10 Greatest Prog Rock Bands

As the '70s reached its midpoint, prog rock had been a major sonic force for a couple of years. Though bands like Yes were opening up the possibilities for more ambitious rock and roll, it was unclear whether the hard rock world had any place in this new genre. Emerging from the snowy depths of Canada, Rush exploded onto the rock scene and became one of prog's most enduring bands.

While you can tell the band's affinity for groups like Led Zeppelin and the Who, there was something much more intricate going on once you decided to listen to these records. Oftentimes containing no more than a handful of songs, each track this band made took you on a journey, as they played with time signatures almost effortlessly to tell their sonic stories. These guys also don't seem to get enough credit for their wordplay, with drummer Neil Peart penning awe-inspiring tales, whether it's cast in a dystopian future or in the depths of J.R.R. Tolkien's work.

At a time when prog seemed to be getting too complex for its own good, Rush came through with songs that not only had killer solos, but also enough riffage to keep hard rock fans headbanging along. No matter how much people slacked them off for being music for nerds, Rush deserve to be celebrated for every single door they managed to open up.