10 Essential 1970s Progressive Rock Albums

Peter Gabriel's penultimate turn as Genesis' frontman provides a typically head-in-the-clouds, eccentrically progressive ride through British '70s rock. While Gabriel (and the rest of Genesis after he left) ultimately turned to a poppier sound in the '80s, his influence here is about as odd and opaque as the band ever got.

Genesis' fifth album was the first one to really muster up some mainstream notice despite (or perhaps because of) its polarised critical reception. The LP serves as a culmination of sorts of their work up to that point, blending hard rock and lyrically pessimistic themes with colourful, oddball eccentricity to produce a collage of unwieldy sounds and stylings.

Lead single 'I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)' became the group's first real hit and allowed them to further enter the mainstream they'd eventually conquer in the '80s. The lyrics focus on a young groundskeeper who seemingly takes pride in being completely devoid of any real ambition in life. By prog standards, it's a fast-paced, straightforward number, embracing psychedelia and the power of the sitar in its celebration of a rebellious slacker.

The classical ambitions of tracks such as 'Firth on Fifth' add more musical diversity to this satirical, often bleak entry from the Charterhouse School legends. It's arguably the most seminal instalment to feature Gabriel in front as well.