10 Best Non-Rock Songs By Rock Artists

10. Nights in White Satin - The Moody Blues

By the end of the '60s, rock had come a long way from being the teenage catering genre back in the '50s.

As opposed to your average bluesy rock and roll of Chuck Berry or Little Richard, every other act was pushing the boundaries of what could be done in this little genre we know as 'rock.' Even though the emphasis was still squarely on guitars, drums, and bass, The Moody Blues took a swing for the fences on Nights in White Satin.

Though there had been acts that had experimented with classical instrumentation, this was the first time a band had successfully married the rock ensemble with a full on orchestra in a pop rock context. Coming from Days of Future Passed, you can still hear all the subtle mannerisms that come with being in a rock group, but there is an underlying sense of drama whenever you hear the strings come in.

This kind of approach to songwriting ended up defining the next generation of prog rock, with acts like ELO's Jeff Lynne taking the idea and running with it on songs like Mr. Blue Sky. As opposed to the more electrified versions of psychedelia coming out of San Francisco, Britain was giving us our first taste of baroque rock.