10 More Rock Music Albums That Were Way Ahead Of Their Time
6. In The Court Of The Crimson King - King Crimson
Love it or hate it, but prog rock is a genre that sure does exist.
One of the first bands to do the style justice were King Crimson. This sprawling collective of musicians first came together in 1968 and, one year later, they produced a classic.
In the Court of the Crimson King might have alluded to Edvard Grieg's In the Hall of the Mountain King, but the music was most definitely not in the same vein. From the very first song, the absolutely massive 21st Century Schizoid Man, listeners could tell that King Crimson were not here to play by the rules.
The album fires off in all sorts of directions, incorporating elements of rock, jazz, and classical to create an intoxicating new breed of arthouse music. Not only was In the Court of the Crimson King invaluable to the birth of prog, but you can also hear the early days of metal in it, as well as the mad stylings of Avant Garde.
King Crimson ended up becoming so influential that Kanye West would sample their music on his 2010 song Power. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, even if Kanye allegedly did this without the proper licence...