It all started when The Beatles and The Beach Boys discovered they could do more with their time in the recording studio than simply craft Top 40 hits. Suddenly, they realized they had an entire record album they could fill with ideas. And after Rubber Soul had inspired Brian Wilson to create Pet Sounds, The Beatles and their producer George Martin listened closely…and then went back into the studio to make Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Millions of music fans were delighted by the novel sounds that were reaching their ears. But countless other musicians took notice as well and started wondering what new directions they could explore.
The band Yes began creating nine-minute suites of music. The Moody Blues embellished their songs with arrangements that were orchestral. And Pink Floyd went beyond just instruments to fill their aural landscapes with a multitude of other sounds.
There’s no denying that in its day, prog rock was a musical force to be reckoned with. Upon their debut, King Crimson was both praised by Pete Townshend and proclaimed by Jimi Hendrix to be “the best group in the world.” In their heyday, Jethro Tull saw their fifth album go straight to #1 as soon as it was released. At one point, Emerson, Lake & Palmer were one of the biggest concert draws in the world, outpaced by only The Rolling Stones and The Who. And Genesis went from their ambitiously elaborate beginnings to become one of the best selling bands in the world…as well as launching the multiplatinum solo careers of both Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins.
This was creativity without boundaries. And for our first tribute of 2026, Great Moments in Vinyl will dig deep into the world of progressive rock to treat you to some of the milestone music of this genre as it evolved from the ‘70s into the ‘80s. And we’ll give you a peek behind the scenes with tales and anecdotes about the iconic songs and the musicians who created them.
Great Moments in Vinyl plays The Heroes and Heroines of Prog Rock.
Because when you know the stories, you hear more in the music.
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