10 Greatest Hard Rock Concept Albums

It's almost impossible for a band to have a concept album come out and not be labeled as pretentious in one form or another. For as much musical ambition you have behind your story, there's just as many people itching for you to hit them with just a simple riff. There are many times where bands travel a little too far out of their depth, but Rush's Hemispheres shows that that journey does pay off on occasion.

With only four tracks and an 18-minute title song continuing on the storyline from the previous record, this is not a record for the uninitiated prog fans. However, this is probably one of the most mind-blowing things this band has ever put out, as they go from prog ambition to subdued acoustic passages without even batting an eye. While a song like "Circumstances" is about as simple as this album gets, that 18-minute cut has a little something for everyone, from synthesizer breakdowns to Zeppelin style solos to odd time signatures galore.

Even the 9-minute closer "La Villa Strangiato" is one of the greatest instrumentals of the band's career, with every member giving their everything to make this self-indulgent masterpiece. This record took such a toll on the band that they vowed never to make it again, but thank some musical deity that they were able to bring this to our attention at least once.