10 '60s Hard Rock Albums You Need To Listen To

Up until the mid '60s, there was normally a standard set of rules when it came to writing rock songs. Up until acts like the Beatles broke down the barriers of what could be done on a rock record, most bands just stayed with your standard pop rock sound and got the job done in 3 minutes or less. Then King Crimson comes down and makes you rethink everything you knew about rock.

Right in the middle of the British Invasion, this was not any old blues traditional band or anything. Led by Robert Fripp, In the Court of the Crimson King is one of the earliest incarnations of progressive rock, complete with some of the most abrasive sounds of the time. Since the most dangerous sounding thing around at the time was the Rolling Stones, hearing 21st Century Schizoid Man must have felt like the sound of Armageddon coming through your speakers.

They weren't done after that either, with the title track sounding like you're being lowered into the deep depths of the underworld, as layers of guitars and sound effects move in closer to you. From here, you can practically trace a line to bands like Pink Floyd and Genesis, who were also willing to push the envelope for what was allowed in rock songs. After King Crimson's debut, the playing field for rock just got a lot more interesting.