10 Songs That Started Hard Rock

10. 21st Century Schizoid Man - King Crimson

The musical landscape of the psychedelic scene was a watershed moment for the rock genre. With its lush soundscapes and experimental instrumentation, bands no longer had to rely on simple riffs to write a rock hit. When King Crimson came to prominence around this time, they set the standard for what became known as metal and prog rock.

While most of the band's debut In the Court of the Crimson King is mandatory listening for any prog fan, "21st Century Schizoid Man" stands as the most forward-looking track of the era. The sound of the horns meshed with Robert Fripp's guitar bludgeons your eardrums as it seems to be signaling the impending apocalypse. The solos throughout the song are totally off-the-wall, with impressive runs of synthesizers and guitar pyrotechnics hitting you in a sonic haze.

Even when the song comes to a halt for the vocals, the mic being used is compressed in such a way that the voice distorts, making the vocals of Greg Lake sound like they are being chanted through a bullhorn. Thanks to an impressive sonic tapestry and a balls-to-the-wall performance, King Crimson showed just how dark the rock genre could actually get with "21st Century Schizoid Man."