Soundtracks, 8. Here Come the Warm Jets, 9. Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy), 10. Ambient 1 - Music for Airports 🇫🇷🎸🎷Magma Relentless martial fusion, chanted vocals, an invented language, and an interstellar mythology mark Magma as the essence of zeuhl. 1. Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh, 2. 1,001 Degrees Centigrade, 3. K.A (Köhntarkösz Anteria), 4. Magma [Aka: Kobaïa], 5. Christian Vander: Tristan et Iseult [Aka: Ẁurdah Ïtah], 6. Live/Hhaï (Köhntark),7. Retrospektïẁ I-II, 8. Üdü Ẁüdü, 9. Attahk, 10. Rïah Sahïltaahk 🇫🇷🎸🎷 ZAO was a French progressive rock band founded in 1971 by two ex-members of the band Magma, Yochk'o Seffer and François Cahen. Active primarily in the 1970s, they played a style of progressive rock and zeuhl that was a spin-off from Magma's sound and also incorporated jazz fusion and other influences. 1. Shekina, 2. Osiris, 3. Typhareth 🇩🇰🎸🎷 Secret Oyster was a Danish jazz-rock and progressive fusion supergroup formed in 1972 by members of the bands Burnin' Red Ivanhoe, Hurdy Gurdy, and Coronarias Dans. Their music featured improvisational jams, complex instrumental structures, and a spacious, fusion-heavy sound that evolved from rockier, guitar-driven early work to more synth-based, cinematic prog on later albums. 1. Sea Son, 2. Secret Oyser, 3. Straight to the Krankenhaus 🇬🇧🎸🪇Peter Gabriel Theatrical leader of '70s-era Genesis and a bona fide pop star by the '80s despite his experimental, often exotic, material. 1. Peter Gabriel 3 [Aka: Melt], 2. Up, 3. Peter Gabriel 4 [Aka: Mask, Aka: Security], 4. Passion - Music from The Last Temptation of Christ, 5. So, 6. Us, 7. Peter Gabriel 1 [Aka: Car], 9. New Blood, 10- i/o 8. Peter Gabriel 2 [Aka: Scratch] 🇫🇷🎸Kevin Ayers A gifted songwriter, guitarist, bassist and singer, Kevin Ayers has been flitting in and out of prog throughout his long, languid career. 1. Shooting At the Moon, 2. Joy of a Toy, 3. Whatevershebringswesing 🇬🇧🎸🎻 Black Midi London-based experimental rock band known for its complex blend of math rock, post-punk, noise rock, and avant-jazz, active from 2017 to 2024. Formed at the BRIT School by Geordie Greep, Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin, Cameron Picton, and Morgan Simpson, the band gained notoriety for its virtuosic musicianship, chaotic live performances, and debut album Schlagenheim (2019), which earned a Mercury Prize nomination. 1. Hellfire, 2. Schlagenheim, 3. Cavalcade 🇬🇧🎸Fripp & Eno is the iconic ambient music collaboration between guitarist Robert Fripp (King Crimson) and producer/musician Brian Eno (Roxy Music), famous for pioneering Frippertronics, a tape-delay looping technique that creates evolving, instrumental soundscapes. 1. The Equatorial Stars. 2. Evening Star. No Pussyfooting. 🇬🇧🎸Egg Canterbury-based progressive rock trio released a pair of ambitiously conceived, stylistically diverse albums in the early ‘70s 1. The Polite Force, 2. The Civil Surface, 3. Egg 🇩🇪🎸Out of Focus was one of the many creative groups that arose from Germany in the early '70s. Its inventive take on fusion laid the groundwork for their three LPs released a year apart from each other. 1. Out of Focus, 2. Four Letter Monday Afternoon, 3. Rat Roads, 4. Not Too Late 🇩🇪🎸The Cosmic Jockers were the greatest Krautrock supergroup that never was, a cosmic joke even on most of the musicians who played on the sessions, unbeknownst they were members of this new "group.” 1. Galactic Supermarket, 2. Galactic Joke 🇬🇧🎸🪈🎬🪇📟 Anthony Philips One of the founders of Genesis, a guitarist of supreme skill and confidence steeped in classical, pre-Baroque, and folk influences. 1. The Geese & The Ghost, 2. Wise After the Event, 3. Private Parts & Pieces I-VIII, 1984 🇬🇧🎸Renaissance Classical rock ensemble formed as an outlet for a pair of ex-Yardbirds, but later driven by Annie Haslam's three-octave voice and John Tout's piano. 1. Scheherazade and Other Stories, 2. Ashes Are Burning, 3. Turn of the Cards, 4. Prologue, 5. Renaissance, 6. Novella, 7. Live at Carnegie Hall,8. A Song for All Seasons, 9. Illusion 🇬🇧🎸Kate Bush Haunting second-wave art rocker who was critically deified in the 1980s thanks to her tasteful, intelligent, and stimulating songwriting. 1. The Kick Inside, 2. Hounds of Love, 3. Never for Ever, 4. The Dreaming, 5. 50 Words for Snow, 6. Aerial, 7. The Sensual World, 8. Lionheart, 9. Director's Cut, 10. The Red Shoes 🇬🇧🎸Marillion Frontrunners of the U.K.'s progressive rock revival, led by Fish and later Steve Hogarth without missing a beat. 1. Misplaced Childhood, 2. Script for a Jester's Tear, 3. Clutching at Straws, 4. Fugazi, 5. Brave, 6. Marbles, 7. Afraid of Sunlight, 8. F*** Everyone and Run, 9. Seasons End. 10. An Hour Before It's Dark 🇸🇪🎸Bo Hansson Swedish keyboard player/composer Bo Hansson first emerged in the 1960s as part of a duo that made a name for itself, first in Sweden and then on tour in Europe, and issued a series of three albums. 1. Attic Thoughts, 2. Magician's Hat, 3. Lord of the Rings, 4. Music Inspired By Watership Down 🇮🇹🎸Homunculus Res Sicilian band draws influence from the '60s-'70s Canterbury scene and early Italian prog, melding breeziness with complexity. 1. Limiti All'eguaglianza della Parte con il Tutto 2. Come Si Diventa Cio' Che Si Era, 3. Andiamo In Giro di Notte E Ci Consumiamo Nel Fuoco, 4. Della Stessa Sostanza Dei Sogni, 5. Ecco l'Impero Dei Doppi Sensi 🇦🇷🎸Bubu Along with the traditional rock set-up (guitar, bass, and drums), the band featured a violonist, flutist, saxophonist, and pianist. Their music is complex, energetic, and diabolical in a King Crimson-ish sort of way. Influences are varied (classic, jazz, rock, folk) but make up quite an interesting blend. 1. Anabelas, 2 El Eco del Sol 🇬🇧🎹🪈🎷🎤🪇📟🎸Pinguin Cafe Orchestra was a brainchild of a classically trained British multi-instrumentalist and composer Simon Jeffes. Musically omnivorous, he was influenced by classical, folk, jazz, world, ethnic, experimental and pop music and those influences were synthesized in the music of PCO. 1. Music from the Pinguin Cafe, 2. Pinguin Café Orchestra, 3. Broadcasting From Home, 4. Union Café, 5. Signs of Life, 5. Concert Program 🇺🇸🎸The Claypool Lennon Delirium is an American psychedelic rock supergroup formed in 2015 by Les Claypool (bassist and vocalist of Primus) and Sean Lennon (multi-instrumentalist and son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono). Their music style is characterized as psychedelic rock, progressive rock, and art rock, often described as a fusion of 60s psych-pop and early 70s progressive haze. The sound features Claypool’s intricate, complex bass lines and observational lyrics juxtaposed with Lennon’s ethereal vocals, guitar work, and drumming, drawing influences from Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett, and The Beatles. Their compositions explore surreal themes of science, mysticism, and politics, utilizing vintage analog textures, Mellotron, and swirling effects to create an immersive, otherworldly atmosphere. 1. Monolith of Phobos, 2. South of Reality, 3. The Great Parrot-Ox and the Golden Egg of Empathy, 4. Lime & Limpid Green 🇩🇪🎸📟Neu! Minimalist rhythmic electronic band whose motorik style became a major influence on artists ranging from David Bowie to Sonic Youth to Stereolab. 1. Neu! 2. Neu! 75 🇩🇪🎸Agitation Free 1970s Krautrock group who specialized in ambient, droning electronics with touches of bluesy Grateful Dead-style jamming. 1. 2Nd, 2. Malesch 🇧🇪🎸🎻Univers Zéro Longstanding dark-hued Belgian chamber rockers and avant-prog pioneers led by drummer/composer Daniel Denis. 1. Uzed, 2. Hérésie, 3. Univers Zéro, 4. Ceux du dehors, 5. Phosphorescent Dreams, 6. Lueur. Offshoot: 🇧🇪🎸🎻 Present Dark and often relentless avant-prog band formed by guitarist Roger Trigaux upon his departure from Univers Zero in 1979. 1. Triskaidekaphobie, 2. Le Poison Qui Rend Fou 🇫🇷🎸🎻🎬🎹🪇📟Art Zoyd French avant Rock in Opposition collective founded in 1969 with a virtually unclassifiable sound applied to film scores and experimental works. 1. Häxan, 2. Berlin, 3. Marathonerre, 4. Symphonie pour le jour où brûleront les Cités, 5. Phase IV, 6. Le Mariage Du Ciel Et De L'Enfer, 7. Faust, 8. Metropolis, 9. Eyecatcher 🇯🇵🎸 betcover!! Formed in 2015, betcover!! are a J-rock band with jazz rock influences, recently moving to a more progressive sound. 1. Tamago (卵), 2. 時間 Jikan, 3. 勇気 Yuki, 4. 馬 Uma, 5. 中学生 Love Forever, 6. 告白 Kokuhaku 🇲🇽🎸🎻DECiBEL is a legendary Mexican avant-garde/Rock in Opposition (RIO) band formed in Mexico City in 1973, known for their experimental, complex sound blending prog rock, modern classical, jazz, and improvisation, heavily influenced by European bands like Henry Cow. 1. El Poeta del Ruido, 2. Fortuna Virilis, 3. Méliès, 4. Insecto Mecánico, 5. Secuencias Genéticas, 6. Tmand el Té con Alicia y el Sombrero Loco 🇬🇧🎸🎷Colosseum Influential British band that pioneered a progressive form of jazz-rock, with unusual chord progressions and variant song structures. 1. Valentyne Suite, 2. The Grass Is Greener, 3. Daughter of Time, 4. Those Who Are About to Die Salute You 🇬🇧🎸🎤Strawbs Sprawling, eclectic folk-rock act whose spacy mix of rock and neo-classical presaged prog-rock. 1. Grave New World, 2. Hero and Heroine, 3. From the Witchwood, 4. Ghosts 5. Bursting at the Seams, 6. Nomadness, 7. Strawbs 🇺🇸🎸Happy the Man Progressive rock band known for their high-caliber musicianship and complex, sometimes whimsical compositions. 1. Crafty Hands, 2. Happy the Man (Starborne) 🇩🇪🎸🎻🎷🪈Annexus Quam This early-'70s Krautrock band from Kamp-Lintfort, a suburb of Düsseldorf, mixed jazz, rock, avant-garde, and psychedelic music into a unique blend on their two albums. 1. Osmose, 2. Beziehungen 🇬🇧🎸🎷🪇🎹John Mclaughlin Influential jazz guitarist who also explored blues, flamenco, and Indian music, and helped found the jazz/rock fusion movement. 1. Devotion, 2. Extrapolation, 3. Love Devotion Surrender, 4. The Guitar Trio 5. My Goal's Beyond, 6. Passion, Grace & Fire, 7. Floating Point, 8. The Promise, 9. Friday Night in San Francisco, 10. Electric Guitarist 🇬🇧🎺🎸Bill Bruford his career is like his drumming sound —inimitable. Known for his ringing metal snare drum, crisp cymbal work, and knack for complex time signatures, a young Bruford came to prominence in the late '60s with Yes. 1. One of a Kind, 2. Feels Good to Me, 3. Gradually Going Tornado3, 4. If Summer Had Its Ghosts, 5. The Bruford Tapes 6. Master Strokes, 7. Rock Goes to College, 8. In Two Minds 🇺🇸🎷Larry Young An acclaimed innovator of the '60s jazz organ approach, who utilized swirling chords, surging lines, and rock-influenced improvisations. 1. Lawrence of Newmark, 2. Unity, 3. Young Blues, 4. Into Somethin’, 5. Of Love and Peace, 6. Contrasts 🇯🇵🎷Soil & "Pimp" Sessions Japanese jazz combo who play music inspired by the sound and style of classic bebop, Latin jazz, and cool jazz, but with a funky undertow and the passion, aggression, and force of rock & roll. 1. 6, 2. Brothers & Sisters, 3. Pimpin’, 4. Pimp Master, 5. Pimp of the Year, 6. Planet Pimp, 7. Pimpoint, 8. Man Steals the Stars, 9. Magnetic Soil, 10. 真夜中のハリネズミ: Music From and Inspired by Hello Harinezumi 🇵🇦🦈🎷🎸Billy Cobham A technically accomplished soloist whose combination of bombastic power and rhythmic clarity made him the quintessential fusion drummer. 1. Spectrum, 2. Stratus, 3. Shabazz, 4. Crosswinds, 5. Total Eclipse, 6. A Funky Thide Of Sings, 7. Life & Times 8. Inner Conflicts, 9. Focused, 10. Drum 'N' Voice - All That Groove. Shark’s entry point: Spectrum by Billy Cobham: the accessible, though effective and addictive, entry to the jazz-rock world 🇬🇧🎷🎸Allan Holdsworth Fleet-fingered British guitarist with a liquid sound, respected by aficionados as one of the greatest axemen in the electric jazz-rock fusion genre. 1. Metal Fatigue, 2. I.O.U., 3. Truth in Shredding, 4. The Sixteen Men of Tain, 5. Secrets, 6. Hard Hat Area, 7. None Too Soon, 8. Anders Johansson, Jens Johansson & Allan Holdsworth - Heavy Machinery, 9. Allan Holdsworth & Gordon Beck: The Things You See, 10. Wardenclyffe Tower. Shark’s entry point: Metal Fatigue by Allan Holdsworth: prepare to be dazzled by the most futuristic guitar playing this side of the universe! 🇺🇸🎷Niacin is a jazz fusion and progressive rock trio formed in 1996 by bassist Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big), keyboardist John Novello, and drummer Dennis Chambers. The band's name is a pun on the Hammond B-3 organ (Vitamin B3), which serves as the timbral foundation of their sound. The trio delivers high-energy, virtuosic performances that blend hard rock sensibilities with jazz improvisation, often described as a "progressive retro fusion." Their music is primarily instrumental, characterized by lightning-fast bass lines, fiery organ solos, and complex, shifting meters. Critics frequently compare their sound to Emerson, Lake & Palmer, noting a similar bombastic and technical approach but driven by a rhythm section rooted in funk and rock rather than traditional jazz. 1. Organik, 2. Time Crunch, 3. Deep, 4. High Bias 🇺🇸🎷Alphonse Mouzon Premiere fusion/funk drummer with Weather Report and Larry Coryell, plus a leader of dates for Blue Note, MPS, Pausa, and his own Tenacious label. 1. Mind Transplant, 2. Funky Snakefoot, 3. Virtue, 4. In Search of a Dream, 5. The Essence of Mystery, 6. Back Together Again 🇺🇸🎷🎺Lenny White Influential jazz fusion drummer and Return to Forever member who has played with Miles Davis, Chaka Khan, Al Di Meola, and countless others. 1. The Adventures Of Astral Pirates, 2. Venusian Summer, 3. The Griffith Park Collection 🇺🇸🎷Buddy Rich The most gifted drummer of the swing era, who backed many major artists before leading his own long-running band. 1. Mercy, Mercy (Live), 2. Krupa and Rich, 3. This one’s for Basie, 4. The Roar ’74, 5. Blues Caravan, 6. The New One! 7. Big Band Machine, 8. Stick it! 9. Buddy and Sweets, 10. The Drum Battle. 🇧🇷🎷🪇Airto Moreira Famed Brazilian-born percussionist who rose to prominence with his innovative blend of jazz, fusion, and Latin traditions. 1. Free, 2. Seeds on the Ground —The Natural Sound of Airto, 3. Fingers, 4. The Other Side of This, 5. Samba De Flora, 6. Natural Feeling, 7. Virgin Land 🇺🇸🎸🎻Secret Chiefs 3 is an Avant-Garde band led by Trey Spruance. Their style is influenced by oriental folklore and electronic music, fused with metal. 1. Book M, 2. Second Grand Constitution and Bylaws, 3. Book of Horizons, 4. Xaphan - Book Of Angels, Vol. 9, 5. Traditionalists: Le Mani Destre Recise Degli Ultimi Uomini, 6. Book of Souls - Folio A, 7. Ishraqiyun: Perichoresis, 8. Malkhut, 9. First Grand Constitution and Bylaws? 🇳🇴🎸Motorpsycho Norwegian power trio influenced by psychedelia and heavy acid rock. 1. The Death Defying Unicorn (feat. Staale Storloekken, Ola Kvernberg, Trondheimsolistene & Trondheim Jazz Orchestra), 2. Timothy's Monster, 3. Let Them Eat Cake, 4. Phanerothyme, 5. Little Lucid Moments, 6. Behind the Sun, 7. The Tower, 8. The All is One, 9. Here Be Monsters, 10. The Crucible 🇮🇹🎸Alphataurus A dramatic Italian rock band readily bearing comparison to an unholy collision of Uriah Heep and Van der Graaf Generator. 1. Alphataurus, 2. AttosecondO, 3. Dietro l'Uragano 🇬🇧🎸Gilgamesh British prog rock/jazz fusion ensemble led by keyboard player Alan Gowen. 1. Gilgamesh 2. Another Fine Tune You’ve Got Me Into 🇮🇹🎸🪇Quella Vecchia Locanda plays a complex music with a lot of instrumental combinations, beautiful melodies and a very high sophistication. 1. Il tempo della gioia, 2. Quella Vecchia Locanda 🇮🇹🎸🪇Area Uncompromising blend of jazz-rock, ethnic folk, experimentation, and political philosophies made them a unique presence in Italy during the 1970s. 1. Arbeit Macht Frei, 2. Crac!, 3. Caution Radiation Area, 4. Maledetti, 5. 1978 - Gli Dei Se Ne Vanno, Gli Arrabbiati Restano! 🇵🇱🎸🪇 CzesŁaw Niemen He recorded "Dziwny jest ten świat" (Strange Is This World) as a major Polish protest song in 1967, and was an early pioneer of psychedelic music in communist Poland in the late 60's. 1. Niemen, Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 by, 2. Enigmatic, 3. Niemen, 4. Aerolit, 5. Katharsis 🇬🇧🎸🎷East of Eden A perfect illustration of the futility that England's Decca Records faced in cultivating progressive rock (apart from the Moody Blues). A critically acclaimed jazz-fusion band with a strong Eastern music influence. 1. Snafu, 2. Mercator Projected 🇦🇷🎸El Reloj The band was formed in 1971 by guitarist Willy Gardi and bassist Eduardo Frezza. The style of El Reloj was characterized by a fusion of hard rock, progressive rock and jazz-rock, with complex song structures, symphonic trends and a prominent use of two Hammond guitars and organ. Their music was mainly instrumental, with brief but effective vocal passages, and showed a powerful and energetic sound, with a focus on twin guitars and forceful percussion. 1. El Reloj II, 2. El Reloj 🇧🇪🎸🪇CoS Often referred to as the Belgian answer to ZAO, they offer a mixture of prog rock, jazz and Canterbury styles 1. Viva Boma, 2. Postaeolian Train Robbery, 3. Babel 🇮🇹🎸🪇Picchio Dal Pozzo is an Italian progressive rock band formed in Genoa in 1976, known for its "Canterbury scene" sound. Their music is characterized by a mix of jazzy improvisation, complex arrangements, surreal lyrics, and a unique, sometimes challenging, instrumental style. 1. Picchio Dal Pozzo, 2. Abbiamo tuttii suoi problomi 🇮🇹🎸Goblin Influential Italian progressive rock outfit known for its horror film scores. 1. Roller, 2. Profondo Rosso [Aka: Deep Red] (OST), 3. Suspiria (OST), 4. Il Fantastico Viaggio Del "Bagarozzo" Mark, 5. Zombi [aka: Dawn Of The Dead] (OST), 6. Il Reale Impero Britannico: Perché Si Uccidono (OST) 🇸🇪🎸Änglagård Swedish band Änglagård is part of a whole breed of young progressive rockers who have cut their teeth on King Crimson's Red. 1. Viljans Oga, 2. Hybris, 3. Epilog 🇨🇳🎷🪇Omnipotent Youth Society (万能青年旅店) is a prestigious Chinese alternative rock band that formed in Shijiazhuang in 1996 and officially named in 2002. Known for their unique style blending rock with traditional and orchestral elements, they gained immense popularity in China with their self-titled debut album in 2010. 1. Omnipotent Youth Society (万能青年旅店), 2 Inside the Cable Temple (冀西南林路行). 🇲🇽🎷🎻🪘🪇 Klezmerson. One of the Mexican bands that combines melodies and rhythms of traditional Jewish music from Eastern Europe with influences from the Mexican tradition of sones, sounds from Latin America and the Middle East. 1. Klezmerson, 2. Amon: Book of Angels, Vol. 24, 3. The Book Beri'ah, Vol. 6: Tiferet, 4. Siete 🇦🇷🎸🪇 M.I.A. (Músicos Independientes Asociados) was an influential Argentine progressive rock cooperative, active in the late 1970s and early 1980s, co-founded by the Vitale family, including Lito and Liliana Vitale, and known for their independent ethos, complex symphonic rock with Latin folk influences, and as a launchpad for numerous careers in Argentine music. 1. Cornostipicum, 2. Transparencias, 3. Mágicos Juegos del Tiempo 🇫🇷🎸🎷Mörglbl is a French instrumental fusion band founded in 1997 (originally as The Mörglbl Trio) in Annecy by virtuoso guitarist Christophe Godin and bassist Ivan Rougny. Known for blending progressive rock, heavy metal, and jazz with humorous, Zappa-esque undertones, the band is characterized by complex, high-energy technical skill and "power-jazz-metal" sounds. 1. Grötesk, 2. Jazz for the Deaf, 3. Brütal Romance, 4. Tea Time for Punks, 5. The Story of Scott Rötti. 🇳🇱🎼🎸Brainbox Part of a vibrant Amsterdam pop music scene in the late sixties with their harder edged blend of psychedelic rock and Chicago blues, Dutch band Brainbox paid hommage to both American and British Contemporaries while at the same time developing their own more progressive brand of pop music. 1. To You, 2. Brainbox 🇺🇸 🇧🇷🎼🎸🎷Codona The group was formed in the late 70s as an experimental, multi-ethnic improvisational ensemble that acted as a forerunner to modern "world music". They were known for combining the free-jazz sensibilities of Cherry, the Indian classical and folk expertise of Walcott, and the rhythmic, indigenous instrumentation of Brazil brought by Vasconcelos. Codona 3, Codona 2, Codona 🇬🇧🎸Wishbone Ash One of the definitive British bands balancing hard rock edge and prog-rock ambition during the '70s, complete with trademarked twin lead guitars. 1. Argus, 2. Pilgrimage, 3. Wishbone Ash, 4. Live Dates, 5. There's the Rub, 6. No Smoke Without Fire, 7. Illuminations, 8. Bona Fide, 9. Elegant Stealth, 10. Blue Horizon 🇬🇧🎸Procol Harum British band best known for "A Whiter Shade of Pale," whose style encompassed psychedelia, prog, and art rock. 1. Shine on Brightly, 2. Procol Harum, 3. Grand Hotel, 4. Salty Dog, 5. Home, 6. Exotic Birds and Fruit, 7. Procol Harum Live: In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, 8. Broken Barricades 🇬🇧🎸Traffic West Midlands rockers whose adventurous blend of folk, rock, jazz, and soul were driven by Jim Capaldi and Steve Winwood. 1. The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, 2. John Barleycorn Must Die, 3. Shoot Out At The Fantasy Factory, 4. Mr. Fantasy 🇨🇭🎸Dirty Sound Magnet Hailing from Fribourg, Switzerland, Dirty Sound Magnet is a psychedelic rock power trio formed in 2008 by teenagers Stavros Dzodzos (vocals, guitar), Marco Mottolini(bass), and Maxime Cosandey (drums). Known for their DIY ethic and intense live performances, the band blends 1960s-70s psychedelic rock influences with modern progressive and blues rock. 1. DSM III, 2. Dreaming in Dystopia, 3. Me and My Shadow, Transgenic 🇩🇪🎸Novalis was a German progressive rock band from Hamburg, active from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s, who took their name from the 18th-century Romantic poet. Starting with English lyrics and a sound influenced by bands like King Crimson, they shifted to German lyrics and developed a unique, romantic symphonic rock style that became highly influential. 1. Novalis, 2. Sommerabend, 3. Banished Bridge 🇩🇪🎸 Satin Whale was a German progressive rock band from the 1970s known for blending jazz fusion, symphonic rock, and Krautrock elements with a focus on instrumental skill. 1. Desert Places, 2. Lost Mankind, 3. A Whale of a Time, 4. Don’t Stop the Show 🇬🇧🎸Hawkwind Soaring, sci-fi-influenced British space rockers, respected in both metal and progressive circles during the 1970s and '80s. 1. Warrior on the Edge of Time, 2. Hall of the Mountain Grill, 3. Levitation, 4. Doremi Fasol Latido, 5. Space Ritual, 6. X In Search Of Space, 7. Quark, Strangeness And Charm,m 8. Electric Tepee, 9. Blood Of The Earth, 10. Onward 🇺🇸🎼🎸Kansas Classic rock radio staples who found fame in the 1970s with a mixture of prog-rock complexity, hard rock riffs, and pop hooks. 1. Leftoverture, 2. Point of Know Return, 3. Song for America, 4. Kansas, 5. The Absence of Presence, 6. The Prelude Implicit 🇩🇪🎸Nektar Prog-rockers of the '60s and '70s formed in Germany by a quartet of Englishmen. 1. A Tab in the Ocean, 2. Recycled, 3. Journey To The Centre Of The Eye, 4. Remember the Future 🇩🇪🎸Grobschnitt Progressive German group, best known for their signature epic "Solar Music," mixing psychedelic Krautrock with hard rock. 1. Solar Music - Live, 2. Jumbo, 3. Grobschnitt, 4. Rockpommel's Land, 5. Ballermann 🇯🇵🎸Far East Family Band Regarded by many as the first Japanese progressive rock group, the Far East Family Band featured the keyboardist and future new age composer, Kitaro. A keyboard-dominated space rock band, the Far East Family Band played extended compositions that brought comparisons to Tangerine Dream and early Pink Floyd. 1. Parallel World, 2. The Cave Down To The Earth, 3. Nipponjin, 4. Tenkujin 🇳🇴🎸Wobbler is a Norwegian symphonic progressive rock band formed in 1999, renowned for its authentic recreation of early 1970s vintage sound using period-accurate instruments like Mellotron and Moog synthesizers. 1. From Silence to Somewhere, 2. Rites of Dawn, 3. Dwellers of the Deep, 4. Hinterland, 5. Afterglow 🇸🇪🎸Gösta Berlings Saga Swedish instrumental progressive rock band formed in 2000 in Stockholm by keyboardist David Lundberg and drummer Alexander Skepp, officially expanding to a quintet in 2004. The group is recognized for a complex, dark, and avant-garde sound that blends elements of Symphonic Prog, Jazz Fusion, Space Rock, and the RIO/Avant-Prog tradition, drawing heavy inspiration from the 1960s duo Hansson & Karlsson. Their music is characterized by the prominent use of Fender Rhodes pianos, Moog Taurus bass pedals, and Mellotrons, creating dense, atmospheric soundscapes that prioritize emotional weight and melodic intensity over technical showmanship. 1. Detta har Hänt, 2. Sersophane, 3. Forever Now, 4. Et Ex, 5. Glue Works, 6. Konkret Musik, 7. Tid Är Ljud 🇺🇸🪕🎺Howlin' Wolf A primal, ferocious blues belter with a roster of classics rivaling anyone else, and a sandpaper growl of a voice that has been widely imitated. 1. Moanin' in the Moonlight, 2. Howlin' Wolf [The Rockin' Chair Album], 3. The Back Door Wolf, 4. Message To The Young, 5. The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions (Reissue) [feat. Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Bill Wyman & Charlie Watts, 6. Message To The Young] 🇺🇸🪕Muddy Waters The giant of postwar blues, who eloquently defined Chicago's swaggering, Delta-rooted sound with his declamatory vocals and piercing slide guitar. 1. Hard Again, 2. Folk Singer, 3. Fathers and Sons, 4 After the Rain, 5. I’m Ready, 6. Electric Mud 7. King Bee, 8. Muddy Waters Sings "Big Bill”, 9."Unk" in Funk, 10. The London Muddy Waters Sessions 🇨🇦🎸🪕Neil Young Eternally restless figure who pursued an idiosyncratic solo career touching on everything from noise-rock and synth pop to blues and rockabilly. 1. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, 2. After the Gold Rush, 3. On the Beach, 4. Tonight's the Night, 5. Harvest, 6. Zuma, 7. Comes a Time, 8. Rust Never Sleeps, 9. Raged Glory, 10. Neil Young 🇺🇸🎸🎤Bob Dylan Iconic singer/songwriter and musical wanderer who rose to prominence during the '60s folk revival and changed the world of music. 1. The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, 2. Highway 61 Revisited, 3. Blood on the Tracks, 4. Blonde on Blonde, 5. Bringing It All Back Home, 6. John Wesley Harding, 7. The Times They Are A-Changin’, 8. Another Side of Bob Dylan, 9. The Basement Tapes, 10. Desire. (Special Mention: Nashville Skyline, New Morning, Empire Burlesque, Love and Theft, Modern Times, Infields, Time Out of Mind, Together Through Life, Shadows In The Night, Fallen Angels, Triplicate, Rough and Rowdy Ways, Shadow Kingdom, Tempest). 🇺🇸🪕John Lee Hooker the most elemental of the electric blues giants, one of few to both inspire and draw from rock & roll idols. 1. It Serve You Right To Suffer, 2. The Real Folk Blues, 3. Hooker 'N Heat, 4. That's My Story, 5. Never Get Out of These Blues Alive, 6. I'm John Lee Hooker, 7. Urban Blues, 8. Burnin', 9. Travelin', 10. Plays & Sings The Blues (Special Mention: Sings Blues, Sittin' Here Thinkin') 🇬🇧🪕🎸John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers Finishing school for leading British blues-rock musicians including Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Taylor, John McVie, Jack Bruce, and many others. 1. Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton, 2. A Hard Road, 3. Blues from Laurel Canyon 4. Crusade 5. Jazz Blues Fusion ((Performed and Recorded Live in Boston and New York)), 6. The Turning Point, 7. Back to the Roots, 8. USA Union, 9. Ten Years Are Gone 🇺🇸🪕🎺B.B. King One of the most important electric guitarists in history, whose bent notes and staccato picking style influenced legions to come. 1. Live at the Regal, 2. King of Blues, 3. Live in Cook Country Jail, 4. The Blues, 5. Indianola Mississippi Seeds, 6. Completely Well, 7. Live & Well, 8. Blues on the Bayou, 9. Lucille, 10. Singin’ the Blues 🇮🇪🎸🎺 Van Morrison Soulful Irish singer/songwriter who combines folk, gospel, R&B, rock, and jazz, often with a mystical bent. 1. Astral Weeks, 2. Moondance, 3. Saint Dominic’s Preview, 4. Veedon Fleece, 5. Into the Music, 6. No Guru, No Method, No Teacher, 7. Common One, 8. Poetic Champion Compose, 9. His Band and the Street Choir, 10. Irish Heartbeat 🇮🇪🎸🪕Rory Gallagher Influential Irish guitarist who played an earthy, stripped-down brand of blues-rock that touched everyone who heard it. 1. Deuce, 2. Tattoo, Rory Gallagher, 3. Top Priority, 4. Calling Card, 5. Photo-Finish, 6. Against the Grain, 7. Blueprint. Offshoot: 🇮🇪🎸🪕Taste Irish blues-rock group led by influential guitarist Rory Gallagher in the late '60s and early '70s which re-formed after his death in 1996. 1. On the Boards 2. Taste 🇺🇸🎸🪕🎷Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble formed the most impressive blues act of the 1980s, which made Vaughan's death in a helicopter crash at the start of the '90s all the more tragic 1. Texas Flood, 2. In Step, 3. The Sky is Crying, 4. Couldn't Stand the Weather, 5. Soul to Soul 🇩🇪 🎷🎸Aera was a German jazz-rock/progressive fusion band that was active during the 1970s and 1980s. They are known for their improvisational style, often compared to other South German jazz-rock bands like Embryo and Dyzan. 1. Human est, 2. Hand und FuB 🇬🇧🎸If was a significant British jazz-rock band formed in 1969, known as pioneers in blending rock with jazz, featuring powerful horn arrangements (saxophones) and extensive touring in the US and Europe, releasing several albums between 1970-1975 before a later comeback, distinct from other progressive acts of the era like King Crimson or Yes. 1. If, 2. If 3, 3. If 2, 4. If 4, 5. Waterfall. 🇭🇺🎸Omega Hungary's most successful rock band, who began covering British hits before embracing hard rock and prog rock. 1. Time Robber, 2. The Hall of Floaters in the Sky, 3. Nem Tudom a Neved, 4. 200 Years After The Las War, 5. Csillagok, 6. Skyrover, 7. Gammapolis, 8. Idörabló 🇬🇧🎸Phil Manzanera is a renowned English guitarist, producer, and songwriter best known as the lead guitarist for Roxy Music. A pivotal figure in 1970s art-rock, he brought a distinctive, textural, and experimental style to mainstream music. He has also worked with Brian Eno, David Gilmour, and released solo works. 1. Diamond Head, 2. Primitive Guitars, 3. Listen Now, 4. K-Scope, 5. 801 Live, 6. Mainstream 🇩🇪🎸🎷Between Formed in Munich in 1970, this international band, led by Peter Michael Hamel, blended classical, ethnic, jazz, and Krautrock, pioneering world music with albums like Dharana before disbanding around 1980. 1. And the Waters Opened, 2. Contemplation, 3. Einstieg/Re-Entry, 4. Dharana 🇦🇹🎸Blank Manuskript Art Rock project from Salzburg, Austria. Typical long songs ornamented with a high level of symphonic density and elaborate polyphonic structures as well as extended improvised sections lead their audience through an entire musical adventure. 1. The Waiting Soldier, 2. Krásná Hora 🇩🇪🎸Triumvirat is one of the most maligned but at the same beloved bands, they were accused of being ELP clones, but at the same time most people love the pristine music they created and the unique arrangements by that virtuoso keyboardist named Jürgen Fritz. 1. Mediterranean Tales (Across the Waters), 2. Illusions on a Double Dimple, 3. Spartacus, 4. Old Loves Die Hard, 5. Pompeii 🇩🇪🎸Birth Control 1970s Krautrock band known for earthy rhythms and extended solos, with numerous reunions in later decades. 1. Hoodoo Man, 2. Plastic People, 3. Operation, 4. Rebirth, 5. Plastic People, 6. Backdoor Possibilities 🇬🇧🎼🎸Supertramp A variant of progressive rock that some have called sophisto-rock. One of the biggest prog rock bands of the '70s, thanks in large part to their pop smash Breakfast in America. 1. Crime of the Century, 2. Even In The Quietest Moments …, 3. Crisis? What Crisis? 4. Breakfast in America), 5. Brother Where You Bound 🇮🇹🎸🎷Arti & Mestieri The sextet Arti & Mestieri was formed in 1974 in Torino, Italy, by drummer Furio Chirico, following his departure from the Trip. Drawing membership from the cream of the local jazz-rock scene. 1. Tilt, 2. Giro di Valzer per Domani 🇫🇷🎸Alco Frisbass is a French duo consisting of multi-instrumentalists Fabrice Chouette (keyboards, guitars, voice, recorder, whistling, percussion) and Patrick Dufour (Fender Rhodes, keyboards, drum programming, chimes). They fuse jazz, Canterbury, and symphonic elements. 1. Alco Frisbass, 2. Le Bateleur 🇫🇷🎸🪇Ange Considered the French equivalent of Genesis due to their heavy theatrical version of progressive rock, Ange released 14 albums from the '70s to the mid-'80s. 1. Au-Delà du Délire, 2. Emile Jacotey, 3. Par Les Fils De Mandrin, 4. Le Cimetiere des Arlequins 🇨🇿🎸Blue Effect was a prominent Czech progressive rock band founded by guitarist Radim Hladík in 1968 initially named The Blue Effect, and also operating under aliases like M. Efekt and Modrý efekt. The band was active until Hladík's death in 2016 and is noted for its unique combination of free jazz, blues-rock, and progressive rock. 1. Svitanie, 2. Svět Hledačů, 3. 33, 4. The Blue Effect & The Jazz Q Prague: Coniunctio 🇬🇧🎸Family Influential British psychedelic band who evolved into prog-rockers in the 1970s. 1. Music in a Doll's House, 2. Family Entertainment, 3. Fearless, 4. Bandstand, 5. A Song for Me, 6. Anyway 🇬🇧🎸Man Eclectic Welsh rockers put a new spin on psychedelia in the 1970s, then remained a U.K. attraction for decades. 1. Do You Like It Here, Are You Settling In?, 2. Be Good to Yourself at Least Once a Day, 3. Back Into the Future, 4. Rhinos, Winos and Lunatics 🇳🇱🎸Alquin Dutch band Alquin released four studio albums in the early to mid-'70s, initially playing prog rock influenced by Pink Floyd and Roxy Music. 1. Marks 2. The Mountain Queen 🇬🇧🎸Gnidrolog Twin brothers Stewart and Colin Goldring formed the eclectic prog group Gnidrolog in the late '60s after having worked together in various musical projects throughout the years. 1. Lady Lake, 2. In Spite of Harry’s Toenail 🇬🇧🎸Audience British art-rock unit Audience was formed in London in 1969 by singer/guitarist Howard Werth, saxophonist Keith Gemmell, bassist Trevor Williams, and percussionist Tony Connor. Set apart from their contemporaries thanks to their use of acoustic guitar and saxophone. 1. The House on the Hill, 2. Friends, Friends, Friend, 3. Audience 🇳🇴🎸Arabs in Aspic Their wide range of influences make a very rewarding listen, including stoner-rock music, 60s psychedelic rock, and the 70s heavy weights, with prime influences being Black Sabbath and Wetton-era King Crimson (hence their name). 1. Far Out in Aradabia 2. Syndenes Magi, 3. Victim of Your Father’s Agony, 4. Pictures in a Dream, 5. Madness and Magic, 6. The Magic of Sin, 7. Strange Frame of Mind 🇯🇵🎸Ruins was a Japanese progressive/zeuhl/noise rock duo, formed in 1985 by drummer and vocalist Tatsuya Yoshida and bassist Hideki Kawamoto. 1. Hyderomastgroningem, 2. Symphonica, 3. Pallaschtom, 4. Vrresto 🇺🇸🎸🎷Terry Bozzio American drummer and composer renowned for his work with Frank Zappa, the New Wave band Missing Persons, and his innovative melodic drumming style. He is widely considered one of the most technical and influential drummers in rock history. 1. Chamber Works, 2. Bozzio / Mastelotto – BoMo, 3. Polytown, 4. Situation 🇬🇧🎸Curved Air is a pioneering English progressive rock band formed in 1970, known for their unique blend of classical, folk, electronic, and rock music, fronted by the charismatic vocalist Sonja Kristina and featuring virtuosic violin from Darryl Way. 1. Phantasmagoria, 2. Air Cut, 3. Second Album, 4. Air Conditioning 🇬🇧🎸The Incredible String Band Experimental, psychedelic folk travelers who did more than any other act to give the United Kingdom its own distinctive hippie identity in the 1960s. 1. The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion, 2. The Big Huge, 3. U, 4. Wee Tam, 5. The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter, 6. Be Glad For The Song Has No Ending, 7. Earthspan, 8. Changing Horses 🇩🇪🎸Frumpy were a German heavy psych band in the vein of early Deep Purple and the like. This is classic rock with subtle progressive touches for friendly & catchy compositions. 1. Frumpy 2, 2. All Will Be Changed 🇺🇸🎸🪕Harvey Mandel Legendary blues, jazz, rock, and funk guitarist and musical innovator also known as "Snake." His tapping technique has proved influential. 1. Baby Batter, 2. Cristo Redentor, 3. Get Off Chicago, 4. The Snake, 5. Blues From Chicago, 6. Shangrenade 🇺🇸🎼🎸Atheist Arguably the ultimate progressive metal band of their day, Atheist's impossibly Byzantine death-jazz proved too advanced even for committed metalheads to stomach. 1. Unquestionable Presence, 2. Piece of Time, 3. Elements 🇬🇧🎼🎸🎤Fairport Convention Folk-rock ensemble who became British legends by successfully melding authentic folk stylings with competent (and even virtuosic) rock playing. 1. Liege and Lief, 2. Unhalfbricking, 3. What We Did in Our Holidays, 4. Full house, 5. “Babbacombe” Lee 🇺🇸🎸Steve MacLean Ensemble is a New York-based group led by guitarist, composer, and Berklee College of Music professor Steve MacLean, known for performing complex, composed polyrhythmic pieces interspersed with atmospheric, structured improvisations. The music often follows a parallel-metre style pioneered in their 1999 album The Opposite of War, blending elements of chamber jazz-rock, progressive rock, and experimental electronic music with influences reminiscent of Frank Zappa and King Crimson. 1. The Opposite of War, 2. Gps 🇯🇵🎸Flower Travellin' Band was a pioneering Japanese rock band formed in Tokyo in 1967 that became a cornerstone of Japan's counterculture movement. The group is best known for blending early heavy metal, psychedelic rock, and progressive rock with Eastern musical influences, earning them a cult status for their intense, riff-driven sound. 1. Satori, 2. Made in Japon, 3. Make Up 🇺🇸🎼🎸Blue Öyster Cult Seminal hard rockers whose best work is ambitious and intelligent, making them the thinking man's heavy metal group through much of the '70s and beyond. 1. Secret Treaties, 2. Fire of Unknown Orign, 3. Imaginos 🇮🇹🎸Il Volo Il Volo's music blended symphonic progressive rock with jazz-rock fusion elements, characterized by a sophisticated use of keyboards (Moog, Fender Rhodes, organ, piano), strong guitar work, and a relaxed, melodic feel. 1. Il Volo, 2. Essere O Non Essere 🇺🇸🎸Phideaux American musician and composer known for creating complex, cinematic progressive rock that often echoes the sound of 1970s British progressive and symphonic rock while maintaining a modern, distinctive edge. He is often hailed as a leading figure in modern progressive rock, producing intricate, concept-driven "headphone albums". 1. Snowtorch, 2. Doomsday Afternoon, 3. Number Seven, 4. Chupacabras, 5. Ghost Story, 6. The Great Leap 🇬🇧🎸Third Ear Band was a pioneering British experimental folk/progressive ensemble (late 1960s–early 1970s) known for a unique blend of Eastern raga, medieval music, and free improvisation. Led by percussionist Glen Sweeney, they used acoustic instruments—violin, cello, oboe, and tablas—to create hypnotic, drone-based soundscapes. 1. Alchemy, 2. Elements, 3. Music From Macbeth 🇬🇧🎸Talk Talk were an influential English band led by singer-songwriter Mark Hollis, who evolved from 80s synth-pop hits into pioneers of avant-garde post-rock. Famed for masterpieces Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock, they transitioned from polished pop to a experimental blend of jazz, classical, and ambient music. 1. Spirit of Eden, 2. Laughing Stock, 3. The Colour of Spring 🇳🇴🎸Gazpacho Norwegian art rock/progressive rock band formed in 1996, known for creating highly atmospheric, emotional, and cinematic music. Often classified within the "post-progressive" genre, their sound combines elements of art rock, classical music, folk, and ambient passages with a melancholic, often dark Scandinavian aesthetic. 1. Tick Tock, 2. Night, 3. March of Ghosts, 4. Damon, 5. Moolok, 6. Fire Worker, 7. Magic 8-Ball, 8. Missa Atropos 🇺🇸🎸Ween is an American alternative rock band formed in 1984 in New Hope, Pennsylvania, by childhood friends Aaron Freeman (known as Gene Ween) and Mickey Melchiondo (known as Dean Ween). The band's music style is defined by extreme eclecticism and genre experimentation, often categorized as alternative rock, experimental rock, or neo-psychelia. Ween is renowned for their ability to authentically parody and homage a vast array of genres, including funk, soul, country, gospel, prog rock, psychedelia, R&B, heavy metal, and punk. 1. Quebec, 2. The Mollusk, 3. Chocolate and Cheese, 4. White Pepper, 5. Shinola, Vol. 1, 6. The Pod, 7. GodWeenSatan: The Oneness, 8. Pure Guava, 9. 12 Golden Country Greats, 10. La Cucaracha 🇺🇸🎸Lou Reed was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, widely regarded as the "father of alternative rock" and a pivotal figure in the development of art rock, glam rock, proto-punk, and experimental noise. His solo career was defined by a street-poet lyrical style and a distinctive deadpan vocal delivery, blending rock with literary influences and dark, transgressive themes. 1. Transformer, 2. Berlin, 3. New York, 4. Songs For Drella, 5. The Blue Mask, 6. Coney Island Baby 🇺🇸🎸Ambrosia The musicians were inspired by the progressive rock era, and developed a large regional following for their inventive musicianship and skillful arranging. 1. Ambrosia, 2. Somewhere I've Never Travelled 🇬🇧🎸10cc Quirky '70s British hitmakers with a refined sense of songcraft and a balance between rock and smooth pop. 1. The Original Soundtrack, 2. How Dare You! 3. Sheet Music 🇺🇸🎸Spirit Ambitious and acclaimed West Coast psychedelic band that fused hard rock to jazz, blues, country, and folk. 1. Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus, 2. Clear, 3. The Family That Plays Together, 4. Spirit 🇬🇧🎸The Move Adventurous British combo that began with merry psychedelic odes but later pumped up their guitar amperage and attack to planet-cracking levels. 1. Looking On, 2. Shazam, 3. Message From The Country 🇺🇸🎼🎸The Mars Volta El Paso-based creators of dense, swirling, melodic-at-heart compositions beloved by prog and indie rockers alike. 1. Deloused in the Comatorium, 2. Frances the Mute, 3. Amputechture, 4. Noctourniquet, 5. Lucro Sucio: Los Ojos del Vacío, 6. Que Dios Te Maldiga Mi Corazón 🇬🇧🎸Beggars Opera The group’s grandiose ambition was to fuse classical and progressive rock elements, an accommodation they achieved but only to moderate critical and commercial interest. 1. Act One, 2. Waters of Change, 3. Pathfinder 🇦🇹🎷🎸🎹Joe Zawinul An outstanding jazz pianist/keyboardist who worked with artists such as Cannonball Adderley and Miles Davis. 1. Zawinul, 2. Dialects, 3. The Rise & Fall of the Third Stream, 4. Soulmates 🇬🇧🎷🎸The Keith Tippett Group British jazz and improvisational pianist with close ties to the progressive rock community who frequently worked with Robert Fripp. 1. Dedicated To You, But You Weren't Listening, 2. You Are Here... I Am There, 3. How Long This Time? Live 1970 🇫🇷🎸🎷Camembert French Progressive Jazz Fusion band articulated around very original instruments such as Harp, Xylophone and Vibraphone. 1. Schnörgl Attahk 2. Negative Toe 🇬🇧🎷Nucleus began its long jazz-rock journey in 1969, when it was originally formed by trumpeter Ian Carr. 1. We'll Talk About It Later, 2. Elastic Rock, 3. Chris Spedding: Songs Without Words, 3. Ian Carr with Nucleus: Solar Plexus, 4. Ian Carr: Belladonna, 5. Under The Sun, 6. Ian Carr with Nucleus: Labyrinth, 7. Ian Carr's Nucleus: Roots 🇩🇪🎷Passport Long-running, ever-shifting German jazz fusion ensemble founded by saxophonist Klaus Doldinger in 1970. 1. Doldinger, 2. Second Passport, 3. Cross-Collateral, 4. Infinity Machine, 5. Looking Thru, 6. Hand Made 🇺🇸🎷Collin Walcott Engaging sitar player and percussionist, original member of the jazz and world-fusion ensemble Oregon. 1. Works, 2. Cloud Dance, 3. Grazing Dreams 🇺🇸🎷🎹Pat Metheny Guitar virtuoso whose accessible, original style and extraordinary sense of technique bridged the gap between jazz and rock. 1. Bright Size Life, 2. Watercolors, 3. Pat Metheny Group, 4. American Garage, 5. New Chautauqua, 6. Beyond the Missouri Sky, 7. As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls, 8. Offramp, 9. First Circle, 10. Still Life. Special Mention: Steve Reich: Different Trains & Electric Counterpoint, The Way Up 🇺🇸🎷Chad Wackerman American jazz, fusion, and rock drummer best known for his seven-year tenure with Frank Zappa (1981–1988), during which he recorded 27 albums and toured extensively across the US and Europe. His music style is defined by a unique blend of rock power and jazz sensitivity, characterized by technical precision, polyrhythmic complexity, and an avoidance of predictable patterns or clichés. Wackerman relies heavily on invention and interplay with fellow musicians, allowing his playing to adapt fluidly from the demanding, unconventional compositions of Zappa and Holdsworth to the sensitive, lyrical requirements of pop and acoustic settings. 1. Forty Reasons, 2. The View, 3. Scream, 4. Legs Eleven, 5. Dreams, Nightmares and Improvisations 🇺🇸🎷🎸Dixie Dregs Eclectic band led by guitar virtuoso Steve Morse, added a new wrinkle to jazz-rock fusion in the mid-1970s. 1. Free Fall 2. Night of the Living Dregs, 3. Dregs of the Earth 🇬🇧🎷Isotope The more-jazz-than-rock fusion band Isotope may have not had the longest career, but they played an integral part in the Canterbury Scene with some of its key players spending time in the band. 1. Illusion, 2. Isotope, 3. Deep End 🇺🇸🎸🎷The Lounge Lizards Band of eclectic merry jazzmen, led by John Lurie, whose lighthearted take on the avant-garde made them an NYC institution. The Lounge Lizards, Live in Berlin Vol. 1 & 2 🇮🇹🎷🎸Perigeo was an influential Italian jazz-rock and progressive rock band of the 70s, led by bassist Giovanni Tommaso and formed by experienced jazz musicians, standing out for fusing jazz improvisation with elements of rock, funk and oriental music. 1. La Valle dei Templi, 2. Azimut, 3. Abbiamo tutti un blues da piangere, 4. Genealogia 🇮🇹🎷 Napoli Centrale was a pioneering Italian jazz-rock band formed in Naples in 1974 by saxophonist James Senese and drummer Franco Del Prete, known for fusing jazz, rock, and folk with lyrics in the Neapolitan dialect addressing social issues. 1. Napoli Centrale, 2. Mattanza 🇩🇪🎷🎸Thirsty Moon was a German Krautrock band formed in Bremen in the early 1970s. Their music blended progressive rock with significant jazz influences, and the band is known for its complex compositions, extensive use of percussion, and psychedelic elements. 1. Thirsty Moon, 2. You’ll Never Come Back 🇯🇵🎷 Casiopea is a renowned Japanese jazz fusion band, active from 1976–2006 and 2012–present. The band is known for its energetic, virtuosic, and fast-paced sound that blends complex jazz harmonies with funk and smooth jazz elements. 1. Casiopea, 2. Super Flight, 3. Asian Dreamer, 4. Make up City, 5. Cross Point 🇯🇵🎷 Kazumi Watanabe is a pioneering Japanese jazz and jazz-fusion guitarist, composer, and arranger. Renowned for his virtuosic technique and versatility, he is considered one of Japan's most influential and globally recognized jazz musicians, often referred to as a "guitarist's guitarist." 1. Lonesome Cat, 2. Olive's Step, 3. To Chi Ka, 4. Kylyn, 5. Guitar Workshop Vol.1, 6. Village in Bubbles, 7. Endless Way 🇬🇧🎸🎷📟Portishead Bristol outfit that popularized trip-hop with liberal doses of cool jazz and spy soundtracks, featuring the angelic vocals of Beth Gibbons. 1. Dummy, 2. Portishead, 3. Third, 4. Roseland NYC Live, 4. Third 🇸🇪🎸🎷Solar Plexus was a high profile jazz rock band from Stockholm formed in 1969. Solar Plexus tried to embrace many elements which resulted in albums containing groovy psychedelic jazz tracks on one hand, and ambitious orchestral compositions sometimes crossing over to the genre of symphonic rock. 1. Solar Plexus: Concerto Grosso, 2. Solar Plexus 2, 3. Det Är Inte Båten Som Gungar - Det Är Havet Som Rör Sig, 4. Hellre Gycklare Än Hycklare 🇺🇸🎷🪇Stan Getz Tenor saxophonist with a luxuriant tone who helped the spread of cool jazz in the '50s and furthered the bossa nova explosion of the '60s. 1. Getz/Gilberto, 2. Sweet Rain, 3. Jazz Samba, 4. Jazz Samba Encore! 5. Change of Scene, 6. Stan Getz And J.J. Johnson at the Opera House (Special Mention: Captain Marvel, For Musicians Only) 🇺🇸🎷David Fiuczynski ("Fuze") is an American avant-garde jazz guitarist and educator known for blending funk, rock, and world music with microtonal techniques. 1. Amandala, 2. KiF, 3. KiF Express, 4. Jazzpunk 🇬🇧🎻Renaldo & The Loaf Coupled with an eccentric viewpoint, the group's inventive use of tape loops and acoustic instruments such as mandolin, bouzouki, and clarinet made Renaldo & the Loaf distinctive even within the realm of experimental music. 1. Arabic Yodeling/Grain by Grain (for Accuracy), 2. Songs for Swinging Larve/Songs from the Surgery, 3. The Elbow is Taboo, 4. Title in Limbo 🇬🇧 🎸The Pineapple Thief is a British progressive rock band formed in 1999 by Bruce Soord in Yeovil, England. The band blends classic progressive rock with alternative and post-rock elements, creating an atmospheric, melodic, and often dark sonic landscape. 1. Dissolution, 2. It Leads To This, 3. Your Wilderness, 4. What We Have Sown, 5. Little Man, 6. All the Wars, 7. Give It Back, 8. Magnolia, 9. Tightly Unwound, 10. Versions of the Truth 🇮🇳🪇Shankar renowned Indian violinist, vocalist, and composer, recognized as a pioneer in world music for fusing Carnatic and Western styles. A child prodigy, he began vocal training at age two and launched a prolific career, selling over 100 million albums and performing with artists like Frank Zappa, Peter Gabriel, and Phil Collins. 1. Who's to Know, 2. Raga Aberi, 3. Eternal Light, 4. Pancha Nadai Pallavi, 5. Song for Everyone 🇩🇪🎸Holger Czukay was a groundbreaking German musician, bassist, and co-founder of the influential krautrock band Can. A pioneer of sampling, world music, and ambient textures, he combined avant-garde classical training with rock, creating unique sonic collages. 1. Canaxis, 2. Movies, 3. Full Circle, 4. On the Way to the Peak of Normal, 5. Plight & Premonition Flux & Mutability 🇩🇪🎸Dark Suns is a German progressive metal/rock band formed in 1997 in Leipzig by Niko Knappe and Tobias Gommlich. Originally playing death/doom metal, they evolved into a sophisticated progressive and experimental rock sound. Known for albums like Existence and Orange, they are recognized for complex, emotionally driven compositions and a 1970s prog-rock influence. 1. Grave Human Genuine, 2. Existence, 3. Everchild, 4. Orange 🇩🇪🎸Floh de Cologne was a pioneering West German Krautrock and political satire group known for blending avant-garde music with radical leftist cabaret and agitprop theater. 1. Lucky Streik, 2. Fliessbandbaby Beat – Show, 3. Tilt. 🇬🇧🎼🎸Warhorse was a British hard rock/progressive band formed in 1970 by original Deep Purple bassist Nick Simper, known for heavy organ-driven,, proto-metal sounds. 1. Warhorse, 2. Red Sea 🇬🇧🎸Motörhead Ferocious rock act that brought the concept of the power trio to new heights, attracting a huge following with breakneck speed and deafening volume. 1. Ace of Spades, 2. Overkill, 3. Bomber, 4. Iron Fist, 5. Another Perfect Day, 6. Bastards, 7. Inferno, 8. Orgasmatron, 9. 1916, 10. Motörhead 🇬🇧🎸Iron Maiden At the forefront of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, and a major metal contender from the late '70s into the 21st century. 1. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, 2. The Number of the Beast, 3. Powerslave, 4. Piece of Mind, 5. Somewhere in Time, 6. Iron Maiden, 7. Killers, 8. Fear of the Dark, 9. A Matter of Life and Death, 10. Brave New World (Empire of the Clouds, Paschendale) 🇺🇸🎼🎸🎷🪘Santana Latin rocker who successfully married elements of blues, rock, and Latin music, and enjoyed international acclaim for decades. 1. Caravanserai, 2. Abraxas, 3. Santana, 4. Santana III, 5. Welcome, 6. Lotus, 7. Borboletta, 8. Amigos 🇬🇧🎼🎸Deep Purple Progressive rock giants who made hard rock a fine art, and unleashed some of the greatest guitar riffs known to the world. 1. Machine World, 2. Deep Purple in Rock, 3. Burn, 4. Fireball, 5. Perfect Strangers, 6. Deep Purple, 7. Stormbringer, 8. Shades of Deep Purple 🇺🇸🎸The Doors Mystical blues-based rockers who revolved around the dark poetry and shamanic presence of Jim Morrison. 1. The Doors, 2. L.A. Woman, 3. Strange Days, 4. Waiting for the Sun, 5. Morrison Hotel, 6. The Soft Parade 🇬🇧🎸The Rolling Stones The premier British rock band for over half a century, creators of the sound and style imitated by countless groups. 1. Sticky Fingers, 2. Exile on Main St., 3. Let It Bleed, 4. Beggars Banquet, 5. Some Girls, 6. Aftermath, 7. Between the Buttons, 8. 12 X 5 , 9. Out of Our Heads, 10. Their Satanic Majesties Request (Special Mention: Goats Head Soup, December's Children (And Everybody's), The Rolling Stones, The Rolling Stones 2, The Rolling Stones, Now!, Flowers). 🇬🇧🎸Dire Straits English rockers who created some treasured moments of 1980s rock with Mark Knopfler's tightly executed songs and distinctive finger-plucked guitar. 1. Love Over Gold, 2. Brothers in Arms, 3. Making Movies, 4. Dire Straits, 5. Communiqué, 6. On Every Street 🇬🇧🎸The Cure The flagship for Great Britain's post-punk gloom-rock trend of the late '70s, with a ghoulish image that masked the diversity of their music. 1. Disintegration, 2. Pornography, 3. The Head on the Door 4. Faith, 5. Three Imaginary Boys, 6. Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, 7. Seventeen Seconds, 8. Wish, 9. Boys Don’t Cry, 10. Bloodflowers. (Special Mention: Songs of a Lost Word, Japanese Whispers, Join the Dots: B-Sides & Rarities) 🇬🇧🎼🎸David Bowie The mercurial music icon widely considered the original pop chameleon and figurehead for countless musical movements. 1. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, 2. Hunky Dory, 3. The Man Who Sold the World, 4. Aladdin Sane, 5. Station to Station, 6. Low, 7. Heroes, 8. Scary Monsters, 9. Lodger, 10. Blackstar 🇺🇸🎸Talking Heads One of the most acclaimed bands of the post-punk era, a vision of innovative art-pop featuring David Byrne's manic yelp over tight R&B grooves. 1. Remain in Light, 2. More Songs About Buildings and Food, 3. Fear of Music, 4. Speaking in Tongues, 5. Talking Heads 77, 6. The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads, 7. Little Creatures, 8. True Stories 🇬🇧🎸Joy Division The definitive post-punk band, whose vocalist Ian Curtis sang of despair and isolation until his tragic suicide in 1980. 1. Unknown Pleasures, 2. Closer 🇺🇸🎸The God Machine was a critically acclaimed San Diego-formed, UK-based alternative rock trio (Robin Proper-Sheppard, Jimmy Fernandez, Ronald Austin) active in the early 90s, known for their dark, industrial-tinged sound. 1. Scenes from the Second Storey, 2. One Last Laugh In A Place Of Dying 🇬🇧🎸The Sound The Sound's inability to break through to the type of '80s post-punk prominence reserved for the likes of Joy Division and Echo & the Bunnymen, the two bands the Sound fell in between sound-wise, isn't all that easy to explain away. 1. From the Lion’s Mouth, 2. Jeopardy, 3. Propaganda, 4. Heads and Hearts, 5. All Fall Down 🇬🇧🎸Echo & The Bunnymen Liverpool-based rock band whose dark, guitar-centered music was infused with a psychedelic undercurrent. 1. Ocean Rain, 2. Heaven Up Here, 3. Porcupine, 4. Crocodiles 🇬🇧🎸Bauhaus Formed in Northampton, England, in 1978, Bauhaus is a seminal gothic rock band consisting of Peter Murphy (vocals), Daniel Ash (guitar), Kevin Haskins (drums), and David J (bass). Renowned for their dark, atmospheric sound and theatrical style, they pioneered the goth genre with their 1979 debut single, "Bela Lugosi's Dead". 1. In the Flat Field, 2. The Sky's Gone Out, 3. Mask, 4. Burning from the Inside 🇺🇸🎸The White Stripes Detroit duo that walked the line between blues-rock primitivism and arty minimalism, unexpectedly becoming kings of garage rock in the 2000s. 1. Elephant, 2. White Blood Cells, 3. De Stijl, 4. The White Stripes, 5. Get Behind Me Satan, 6. Icky Thump, 7. Under Great White Northern Lights 🇬🇧🎸The Smiths One of the great bands of the '80s, driven equally by Johnny Marr's dexterous guitar riffs and Morrissey's fiercely witty wordplay. 1. The Queen Is Dead, 2. The Smiths, 3. Meat is Murder, 4. Strangeways, Here We Come, 5. Hatful of Hollow, 6. Louder Than Bombs) 🇮🇪🎸U2 Trafficking in big ideas and big sounds, a band that operated on a grander scale than any other from the '80s and attracted legions of devoted fans. 1. Achtung Baby, 2. The Joshua Tree, 3. War, 4. The Unforgettable Fire, 5. Boy, 6. Zooropa, 7. October 🇬🇧🎸Radiohead One of the great groups of the alternative era, a restless, experimental unit that has incorporated adventurous electronics into their intellectual rock. 1. OK Computer, 2. Kid A, 3. A Moon Shaped Pool, 4. The Bends, 5. Amnesiac, 6. Hail to the Thief, 7. In Rainbows, 8. The King of Limbs, 9. Pablo Honey 🇬🇧🎸The Beatles The most popular and influential rock act of all time, a band that blazed several new trails for popular music. 1. Abbey Road, 2. Revolver, 3. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 4. Magical Mystery Tour, 5. The Beatles [Aka: The White Album], 6. Rubber Soul, 7. Let It Be 🇬🇧🎸Elton John Soulful English singer who moved from simple, sensitive piano rock to become a glamorous music superstar. 1. Blue Moves, 2. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, 3. Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, 4. Honky Château, 5. Tumbleweed Connection, 6. Madman Across the Water, 7. Elton John, 8. Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only the Piano Player, 9. Caribou 🇺🇸🎸🎺Prince One of the most singular talents in music, a multi-talented pop/funk/rock performer who showed remarkable stylistic growth and musical diversity. 1. Purple Rain, 2. Dirty Mind, 3. Sign 'O' the Times, 4. 1999, 5. Around the World in a Day, 6. The Gold Experience, 7. Controversy, 8. Prince, 9. Parade, 10. The Love Symbol Album 🇬🇧 🎸Elvis Costello The most evocative, innovative, and gifted songwriter since Bob Dylan, with songs that offered highly personal takes on love and politics. 1. My Aim Is True, 2. This Year's Model, 3. Armed Forces, 4. Get Happy!! , 5. Trust, 6. Imperial Bedroom, 7. Almost Blue, 8. King of America, 9. Blood and Chocolate, 10. Punch the Clock 🇺🇸🎼🎸Steely Dan Sophisticated, distinctive rock group built around accessible melodic hooks, complex harmonies and time signatures, and a devotion to the studio. 1. Aja, 2. Countdown to Ecstasy, 3. The Royal Scam, 4. Pretzel Logic, 5. Katy Lied, 6. Can't Buy a Thrill, 7. Gaucho 🇺🇸🎸Tom Petty A seminal figure in rock & roll who distinctively fused American rock & roll and British Invasion pop with his band the Heartbreakers. 1. Damn the Torpedoes, 2. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, 3. Hard Promises, 4. Full Moon Fever, 5. Wildflowers, 6. An American Treasure, 7. Echo, 8. Hypnotic Eye 🇬🇧🇺🇸🎸Carmen In the early seventies, the British-American group Carmen broke new ground in rock music, combining the British flair for progressive rock with traditional Spanish folk themes into a very fresh, energetic and powerful new mix. 1. Fandangos in Space, 2. Dancing on a Cold Wind 🇮🇹🎸La Maschera Di Cera is a critically acclaimed Italian progressive rock band founded in 2001 by bassist/keyboardist Fabio Zuffanti (of Finisterre). Known for a nostalgic 70s sound, the group features Mellotron, Moog, flute, and dramatic vocals, drawing comparisons to Museo Rosenbach and Il Balletto di Bronzo. They are a prominent name in modern Italian symphonic prog. 1. La Maschera Di Cera, 2. Il grande labirinto, 3. Le Porte Del Domani, 4. The Gates of Tomorrow, 5. S.E.I. 🇩🇪📟🎸Kraftwerk Düsseldorf group whose advancements in electronic music have resonated in virtually every development of contemporary pop since the late 20th century. 1. Trans-Europe Express, 2. The Man-Machine, 3. Computer World, 4. Autobahn 🇳🇱🎸Kayak Dutch band whose music mixed pop and prog influences. The band began as a symphonic progressive rock act with an emphasis in songwriting, but from 1977 on Kayak changed direction moving into crossover territories. 1. Kayak, 2. See See the Sun, 3. Royal Bed Bouncer 🇨🇦🇫🇷🎸Jelly Fiche This band literally swims into a sea of artistic creativity. Its unique concept surpasses all the limits of the actual French-Canadian scene. Jelly Fiche will transport you into a whirlwind of surrealism, mystery, fantasy, psychic balance and unbalance. 1. Tout ce que j'ai rêvé, 2. Symbiose, 3. Comme au dernier jour 🇬🇧🎸Electric Light Orchestra Creators of high-tech Beatlesque prog-rock in the 1970s, heavy on the synths and strings, influential on later atmospheric pop. 1. El Dorado, 2. On the Third Day, 3. Electric Light Orchestra [Aka: No Answer], 4. Out Of The Blue, 5. ELO 2 [Aka: Electric Light Orchestra II] 🇲🇽🎸Iconoclasta A mostly instrumental band and one of the first Mexican progressive groups, Iconoclasta has been revered for years for epic-length songs that are influenced by classical, folk, and jazz music. 1. Suite Mexicana, 2. Reminiscencias, 3. Soliloquio, 4. Adolescencia Crónica, 5. Iconoclasta, 6. Movilidad, 7. Granja Humana, 8. Resurrección, 9. En Busca de Sentido, 10. En Concierto:Teatro de la Ciudad. (Special Mention: Iconoclasta 2015) 🇬🇧🎸Fish Scottish singer-songwriter and poet best known as the charismatic original frontman of the neo-progressive rock band Marillion from 1981 to 1988. He defined their early sound with hits like "Kayleigh" before pursuing a successful, albeit often challenging, solo career. Known for literate lyrics and theatrical performances. 1. A Feast of Consequences, 2. Weltschmerz, 3. Vigil In the Wilderness of Mirrors, 4. 13th Star, 5. Sunsets of Empire, 6. Rain Gods With Zippos 🇨🇱🎷🎻🎸Fulano was a highly influential Chilean avant-jazz/rock fusion band, recognized as a pillar of experimental music in Latin America, active primarily between 1984 and 2015. The band is known for its complex, high-virtuosity style that blended rock, jazz, and varied styles with a "punk attitude" and satirical lyrics. 1. Fulano, 2. En el Bunker, 3. El Infierno de los Payasos, 4. Trabajos Inútiles 🇩🇪🎸Wallenstein were a band that transcended a number of musical styles during their decade-plus of existence, from early krautrock to symphonic to space rock toward the end of their existence. 1. Blitzkrieg, 2. Cosmic Century, 3. Mother Universe, 4. Stories, Songs and Symphonies. 🇬🇧🎸 🎙️Gordon Giltrap Innovative British guitarist who emerged during the 1960s folk scene and found success in the '70s with a trio of instrumental prog rock albums. 1. Perilous Journey, 2. Fear of the Dark, 3. Visionary 🇺🇸🎸🎷Liquid Tension Experiment is an American instrumental prog rock "supergroup." Founded in 1997 by drummer Mike Portnoy, then a member of Dream Theater, their sound offers complex compositions —sometimes of protracted length— wedding riff-laden hard rock and heavy metal to knotty jazz fusion, and meaty funk with constantly shifting dynamics, rhythms, time signatures, and textures. 1. Liquid Tension Experiment 2, 2. Liquid Tension Experiment 🇬🇷📟🪈🎻🎹🎬🎸Vangelis Greek composer, arranger, and musician whose influence on electronic music and the world of film scores is immeasurable. 1. Blade Runner, 2. 1492 – Conquest of Paradise, 3. Heaven and Hell, 4. Voices, 5. China, 6. L' Apocalypse Des Animaux, 7. Albedo 0.39, 8. Spiral, 9. Direct, 10. Mask (Special Mention: 1. Odes, 2. Chariots of Fire, 3. Opera Sauvage) 🇮🇹🎸Eris Pluvia Italian progressive rock band formed in Genoa in 1988, renowned for a melodic, symphonic sound blending 70s rock (Camel, Pink Floyd) with folk and pastoral elements. 1. Rings of Earthly Light, 2. Third Eye Light, 3. Different Earths, 4. Tales From Another Time 🇬🇧🎸 Manfred Mann’s Earth band The fourth incarnation of Manfred Mann, an art-rock band who scored big with "Blinded By the Light." 1. Solar Fire, 2. Nightingales and Bombers, 3. The Roaring Silence, 4. Watch 🇬🇧🎸Gryphon They shared a vision of blending traditional English folk, Baroque instrumentation and Renaissance music in a modern format. 1. Red Queen to Gryphon Three, 2. Midnight Mushrumps, 3. Gryphon, 4. Raindance 🇬🇧🎸Atomic Rooster Hard-rocking English band formed in 1969 at the height of the U.K. progressive rock boom. 1. Death Walks Behind You, 2. Atomic Rooster, 3. Made in England, 4. In Hearing of Atomic Rooster 🇸🇪🎸Kaipa pioneering Swedish progressive rock band formed in 1973 by keyboardist Hans Lundin, bassist Tomas Eriksson, and drummer Thomas Sjöberg, initially named Ura Kaipa. Known for blending symphonic rock with Swedish folk melodies, they achieved prominence in the 1970s featuring guitarist Roine Stolt before splitting in 1982. 1. Inget nytt under solen, 2. Kaipa, 3. Solo 🇫🇮🎸Hidria Spacefolk is a Finnish progressive, psychedelic, and space rock band formed in Lohja in 1999. Their sound, which they term "Astro-Beat," is frequently compared to Ozric Tentacles and Kingston Wall, featuring instrumental tracks that blend hypnotic grooves with folk and ethnic influences. The band utilizes a wide array of instruments beyond standard rock setups, including cello, violin, flute, didgeridoo, marimba, mandolin, sitar, and vibraphone. Their musical style merges high-energy bass-driven rock with swirling synthesizers and acoustic elements, creating a fusion of electronica, rock, and folk that ranges from ambient psychedelia to intense, danceable rhythms. 1. Symbiosis, 2. Symetria, 3. Balansia 🇲🇽🎸Los Dug Dug’s are a pioneering Mexican rock band formed in the early 1960s (as Xippos Rock) in Durango by Armando Nava, becoming instrumental in the development of Mexican rock through the 1970s. Known for their psychedelic, hard rock, and progressive sounds, they famously brought The Beatles' music to Mexico and performed at the iconic Avándaro festival. 1. Smog, 2. Los Dug Dug’s, 3. El Loco 🇬🇧🎸Greenslade Mid-'70s British progressive rock band anchored by two keyboardists. Their sound melded pop melodies to classical, jazz, psychedelia, and blues. 1. Greenslade, 2. Bedside Manners Are Extra. Offshoots: 🇬🇧🎸Dave Grrenslade Greenslade first came to attention as the keyboards player for the jazz-blues-rock fusion outfit Colosseum, for whom he composed the epic "Valentyne Suite," a 17-minute, multi-section production that became the centerpiece of the album of the same name. 1. Cactus Choir 🇺🇸🎸🎤Bruce Springsteen A rock & roll true believer with a poet's heart, the Boss defined mainstream American rock in the late 20th century. 1. Nebraska, 2. Born to Run, 3. Darkness on the Edge of Town, 4. The River, 5. The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle, 6. Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J., 7. Born in the U.S.A., 8. Tunnel of Love, 9. We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, 10. Tracks 🇺🇸🎸Grand Funk Railroad Michigan-based power trio who became hard rock heroes before scaling the pop charts with "We're an American Band." 1. Grand Funk, 2. We're An American Band, 3. Closer to Home, 4. On Time, 5. E Pluribus Funk, 6. Good Singin' Good Playin’ 🇺🇸🎼🎸Journey Anthemic arena rock outfit who achieved huge success in the 1970s and '80s thanks to musical prodigy Neal Schon and smooth tenor Steve Perry. 1. Journey, 2. Look into the Future, 3. Next, 4. Escape, 5. Infinity. (Faithfully) 🇬🇧🎸Faces Boozy and bluesy rock & roll band of the '70s, fronted by Rod Stewart and guitarist Ron Wood with a joyous spirit that proved very influential. 1. A Nod Is as Good as a Wink... to a Blind Horse, 2. Ooh La La, 3. Long Player, 4. First Step (1970-1975 You Can Make Me Dance, Sing or Anything) 🇬🇧🎤🎸Nick Drake Acclaimed British singer/songwriter who produced three albums of intimate, somber beauty, gaining a cult following years after his early death. 1. Pink Moon, 2. Five Leaves Left, 3. Bryter Layter 🇬🇧🎸Judas Priest One of the most influential heavy metal bands of all time, and the one that spearheaded the New Wave of British Heavy Metal in the late '70s. 1. Painkiller, 2. Screaming for Vengeance, 3. Defenders of the Faith, 4. Stained Class, 5. Sad Wings of Destiny, 6. Sin After Sin, 7. British Steel, 8. Killing Machine, 9. Firepower 10. Unleashed in the East 🇧🇷🎸Sepultura Legendary Brazilian metal act that forged a rich, powerful sound full of speed, aggression, anger, and a surprising dose of melody. 1. Arise, 2. Beneath the Remains, 3. Chaos A.D., 4. Schizophrenia, 5. Roots, 6. Quadra, 7. Morbid Visions / Bestial Devastation 🇺🇸🎸Morbid Angel Florida death metal mavens whose faster, more sonically brutal version of the West Coast style revolutionized the genre. 1. Altars of Madness, 2. Covenant, 3. Blessed Are The Sick, 4. Formulas Fatal to the Flesh, 5. Gateways to Annihilation, 6. Domination 🇺🇸🎸Testament One of the first thrash acts to emerge from the Bay Area in Metallica's wake during the '80s. 1. The Legacy, 2. The New Order, 3. Practice What You Preach, 4. The Gathering 🇺🇸🎸Jimi Hendrix Considered by plenty the greatest rock guitarist of all time, with a raw, blues-influenced style that brought fire and emotion to rock music unseen before or since. 1. Electric Ladyland, 2. Are You Experienced? 3. Axis: Bold as Love, 4. Band of Gypsys, 5. The Cry of Love, 6. Blues 🇬🇧🎸Rare Bird Rare Bird came together in October 1969 when organist Graham Field, keyboardist Dave Kaffinetti, drummer Mark Ashton, and vocalist Steve Gould envisioned a two-keyboard rock sound without guitars. 1. As Your Mimd Flies By, 2. Rare Bird 🇺🇸🎼🎸Jefferson Airplane The quintessential San Francisco psychedelic band and a defining force in pop before turning toward political statements in the late '60s. 1. Surrealistic Pillow, 2. Volunteers, 3. After Bathing At Baxters, 4. Crown of Creation 🇺🇸🎼🎸🎺Rare Earth Detroit-based group that fused bar band rock and R&B to become the most successful white group in the Motown organization. 1. Get Ready, 2. Ecology, 3. One World, 4. Ma, 5. In Concert. 🇺🇸🎼🎸Cactus Blues and boogie supergroup featuring members of Vanilla Fudge, Mitch Ryder's Detroit Wheels, and Ted Nugent's Amboy Dukes. 1. Cactus, 2. One Way… or Another, 3. Restrictions 🇺🇸🎼🎸Mountain New York hard rockers who formed during the first generation of heavy metal and featured a dense, blues-based sound. 1. Nantucket Sleighride, 2. Mountain 🇬🇧🎼🎸Ten Years After Hard-rocking British blues band led by virtuosic guitarist Alvin Lee and best known for their legendary Woodstock performance. 1. Cricklewood Green, 2. A Space in Time 🇬🇧🎼🎸🪕The Pretty Things Seminal British R&B band that never broke big, despite talent to spare and a notable psychedelic masterpiece in 1968's S.F. Sorrow. 1. S.F. Sorrow, 2. Parachute, 3. The Pretty Things, 4. Get the Picture? 🇺🇸🎸Slayer The early thrash metal band with the most continued vitality and the least risk of compromise, with graphic lyrics wedded to powerful musical chops. 1. Reign of Blood, 2. South of Heaven, 3. Seasons In the Abyss, 4. Hell Awaits, 5. Show no Mercy 🇺🇸🎸Pantera One of the preeminent bands of the '90s, whose brutal groove metal influenced a generation. 1. Vulgar Display of Power, 2. Cowboys from Hell, 3. The Great Southern Trendkill, 4. Far Beyond Driven 🇺🇸🎸Eagles Among the best-selling artists of the 1970s, first at the forefront of the country-rock movement, later by producing soft rock and album rock. 1. Hotel California, 2. One of These Nights, 3. Desperado, 4. The Long Run, 5. Eagles, 6. Hell Freezes Over, 7. On the Border 🇺🇸🎸Dead Meadow is an American psychedelic rock and stoner rock band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1998. The band's music style is defined by a fusion of 1970s heavy metal and 1960s psychedelic rock, drawing significant inspiration from acts like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Jimi Hendrix. Their sonic identity features guitar distortion, drone riffs, and wah pedal effects, creating a "sludgy" and hypnotic atmosphere. 1. Dead Meadow, 2. Feathers, 3. Shivering King and Others, 4. Three Kings 🇬🇧🎸Savoy Brown is a seminal English blues-rock band formed in London in 1965 by guitarist and songwriter Kim Simmonds. The group is renowned for its electric blues, blues rock, and later hard rock style, characterized by Simmonds’ fiery, twelve-bar guitar boogie and an "English sensibility" applied to American blues traditions. 1. Looking In, 2. Street Corner Talking, 3. A Step Further, 4. Hellbound Train 🇬🇧🎸Carcass Liverpool band that assisted in a death metal revival and subsequently pioneered grindcore. 1. Necroticism, 2. Heartwork, 3. Symphonies of Sickness, 4. Swansong, 5. Surgical Steel 🇵🇱🎸Behemoth Acclaimed Polish group that deliver a caustic cocktail of black and death metal seasoned with a heavy dose of religious provocation. 1. The Satanist, 2. Zos Kia Cultus, 3. Evangelion, 4. Demigod, 5. Grom 🇬🇧🎸Ozzy Osbourne An instinctive metal showman who gained fame in Black Sabbath and as a solo act with his dramatic flair and a knack for creating controversy. 1. Tribute, 2. Diary of a Madman, 3. Blizzard of Ozz, 4. No More Tears, 5. No Rest for the Wicked, 6. Bark at the Moon 🇺🇸🎸A Perfect Circle American alt-metal supergroup that features a revolving cast of notable members. 1. Thirteenth Step, 2. Mer de noms 🇸🇪🎸Anekdoten is a critically acclaimed Swedish progressive rock band formed in 1991, known for a heavy, dark, and Mellotron-drenched sound influenced by 1970s King Crimson. 1. Vemod, 2. Nucleus, 3. From Within, 4. Gravity, 5. A Time of Day 🇨🇦🎸Voivod Canadian metal outfit that helped spread the word on speed and thrash metal in the early '80s. 1. Nothing Face, 2. Dimension Hatröss, 3. The Outer Limits, 4. Killing Technology, 5. Angel Rat 🇺🇸🎸Warren Zevon A hard-edged singer/songwriter with a sensitive side, one of the great chroniclers of Los Angeles in the '70s. 1. Excitable Boy, 2. Warren Zevon, 3. Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School, 4. Life´ll Kill Ya, 5. Sentimental Hygiene, 6. Preludes: The Rare Unreleased Recordings, 7. The Wind 🇳🇴🎸Emperor is an iconic Norwegian black metal band formed in 1991 in Notodden by Ihsahn (vocals/guitar) and Samoth (guitar), widely regarded as pioneers of symphonic black metal. Renowned for their intricate, atmospheric sound and landmark albums like In the Nightside Eclipse (1994), they significantly influenced the extreme metal genre. 1. In the Nightside Eclipse, 2. Anthems to the Welkin At Dusk, 3. IX Equilibrium, 4. Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise 🇸🇪🎸Meshuggah formed in Umeå, Sweden, in 1987 by vocalist/guitarist Jens Kidman and guitarist Fredrik Thordendal, Meshuggah is a pioneering extreme metal band known for their complex, polyrhythmic, and math-metal sound. Utilizing seven and eight-string guitars, they defined the "djent" subgenre, influencing countless modern metal bands. 1. Chaosphere, 2. Catch Thirty Three, 3. Destroy Erase Improve, 4. Nothing, 5. Obzen, 6. Koloss 🇺🇸🎸Slipknot is an American heavy metal band formed in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1995. Known for their aggressive musical style, iconic masks, and chaotic live performances, they became a global phenomenon in the late 1990s and early 2000s. 1. Slipknot, 2. IOWA, 3. Vol. 3 The Subliminal Verses 🇺🇸🎙️🎷🎬Frank Sinatra One of the towering figures of the 20th century, the first teen idol and the definitive saloon singer, the latter exemplified on a series of '50s concept albums. 1. Watertown, 2. Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely, 3. No One Cares, 4. September of My Years, 5. In the Wee Small Hours, 6. Songs for Swingin' Lovers! 7. A Swingin' Affair! 8. Where Are You? 9. Come Fly With Me 10. Duets 🇬🇧🎸Phil Collins The frontman for Genesis 2.0, with a soulful voice and pop smarts that made him one of the top superstars of the 1980s. 1. No Jacket Required, 2. Face Value, 3. Hello, I Must Be Going 🇬🇧🪕🎸Eric Clapton A rock guitar legend who, in addition to a distinguished solo career, collaborated with countless artists and played in many classic bands. 1. Eric Clapton, 2. 461 Ocean Boulevard, 3. Slowhand, 4. Journeyman, 5. Riding with the King, 6. MTV Unplugged, 7. From the Cradle, 8. Pilgrim, 9. Just One Night, 10. Clapton 🇬🇧🎼🎸🎤Donovan An icon of flower power who emerged as a folksinger but later gained hits like "Sunshine Superman" with bright psychedelic pop. 1. Sunshine Superman, 2. A Gift From a Flower to a Garden, 3. The Hurdy Gurdy Man 🇬🇧🎸Joe Cocker Gravel-voiced vocalist whose animated live shows, especially at Woodstock, made him a legend in soul circles. 1. Mad Dogs & Englishmen, 2. With a Little Help from My Friends, 3. Joe Cocker! 🇺🇸🎷The Tony Williams Lifetime Celebrated jazz drummer whose body of work as a bandleader and sideman included hard bop, fusion, free jazz, and rock. 1. Emergency, 2. Turn it Over 🇺🇸🎷Jaco Pastorius Tragic genius who reinvented the electric bass guitar, playing complex, long lines and amazing solos at remarkable speeds. 1. Jaco Pastorius, 2. Word of Mouth, 3. Jaco, 4. Invitation Continue viewing who is next in the ranking 351... HERE! Check out the rankings of the artists by music style HERE! Check out my selection of superb compilations, albums, and songs by artists who are not necessarily at the top of my book and didn't make the rankings, but round out pretty well my musical taste in my blog's RANKINGS webpage.

With Understanding Comes Appreciation When people are asked about their favorite artists in music, most of the time, these favorite artists basically share the same music styles, if anything else. To me, it goes way beyond that. As you might read on my post Shark's Ultimate Pocket Guide and Resource for Challenging Music, published few weeks ago, my musical taste is broad and really wide open. Still, at the very tip of the iceberg, I do have some artists who stand out above the others based on the following attributes: They are prolific in the strictest sense of the definition. These geniuses were not only working in their own bands but also in solo/collaboration/sideman projects as well at the same time. Yeah, they really loved what they did for a living, beyond and far away from the business side. Quoting Frank Zappa "an artistic work based on money isn't an artistic effort and offering at all." Demanding and perfectionist bandleaders. They had an excellent eye for recruiting, often from the very scratch, high-caliber talent and developing and polishing them by pushing beyond the limits of their own natural capabilities. Most of them are considered “universities” and "seedbeds" in music, who delivered countless artists who eventually become la crème of la crème in the industry without an overrated diploma. Strict work ethic and uncompromising creativity and talent. These guys always sought perfection in every phase of their work —personnel, production, execution, operations, etc. They never ever meant to put a piece of music in the market just for the sake of selling records. All meat, no fillers, and yeah... then you may like some records over others, but at least their offering is entirely fair, legit, and mostly honest. Heck, most of them even founded their own record labels to have complete control of their catalog and its distribution to avoid commercial commitments. Boundary pushers. They stretched then/today’s unexplored/sterile territories and even (arguably) invented several music styles which gave life to other (today's) offshoots. By doing so, they were often in countercurrent to what the mainstream typically offered while influencing countless artists to come. In the end, as my all-time music hero Frank Zappa once said, “Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible,” right? A feat that has given many modern artists the courage to do their own thing. When you put all these elements into a mixer, you get what I call a “God in Music.” Yes, they are an acquired taste for most people. Still, as any acquired taste in life, they deserve at the very least a try and probably several “attentive” listenings before you get hooked by their genius, but once you “get it” (if so), they will change your life and view regarding music forever, while opening new brand doors in this marvelous art. Said that, each ”God in Music” presented below shows some key information: the main music genres they (used to) play, a brief bio, (IMO) their top 10 albums which might be a good entrance if you are not familiar to some "Gods" and their music, the number of official albums (studio, live, EP/singles, outakes, etc.) and songs which are available for streaming on Apple Music —and most streaming platforms,— a link to a public playlist which gathers the discography of the music available for streaming by each “God,” and the duration in days (continuous listening of the playlist) For those who share the same musical taste or even if you are just a curious fan looking for new territories in music, you are in the right place, and you are going to love this. The playlists alone worth the whole thing; the latter will save you days, if not weeks, of manual assembly, trust me. Hopefully, this artisanal yet state-of-the-art work is to your liking, and these recommendations will help you broaden your musical horizons, especially for those who are not familiar with my “Gods in Music.” Milestones 1,800+ albums 18,000+ songs 270+ GB of music stored 80+ days of continuous music 11 Gods Genius Composer 🇺🇸🎸🎷🎹 🎺🎻God of Gods: Frank Zappa (1940–1993); IMHO the greatest composer in the XX century. My all-time hero. He opened me the door to all kinds of avenues in music. The creator of “radical rock” during the '60s, who later pursued even more adventurous avenues, ranging from R&B to jazz fusion to comedy rock, hard rock, art rock, prog rock, to experimental music, avant-garde, modern composition, musique concrète to avant-garde classical composition, chamber music to complex & elaborated computer music to… you name it; yet rabid and die-hard fans (are out there any other kind of Zappa’s fans, anyways?) will tell you labels are far and away from his colossal catalog since the master plays in a league of his own. Multi-instrumentalist, uncompromising talent and creativity, self-taught, eclectic, boundary-pushing & prolific composer, virtuoso guitarist, film maker, arranger, producer, orchestral conductor, demanding recruiter, perfectionist bandleader, successful businessman, and not the least, uncensored and sharp articulated speaker, especially on social and political critique of the American culture. His disparate influences included Chicago blues (Muddy Waters, Guitar Slim, Howlin’ Wolf, Johnny “Guitar” Watson), doo wop music (The Penguins) and avant-garde classical music (Igor Stravinsky, Edgard Varèse, Anton Webern, Béla Bartók); although he led groups that could be called rock & roll bands for much of his career, he used them to create a hybrid style that bordered on jazz and complicated, modern serious music, sometimes inducing orchestras to play along. As if his music were not challenging enough, he overlay it with highly satirical and sometimes abstractly humorous lyrics and song titles that marked him as coming out of a provocative literary tradition that included Beat poets like Allen Ginsberg and edgy comedians like Lenny Bruce. Nominally, he was a popular musician, but his recordings rarely earned significant airplay or sales, yet he was able to gain control of his recorded work and issue it successfully through his own labels while also touring internationally, in part because of the respect he earned from a dedicated cult of fans and many serious musicians, and also because he was an articulate spokesman who promoted himself into a media star through extensive interviews he considered to be a part of his creative effort just like his music. The Mothers of Invention, the '60s group he led, often seemed to offer a parody of popular music and the counterculture (although he affected long hair and jeans, Zappa was openly scornful of hippies and drug use). By the '80s, he was testifying before Congress in opposition to censorship (and editing his testimony into one of his albums). But these comic and serious sides were complementary, not contradictory. In statement and in practice, Zappa was an iconoclastic defender of the freest possible expression of ideas. And most of all, he was a composer far more ambitious than any other rock musician of his time and most classical musicians, as well. In short? one-of-a-kind genius. Shark’s Top 10 Albums: 1. The Yellow Shark 2. Hot Rats, 3. Läther, 4. Civilization Phase III, 5. Absolutely Free, 6. Uncle Meat, 7. Apostrophe (‘), 8. Lumpy Gravy Primordial, 9. Over-Nite Sensation, 10. Joe’s Garage. Frank Zappa’s Milestones: 132 albums 3,323 songs 11 days of continuous listening 41 GB of music stored Updated: 30.10.2025 Guide to Frank Zappa’s Discography by The Shark (Exclusive Content) Playlist of the Official Discography of Frank Zappa SoA assembling by The Shark Hot Rats by Frank Zappa: flawless, impeccable and exquisite; the birth of jazz-rock fusion by The Shark (Original Review) Alchemist Master 🇺🇸🎸🎹 🎷🎻🎬🪇Avant-Garde God: John Zorn (1953-present); The one word virtually everyone can agree on in any discussion of the work of composer John Zorn is "prolific." Titles under his own name number well over 150, and the sheer number of works he has composed, produced, or played on easily doubles that. Zorn's compositional diversity is staggering. He's written elaborate "game pieces" (Cobra), fused hardcore punk and avant-jazz on Spy vs. Spy: The Music of Ornette Coleman, and classical chamber works. He has penned numerous books of compositions numbering in the thousands. He's written dozens of soundtracks, solo organ works, chamber pieces, rock, jazz exotica recordings (Dreamers), and lieder (Madrigals). His revolving cast of musicians, ranging from the obscure to the internationally renowned includes Kronos Quartet, Medeski, Martin & Wood, Pat Metheny, and Frank London. Zorn has also mentored countless musicians in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, and through his long-running Tzadik label. In 2023, Tzadik released Bagatelles, Vol. 3: Trigger, comprising four discs of unpublished works performed by four different ensembles. In 2024 he issued a dozen albums that included the Shakespeare-inspired Her Melodious Lay, Ballades, and Lamentations. Through the Looking Glass, performed by a quartet that included John Medeski and Matt Hollenberg, appeared in 2025, followed by Impromptus, a set of freewheeling piano trio compositions. Shark’s Top 10 Albums: 1. Bar Kokhoba, 2. Andras: The Book of Angels, Vol. 28, 3. The Gift, 4. Godard/Spillane, 5. Cobra: Game Pieces, Vol. 2, 6. Naked City 7. Masada - The Circle Maker, 8. At the Mountain of Madness - Live In Europe, 9. The Big Gundown, 10. The Best of Filmworks - 20 Years of Soundtrack Music. John Zorn’s Milestones: 358 albums 3,605 songs 13.2 days of continuous listening 54 GB of music stored Updated: 30.10.2025 Guide to John Zorn’s Discography by The Shark (Original Content) Playlist of the Official Discography of John Zorn SoA assembling by The Shark Bar Kokhba by John Zorn: a journey to an elegant and sophisticated avant-garde territory by The Shark (Exclusive Review) The Epitome of Cool 🇺🇸🎷🎻Jazz God: Miles Davis (1926–1991); A monumental innovator, icon, and maverick, trumpeter who helped define the course of jazz as well as popular culture in the 20th century, bridging the gap between bebop, modal music, funk, and fusion. Throughout most of his 50-year career, Davis played the trumpet in a lyrical, introspective style, often employing a stemless Harmon mute to make his sound more personal and intimate. It was a style that, along with his brooding stage persona, earned him the nickname "Prince of Darkness." However, Davis proved to be a dazzlingly protean artist, moving into fiery modal jazz in the '60s and electrified funk and fusion in the '70s, drenching his trumpet in wah-wah pedal effects along the way. More than any other figure in jazz, Davis helped establish the direction of the genre with a steady stream of boundary-pushing recordings, among them 1957's chamber jazz album Birth of the Cool (which collected recordings from 1949-1950), 1959's modal masterpiece Kind of Blue, 1960's orchestral album Sketches of Spain, and 1970's landmark fusion recording Bitches Brew. Davis' own playing was obviously at the forefront of those changes, but he also distinguished himself as a bandleader, regularly surrounding himself with sidemen and collaborators who likewise moved in new directions, including the luminaries John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, and many more. While he remains one of the most referenced figures in jazz, a major touchstone for generations of trumpeters (including Wynton Marsalis, Chris Botti, and Nicholas Payton), his music reaches far beyond the jazz tradition, and can be heard in the genre-bending approach of performers across the musical spectrum, ranging from funk and pop to rock, electronica, hip-hop, and more. Shark’s Top 10 Albums: 1. In a Silent Way, 2. Bitches Brew, 3. A Tribute To Jack Johnson, 4. Kind of Blue 5. Miles Ahead 6. Get Up With It, 7. 'Round About Midnight, 8. Sketches of Spain, 9. Miles Smiles, 10. On the Corner. Miles Davis’ Milestones: 139 albums 1,800 songs 8.7 days of continuous listening 27 GB of music stored Updated: 30.10.2025 Guide to Miles Davis’ Discography by The Shark (Exclusive Content) Playlist of the Official Discography of Miles Davis SoA assembling by The Shark In a Silent Way by Miles Davis: revolutionary and blowing away Milestone; progress, vision, execution and promising young-bloods by The Shark (Original Review) Cerebral Outfit 🇬🇧🎸Prog-Rock Gods: King Crimson (1968-present); If there is one group that embodies progressive rock, it is King Crimson. Led by guitar/Mellotron virtuoso Robert Fripp, during its first five years of existence the band stretched both the language and structure of rock into realms of jazz and classical music, all the while avoiding pop and psychedelic sensibilities. The absence of mainstream compromises and the lack of an overt sense of humor ultimately doomed the group to nothing more than a large cult following, but it made their albums some of the most enduring and respectable of the prog rock era. Shark’s Top 10 Albums: 1. Discipline, 2. Larks' Tongues in Aspic 3. In the Court of the Crimson King, 4. In the Wake of Poseidon, 5. Islands, 6. Lizard, 7. Starless and Bible Black, 8. Red, 9. Beat, 10. Three of a Perfect Pair. King Crimson's Milestones: 83 albums 721 songs 2.8 days of continuous listening 9 GB of music stored Updated: 30.10.2025 Playlist of the Official Discography of King Crimson SoA assembling by The Shark Discipline by King Crimson: reinventing progressive rock music; a smart blend of cerebral art rock and post-punk, yet catchy and with almost pop sensibilities by The Shark (Original Review) Mythical Philosopher 🇺🇸🎷🎻Avant-Garde Jazz God: Sun Ra (1914-1993); Bandleader, composer, arranger, keyboard player, poet, philosopher, and cosmonaut Sun Ra advanced jazz into the space age. Through his elaborate concerts, films, and countless recordings, he fused imagery and mythology related to ancient Egypt as well as science fiction, planting the seeds for what would eventually be referred to as Afrofuturism. Ra's music encompassed nearly every style of jazz, with roots in ragtime and swing, bebop and avant-garde jazz. Initially active as a blues pianist, he worked with swing musicians such as Coleman Hawkins during the 1940s, then established his own trajectory during the '50s, when he founded the ever-changing ensemble known as the Arkestra. Establishing their interstellar mystique, the group sported futuristic costumes during their outlandish performances, and recorded constantly, issuing records through Ra's independent label El Saturn Records, often with misleading or nonexistent liner notes. During the 1960s, the Arkestra released landmark albums such as The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Vol. 1 (1965) and Atlantis (1969), groundbreaking in their shifting away from conventional melody and harmony, as well as their usage of synthesizers and electronic keyboards. Ra's surrealist sci-fi epic Space Is the Place, preceded by an unrelated album of the same title, was released in 1974, subsequently becoming a major cult classic film. Later concerts and recordings by Ra incorporated swing standards and even tunes from Disney movies, but maintained a heavy degree of improvisation, and remained highly unpredictable. The Arkestra has continued to perform since Ra's passing in 1993, and he remains a crucial influence on all forms of creative, forward-thinking music. Shark’s Top 10 Albums: 1. Lanquidity, 2. Sleeping Beauty, 3. Strange Celestial Road, 4. Space is the Place, 5. The Magic City, 6. Jazz in Silhouette, 7. Cosmic Tones For Mental Therapy, 8. Sound of Joy, 9. Atlantis, 10. The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra Vol. 1. Sun Ra’s Milestones: 177 albums 854 songs 6.7 days of continuous listening 21 GB of music stored Updated: 30.10.2025 Playlist of the Official Discography of Sun Ra SoA assembling by The Shark Enigmatic Virtuoso 🇺🇸🎸🎷🎻Guitar God: Buckethead (1969-present); Buckethead is one of the most bizarre and enigmatic figures in American underground and experimental music since Parliament-Funkadelic birthed their bevy of cosmic characters in the mid-'70s. An accomplished multi-instrumentalist best known for his virtuosic command of the electric guitar, Buckethead is one of the instrument's most recognizable contemporary innovators, his rapid-fire riffing, near-robotic fretwork, and idiosyncratic lead lines combining elements of Yngwie Malmsteen, Adrian Belew, Slayer's Kerry King, P-Funk's Eddie Hazel, and avant-improv artist John Zorn's Scud-attack sax abuse. Buckethead's extensive solo discography currently includes 31 studio albums, one live album, two extended plays, five special releases, six demo tapes, & four DVD releases. Since 2011, Buckethead started releasing albums in the "Pikes" series, mini albums usually around 30 minutes in length, each with a sequential number similar to a comic book. Buckethead has released 655 Pike albums, 175 of which are live albums. He has released collaborative albums with Brain, Travis Dickerson, Melissa Reese, Viggo Mortensen, Shin Terai, DJ Disk, Bootsy Collins, That 1 Guy and albums with the bands Praxis, Cornbugs, Science Faxtion, Guns N' Roses, Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains, and Deli Creeps, in addition to many other collaborations with bands and artists, and composed for films, all while maintaining his iconic KFC bucket and white mask stage attire. His first group, the San Francisco-based metal-funk combine the Deli Creeps, were a regional success, but disbanded before they could release anything. Buckethead's solo career has been more productive, thanks mostly to the motivation of Zorn and Bill Laswell, the latter of whom Buckethead has also recorded and toured with in Praxis. Laswell has also produced a number of Buckethead's solo albums (including Dreamatorium and Day of the Robot) and included him on more than a dozen one-off recordings with the likes of Hakim Bey, Bootsy Collins, Anton Fier, Jonas Hellborg, and Bernie Worrell. In addition to releases including 1998's Colma, Buckethead has also contributed soundtrack material to such films as Last Action Hero and Street Fighter. Buckethead returned in 1999 with Monsters and Robots, after which he joined the short-lived re-formation of Guns N' Roses. A steady stream of releases followed into the 21st century ranging from the contemplative Electric Tears to a more electronica/rock hybrid, and collaborations with San Francisco's underground hip-hop scene. In the following decade, he averaged a few releases a year, teaming up with dozens of artists, including Les Claypool, Iggy Pop, and Mike Patton, and in 2008, he collaborated with actor/musician Viggo Mortensen for Pandemonium from American. A dizzying string of releases would follow before the actor and the enigmatic guitarist worked together again in 2011 on Reunion. The following year, Buckethead released Electric Sea, a follow-up to his 2002 album, Electric Tears. Shark’s Top 10 Albums: 1. Colma, 2. Giant Robot, 3. Electric Tears 4. Crime Slunk Scene, 5. Monsters and Robots 6. Population Override 7. Chicken Noodles 8. Enter the Kitchen 9. Kaleidoscalp 10. Acoustic Shards. Buckethead’s Milestones: 355 albums 1,821 songs 7.2 days of continuous listening 22 GB of music stored Updated: 30.10.2025 Playlist of the Official Discography of Buckethead SoA assembling by The Shark Dark Chameleon 🇬🇧🎸📟🎻Experimental Gods: The Legendary Pink Dots & Edward Ka-Spel (1980-present); The Legendary Pink Dots are an influential, staggeringly prolific group led by enigmatic frontman Edward Ka-Spel. Emerging from the early-'80s post-punk underground and sometimes categorized as industrial due to associations with bands like Skinny Puppy, the group's music is nearly impossible to pin down, drawing from Krautrock, ambient, folk, synth pop, and numerous other styles. The Dots' music is by turns melodic pop and exotic psychedelia, with classical influences, sampling, and relentlessly dark, violent, apocalyptic lyrics. Ka-Spel's rhotacistic vocals are instantly recognizable, and somewhat resemble a cross between Syd Barrett and Coil's John Balance. Aside from the group's only two constant members, Ka-Spel and keyboard player Phil Knight (also known as the Silverman), the Dots have consisted of a shifting supporting cast over the years, including Canadian dub reggae producer Ryan Moore (Twilight Circus), engineer Raymond Steeg, and guitarist Erik Drost. The group has toured relentlessly since its inception, and has released well over a hundred albums, EPs, and compilations on dozens of labels, including numerous limited cassettes and CD-Rs. Early releases such as 1982's Brighter Now consisted of quirky, minimal synth pop, and their work grew more ambitious and mystical, with expanded instrumentation and more adventurous, free-form song structures. The group released some of their best-known releases, including 1988's The Golden Age and 1991's The Maria Dimension, on Play It Again Sam before switching to Soleilmoon with 1995's From Here You'll Watch the World Go By, additionally releasing material on ROIR, Beta-lactam Ring, and other labels throughout the coming decades. An increasing number of digital releases appeared during the 2010s, including live recordings and archival collections, while studio albums appeared on Rustblade (10 to the Power of 9, 2014) and Metropolis (Pages of Aquarius, 2016). Shark’s Top 10 Albums: 1. The Maria Dimension, 2. Poppy Variations, 3. Crushed Velvet Apocalypse, 4. The Golden Age, 5. Asylum, 6. Your Children Placate You from Premature Graves, 7. Stained Glass Soma Fountain, 8. Island of Jewels, 9. The Whispering Wall 10. Any Day Now. The Legendary Pink Dots’ Milestones: 178 albums 1,512 songs 7.3 days of continuous listening 22 GB of music stored Updated: 30.10.2025 Guide to of The Legendary Pink Dots & Edward Ka-Spel Discography by The Shark (Exclusive Content) Playlist of the Official Discography of The Legendary Pink Dots & Edward Ka-Spel SoA assembling by The Shark The Maria Dimension by The Legendary Pink Dots: a fascinating dark, violent and apocalyptic space-rock jour by The Shark (Original Review) Sophisticated Wizard 🇬🇧🎷🎻🎹Multi-Instrumental God: John Surman (1944-present); English saxophonist John Surman is a world-class composer, his large, diverse body of work -- classical, theatrical, and soundtrack -- has extended the boundaries of jazz. He studied clarinet as a child, then tenor, baritone, and soprano saxophones. He began playing jazz at the London College of Music and later studied at the London University Institute of Education. Following an eponymous leader debut in 1969, he recorded Where Fortune Smiles with guitarist John McLaughlin in 1971, and Morning Glory on Island with Terje Rypdal, John Marshall, and John Taylor in 1973. He signed with ECM (on which he has recorded almost exclusively since) for 1979's solo Upon Reflection, overdubbing saxes, clarinet, and synthesizer. Following The Adventures of Simon Simon with drummer Jack DeJohnette and Such Winters of Memory with singer Karin Krog, he kicked off the '90s with the solo Road to Saint Ives. Two wide-ranging quartet dates -- Adventure Playground (1992) and Stranger Than Fiction (1994) -- set the stage for 1997's live Proverbs and Songs, with Surman playing over a church organ and the Salisbury Festival Chorus. 2000's Coruscating and 2007's The Spaces in Between showcased the saxophonist with string groups. 2012's landmark, award-winning Saltash Bells marked a return to solo recording. 2015's Songs About This and That reunited him with Krog. 2018's trio offering Invisible Threads featured Brazilian pianist Nelson Ayers and vibraphonist Rob Waring. Surman and Waring enlisted guitarist Rob Luft and drummer Thomas Strønen for 2024's Words Unspoken in celebration of his 80th birthday. In January 2025, Cuneiform Records released Flashpoints and Undercurrents, a previously unissued full stereo recording by a tentet from 1969. Shark’s Top 10 Albums: 1. A Biography of the Rev. Absalom Dawe, 2. Upon Reflection, 3. Coruscating, 4. Road to Saint Ives, 5. Cloud Line Blue, 6. Adventure Playground, 7. Proverbs and Songs, 8. Adventure Playground, 9. Westering Home, 10. Private City. John Surman’s Milestones: 51 albums 487 songs 1.8 days of continuous listening 6 GB of music stored Updated: 30.10.2025 Playlist of the Official Discography of John Surman SoA assembling by The Shark Revolutionary Priest 🇺🇸🎷Piano God: McCoy Tyner (1938-2020); Jazz pianist whose inventive two-handed forays, extensive modal solos, and dashing phrases made him arguably the best pianist to debut in the '60s. One of the most celebrated and influential jazz pianists of his generation, McCoy Tyner was known for his harmonically expansive modal voicings, commanding two-handed block-chord style, and fearless improvisational lines that touched upon African and Eastern musical traditions. Along with contemporaries Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, and Chick Corea, Tyner redefined the sound of the modern jazz piano from the '60s onward, and his playing continues to guide up-and-coming musicians. Although primarily recognized for his work as a member of saxophonist John Coltrane's famed quartet with bassist Jimmy Garrison and drummer Elvin Jones, Tyner distinguished himself as a leader in his own right, releasing forward-looking dates like 1967's The Real McCoy, 1972's Sahara, and 1980's Horizon. Those albums found him building upon his time with Coltrane, having already contributed to innovative albums like 1961's Africa/Brass, 1961's My Favorite Things, and 1965's A Love Supreme. Throughout his career, Tyner continued to push himself, arranging for his big band and releasing Grammy-winning albums with 1987's Blues for Coltrane: A Tribute to John Coltrane and 1992's The Turning Point. Active well into his seventies, Tyner remained a vital performer, becoming an NEA Jazz Master in 2002 and winning another Grammy for 2004's Illuminations with Christian McBride and Terence Blanchard. More engaging collaborations followed, including 2007's McCoy Tyner Quartet with Joe Lovano and 2008's Guitars with Bill Frisell, Béla Fleck, Derek Trucks, and others. He further showcased his virtuosity on 2009's Solo: Live from San Francisco and 2013's A Pair of Pianos with Larry Vuckovich. Shark’s Top 10 Albums: 1. The Real McCoy, 2. Sama Layuca, 3. Sahara, 4. Extensions, 5. Expansions, 6. Trident, 7. Time for Tyner, 8. Song of the New World, 9. Asante, 10. Echoes of a Friend. McCoy Tyner’s Milestones: 93 albums 674 songs 3.2 days of continuous listening 10.4 GB of music stored Updated: 30.10.2025 Playlist of the Official Discography of McCoy Tyner SoA assembling by The Shark Spiritual Prophet 🇺🇸🎷🎻Sax God: John Coltrane (1926-1967); A towering musical figure of the 20th century, saxophonist John Coltrane reset the parameters of jazz during his decade as a leader. At the outset, he was a vigorous practitioner of hard bop, gaining prominence as a sideman for Miles Davis before setting out as a leader in 1957, when he released Coltrane on Prestige and Blue Train on Blue Note. Coltrane quickly expanded his horizons, pioneering a technique critic Ira Gitler dubbed "sheets of sound," consisting of the saxophonist playing a flurry of notes on his tenor within the confines of a few chords. During his last days with Davis, along with his earliest records for Atlantic, Coltrane leaned into this technique, but as he developed his career as a leader in the early '60s, he also turned lyrical. His sweet, fluid soprano sax distinguished My Favorite Things, which helped turn the album into a standard upon its release in 1961, but Coltrane soon backed away from mainstream acceptance. Working with pianist McCoy Tyner, drummer Elvin Jones, and bassist Jimmy Garrison -- a band that would be labeled the "Classic Quartet" -- Coltrane entered a fearless exploratory phase, explicitly incorporating his spiritual quest into his experimental music. A Love Supreme, an album released on Impulse! in 1965, marked the popular height of this period, but Coltrane continued to voyage to the outer edges of jazz in his final years, collaborating with Archie Shepp and Pharoah Sanders. Liver cancer ended his life prematurely: he died at the age of 40 in 1967, just ten years after his first LP as a leader -- but Coltrane's legacy was so varied and rich, he remained the touchstone for creativity in jazz for decades after his passing. Shark’s Top 10 Albums: 1. Blue Train, 2. Giant Steps, 3. My Favorite Things, 4. Africa/Brass, 5. Duke Ellington & John Coltrane, 6. A Love Supreme, 7. Ascension, 8. John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman 9. Bags & Trane, 10. Olé Coltrane. John Coltrane’s Milestones: 1,800+ songs 200+ albums 30+ GB of music stored 10 days of continuous music Updated 04.2026 Guide to John Coltrane’s Discography by The Shark (Exclusive Content) Playlist of the Official Discography of John Coltrane SoA assembling by The Shark A Love Supreme by John Coltrane: Jesus, Mary and Joseph, what a journey! by The Shark (Original Review) Angular Savant 🇺🇸🎻🎹 🎷Structured Improviser God: Anthony Braxton (1945-present); Innovative avant-garde multi-instrumentalist and composer, one of the most important figures in the later free jazz community. Multi-instrumentalist Anthony Braxton is among the most influential and prolific musicians and theorists to emerge from the 20th century. His hundreds of albums offer everything from experimental compositional techniques, graphic and non-specific notation, serialism, electronic, and improvisation, while employing vast knowledge of the jazz tradition from bebop to vanguard to post-bop. Braxton's recording career began with Three Compositions of New Jazz in 1969 and the iconic, solo For Alto in 1971. Arista, SteepleChase, and other labels issued '70s-era recordings including both In the Tradition volumes (1974), Creative Orchestra Music 1976, and Alto Saxophone Improvisations 1979. The '80s and '90s saw acclaimed releases including Six Compositions (Quartet) 1984, and Eight (+3) Tristano Compositions, 1989: For Warne Marsh, and Octet (New York) 1995. In the 21st century, release highlights included Six Compositions (GTM) 2001, Trio (New Haven) 2013, the five-act opera Trillium J in 2016, and the archival Four Compositions (Wesleyan) 2013 in 2023. Shark’s Top 10 Albums: 1. The Montreux/Berlin Concerts, 2. New York, Fall 1974, 3. Dortmund (Quarter) 1976 (Live), 4. Conference of the Birds, 5. One in Two – Tw in One (Live), 6. 3 Compositions of New Jaz, 7. For Alto, 8. Five Pieces 1975, 8. Creative Orchestra Music 1976, 9. Six Monk´s Compositions (1987), 10. Birth and Rebirth. Anthony Braxton’s Milestones: 141 albums 854 songs 8.2 days of continuous listening 24 GB of music stored Updated: 30.10.2025 Playlist of the Official Discography of Anthony Braxton SoA assembling by The Shark Check out my Earthy Artists Here

🎧Sax God: John Coltrane Official Discography Playlist With Understanding Comes Appreciation When newcomers and even more familiarized fans try to explore the catalog of our Sax God, John Coltrane, the task could turn overwhelming considering the number of records he released as leader, and the albums he played in as session musician with countless of top-notch luminaries on both studio and live —Duke Ellington Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Cannonball Adderley, Pharoah Sanders, McCoy Tyner to name a few. Also, add to the equation the number of posthumous albums, compilations, unreleased material, outtakes, box sets and even bootlegs, and you could easily get lost in his endless sea of creativity. That’s why on this post I’m trying to assemble a guide of the Official Discography of John Coltrane to make it easier to dive into it, especially for fans who struggle on where to even start; but before continuing, let’s take a quick look at his life to appreciate his legacy better. First things first. John Coltrane represents the ultimate in redemption and in complete surrender to music. Other than my Gods in Music there isn't another artist who comes even close to his musicianship, his dedication, and his supranatural ability to transform sound into a spiritual experience. After his spiritual revelation which led him to record A Love Supreme, there seemed to be no limit to his creative powers and desire to bring music into another dimension. His Classic Quartet with Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones and McCoy Tyner is arguably the greatest combo in the history of jazz. The quantity and quality of his improvisations is without peer, as if his source for his unlimited creativity was something unearthly, divine. A towering musical figure of the 20th century, saxophonist John Coltrane reset the parameters of jazz during his decade as a leader. At the outset, he was a vigorous practitioner of hard bop, gaining prominence as a sideman for Miles Davis before setting out as a leader in 1957, when he released Coltrane on Prestige and Blue Train on Blue Note. Coltrane quickly expanded his horizons, pioneering a technique critic Ira Gitler dubbed "sheets of sound," consisting of the saxophonist playing a flurry of notes on his tenor within the confines of a few chords. During his last days with Davis, along with his earliest records for Atlantic, Coltrane leaned into this technique, but as he developed his career as a leader in the early '60s, he also turned lyrical. His sweet, fluid soprano sax distinguished My Favorite Things, which helped turn the album into a standard upon its release in 1961, but Coltrane soon backed away from mainstream acceptance. Working with pianist McCoy Tyner, drummer Elvin Jones, and bassist Jimmy Garrison —a band that would be labeled the "Classic Quartet"— Coltrane entered a fearless exploratory phase, explicitly incorporating his spiritual quest into his experimental music. A Love Supreme, an album released on Impulse! in 1965, marked the popular height of this period, but Coltrane continued to voyage to the outer edges of jazz in his final years, collaborating with Archie Shepp and Pharoah Sanders. Liver cancer ended his life prematurely: he died at the age of 40 in 1967, just ten years after his first LP as a leader —but Coltrane's legacy was so varied and rich, he remained the touchstone for creativity in jazz for decades after his passing. Coltrane was the son of John R. Coltrane, a tailor and amateur musician, and Alice (Blair) Coltrane. Two months after his birth, his maternal grandfather, the Reverend William Blair, was promoted to presiding elder in the A.M.E. Zion Church and moved his family, including his infant grandson, to High Point, North Carolina, where Coltrane grew up. Shortly after he graduated from grammar school in 1939, his father, his grandparents, and his uncle died, leaving him to be raised in a family consisting of his mother, his aunt, and his cousin. His mother worked as a domestic to support the family. The same year, he joined a community band in which he played clarinet and E flat alto horn; he took up the alto saxophone in his high school band. During World War II, Coltrane's mother, aunt, and cousin moved north to New Jersey to seek work, leaving him with family friends; in 1943, when he graduated from high school, he too headed north, settling in Philadelphia. Eventually, the family was reunited there. While taking jobs outside music, Coltrane briefly attended the Ornstein School of Music and studied at Granoff Studios. He also began playing in local clubs. In 1945, he was drafted into the navy and stationed in Hawaii. He never saw combat, but he continued to play music and, in fact, made his first recording with a quartet of other sailors on July 13, 1946. A performance of Tadd Dameron's "Hot House," it was released in 1993 on the Rhino Records anthology The Last Giant. Coltrane was discharged in the summer of 1946 and returned to Philadelphia. That fall, he began playing in the Joe Webb Band. In early 1947, he switched to the King Kolax Band. During the year, he switched from alto to tenor saxophone. One account claims that this was as the result of encountering alto saxophonist Charlie Parker and feeling the better-known musician had exhausted the possibilities on the instrument; another says that the switch occurred simply because Coltrane next joined a band led by Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, who was an alto player, forcing Coltrane to play tenor. He moved on to Jimmy Heath's group in mid-1948, staying with the band, which evolved into the Howard McGhee All Stars until early 1949, when he returned to Philadelphia. That fall, he joined a big band led by Dizzy Gillespie, remaining until the spring of 1951, by which time the band had been trimmed to a septet. On March 1, 1951, he took his first solo on record during a performance of "We Love to Boogie" with Gillespie. At some point during this period, Coltrane became a heroin addict, which made him more difficult to employ. He played with various bands, mostly around Philadelphia, during the early '50s, his next important job coming in the spring of 1954, when Johnny Hodges, temporarily out of the Duke Ellington band, hired him. But he was fired because of his addiction in September 1954. He returned to Philadelphia, where he was playing when he was hired by Miles Davis a year later. His association with Davis was the big break that finally established him as an important jazz musician. Davis, a former drug addict himself, had kicked his habit and gained recognition at the Newport Jazz Festival in July 1955, resulting in a contract with Columbia Records and the opportunity to organize a permanent band, which, in addition to him and Coltrane, consisted of pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer "Philly" Joe Jones. This unit immediately began to record extensively, not only because of the Columbia contract, but also because Davis had signed with the major label before fulfilling a deal with jazz independent Prestige Records that still had five albums to run. The trumpeter's Columbia debut, 'Round About Midnight, which he immediately commenced recording, did not appear until March 1957. The first fruits of his association with Coltrane came in April 1956 with the release of The New Miles Davis Quintet (aka Miles), recorded for Prestige on November 16, 1955. During 1956, in addition to his recordings for Columbia, Davis held two marathon sessions for Prestige to fulfill his obligation to the label, which released the material over a period of time under the titles Cookin' (1957), Relaxin' (1957), Workin' (1958), and Steamin' (1961). Coltrane's association with Davis inaugurated a period when he began to frequently record as a sideman. Davis may have been trying to end his association with Prestige, but Coltrane began appearing on many of the label's sessions. After he became better known in the '60s, Prestige and other labels began to repackage this work under his name, as if he had been the leader, a process that has continued to the present day. (Prestige was acquired by Fantasy Records in 1972, and many of the recordings in which Coltrane participated have been reissued on Fantasy's Original Jazz Classics [OJC] imprint.) Coltrane tried and failed to kick heroin in the summer of 1956, and in October, Davis fired him, though the trumpeter had relented and taken him back by the end of November. Early in 1957, Coltrane formally signed with Prestige as a solo artist, though he remained in the Davis band and also continued to record as a sideman for other labels. In April, Davis fired him again. This may have given him the impetus to finally kick his drug habit, and freed of the necessity of playing gigs with Davis, he began to record even more frequently. On May 31, 1957, he finally made his recording debut as a leader, putting together a pickup band consisting of trumpeter Johnny Splawn, baritone saxophonist Sahib Shihab, pianists Mal Waldron and Red Garland (on different tracks), bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Al "Tootie" Heath. They cut an album Prestige simply titled Coltrane upon release in September 1957. (It has since been reissued under the title First Trane.) In June 1957, Coltrane joined the Thelonious Monk Quartet, consisting of Monk on piano, Wilbur Ware on bass, and Shadow Wilson on drums. During this period, he developed a technique of playing several notes at once, and his solos began to go on longer. In August, he recorded material belatedly released on the Prestige albums Lush Life (1960) and The Last Trane (1965), as well as the material for John Coltrane with the Red Garland Trio, released later in the year. (It was later reissued under the title Traneing In.) But Coltrane's second album to be recorded and released contemporaneously under his name alone was cut in September for Blue Note Records. This was Blue Train, featuring trumpeter Lee Morgan, trombonist Curtis Fuller, pianist Kenny Drew, and the Miles Davis rhythm section of Chambers and "Philly" Joe Jones; it was released in December 1957. That month, Coltrane rejoined Davis, playing in what was now a sextet that also featured Cannonball Adderley. In January 1958, he led a recording session for Prestige that produced tracks later released on Lush Life, The Last Trane, and The Believer (1964). In February and March, he recorded Davis' album Milestones, released later in 1958. In between the sessions, he cut his third album to be released under his name alone, Soultrane, issued in September by Prestige. Also in March 1958, he cut tracks as a leader that would be released later on the Prestige collection Settin' the Pace (1961). In May, he again recorded for Prestige as a leader, though the results would not be heard until the release of Black Pearls in 1964. Coltrane appeared as part of the Miles Davis group at the Newport Jazz Festival in July 1958. The band's set was recorded and released in 1964 on an LP also featuring a performance by Thelonious Monk as Miles & Monk at Newport. In 1988, Columbia reissued the material on an album called Miles & Coltrane. The performance inspired a review in Down Beat, the leading jazz magazine, that was an early indication of the differing opinions on Coltrane that would be expressed throughout the rest of his career and long after his death. The review referred to his "angry tenor," which, it said, hampered the solidarity of the Davis band. The review led directly to an article published in the magazine on October 16, 1958, in which critic Ira Gitler defended the saxophonist and coined the much-repeated phrase "sheets of sound" to describe his playing. Coltrane's next Prestige session as a leader occurred in July 1958 and resulted in tracks later released on the albums Standard Coltrane (1962), Stardust (1963), and Bahia (1965). All of these tracks were later compiled on a reissue called The Stardust Session. He did a final session for Prestige in December 1958, recording tracks later released on The Believer, Stardust, and Bahia. This completed his commitment to the label, and he signed to Atlantic Records, making his first recording for his new employers on January 15, 1959 with a session on which he was co-billed with vibes player Milt Jackson, though it did not appear until 1961 with the LP Bags and Trane. In March and April 1959, Coltrane participated with the Davis group on the album Kind of Blue. Released on August 17, 1959, this landmark album known for its "modal" playing (improvisations based on scales or "modes," rather than chords) became one of the best-selling and most-acclaimed recordings in the history of jazz. By the end of 1959, Coltrane had recorded what would be his Atlantic debut, Giant Steps, released in early 1960. The album, consisting entirely of Coltrane compositions, in a sense marked his real debut as a leading jazz performer, even though the 33-year-old musician had released three previous solo albums and made numerous other recordings. His next Atlantic album, Coltrane Jazz, was mostly recorded in November and December 1959 and released in February 1961. In April 1960, he finally left the Davis band and formally launched his solo career, beginning an engagement at the Jazz Gallery in New York, accompanied by pianist Steve Kuhn (soon replaced by McCoy Tyner), bassist Steve Davis, and drummer Pete La Roca (later replaced by Billy Higgins and then Elvin Jones). During this period, he increasingly played soprano saxophone as well as tenor. In October 1960, Coltrane recorded a series of sessions for Atlantic that would produce material for several albums, including a final track used on Coltrane Jazz and tunes used on My Favorite Things (March 1961), Coltrane Plays the Blues (July 1962), and Coltrane's Sound (June 1964). His soprano version of "My Favorite Things," from the Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II musical The Sound of Music, would become a signature song for him. During the winter of 1960-1961, bassist Reggie Workman replaced Steve Davis in his band, and saxophone and flute player Eric Dolphy gradually became a member of the group. In the wake of the commercial success of "My Favorite Things," Coltrane's star rose, and he was signed away from Atlantic as the flagship artist of the newly formed Impulse! Records label, an imprint of ABC-Paramount, though in May he cut a final album for Atlantic, Olé (February 1962). The following month, he completed his Impulse! debut, Africa/Brass. By this time, his playing was frequently in a style alternately dubbed "avant-garde," "free," or "The New Thing." Like Ornette Coleman, he played seemingly formless, extended solos that some listeners found tremendously impressive, and others decried as noise. In November 1961, John Tynan, writing in Down Beat, referred to Coltrane's playing as "anti-jazz." That month, however, Coltrane recorded one of his most celebrated albums, Live at the Village Vanguard, an LP paced by the 16-minute improvisation "Chasin' the Trane." Between April and June 1962, Coltrane cut his next Impulse! studio album, another release called simply Coltrane when it appeared later in the year. Working with producer Bob Thiele, he began to do extensive studio sessions, far more than Impulse! could profitably release at the time, especially with Prestige and Atlantic still putting out their own archival albums. But the material would serve the label well after the saxophonist's untimely death. Thiele acknowledged that Coltrane's next three Impulse! albums to be released, Ballads, Duke Ellington and John Coltrane, and John Coltrane with Johnny Hartman (all 1963), were recorded at his behest to quiet the critics of Coltrane's more extreme playing. Impressions (1963), drawn from live and studio recordings made in 1962 and 1963, was a more representative effort, as was 1964's Live at Birdland, also a combination of live and studio tracks, despite its title. But Crescent, also released in 1964, seemed to find a middle ground between traditional and free playing, and was welcomed by critics. This trend was continued with 1965's A Love Supreme, one of Coltrane's best-loved albums, which earned him two Grammy nominations, for Jazz Composition and Performance, and became his biggest-selling record. Also during the year, Impulse! released the standards collection The John Coltrane Quartet Plays... and another album of "free" playing, Ascension, as well as New Thing at Newport, a live album consisting of one side by Coltrane and the other by Archie Shepp. The year 1966 saw the release of the albums Kulu Se Mama and Meditations, Coltrane's last recordings to appear during his lifetime, though he had finished and approved release for his next album, Expression, the Friday before his death in July 1967. He died suddenly of liver cancer, entering the hospital on a Sunday and expiring in the early morning hours of the next day. He had left behind a considerable body of unreleased work that came out in subsequent years, including "Live" at the Village Vanguard Again! (1967), Om (1967), Cosmic Music (1968), Selflessness (1969), Transition (1969), Sun Ship (1971), Africa/Brass, Vol. 2 (1974), Interstellar Space (1974), and First Meditations (For Quartet) (1977), all on Impulse! Compilations and releases of archival live recordings brought him a series of Grammy nominations, including Best Jazz Performance for the Atlantic album The Coltrane Legacy in 1970; Best Jazz Performance, Group, and Best Jazz Performance, Soloist, for "Giant Steps" from the Atlantic album Alternate Takes in 1974; and Best Jazz Performance, Group, and Best Jazz Performance, Soloist, for Afro Blue Impressions in 1977. He won the 1981 Grammy for Best Jazz Performance, Soloist, for Bye Bye Blackbird, an album of recordings made live in Europe in 1962, and he was given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1992, 25 years after his death. Even more previously unreleased material has surfaced since then, including the discovery of the Monk and Coltrane live concert At Carnegie Hall and a complete version of his 1966 Seattle concert, Offering: Live at Temple University. The saxophonist was also the subject of director John Scheinfeld's acclaimed 2017 film Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary. In 2018, Impulse! released Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album, an archival release documenting a previously unheard session from 1963. The next year brought another unreleased album, Blue World, which dated from a June 1964 session recorded in between the sessions for Crescent and A Love Supreme. Coltrane’s playing was defined by several key characteristics that pushed the boundaries of jazz harmony and improvisation: Sheets of Sound: A signature technique featuring rapid-fire, legato scalar patterns and arpeggios that created a dense, continuous flow of notes. Modal Jazz: Alongside Miles Davis, Coltrane pioneered this style, which relies on musical modes rather than complex chord changes, allowing for extended improvisation and a more mystical, open-ended sound. Technical Virtuosity: Mastering the tenor and soprano saxophones, he demonstrated unparalleled speed and precision, often using the "Coltrane Matrix" to reharmonize songs using thirds instead of fifths. Spiritual and Experimental Evolution: His later work embraced free jazz, atonality, and multi-tonal techniques like multiphonics. Albums like A Love Supreme reflected his deep Christian faith, while his final works explored avant-garde textures influenced by African, Indian, and Latin American musical traditions John Coltrane is sometimes described as one of jazz's most influential musicians, and certainly there are other artists whose playing is heavily indebted to him. Perhaps more to the point, Coltrane is influential by example, inspiring musicians to experiment, take chances, and devote themselves to their craft. The controversy about his work has never died down, but partially as a result, his name lives on and his recordings continue to remain available and to be reissued frequently. Having said that, the following guide considers only the official catalog and splits it in three main categories: Studio Albums, Live Albums and Appearances on other Artist’s Albums as session musician. I’m also presenting compilations, posthumous albums, EPs & singles. These categories are classified by record labels, and each album shows not only the released/recording date and personnel, but its availability for streaming on Apple Music. It’s worth to mention that all the catalog that is available for streaming is at the very least at lossless 44.1 kHz/16 bits (CD quality) and plenty at HI-RES. While most of Trane’s catalog is available for streaming, some albums are not, but its songs can be found on some compilations. When the latter is the case, I’m also sharing where you can find those songs in the Streaming column. In addition, I’m sharing the playlists of each category on Apple Music, so if you are more inclined toward a group of albums released by a label, or say a period of Trane’s career, you could add those playlists to your library and save time of assembling. I’m also sharing a playlist of the entire discography available for streaming on Apple Music if you want to shuffle his music and enjoy all his facets at once. Record Labels often are releasing new material, so stay tuned and subscribe to my blog because I’ll be updating the guide. Also, if you find an error or inexact data/info, let me know, I will really appreciate it to improve this publication. Hopefully this artisanal & state-of-the-art work is of your liking. Music is the best. Enjoy it! Milestones. 1,800+ songs 200+ albums 30+ GB of music stored 10 days of continuous music Updated 04.2026 Studio Albums 🎧Sax God: John Coltrane Studio Albums Playlist Prestige Records studio album 🎧Sax God: John Coltrane Studio Albums on Prestige Playlist List of albums released with John Coltrane under contract Release date Album Personnel Recording date Streaming 1957 Coltrane (reissued as The First Trane!) Johnnie Splawn, Sahib Shihab, Red Garland, Mal Waldron, Paul Chambers, Albert "Tootie" Heath 1957-05-31 Yes 1958 John Coltrane with the Red Garland Trio Red Garland, Paul Chambers, Art Taylor 1957-08-23 No Slow Dance, You Leave Me Breathless on Plays For Lovers. Soft Lights and Sweet Music on BD Music Presents John Coltrane Bass Blues on Jazz Showcase Tranening In on Prestige Profiles - Miles Davis (With Collector's Edition Bonus Disc) 1958 Soultrane Red Garland, Paul Chambers, Art Taylor 1958-02-07 Yes List of albums assembled after John Coltrane's contract expired Release date Album Personnel Recording date Streaming 1959 Cattin' with Coltrane and Quinichette (co-leader) Paul Quinichette (co-leader), Mal Waldron, Julian Euell, Ed Thigpen 1957-05-17 Yes 1959 The Cats Idrees Sulieman, Tommy Flanagan, Kenny Burrell, Doug Watkins, Louis Hayes 1957-04-18 Yes 1961-01 Lush Life Earl May, Art Taylor, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, Donald Byrd, Louis Hayes, Albert "Tootie" Heath 1957-05-31, 1957-08-16, 1958-01-10 Yes 1961-12 Settin' the Pace Red Garland, Paul Chambers, Art Taylor 1958-03-26 Yes 1962 Standard Coltrane Wilbur Harden, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, Jimmy Cobb 1958-07-11 No. Tracks on Fearless Leader 1963-05 Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane (co-leader) Kenny Burrell (co-leader), Tommy Flanagan, Paul Chambers, Jimmy Cobb 1958-03-07 No Tracks on Coltrane '58: The Prestige Recordings 1963 Stardust Wilbur Harden, Freddie Hubbard, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, Jimmy Cobb, Art Taylor 1958-07-11, 1958-12-26 No Tracks on Coltrane '58: The Prestige Recordings 1963 Dakar Cecil Payne, Pepper Adams, Mal Waldron, Doug Watkins, Art Taylor 1957-04-20 No Tracks on Interplay 1964-04-20 The Believer Red Garland, Paul Chambers, Donald Byrd, Freddie Hubbard, Louis Hayes, Art Taylor, Gil Coggins, Ray Draper, Spanky DeBrest, Larry Ritchie 1957-12-20, 1958-01-10, 1958-12-26 Yes 1964-08 Black Pearls Donald Byrd, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, Art Taylor 1958-05-23 Yes 1965-05 Bahia Wilbur Harden, Freddie Hubbard, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, Art Taylor, Jimmy Cobb 1958-07-11, 1958-12-26 Yes 1966 The Last Trane Donald Byrd, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, Earl May, Louis Hayes, Art Taylor 1957-08-16, 1958-01-10, 1958-03-26 Yes Blue Note Records studio album 🎧Sax God: John Coltrane Studio Albums on Blue Note Playlist Release date Album Personnel Recording date Streaming 1958 Blue Train Lee Morgan, Curtis Fuller, Kenny Drew, Paul Chambers, Philly Joe Jones 1957-09-15 Yes Savoy Records studio albums 🎧Sax God: John Coltrane Studio Albums on Savoy Playlist Release date Album Personnel Recording date Streaming 1958 Tanganyika Strut (co-leader) Wilbur Harden (co-leader), Curtis Fuller, Tommy Flanagan, Howard Williams, Alvin Jackson, Art Taylor 1958-05-13, 1958-06-24 No Tracks on Timeless: John Coltrane Jazz from New York, Vol. 1 1958 Jazz Way Out (co-leader) Wilbur Harden (co-leader), Curtis Fuller, Tommy Flanagan, Alvin Jackson, Art Taylor 1958-06-24 Yes 1976 Countdown (Originally released as Wilbur Harden's album Mainstream 1958 in 1958) Wilbur Harden (co-leader), Tommy Flanagan, Doug Watkins, Louis Hayes 1958-03-13 Yes Atlantic Records studio albums 🎧Sax God: John Coltrane Studio Albums on Atlantic Records List of albums released with John Coltrane under contract Release date Album Personnel Recording date Streaming 1960-02 Giant Steps Tommy Flanagan, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, Art Taylor, Jimmy Cobb, Cedar Walton, Lex Humphries 1959-05-04, 1959-05-05, 1959-12-02 Yes 1961-02 Coltrane Jazz Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, Jimmy Cobb, McCoy Tyner, Steve Davis, Elvin Jones 1959-03-26, 1959-11-24, 1959-12-02, 1960-10-21 Yes 1961-03 My Favorite Things McCoy Tyner, Steve Davis, Elvin Jones 1960-10-21, 1960-10-24, 1960-10-26 Yes 1961-11 Olé Coltrane Eric Dolphy, Freddie Hubbard, McCoy Tyner, Reggie Workman, Art Davis, Elvin Jones 1961-05-25 Yes List of albums released after John Coltrane's contract expired Release date Album Personnel Recording date Streaming 1962-07 Coltrane Plays the Blues McCoy Tyner, Steve Davis, Elvin Jones 1960-10-24 Yes 1964-06 Coltrane's Sound McCoy Tyner, Steve Davis, Elvin Jones 1960-10-24, 1960-10-26 Yes 1966 The Avant-Garde (co-leader) Don Cherry (co-leader), Charlie Haden, Percy Heath, Ed Blackwell 1960-06-28, 1960-07-08 Yes Impulse! Records studio albums 🎧Sax God: John Coltrane Studio Albums on Impulse! Records Playlist List of albums assembled by John Coltrane Release date Album Personnel Recording date Streaming 1961-09 Africa/Brass Pat Patrick, Freddie Hubbard, Booker Little, Britt Woodman, Julian Priester, Charles Greenlee, Carl Bowman, Bill Barber, Garvin Bushell, Julius Watkins, Jim Buffington, Bob Northern, Donald Corrado, Robert Swisshelm, Eric Dolphy, McCoy Tyner, Reggie Workman, Art Davis, Elvin Jones 1961-05-23, 1961-06-07 Yes 1962-08 Coltrane McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones 1962-04-11, 1962-06-19, 1962-06-20, 1962-06-29 Yes 1963-02 Duke Ellington & John Coltrane (co-leader) Duke Ellington (co-leader), Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones, Aaron Bell, Sam Woodyard 1962-09-26 Yes 1963-03 Ballads McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Reggie Workman (1961-12-21), Elvin Jones 1961-12-21, 1962-09-18, 1962-11-13 Yes 1963-07 Impressions McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones, Roy Haynes (1963-04-29), Eric Dolphy, Reggie Workman (1961-11-05) 1961-11-05, 1962-09-18, 1963-04-29 Yes 1963-07 John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (co-leader) Johnny Hartman (co-leader), McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones 1963-03-07 Yes 1964-01-09 Live at Birdland McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones 1963-10-08, 1963-11-18 Yes 1964-07 Crescent McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones 1964-04-27, 1964-06-01 Yes 1965-01 A Love Supreme McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones 1964-12-09 Yes 1965-08 The John Coltrane Quartet Plays McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison (1965-05-17), Art Davis (1965-02-18), Elvin Jones 1965-02-18, 1965-05-17 Yes 1966-02 Ascension McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones, Marion Brown, Art Davis, Freddie Hubbard, Dewey Johnson, Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp, John Tchicai 1965-06-28 Yes 1966-09 Meditations McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones, Pharoah Sanders, Rashied Ali 1965-11-23 Yes 1967-01 Kulu Sé Mama McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones, Pharoah Sanders, Donald Rafael Garrett, Frank Butler, Juno Lewis 1965-06-10, 1965-06-16, 1965-10-14 Yes 1967-09 Expression Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Jimmy Garrison, Rashied Ali 1967-02-15, 1967-03-07 Yes List of posthumous John Coltrane albums 🎧Sax God: John Coltrane Posthumous Albums on Impulse! Records Playlist Recording date Album Personnel Release date Streaming 1963-03-06 Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones 2018-06-29 Yes 1964-06-24 Blue World McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones 2019-09-27 Yes 1965-05-26, 1965-06-10 Transition McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones 1970-07-00 Yes 1965-06-10, 1965-06-16 Living Space McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones 1998-03-10 Yes 1965-08-26 Sun Ship McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones 1971 Yes 1965-09-02 First Meditations (for quartet) McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones 1977 Yes 1965-10-01 Om McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones, Donald Garrett, Pharoah Sanders, Joe Brazil 1968-01-00 Yes 1963-07-07, 1965-10-14 Selflessness: Featuring My Favorite Things McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones, Pharoah Sanders, Donald Garrett, Roy Haynes, Frank Butler, Juno Lewis 1969 Yes 1967-02-15 Stellar Regions Alice Coltrane, Jimmy Garrison, Rashied Ali 1995-10-10 Yes 1967-02-22 Interstellar Space Rashied Ali 1974 Yes 1966-02-02, 1968-01-29 Cosmic Music (with Alice Coltrane) Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane, Jimmy Garrison, Rashied Ali, Ray Appleton, Ben Riley 1968 Yes 1965-06-16, 1965-09-22, 1966-02-02 Infinity Pharoah Sanders, McCoy Tyner, Alice Coltrane, Jimmy Garrison, Rashied Ali, Ray Appleton, Charlie Haden, Joan Chapman, Elvin Jones, Oran Coltrane 1972 Yes Live Albums 🎧Sax God: John Coltrane Live Albums Playlist Impulse! Records live albums 🎧Sax God: John Coltrane Live Albums on Impulse! Records List of live albums with John Coltrane as main artist Release date Album Personnel Recording date Streaming 1962-03 Live! at the Village Vanguard Eric Dolphy, McCoy Tyner, Reggie Workman, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones 1961-11-02, 1961-11-03 Yes 1965 New Thing at Newport (split LP with Archie Shepp) McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones (John Coltrane's set) 1965-07-02 Yes 1966-12 Live at the Village Vanguard Again! Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane, Jimmy Garrison, Rashied Ali, Emanuel Rahim 1966-05-28 Yes 1971 Live in Seattle McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones, Donald Garrett, Pharoah Sanders 1965-09-30 Yes 1973 Concert in Japan Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Jimmy Garrison, Rashied Ali 1966-07-22 Yes 1991 Live in Japan Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Jimmy Garrison, Rashied Ali 1966-07-11, 1966-07-22 No 1993 Newport '63 Eric Dolphy, McCoy Tyner, Reggie Workman, Jimmy Garrison, Roy Haynes 1961-11-02, 1963-07-07 Yes 1997-09-23 The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings Eric Dolphy, McCoy Tyner, Reggie Workman, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones, Roy Haynes, Garvin Bushell, Ahmed Abdul-Malik 1961-11-01-03, 1961-11-05 Yes 2001-09-25 The Olatunji Concert: The Last Live Recording Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Jimmy Garrison, Rashied Ali, Algie DeWitt 1967-04-23 Yes 2005 Live at the Half Note: One Down, One Up McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones 1965-03-26, 1965-05-07 Yes 2007-07-03 My Favorite Things: Coltrane at Newport McCoy Tyner, Reggie Workman, Jimmy Garrison, Roy Haynes (1963), Elvin Jones (1965) 1963-07-07, 1965-07-02 Yes 2014-09-23 Offering: Live at Temple University Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Sonny Johnson, Rashied Ali 1966-11-11 Yes 2021-10-22 A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones, Donald Garrett, Pharoah Sanders, Carlos Ward 1965-10-02 Yes 2023-07-14 Evenings at the Village Gate: John Coltrane with Eric Dolphy Eric Dolphy, Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner, and Reggie Workman 1961-08 Yes Pablo Records live albums 🎧Sax God: John Coltrane Live Albums on Pablo Records Release date Album Personnel Notes Recording date Streaming 1977 Afro Blue Impressions McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones Stockholm (first date); Berlin, Germany (second date) 1963-10-22, 1963-11-02 No Tracks on: Live Trane: The European Tours 1979 The Paris Concert McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones 1962-11-17, 1963-11-0? Yes 1980 The European Tour McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones Stockholm, Sweden 1963-10-22 Yes 1981 Bye Bye Blackbird McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones Stockholm, Sweden 1962-11-19 Yes 2001 Live Trane: The European Tours Eric Dolphy, McCoy Tyner, Reggie Workman, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones 7-CD set of the above recordings, plus previously unissued tracks. 1961-11-18 – 1963-11-04 Yes Live albums released by miscellaneous labels Release date Recording date Album / label Personnel Streaming 1965 1964-2-23, 1965-4-2 Creation / Blue Parrot McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones No 1974 1965-07-27, 1965-07-28 Live in Paris / Charly McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones No 1978 1965-05-07 Brazilia / Blue Parrot McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones No 1988 1965-07-27, 1965-07-28 Live in Antibes / France's Concert McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones No 2009 1961-11-20 The Complete Copenhagen Concert / Gambit Eric Dolphy, McCoy Tyner, Reggie Workman, Elvin Jones No 2009 1966-07-02 Last Performance At Newport / FreeFactory Jimmy Garrison, Rashied Ali, Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders No 2015 1961-11-18–1961-11-23 So Many Things: The European Tour 1961 / Acrobat Eric Dolphy, McCoy Tyner, Reggie Workman, Elvin Jones No 2024 1965-07-26 A Love Supreme (6th International Jazz Festival Juan-Les-Pins, Antibes, France) / Charly McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones No Appearances With Miles Davis 🎧Sax God: John Coltrane with Miles DavisPlaylist Release date Album Label Recording date Streaming 1956 What is Jazz? (Leonard Bernstein instructional album) [1 track only : Sweet Sue, Just You] Columbia 1956-09-10 No Tracks on: The Complete Miles Davis Featuring John Coltrane 1956-04 Miles: The New Miles Davis Quintet Prestige 1955-11-16 Yes 1957-03-04 'Round About Midnight Columbia 1955-10-26, 1956-06-05, 1956-09-10 Yes 1957-07 Cookin' with The Miles Davis Quintet Prestige 1956-10-26 Yes 1958-03 Relaxin' with The Miles Davis Quintet Prestige 1956-05-11, 1956-10-26 Yes 1958-09-02 Milestones Columbia 1958-02-04, 1958-03-04 Yes 1959 Legrand Jazz (Michel Legrand album) [4 tracks only] Columbia 1958-06-25 Yes 1959 Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants [1 track only : 'Round Midnight] Prestige 1956-10-26 No Track on Prestige Records: Chill Jazz Ballads 1959 Kind of Blue Columbia 1959-03-02, 1959-04-22 Yes 1959 Jazz Track [May 26, 1958 session only] Columbia 1958-05-26 No 1960-01 Workin' with The Miles Davis Quintet Prestige 1956-05-11, 1956-10-26 Yes 1961-05 Steamin' with The Miles Davis Quintet Prestige 1956-05-11, 1956-10-26 Yes 1961-12-11 Someday My Prince Will Come [2 tracks only : Someday my Prince Will Come, Teo] Columbia 1961-03-20, 1961-03-21 Yes 1964 Miles and Monk at Newport Columbia 1958-07-03 Yes 1973 Jazz at the Plaza Vol. I Columbia 1958-09-09 Yes 1973 Basic Miles [2 unreleased tracks only : Little Melonae, Budo] Columbia 1955-10-27 No Tracks on: The Complete Miles Davis Featuring John Coltrane 1974 1958 Miles [May 26, 1958 session from Jazz Track with unreleased track Love for Sale, plus concert from Jazz at The Plaza Vol. 1] Columbia 1958-05-26, 1958-09-09 Yes 1979 Circle in the Round [1 unreleased track only : Two bass hit] Columbia 1955-10-26 Yes 2005 'Round About Midnight CD reissue [8 unreleased tracks only from concert at the 1956 Pacific Jazz Festival in Pasadena] Columbia 1956-02-18 Yes 2013 The Unissued Café Bohemia Broadcasts Domino Records 1956-09-15, 1956-09-29, 1957-04-13, 1958-05-17 No 2014 All of You: The Last Tour 1960 [including Live in Stockholm, and at the Olympia in Paris] Acrobat 1960-03-22 – 1960-04-09 Yes With Thelonious Monk 🎧Sax God: John Coltrane with Thelonious Monk Playlist Year released Album Label Recording date Streaming 1957 Monk's Music Riverside 1957-06-26 Yes 1959 Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane Jazzland 1957-04-16, 1957-06-25, 1957-06-26, 1957-07 Yes 1959 Thelonious Himself ("Monk's Mood" only) Riverside 1957-04-16 Yes 1993 Live at the Five Spot Discovery! Blue Note Late summer 1957 Yes 2005 Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall Blue Note 1957-11-29 Only Blue Monk Track 2006 Complete Live at the Five Spot 1958 Gambit 1958-09-11 Yes Other appearances List of albums and 78 rpm singles with John Coltrane as session musician 🎧Sax God: John Coltrane's Appearances as Session Musician Playlist Release date Album Leader Label Recording date Streaming 1949 "How Long, How Long / Beer Drinking Baby" (78 rpm disc) Billy Valentine Mercury 1949-11-07 Only Beer Drinking Baby 1949 "Ain't Gonna Cry No More / I Want You to Love Me" (78 rpm disc) Billy Valentine Mercury 1949-11-07 No 1949 "Say When / You Stole My Wife, You Horse Thief" (78 rpm disc) Dizzy Gillespie Capitol 1949-11-21 Yes 1949 "Tally Ho / I Can't Remember" (78 rpm disc) Dizzy Gillespie Capitol 1949-11-21 Only Tally Ho 1950 "Carambola / Honeysuckle Rose" (78 rpm disc) Dizzy Gillespie Capitol 1950-01-09 Yes 1952 "Easy Rockin' / G.C. Rock" Gay Crosse Republic 1952 Only G.C. Rock 1952 "No Better for You / Tired of Being Shoved Around" Gay Crosse Republic 1952 Yes 1952 "Fat Sam from Birmingham / Bittersweet" Gay Crosse Gotham 1952-01-19 Only Fat Sam from Birmingham 1952 Earl Bostic and His Alto Sax, Vol. 4 (10-inch album)[29][30] Earl Bostic King 1952-08-15 No 1954 More of Johnny Hodges Johnny Hodges Norgran / Verve 1954-08-05 No Tracks on Three Classic Albums Plus 1956 Earl Bostic for You Earl Bostic King 1952-04-07, 1952-08-15 Partially on The EP Collection 1956 Dance Time Earl Bostic King 1952-04-07, 1952-08-15 No 1956 The Blues and Used to Be Duke Johnny Hodges Norgran / Verve 1954-07-02, 1954-08-05 Yes 1956 Chambers' Music: A Jazz Delegation from the East Paul Chambers Jazz West 1956-03-01 or 02 Yes 1956 Jazz in Transition (sampler, one track only) Pepper Adams Transition 1956-04-20 Yes 1956 Informal Jazz (reissued as Two Tenors) Elmo Hope Prestige 1956-05-07 Yes 1956 Tenor Madness (title track only) Sonny Rollins Prestige 1956-05-24 Yes 1956-12-00 Whims of Chambers Paul Chambers Blue Note 1956-09-21 Yes 1957 Tenor Conclave No session leader Prestige 1956-09-07 Yes 1957 Mating Call Tadd Dameron Prestige 1956-11-30 Yes 1957 Taylor's Wailers (March 22, 1957 session only)[40] Art Taylor Prestige 1957-03-22 Yes 1957 Interplay for 2 Trumpets and 2 Tenors The Prestige All Stars Prestige 1957-03-22 Yes 1957 A Blowin' Session Johnny Griffin Blue Note 1957-04-06 Yes 1957 Mal/2 Mal Waldron Prestige 1957-04-19, 1957-05-17 Yes 1957 Baritones and French Horns (reissued as Dakar) Pepper Adams Prestige 1957-04-20 No 1957 Blues for Tomorrow (title track only) Various Artists Riverside 1957-06-26 Yes 1957 Winner's Circle No session leader Bethlehem 1957-10-00 Yes 1958 Sonny's Crib Sonny Clark Blue Note 1957-09-01 Yes 1958 Wheelin' & Dealin' The Prestige All Stars Prestige 1957-09-20 Yes 1958 All Mornin' Long Red Garland Prestige 1957-11-15 Yes 1958 The Ray Draper Quintet featuring John Coltrane Ray Draper New Jazz 1957-12-20 Yes 1958 Art Blakey Big Band Art Blakey Bethlehem 1957-12-00 Yes 1958 Groove Blues Gene Ammons Prestige 1958-01-03 Yes 1958 The Big Sound Gene Ammons Prestige 1958-01-03 Yes 1958 Mainstream 1958: The East Coast Jazz Scene Wilbur Harden Savoy 1958-03-15 Yes 1959 The Cats No session leader Prestige 1957-04-18 Yes 1959 New York, N.Y. (one track only) George Russell Decca 1958-09-12 Yes 1959 Stereo Drive or Hard Driving Jazz (reissued as Coltrane Time) Cecil Taylor United Artists 1958-10-13 Yes 1959 A Tuba Jazz (reissued as Like Sonny) Ray Draper Jubilee 1958-11-00 No 1959 Cannonball Adderley Quintet in Chicago Cannonball Adderley Mercury 1959-02-03 Yes 1960 Soul Junction Red Garland Prestige 1957-11-15 Yes 1961-07 Bags & Trane Milt Jackson Atlantic 1959-01-15 Yes 1962 High Pressure Red Garland Prestige 1957-11-15, 1957-12-13 Yes 1962 Dig It! (December 13, 1957 session only)[42] Red Garland Prestige 1957-12-13 Yes 1964 The Dealers Mal Waldron Prestige 1957-04-19, 1957-09-20 No 1964 Four for Trane (as producer only) Archie Shepp Impulse! 1964-08-10 Yes Compilation albums 🎧Sax God: John Coltrane Compilations Playlist List of compilations and remix albums with John Coltrane as main artist Release date Compilation Label Streaming 1962 The Best of Birdland: Volume 1. (Side A only) Roulette No 1966 John Coltrane Plays for Lovers Prestige Yes 1970 The Best of John Coltrane: His Greatest Years Impulse! No 1970-02-00 The Best of John Coltrane Atlantic No 1970-04-00 The Coltrane Legacy Atlantic Yes 1972 The Best of John Coltrane: His Greatest Years, Vol. 2 Impulse! No 1972 More Lasting Than Bronze Prestige No 1972 Infinity Impulse! Yes 1972 Echoes of an Era (Side D only) Roulette No 1973 The Art of John Coltrane: The Atlantic Years Atlantic No 1974 The Best of John Coltrane: His Greatest Years, Vol. 3 Impulse! No 1974 The Africa/Brass Sessions, Volume 2 Impulse! No 1975 The Gentle Side Of John Coltrane Impulse! No 1975 High Step (with Paul Chambers) Blue Note No 1975 The Stardust Session Prestige No 1975-03 Alternate Takes Atlantic Yes 1977 Dial Africa: The Savoy Sessions Savoy No 1977 Gold Coast Savoy No 1978 Countdown: The Savoy Sessions Savoy No 1978 On a Misty Night Prestige No 1978 The Mastery of John Coltrane, Vol. 1: Feelin' Good Impulse! No 1978 The Mastery of John Coltrane, Vol. 2: To the Beat of a Different Drum Impulse! No 1978 The Mastery of John Coltrane, Vol. 3: Jupiter Variation Impulse! No 1979 The Mastery of John Coltrane, Vol. 4: Trane's Modes Impulse! No 1980 Coltrane/Dolphy Carrere Yes 1992 The Major Works of John Coltrane GRP No 1992 The Last Giant: The John Coltrane Anthology Rhino No 1993 Dear Old Stockholm Impulse! Yes 1995 The Heavyweight Champion: The Complete Atlantic Recordings Atlantic Yes 1998 The Prestige Recordings Prestige No 1998 The Classic Quartet: The Complete Impulse! Recordings Impulse! Yes 1998-03-10 Living Space Impulse! Yes 1999-01-26 Trane's Blues Blue Note Yes 1999-10-26 The Complete Columbia Recordings of Miles Davis with John Coltrane Columbia No 2000-02-15 The Very Best of John Coltrane Rhino Yes 2000-11-07 Ken Burns Jazz: John Coltrane Verve Yes 2001-01-23 Coltrane for Lovers Impulse! / Verve Yes 2001-07-24 The Very Best of John Coltrane Impulse! Yes 2002-05-07 Timeless Savoy Yes 2005-10-25 Prestige Profiles, Vol. 9: John Coltrane Prestige Yes 2006-09-26 Fearless Leader Prestige Yes 2007-09-18 Interplay Prestige Yes 2008-06-09 Opus Collection: A Man Called Trane Rhino No 2009-10-06 Side Steps Prestige Yes 2012-06-12 The Very Best of John Coltrane: The Prestige Era Prestige No 2016-07-08 The Atlantic Years in Mono Rhino Yes 2018-11-16 1963: New Directions Impulse! Yes List of Singles, EPs and more...

Back to Part 1 List of previously unreleased songs released on compilations during Coltrane's lifetime 🎧Sax God: John Coltrane Unreleased Songs on Compilations During Coltrane's Lifetime Playlist Release Year Song Album Label Recording date Streaming 1961 "Exotica" The Birdland Story Roulette 1960-09-08 Yes 1964 "Big Nick" The Definitive Jazz Scene Volume 1 Impulse! 1962-04-1 Yes 1964 "Dear Old Stockholm" The Definitive Jazz Scene Volume 2 Impulse! 1963-04-29 Yes 1965 "Vilia" The Definitive Jazz Scene Volume 3 Impulse! 1963-03-06 Yes 1965 "Nature Boy" (Live) The New Wave In Jazz Impulse! 1965-03-28 Yes Singles and EPs Singles appear on several Studio/Live/Compilations 🎧Sax God: John Coltrane Singles & EPs Playlist Release date Single Label Streaming Unknown "Time Was (Part 1) / Time Was (Part 2)" Prestige Yes 1957 "Blue Train, Part 1 / Blue Train, Part 2" Blue Note Yes 1958 "Things Ain't What They Used to Be (Part 1) / Things Ain't What They Used to Be (Part 2)" Prestige Yes 1958 "Traneing In, Part One / Traneing In, Part Two" Prestige Yes 1958 "Moment's Notice, Part 1 / Moment's Notice, Part 2" Blue Note Yes 1959 "Good Bait (Part 1) / Good Bait (Part 2)" Prestige Yes 1959 "Naima / Cousin Mary" Atlantic Yes 1960 "I Want to Talk About You (Part 1) / I Want to Talk About You (Part 2)" Prestige Yes 1960 "Lush Life / I Love You" Prestige Yes 1961 "My Favorite Things (Part 1) / My Favorite Things (Part 2)" Atlantic Yes 1961 "Greensleeves / Easy to Remember" Impulse! Yes 1962 Ballads (EP) Impulse! Yes 1963 John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (EP) Impulse! Yes 1963 "Nancy (with the Laughing Face) / Up 'Gainst the Wall" Impulse! Yes 1963 "Stardust / Love Thy Neighbor" Prestige Yes 1963 "The Believer / Dakar" Prestige Yes 1964 "Limehouse Blues / Stars Fell on Alabama" (with Cannonball Adderley) Limelight Yes 1965 "By the Numbers (Pt. 1) / By the Numbers (Pt. 2)" (with Red Garland) Prestige Yes 1966 "I Love You / You Leave Me Breathless" Prestige Yes Back to Part 1

With Understanding Comes Appreciation One of the most prolific careers in music history is the career of virtuoso and enigmatic experimentalist Edward Ka-Spel and his Legendary Pink Dots (and countless of solo/side projects and collaborations), whose music ranges through numerous music styles such Alternative/Indie Rock, Experimental, Neo-Psychedelia, Post-Punk, Synth Pop, Ambient, Industrial, Minimal Wave, Electronic and many others that people have tried to label with very little success. With over 400 recordings (studio, live, compilations and countless formats), this post attempts to guide fans of any kind —curious, casual, die-hard— to the massive official discography of the Legendary Pink Dots and the solo/side projects by his founder Edward Ka-Spel. Since the catalog is immensely large, I have divided the post in four parts based on time (decades); i.e. since 1980's when Edward started to release recordings to date; so, follow this post and subscribe to my blog to stay tuned, because our Experimentalist God is constantly releasing new material. This first delivery considers his work from 1981 to 2000. The second part will consider his work through 2000's, the third through 2010's and the fourth through 2020's (to date). I’m also sharing a Public Playlist which gathers all the official catalog listed in these series of posts and that is available for streaming on Apple Music. On Pt. 4, I will also share public playlists on Apple Music which will gather each Type of the albums available for streaming decscribed below—Official Studio Album Playlist, Official Live Album Playlist, Official Compilation Album Playlist, etc. The latter will save you days if not weeks of manual assembling. Again, follow this post and subscribe to my blog to stay tuned. But before listing and giving details on how the catalog was built, let's take a brief review of the career of The Legendary Pink Dots and his enigmatic founder Edward K-Spel. The Legendary Pink Dots are an influential, staggeringly prolific group led by enigmatic frontman Edward Ka-Spel. Emerging from the early-'80s post-punk underground and sometimes categorized as industrial due to associations with bands like Skinny Puppy, the group's music is nearly impossible to pin down, drawing from Krautrock, ambient, folk, synth pop, and numerous other styles. The Dots' music is by turns melodic pop and exotic psychedelia, with classical influences, sampling, and relentlessly dark, violent, apocalyptic lyrics. Ka-Spel's rhotacistic vocals are instantly recognizable, and somewhat resemble a cross between Syd Barrett and Coil's John Balance. Aside from the group's only two constant members, Ka-Spel and keyboard player Phil Knight (also known as the Silverman), the Dots have consisted of a shifting supporting cast over the years, including Canadian dub reggae producer Ryan Moore (Twilight Circus), engineer Raymond Steeg, and guitarist Erik Drost. The group has toured relentlessly since its inception, and has released well over a hundred albums, EPs, and compilations on dozens of labels, including numerous limited cassettes and CD-Rs. Early releases such as 1982's Brighter Now consisted of quirky, minimal synth pop, and their work grew more ambitious and mystical, with expanded instrumentation and more adventurous, free-form song structures. The group released some of their best-known releases, including 1988's The Golden Age and 1991's The Maria Dimension (newcomers, the latter is a safe place to start) on Play It Again Sam before switching to Soleilmoon with 1995's From Here You'll Watch the World Go By, additionally releasing material on ROIR, Beta-lactam Ring, and other labels throughout the coming decades. An increasing number of digital releases appeared during the 2010s, including live recordings and archival collections, while studio albums appeared on Rustblade (10 to the Power of 9, 2014) and Metropolis (Pages of Aquarius, 2016). Formed in London in 1980, the Legendary Pink Dots began contributing to underground compilations and issuing cassettes of dark, twisted synth pop in 1981, including Chemical Playschool 1+2 and Kleine Krieg, both on Mirrordot. Official debut LP Brighter Now was released by In Phaze Records in 1982. Curse followed in 1983, as the group continued releasing cassettes and further volumes of Chemical Playschool. Politically fueled LP The Tower appeared in 1984, and Ka-Spel has regarded the album as one of the group's most significant works; when the album failed to make a significant impact in the Dots' home country, they moved to Amsterdam, where they remained, incorporating many musicians from the Dutch underground music scene. Also in 1984, Belgian label Play It Again Sam signed LPD; the label's first release was the group's mini-album Faces in the Fire. The band remained on PIAS into the '90s, releasing much of its best material (1988's The Golden Age, 1990's Crushed Velvet Apocalypse, 1991's The Maria Dimension) on the label. The group's sound evolved significantly, embracing non-electronic instruments such as saxophones and strings, as well as live drums. Ever prolific, Ka-Spel also issued numerous solo albums and experiments on smaller labels, and participated in many side projects, most notable the Tear Garden (with Skinny Puppy's cEvin Key) and Mimir (with Christoph Heemann). Following 1994's 9 Lives to Wonder, the Pink Dots ended their association with Play It Again Sam. Released in 1995, From Here You'll Watch the World Go By was their first release on Soleilmoon. Several more albums would appear on the label, as well as its sublabel Caciocavallo, which reissued much of the band's back catalog. Even as the Legendary Pink Dots neared their two-decade anniversary, the group continued to tour Europe and America quite consistently, appreciated by several generations of dark industrial/goth audiences (and documented by the 2000 live album Farewell, Milky Way). The 2002 album All the King's Horses was Ka-Spel's direct response to the September 11, 2001 attacks, and was one of the group's most melancholy releases. Its sister album, All the King's Men, was the Dots' first release on R.O.I.R., which would release a few of the group's more accessible releases. Poppy Variations appeared on Terminal Kaleidoscope in 2004, with the vinyl edition issued by Beta-lactam Ring Records, which has released much of Ka-Spel's solo output since 2000. After releasing Your Children Placate You from Premature Graves on R.O.I.R. in the spring of 2006, the band embarked on its 25th anniversary tour. The more experimental Alchemical Playschool surfaced on Caciocavallo that year. After two more albums for R.O.I.R. (2008's Plutonium Blonde, 2010's Seconds Late for the Brighton Line), the group released Chemical Playschool 15 on Rustblade and two CD-R releases, The Creature That Tasted Sound and Taos Hum. The Dots remastered and digitally reissued nearly their entire back catalog in 2013, including several solo albums and side projects as well as several new releases of outtakes, live performances, and other archival material. A few more limited albums appeared on Beta-lactam Ring and Rustblade that year, while Metropolis issued the group's proper studio effort The Gethsemane Option. 10 to the Power of 9 appeared on Rustblade in 2014. The label also released The Shock Exchange, LPD's limited split LP with kETvECTOR, in 2015. Studio album Pages of Aquarius was released by Metropolis in 2016, while The Maria Sessions appeared on Soleilmoon that year. Mini-album The Tunnel was issued by Noise Noise Noise Records in 2018, and Dutch label Des Astres d'Or released 8118 the same year. In 2019, Cleopatra released LPD's 2015 limited album Five Days along with its instrumentals as Five Days... Complete, in addition to issuing an expanded CD version of 2013 digital release Come Out from the Shadows II. Obviously as you will see out there is way more, but let's go to the catalog now. Each album will show you some key information as follows: Official Numbering The catalog is ordered accordingly to the original release date. Year Titles are listed under the year of their original release date. Streaming Availability for streaming on Apple Music. Click Here to be redirected to the Playlist of The Entire Offcial Discography of TLPD & Edward Ka-Spel' Side Projects which are available for streaming on Apple Music. Artist LPD- The Legendary Pink Dots DB- Dustbombers (Erik Drost) EKS- Edward Ka-Spel MdK- Martijn de Kleer MMR- Mimir NVH- Niels van Hoorn OS- Orbit Service (Randall Frazier) SLV- The Silverman TC- Twilight Circus (Ryan Moore) TG- The Tear Garden Other*- Other projects and collaborations involving The Dots will have an asterisk and a short description. The solo projects listed here are limited to the releases that were made during the time that the musician was in the band. Titles Many of the releases in this list were limited editions made for a particular event or with unique packaging and may no longer be available, or very difficult to find. Titles are often re-released after a time in a more general or current format. Conversely, The Dots also release new material on older formats such as LP, cassette and in one case, on 8-track. I'm sharing the links of the reviews of each album at The Official LPD web page. I'm also sharing the Bandcamp links of each album in case you want to stream and/or buy your fav album. Type Studio Live Compilation LP/Single Video Side (This refers to side/solo/collaboration projects) Formats 8-track, tape (cassette), 7″, 10″ & 12″ vinyl LP, CD, CD-r, MP3 (digital file), VHS, DVD, DVDr, Book With each title is a list of all the formats that it has been released on at one time or other. Disclosure Most part of the information presented here, was taken from reliable sources like The Official LPD Web Page, nevertheless it is not exempt of inaccurate or erroneous data, so if you find errors or inexact information let me know to correct it. I'll really appriciate it. # TITLE YEAR TYPE ARTIST STREAM FORMAT 1. Kleine Krieg info 1981 Studio LPD No 90 min. tape/CDr/CD 2. Dots on the Eyes info 1981 Compilation LPD No 30 min. tape 3. Chemical Playschool 1+2 info / Bandcamp 1981 Compilation LPD Yes 2×90 min. tapes/MP3 4. Only Dreaming info/ Bandcamp 1981 Studio LPD No 60 min. tape / MP3 / CD-R 5. Brighter Now info / Bandcamp 1982 Studio LPD Yes LP/CD/MP3 6. Premonition info / Bandcamp 1982 Studio LPD No 60 min. tape/ MP3/CDr/LP+7″ 7. Atomic Roses info / Bandcamp 1982 Studio LPD No 45 min. tape 8. Apparition info / Bandcamp 1982 Studio LPD Yes 30 min. tape/MP3/CDr 9. Curse info / Bandcamp 1983 Studio LPD Yes LP/CD/MP3 10. Chemical Playschool 3+4 info / Bandcamp 1983 Studio LPD Yes 2×90 min. tapes/CD/MP3/4xCDR 11. Basilisk info / Bandcamp 1983 Studio LPD No 60 min. tape/CD/MP3/CDR 12. The Lovers info / Bandcamp 1984 Live LPD Yes LP/CD/MP3 13. Faces in the Fire info / Bandcamp 1984 LP/Single LPD Yes EP/CD/MP3 14. The Tower info / Bandcamp 1984 Studio LPD Yes LP/CD/MP3 15. Dance China Doll info 1984 Side EKS No EP/CD/MP3 16. Laugh China Doll info / Bandcamp 1984 Side EKS No LP/CD/MP3 17. Primeval Waltz *Moisten Before Use (The Silverman and Clive Richards) info 1984 Side MBU* (SLV) No 60 min. tape/CDr 18. Prayer for Aradia info / Bandcamp 1985 Studio LPD Yes 30 min. tape/CD/MP3/ CDr 19. The Terminal Kaleidoscope info / Bandcamp 1985 Live LPD No 60 min. tape/CD/MP3 20. Asylum info / Bandcamp 1985 Studio LPD Yes LP/CD/MP3 21. Eyes China Doll info / Bandcamp 1985 Side EKS Yes LP/CD/MP3 22. Chyekk China Doll info / Bandcamp 1985 Side EKS Yes LP/CD/MP3 23. Curious Guy info/ Bandcamp 1986 LP/Single LPD No EP/CD/MP3 (The Lovers) 24. Island of Jewels info / Bandcamp 1986 Studio LPD Yes LP/CD/MP3 25. The Tear Garden info / Bandcamp 1986 Side TG Yes mini LPCD/MP3 (Tired Eyes…) 26. Premonition 11 (Dsordne on side B) info / Bandcamp 1987 LP/Single LPD No 7″ 27. Aa∆zhyd China Doll info / Bandcamp 1987 Side EKS No LP/CD/MP3 28. Apples (Big!) China Doll info 1987 Side EKS No 46 min. tape 29. Tired Eyes Slowly Burning info / Bandcamp 1987 Side TG Yes LP/CD/MP3 30. Any Day Now info / Bandcamp 1988 Studio LPD Yes LP/CD/MP3 31. Underglass info 1988 LP/Single LPD Yes EPCD/MP3 (Any Day Now) 32. Traumstadt 4 (instrumental) info / Bandcamp 1988 LP/Single LPD Yes 60 min. tape/CRr/MP3 33. Traumstadt 3 (live) info / Bandcamp 1988 Live LPD Yes 60 min. tape/CDr/MP3 34. Traumstadt 2 (retrospective ’81-84) info / Bandcamp 1988 Compilation LPD Yes 90 min. tape/CRr/2xCDr/ MP3 35. Traumstadt 1 (retrospective) info 1988 Compilation LPD No 90 min. tape/CD 36. Dot to Dot (live, Hanover Germany ’88) info / Bandcamp 1988 Live LPD Yes 90 min. tape 37. Stone Circles (compilation) info 1988 Compilation LPD Yes LP/CD 38. Khataclimici China Doll info / Bandcamp 1988 Side EKS Yes LP/CD 39. Traumstadt 5 (retrospective ’81-84) info / Bandcamp 1989 Compilation LPD Yes 60 min. tape 40. Blacklist info / Bandcamp 1989 LP/Single LPD Yes EP/CD /MP3 (Golden Age) 41. The Golden Age info / Bandcamp 1989 Studio LPD Yes LP/CD/MP3 42. Greetings Nine info / Bandcamp 1989 Live LPD No mini LP/CD/MP3 43. The Legendary Pink Box info / Bandcamp 1989 Compilation LPD Yes 3xLPs/2xCDs/MP3 44. Live in Dallas info 1989 Video LPD No VHS 45. Perhaps We’ll Only See a Thin Blue Line info 1989 Side EKS No LP 46. The Crushed Velvet Apocalypse info / Bandcamp 1990 Studio LPD Yes LP/CD/MP3 47. Princess Coldheart info 1990 LP/Single LPD Yes EP/CD (Crushed Velvet)/MP3 48. Four Days info / Bandcamp 1990 Studio LPD Yes cassette/CD/MP3/2xLP 49. Der Aussiedler * with Bee Queen info / Bandcamp 1990 Side LPD/BQ* No 7″/12″ / MP3 50. Lyvv China Doll info / Bandcamp 1990 Side EKS Yes 90 min. tape/CD 51. Live at “Centralino” info 1991 Live LPD No 90 min. tape 52. The Maria Dimension info / Bandcamp 1991 Studio LPD Yes LP/CD/MP3 53. Tanith and the Lion Tree info / Bandcamp 1991 Side EKS Yes LP/CD/MP3 54. Mimir info 1991 MMR No 2xLP/CD/MP3 55. Shadow Weaver info / Bandcamp 1992 Studio LPD Yes CD/MP3 56. The Last Man to Fly info / Bandcamp 1992 Side TG Yes tape/CD/MP3 57. Malachai- Shadow Weaver Part 2 info / Bandcamp 1993 Studio LPD Yes LP/CD/MP3 58. Inferno/Illusion info 1993 Side EKS No 10″ pink vinyl 59. Mimyriad info / Bandcamp 1993 Side MMR No CD/MP3 60. Sheila Liked the Rodeo info / Bandcamp 1993 Side TG Yes CD/MP3 61. Nine Lives to Wonder info / Bandcamp 1994 Studio LPD Yes 2xLP/CD/MP3 62. Tryst 7 * split cassette with Big City Orchestra info 1994 LP/Single LPD/BCO* No cassette 63. Siren (music video) info 1994 LP/Single LPD No VHS 64. From Here You’ll Watch the World Go By info/ Bandcamp 1995 Studio LPD Yes CD/MP3 65. Chemical Playschool 8+9 info / Bandcamp 1995 Compilation LPD Yes 2xCD/MP3 66. Scriptures of Illumina info / Bandcamp 1995 Side EKS Yes CD/MP3 67. The Textures of Illumina info / Bandcamp 1995 Side EKS Yes 10″LP/CD/MP3 68. Down in the City of Heartbreak and Needles Vol. 1 info 1995 Side EKS No CD 69. DNA Le Draw D Kee info / Bandcamp 1995 Side EKS Yes LP/CD/MP3 70. Dream Cell info / Bandcamp 1995 Side SLV Yes 2xLP/CD/CD-r/MP3 71. In Dub Volume 1 info 1995 Side TC Yes LP/CD/MP3 72. Remember Me This Way info 1996 LP/Single LPD Yes CDep/MP3 73. It’s Raining in Heaven (Greetings 9 + Premontion 11) info / Bandcamp 1996 Compilation LPD Yes CD/MP3 74. Canta Mientas Puedas (compilation 1990-1995) info / Bandcamp 1996 Compilation LPD No CD/MP3 75. Lullabies for the New Dark Ages (Brighter Now, Curse, Faces in the Fire and The Tower in a box set) info 1996 Compilation LPD No 4xLP/4xCD 76. The Man Who Never Was/Fuse info 1996 Side EKS No 7″ 77. Kowskijari info 1996 Side EKS No CDR 78. Other Worlds of Dub info 1996 Side TC Yes CD/MP3 79. To Be an Angel Blind, The Crippled Soul Divide info / Bandcamp 1996 Side TG Yes CD/MP3 80. Hallway of the Gods info / Bandcamp 1997 Studio LPD Yes 2xLP/CD/MP3 81. Stained Glass Soma Fountains (compilation of early recordings) info 1997 Compilation LPD Yes 2xCD/MP3 82. Ancient Daze (tracks from early days) info / Bandcamp 1997 Compilation LPD No 2xLP/CD-r 83. Live ’85-’88 info 1997 Live LPD No CD-r 84. Live ’89 info / Bandcamp 1997 Live LPD No CD-r 85. Under Triple Moons (tracks from early days) info / Bandcamp 1997 Compilation LPD Yes CD/MP3 86. Chemical Playschool 10 info / Bandcamp 1997 Compilation LPD Yes CD/MP3 87. Sterre info 1997 LP/Single LPD No CDep/MP3 88. Binshaker Dub info 1997 Side TC Yes LP/CD/MP3 89. Nemesis Online info / Bandcamp 1998 Studio LPD Yes 2xLP/CD/MP3 90. Pre-Millenial Single info 1998 LP/Single LPD Yes LP/CDep/MP3 91. Live at La Luna info 1998 Video LPD No VHS(NTSC&PAL)/DVD 92. The Blue Room info / Bandcamp 1998 Side EKS No 2xLP/CD/MP3 93. Down in the City of Heartbreak and Needles Vol. 2 (collection of early recordings) info 1998 Side EKS Yes CD/MP3 94. Silvermandalas info / Bandcamp 1998 Side SLV Yes CD/MP3 95. Dub Plate Selection info 1998 Side TC Yes LP/CD/MP3 96. Live at the Metro info / Bandcamp 1999 Live LPD Yes CD/MP3 97. Poi Poka Mozhesh (anthology) info 1999 Compilation LPD Yes CD/MP3 98. Share the Day/Dream Stealer info 1999 Side EKS No 7″ 99. Third Album info 1999 Side MMR No LP/CD 100. Dub Plates Volume Two info 1999 Side TC Yes LP/CD/MP3 101. Horsie info 1999 Side TC Yes LP/CD/MP3 102. Farewell Milky Way (live ’94) info / Bandcamp 2000 Live LPD Yes CD/MP3 103. A Perfect Mystery info / Bandcamp 2000 Studio LPD Yes CD/MP3 104. A Guide to the Legendary Pink Dots Volume 1: The Best Ballads info 2000 Compilation LPD No CD 105. Red Letters info / Bandcamp 2000 Side EKS No CD/MP3 106. Public Disturbance (collection of live and improvised recordings) info / Bandcamp 2000 Side EKS No 2xLP/CD/MP3 107. A Birthmarked Conspiracy info 2000 Side EKS No LP 108. Dub Voyage info 2000 Side TC Yes LP/CD/MP3 109. Crystal Mass info / Bandcamp 2000 Side TG No CD/MP3

With Understanding Comes Appreciation As I promised on other posts, here's my take and 2 cents on why I'd rather Apple Music over other streaming platforms when all has been said and done regarding playing digital music, so while you might take some of my considerations to subscribe to its service, I highly recommend you to do your own due diligence and subscribe to the streaming platform that suits better your needs and preferences. Also, just to be clear, Apple isn't paying me a penny for doing this – although they should, LOL! JK! Trust me, I have tried most of the streaming services out there, and this is my honest take. So here we go.... 1. Apple Music allows you to upload your music from other sources (Figure 1.0) when an artist/album/song is not available in its catalog, even in Lossless and high-resolution formats (Figure 1.1), so you won't compromise the sound quality of your music . Some albums in my library are not available for streaming. Therefore, uploading your own CDs or purchased digital music can be an essential way to enhance, complement, or edit your catalog. This allows you to enjoy the best of both worlds in your playlists: what is available for streaming on Apple Music AND your own physical/digital music in the SAME LIBRARY. Figure 1.0. Example of an Uploaded Album that is not Available in its Streaming Service Figure 1.1. Example of an Uploaded Album in Lossless Resolution 2. Apple Music lets you edit the tags of your songs (Figure 2.0), either you want to create cool smart playlists by doing simple or complex queries through the metadata of your files (songs) (Figure 3.0), or to order your music correctly, by filling some information of the metadata of your songs which typically come in blank like the name of the composer, lyrics, group/lineup/credits, comments, bpm, etc., or by correcting some information which is at times inaccurate like the year or genre of a particular album or song. Figure 2.0. Example of tag/metadata Editing on Apple Music Figure 3.0. Example of Assembling a Smart Playlist by Several Criteria   3. In most streaming platforms, you cannot assemble playlists over 10,000 songs. Here, there’s no limit —although only playlists with fewer than 50,000 songs can be published.   4. You can buy all the music from its streaming service on iTunes Store and listen to it on other digital jukeboxes. Albums include the digital booklets. 5. It arguably has the largest music catalog —Over 100 million songs. 6. Plenty of songs include not only the lyrics but their  Apple Music Sing  feature, which basically allows you to do Karaoke while turning up and down the volume of the vocals of a song to the level of your preference. The latter is a pretty cool feature if you ask me. (Figure 4.0) Figure 4.0. Example of using the Apple Music Sing  feature to Do Karaoke 7. It lets you rate your music in two ways (Figure 1.0). You can give a song either a “Favorite-tag” and/or, being more specific, rate it from 1 to 5 stars, depending on how much you like that tune. You can rate your albums and playlists as well. Again, this is a great feature when you try to assemble smart playlists based on “Favorite-tags” and/or the “Number of Stars” of your songs/albums, combined with other criteria like the year, genre, versions, etc. (Figure 2.0)   8. In the "Comment-tag" of a song, you can add commentary/notes, or, as I do, create keywords to classify your music in more specific ways. For instance, I use the following symbology to classify my music better and create more detailed, cool smart playlists based on this information (En. St. Ly. SR. ASP. AR. AAP. Aw. Cp. S. T. M). (Figure 5.0). Below are the details of this symbology. Yes, you must do it song by song. Yes, it is an uphill task. And yes, I'm that nerd when it comes to organizing my music. (Figure 2.0) Symbology: Language (En, Sp, It, etc.). Language of the lyrics. En= Song in English. SP= Song in Spanish. It= Song in Italian, etc. Version (St, Lv). Version of the song. St= Studio Version. Lv= Live Version. Lyrics (Ly, In, M). Song with lyrics or instrumental. Ly= Song has lyrics. In= Instrumental song. M= Lyrics are not available or unknown. All Music’s Song Pick (ASP) . It refers to a song recommended by allmusic.com Song Review (SR). Song considers a review by a music consultant or collaborator from sumrc.com or a reliable source like allmusic.com All Music’s Album Pick (AAP). Refers to an album recommended by allmusic.com Album Review (AR). The album considers a review by a music consultant or collaborator from sumrc.com or a reliable source like allmusc.com Award (G, GS, B, BS, FCR). The album and/or song won some award or recognition. G= Album won a Grammy. GS= The song won a Grammy. B= The album made a Billboard list. BS= The song made some Billboard lists. F.C.R.=Distinction made by allmusic.com to compiled and/or remastered albums (Favorite Compilation and Reissues). FBS= Distinction made by allmusic.com to albums in different genres every year (Favorite Box Sets). The details, such as the year in which an album/song won the Grammy or joined one of the Billboard charts, are detailed at the end of the "Lyrics-tag" of each song. Compilation (Cp). The Album is a compilation of hits or a selection of songs by an Artist. Do not get confused with the "Compilation-tag," which refers to a compilation of songs by several artists when the box is checked. Music Styles (S) . Indicates the music styles an album matches better. The reference is allmusic.com . This, for example, can be used to create cool smart playlists of each "Music Style," or to combine this criterion with some of the above. For more information, check out here . Themes (T). Themes that an album matches better. This, for example, can be used to create cool smart playlists of each "Theme," or to combine this criterion with some of the above. Ex. Action, Drinking, Early Morning, Late Night, Introspection, Faith, etc. Check out here for more . Moods (M). "States of mind" that an album matches better. This, for example, can be used to create cool smart playlists of each "Mood," or to combine this criterion with some of the above. Ex. Aggressive, Energetic, Cerebral, Happy, Optimistic, Passionate, etc. Check out here for more . Figure 5.0. Example of Using The Symbology in the Commentary-tag to Create Smart Playlists 9. Group-tag. I use the Group tag to indicate a band's members, their roles, and the instruments they played in a specific song. This tag is essential, since an Artist could have had different members throughout their career, so each album, and even a song on the same album, could have had other members and/or roles. This tag often comes blank, so you have to fill it manually. This is pretty cool; for example, say you are a fan of Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart, and you want to create a smart playlist that includes songs by Frank Zappa on which Captain Beefheart was credited. You can do it as long as the tags for the songs by Frank Zappa are filled correctly, rather than identifying them first and then dragging and dropping each song manually. (Figure 2.0) 10. Year-tag . I use the Year-tag to indicate the year in which a song was recorded, either in studio (St) or in a live performance (Lv). This year might differ from the default year Apple Music assigns to an album, which typically refers to when an album was released and does not necessarily match when the songs were initially recorded. It mainly applies to compilations, remastered and remixed releases, box sets, and deluxe editions. 11. Unlike the "Comment-tag," which is limited to a number of characters to write down (up to 300), in the "Lyrics-tag" of a song you can add more and extended commentary like an album/song review, details of the awards earned by a song or an album, special notes, etc. and/or just fill the lyrics which at times come in blank, or modify them when they are inaccurate. For example, the version of Plastic People  on Joe's Corsage  by Frank Zappa   is one of my favorite tunes of all time, but its lyrics are inaccurate in their default pre-charged lyrics. Instead, Apple Music charged the lyrics of the original version, which comes on Absolutely Free , which are pretty different on Joe's Corsage , so I had to edit them manually while adding other key info (at least for me) like a song & album review and the Bio of Frank Zappa. By doing this, every time I listen to Plastic People  on Joe's Corsage,   for instance, I can visualize this information not only on my computer but on all my Apple devices to consult data or appreciate the song even better—if I somehow forget some details. Again, I did it for every song in my library. Yes, it will take you months, if not years, to complete the whole thing, depending on the size of your library (if you dare to do the same), but once you get it done, it is gratifying because your listening experience will reach a new level of satisfaction. Heck, it could be compared to the vinyl-listening experience because you will also read your own reviews and info that you pre-charged to each song while you listen to your music.  (Figure 6.0 & 6.1) Figure 6.0. Example of adding personalized lyrics in the lyrics-tag on Apple Music Figure 6.1. Example of adding an album review and bio in the lyrics tag on Apple Music 12. You can mix the tunes with their crossfading (up to 12 seconds) and the recently added mix feature. It is pretty cool because it's like having a DJ playing your music without interruptions/"silences" between song changes. And if you want to go more professional with your "djing," the DJAY App natively supports your Apple Music library for both streaming and uploaded music: music available for streaming and music uploaded from your CDs/purchased digitally. The latter is definitely a game-changer for digitally mixing and DJing music, if you ask me. (Figure 7.0 & 7.1) Figure 7.0. Example of Tuning the Crossfading Feature Figure 7.1. Djay Pro Supports Apple Music natively. Includes What You Added From Its Streaming Service 13. Most album cover artworks come with cool animated visualizations. Man, I love this. Apple Music hit a home run here. (Figure 8.0) Figure 8.0. Example of an Animated Album Cover Artwork 14. Another cool thing about Apple’s streaming service is that its music ranges from 256 Kbps AAC to Lossless at 44.1 kHz/16 bits (CD quality) to Hi-Res Lossless at 192 kHz/24 bits (Arguably better than Vinyl and other physical analog formats), and plenty of albums are available as well at Dolby Atmos. You can switch between resolutions as you wish —save on data usage with your cell company, or maybe you prefer to listen to your music at a desired resolution. (Figure 9.0 & 9.1) Figure 9.0. Example of Available Resolutions Figure 9.1. Example of Hi-Res Lossless Resolution Sure, other music streaming platforms like Amazon Music Unlimited, Qobuz, and Tidal also offer Hi-Res Lossless music. IMO the music on Qobuz sounds bit better than others to my ears; in fact, when I'm doing my reviews or want to appreciate the tunes of an album, I'd rather listen to music on Qobuz; its sound is bright, surrounds and definetely shines; the soundstage is often very present and you can really appreciate all the nuances of each instrument and vocals. Its sound is arguably better than vinyl; it's deeper, trusty me —but again, neither of these platforms includes all the cool features I just presented above. 15. Do you want to control the streaming of your music from your computer remotely at a party? You can do that with your mobile device, like your cell phone or tablet, with its Remote App. Through the Remote App, you can not only control the basic features (play/stop/pause & forward/rewind) of your streaming, but also rate your music, create playlists, set the next song(s) to be played, etc. This is pretty cool, especially when you are at a party with your friends, and you don't want to go to the computer every time to charge or change a playlist or the song that is going to be played. Always new song suggestions from your guests come on the fly when you are at a party, and you don't want to be in front of your computer all night, do you? (Figure 10.0 & 10.1) Figure 10.0. Look and Feel of Remote App Figure 10.1. Managing Playlists on Remote App 16. The Genius feature in Apple Music helps you discover songs that sound great together by creating personalized playlists and mixes based on a song you select or a random song from your library. It analyzes your play and purchase history, along with Apple ID data, to find related tracks from your library and the Apple Music catalog. You can use Genius Shuffle, which plays songs that complement a random song from your library, or create Genius Playlists based on a song you choose. So all in all, that’s why I’d rather use Apple Music. As always, you have the final word, but hopefully this helps to make your decision. Tip: I always try to make sure to select and add to my library “Remastered” versions of the albums from their streaming service as well. The improvements, especially in music recorded say 50 or 60 years ago and even more recent recordings, are remarkable. So always try to take advantage of today’s technology to improve your listening experience. I don’t recommend listening to “Mix” or “Remix” versions, though. Those often change the original arrangements of the songs, and you don’t want to mess with your music, do you?

Unveiling the Beauty of Challenging Music While there’s no such thing as “the best music ever made” as plenty claim (even “prestigious” media through their ridiculous rankings), technically speaking and based on music theory, out there is definitely music which is more elaborated in its composition, arrangements, lyrics, and even the artwork escorting the music , which make the average listener harder to swallow, digest, and finally get hooked. As I always say... With Understanding Comes Appreciation While this kind of music requires, most of the time, an acquired taste, which at times takes even years to develop,  UNDERSTANDING  what is behind this kind of music is one of the main reasons people do not find it appealing, catching, or at least give it a try. So… throughout all my social media corners (follow me to stay tuned), I attempt to unveil the secrets and beauty of elaborated, cerebral and challenging music, through in-depth, detailed yet condensed, engaging and even funny reviews & insights to help newbies, casual, and even some more experienced fans to understand, and eventually APPRECIATE this superb music bit better. The Shark (your anonymous editor, here) is precisely that —an enthusiast of cerebral, elaborated, complex, uncompromising, and challenging music, which, unlike most people, he finds to be refined, sophisticated, and beautiful. For those more demanding and technical, based on music theory, I love music that features dissonant sounds, counterpointing melodic lines, atonal/ polytonal  harmonies, odd time signatures, complex polyrhythms, and weird accent notations through the percussion, and all the bizarre and unearthly technical features in music you can imagine in its composition. Like Frank Zappa, John Zorn, Thelonious Monk, and other genius composers, I'm also a self-taught of music theory. While I'm far from their level of knowledge,  I have developed a basic acumen for the technical stuff, which has helped me get into and love this kind of music more and more. Some of the music styles I’ll review here include Avant-Garde, Prog-Rock/Art Rock, Experimental, Jazz-Rock Fusion, Guitar Virtuoso, Modern Composition, and XX Classical Music, along with many of their branches. To give you an idea of the kind of music I like, my leading beloved artists & bands are Frank Zappa, John Zorn, Miles Davis, Sun Ra, John Surman, Anthony Braxton, Buckethead, John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Orentte Coleman, Captain Beefheart, Henry Cow, Tom Waits, Anton Webern, The Legendary Pink Dots, Can, Charles Mingus, King Crimson, Gentle Giant, Genesis, Jane, Béla Bartók, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather Report, Amon Düül, Jeff Beck, Van Der Graaf Generator, Igor Stravinsky, The Residents, Return to Forever, Eloy, Edgar Varèse, Thelonious Monk, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Hiromi and way more, I’ll analyze here. Most of the times, a lot is going on in this kind of music regarding its soundstage and instrumentation, so to appreciate most of the details, I always try to listen to it at the best sound quality available (digital or analog), so I consider myself not only a “melomaniac” of the kind of music presented above, but an audiophile as well. So I also share my two cents on this to help you listen to your music in the best possible way and uncover details you might not have noticed before. Having said that and quoting my all-time hero Frank Zappa on Watermelon in Easter Hay, "...ultimately, who gives a fuck anyway?" 😂 ... but for those who don't, the least of my purposes here is to inflict or change your core musical preference, but to unveil the beauty of challenging gems you might never have listened to before or haven't listened to for a while, expecting as well, to expand your range of musical taste to some degree. If somehow I help you meet the latter, I’ll call it a day. Hopefully we can build together a great community at this corner of the web, while adding new adepts to this (most of the time) overlooked but superb music. You are all welcome! Sincerely, Your Shark.

With Understanding Comes Appreciation One of the most prolific careers in music history, is the career of one-of-a-kind genius, Frank Zappa — multi-instrumentalist, uncompromising talent and creativity, self-taught, eclectic, boundary-pushing & prolific composer, virtuoso guitarist, film maker, arranger, producer, orchestral conductor, demanding recruiter, perfectionist bandleader, successful businessman, and not the least, uncensored and sharp articulated speaker especially on social and political critique of the American culture — and despite of his premature passing away of prostate cancer in 1993 at 52 years old. His legacy is not only written by his massive number of compositions (600+), or the large number of official recordings and box sets released thus far (130+), but also by the ridiculous amount of high-caliber musicians who paraded in his always tight and extremely rehearsed bands, the endless boundary-pushing experimentations, and the vast ground —at times sterile or unexplored— of music styles the master covered, stretched, redefined and even invented, which is still influencing all kind of musicians. Sum to the equation all the technical details which wrap the latter to decorate his catalog (superb productions, the usage of then/today ultimate technologies, unique innovation, stunning cover artworks & luxury packaging, etc.), and it won’t make it any easier to newbies, casual and even some demanding fans to get into his endless catalog —not to mention his colossal personal vault which was left to his family, who recently sold it to UM for 30 M or so, to keep publishing unreleased material. Since getting into his endless universe is not an easy task, I thought it would be helpful (especially for newcomers and casual fans) to create an accessible, graphic (even funny), yet comprehensive and detailed guide that serves as a treasure map of the master's discography. I created it and included all official albums and box sets released to date, and it is organized by criteria such as year, music styles, projects, bands, series, etc. In other words, it attempts to visualize the entire project/object, as Frank called his conceptual continuity work, on a single page. It's worth to mention that I gave to each album as well, cool distinctive patches (like Boy Scouts do) to identify rapidly some key and interesting information —the official numbering, iconic drummers and musicians who played in a specific album, digital and audiophile information like online streaming and lossless hi-res resolution availability, sound quality, etc, my strict scrutiny & in-depth personal takes (my top & favorite albums), and much more. It also includes funny quotes, anecdotes, and stinging, sarcastic commentary (ala Zappa) to make it more appealing, memorable, and interactive. Having said that, It took me years of countless listenings, digesting and research (the identifying and classification of the musicians, who played in each song, especially in posthumous albums alone, is an uphill task) to put this artisanal yet state-of-the-art work finally together graphically in one single page, so hopefully all the passion, effort and enthusiasm put here, be of your liking. Do not hesitate to share any suggestions or ask me any questions. I’m all ears. I'm sharing a link to download the PDF. Music is the best. Enjoy! A Treasure-Map of the Official Discography of Frank Zappa

With Understanding Comes Appreciation Somethin' Else is an anomaly in that Miles Davis actually chose to appear as a sideman on another leader's recording date, something he rarely did after the 1940s. No doubt he was trying to prop up his alto saxophonist, Julian Adderley, as a new leader in the world of jazz. He succeeded, but the success truly belongs to Cannonball. This is a stellar album with a one-of-a-kind sophisticated atmosphere, and contains one of my favorite takes on the ubiquitous standard " Autumn Leaves ." Oddly for a Cannonball record this one features no original tunes by him or his brother, Nat. Also oddly for a Cannonball record, this one does not feature Nat. Stylistically, this serves as a sort of prelude to Kind of Blue in its contemplative attitude. One of the top 20 jazz LP's of all time, I'd say. Cannonball Adderley gave up his own band in 1957 when he had the opportunity to become a sideman in Miles Davis' epic ensemble with John Coltrane, eventually resulting in some of the greatest jazz recordings of all time (including Milestones and Kind of Blue). Davis returned the favor in March of 1958, appearing as a sideman on Adderley's all-star quintet date for Blue Note, and the resulting session is indeed Somethin' Else . Both horn players are at their peak of lyrical invention, crafting gorgeous, flowing blues lines on the title tune and " One for Daddy-O ," as the rhythm team (Hank Jones, Sam Jones, Art Blakey) creates a taut, focused groove (pianist Hank Jones' sly, intuitive orchestrations are studies of harmonic understatement). Adderley's lush, romantic improvisation on " Dancing in the Dark " is worthy of Charlie Parker or Johnny Hodges, while the band refurbishes " Autumn Leaves " and " Love for Sale " into cliché-free swingers. And " Alison's Uncle " puts a boppish coda on Somethin' Else , one of the most gloriously laid-back blowing sessions of the hard bop era. Cannonball Adderley's Somethin' Else featuring Miles Davis and Art Blakey is one of the acclaimed jazz albums that lives up to the hype. Released by Blue Note in 1958, the year before Davis' Kind of Blue, the album brings the clash of styles between Davis and Adderley to the fore. The music has a restrained, yet also exuberant feel, which could be attributed to the different styles of Adderley and Davis. Adderley's playing was rooted in the blues and hard bop school, whereas Miles Davis was one of progenitors of cool jazz, a sub-genre often racialized as "white" and lacking the strong grooves and blues influences of hard bop. Interestingly, the inherent clash in their styles is probably what makes this album so good. Moreover, most of the sidemen on this recording follow the hard bop tradition, yet they play in the subdued, restrained style, limiting themselves to rhythm for the most part. Perhaps this is due to the fact that Miles Davis co-led the recording session, evidenced by the title track being composed by Miles Davis and several of the numbers and arrangements were chosen by Davis.

With Understanding Comes Appreciation Unless you were a youngster in 1981, you have zero idea what it was like to buy this vinyl and be utterly gobsmacked by its unalloyed genius. Although it'd be far too easy, and not at all representative, I could easily sum up this album with just one sentence: "bass wizard Tony Levin on stick (a strange bass-like instrument)." That alone should have you sold already, never mind the rest... and who are they? founder prog-legend Robert Fripp on guitar? Zappa’s prominent alumni, ex-Talking Heads Adrian Belew on guitar/vocals? ex-Yes, ex-Genesis Bill Bruford on drums? That's quite a line up (one of the best talented quartets assembled in music history? Yes, you are allowed to go that far), definitely one for the musicians out there, and believe me, these guys certainly do NOT mess around. Both new American guys alone (Belew and Levin) bring in a vast arsenal of instruments and sonic innovation that the band never had before. And nowhere will you find a keyboard instrument, not even the hallowed mellotron. Discipline is the first album of a radically re-invented King Crimson for the 1980s, shedding their 70s Prog trappings for a more concise, yet no less technically stunning approach. Indeed, this is one of the few 80s Prog albums that doesn't succumb to the hit and miss "Prog Lite" style that bands like Genesis and Yes began purveying around the same time to mixed, sometimes thoroughly depressing results. There is a strong influence from the likes of Peter Gabriel and most notably, Talking Heads (singer Adrian Belew sounds comparable to David Byrne). A smart blend of Postpunk and Art Rock, cerebral yet catchy and with almost pop sensibilities? Sign me up. Each of the seven tracks on Discipline is a winner. The instantly likable album opener " Elephant Talk ," with its three-part percussive stick and guitar riffs, clever, alliterative lyrics, and Belew generated "elephant" wailings and shrieks, takes the band to weird and wondrous new territory, and serves to loudly proclaim "the old King (Crimson) is dead —long live the King!" Next up, " Frame by Frame " keeps the newly upbeat mood and frantic pace going —this one is a terrific song! Please, play it "loud and proud!" The sensitively-sung " Matte Kudasai " is simply lovely, and here Fripp serves up some of his tastiest licks since Crimson's vaunted early days. His sustained, looping "Frippertronic" effects, as developed and demonstrated on his ambient collaborations with Brian Eno, had now come into their own, and finally found their proper setting. Beautiful! Track four, " Indiscipline ," is a dangerous, menacing masterpiece. Levin's floor-shaking stick, Belew's paranoia-drenched vocals and lyrics, and accomplished use of feedback, coupled with Bruford's frantic, insistent drumming, and Fripp's screaming lead, come together in a song fully as good as any the band have ever released. To quote the lyric, "I LIKE IT!" Don't touch that dial (or volume knob!), because the best is yet to come: " Thela Hun Ginjeet " is perhaps my favorite of a first-rate set. The band is AMAZING here, and Belew's "true-life" narrative of his scary encounter with members of a street gang, all set to a driving "jungle" beat, is absorbing every time. Number six, the evocative instrumental " The Sheltering Sky ," enters subtly jazz territory not dissimilar to "Larks Tongues in Aspic" but reveals another new facet of Crimson. This is one to listen to in the dark —great stuff! Finally, the appropriately —named title track is a masterful (6/4-time) exercise in four-part syncopation, as the drums, stick, and two guitars integrate perfectly in a seamless, infectious whole, and bring this excellent album to a lamentably early close; would that there were seven more tracks! (Oh well, Beat and Three of a Perfect Pair were soon to follow...) These days I listen to the 2016 Expanded Edition on Apple Music, a lossless 24 bit remaster done by Robert Fripp which sounds great, clear and not overly loud or compressed in the slightest. There are also bonus tracks —an alternate version of " Matte Kudasai , ” “ The Terrifying Tale of Thela Hun Ginjeet “ and “ Studio Sessions . ” The original record already had killer production, so you can't go far wrong whichever one you pick of the several versions out there. Really, if this isn't one of THE ultimate albums of the early 1980s then I don't know what is. Remember, it is Prog so it is very technical and there is a lot going on, so "attentive listening" might be required to catch all the details and make sense of it all (it may also just need to grow on you over time). Otherwise it might come across as "too weird," but what are you doing listening to KC, or music at all, if that's your attitude? Lol! Just Kidding! Discipline is an absolute masterpiece of 80s progressive rock and my fav album (very hard take here) of the inventory of King Crimson —man it is not an easy take when you have all their flawless masterpieces from the 60’s and 70’s which set the bar and standards of the music style, and gave the band its reputation in the first place, yet, yes, Discipline is that good my Sharks. It resoundingly demonstrated that the old bands could not only survive in the prevailing musical climate, but flourish, and take the genre to new and wonderful places, and this record is the bullet-proof of that. Definitely essential! Give it a try, and enjoy it while rereading this. Maybe the experience and appreciation will be different this time, even for those familiar with the record.