The Hooters-Nervous Night (1985)

"Nervous Night", the second release from the American band The Hooters, is not only one of the most acclaimed albums of the 1980s, but also the one that definitively established this excellent band's status. While their debut, "Amore", released several years earlier on an independent label, failed to achieve mainstream or commercial success, with "Nervous Night", released on Columbia Records, this Philadelphia-based band crafted one of the most relaxed and carefree albums of 1985, thanks to a repertoire of songs that blended new wave, folk, melodic rock, and reggae. The lineup consisted of Eric Bazilian (guitar, keyboards, mandolin, saxophone, and vocals), Rob Hyman (keyboards and vocals), Andy King (bass), John Lilley (guitar), and David Uosikkinen (drums). The enthusiastic vocals of Bazilian and Hyman, along with the occasional use of instruments like mandolins, give them that distinctive sound, as demonstrated by pop-rock tracks like "And We Danced" and "Day By Day", the powerful rock song "All You Zombies", the dramatic "Where Do The Children Go", the melodic "Don't Take My Car Out Tonight", and the carefree "Hanging On A Heartbeat". The album's exceptional quality, coupled with two million copies sold in the North American market, cemented their status as one of the classic American pop-rock bands of the 1980s.

Bill Bruford-One Of A Kind (1979)

Bill Bruford's track record in the 1970s was impressive; drums of the mythical Yes, King Crimson and U.K., playing on a dozen albums, in addition to having participated in albums by Rick Wakeman, Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Roy Harper or Albsolute Elsewhere among others.
Even so he had time to publish several solo albums, "One Of A Kind" released in 1979 was his second work where he had the collaborations of Allan Holdsworth, Dave Stewart and Jeff Berlin.
The talent of all these musicians, the variable melodies and keyboard solos of Dave Stewart, together with the sensational guitar of Holdsworth well supported by the rhythm section of Bruford and Berlin make up a collection of progressive pieces seasoned with a lot of jazz experimentation, with a magnificent result between jazz rock and progressive rock.

Ten Years After-A Space In Time (1971)

Following memorable performances at the Woodstock and Isle of Wight Festivals, Ten Years After had released the splendid albums "Cricklewood Green" and "Watt," which featured iconic songs such as "Sugar the Road", "Love Like a Man", "I'm Comin' Home", and "My Baby Left Me". Months after "Watt" came "Space in Time", an album that reflected a less intense rock sound and a greater use of acoustic elements, with a clear commercial and accessible orientation. An album almost entirely filled with acoustic guitar-driven tracks, as demonstrated by the melodic "Here They Come", "I'd Love to Change the World", "I've Been There Too", "Once There Was a Time", and "Let the Sky", while also showcasing their signature power with the blues-rock anthem "One of These Days", the rock and roll number "Baby Won't You Let Me Rock 'n' Roll You", psychedelic songs like the orchestrated "Over the Hill", and even a jazzy "Uncle Jam". In short, with this sixth album, Alvin Lee and his band displayed their eclecticism and enormous stylistic range, producing one of their most versatile works.

Egg-Egg (1970)

Egg are one of the most influential avant-garde bands of the Canterbury sound. With three splendid albums released between 1970 and 1974, they are considered a cult band in the annals of rock music. Their style, oriented towards so-called nonsense music, is represented in the emblematic "Symphony No. 2" from their self-titled album, the breathtaking jazz-rock "Long Piece No. 3" from their second album, "The Polite Force", and the ironically galloping "Germ Patrol" and the thrilling "Enneagram" from their third and final album, "The Civil Surface". For many, Egg, composed of Dave Stewart (organ and keyboards), Mont Campbell (bass and vocals), and Clive Book (drums), represent the maturity and sophistication that many less talented, though far more commercially successful, contemporary bands lacked. In all of them are present the elements of classical music driven by organ arrangements and a sober jazz structure, which led them to create three masterpieces of germinal progressive rock.