5. 'In the Court of the Crimson King' by King Crimson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ubc5_owhl0 If the album looks like something that will give you nightmares, just wait until you hear the music. From the explosive opening track "21st Century Schizoid Man" to the slow burn ending "The Court of the Crimson King", this album is jam packed with memorable, mind-warping songs. As one of the earliest entries into the progressive rock genre, this album strips away the blues base that most rock music has, and replaces it with jazz and symphonic sounds, which blend so well with the harsher rock sound that you can hardly believe it on first listen. At first, they attempted to make this album with an established producer, but soon the band took over producing work themselves, which surely aided in its having an extraordinary sound. Of course, it often takes time for revolutionary art to be appreciated, as evidenced by the mediocre reviews upon release. Now however, its influence is felt and is now regarded as being on the single greatest albums of all time (I mean, come on, it just got written up in a What Culture article. How much more distinguished does it get?)
Album Cover: Here it is, in case those nightmarish ideas haven't taken root yet...
