Bruce Springsteen-The River (1980)

By the late 1970s, Bruce Springsteen had reached the maturity necessary to create a body of work far removed from the youthful dreams of his early albums. However, Springsteen faced a new decade immersed in a creative and personal crisis. The desire to deliver a new album that would meet the expectations of the public and his own record label kept him under constant physical and psychological pressure, and as a result, he discarded a series of tracks intended for an album that was ultimately rejected by the singer himself, who felt they lacked sufficient cohesion and quality for release. Some time later, he returned to the recording studio to tackle his most ambitious project, the one that would simultaneously cement his status as one of the world's leading rock stars. Recorded during the middle months of 1979 at Power Station Studios in New York, Springsteen once again collaborated with his band, The E Street Band, which, curiously, is not credited on the album cover. Released as a double LP, it contains 20 tracks in which the New Jersey musician addresses themes such as coldness, loneliness, melancholy, and attachment to family, but also topics related to youth, as in "Independence Day". Musically, "The River" is a journey through everything Springsteen had done up to that point, with that raw, uncompromising rock fused with hints of country, blues, soul, and folk, all backed by a flawless band, sounding solid and intense, yet vibrant and addictive.

Golden Earring-Eight Miles High (1969)

The fifth album by the Dutch band Golden Earring marked a turning point for their future in terms of quality. It already hinted at the future and characteristic style of progressive hard rock they would develop in the following years. Released in 1969, it was launched by Polydor in Europe and by Atlantic Records in North America. The band that recorded this album consisted of guitarist, singer, and flautist Barry Hay, drummer Sieb Warner, lead guitarist and singer George Kooymans, and bassist and organist Rinus Gerritsen. The album's high point is undoubtedly the monolithic version of the Byrds' "Eight Miles Eight", presented here in a 19-minute whirlwind of hard rock and progressive rock, a truly impressive tour de force showcasing the quartet's power and talent. The rest of the album follows a similar musical path, with tracks like the psychedelic hard rock of "Landing", the pulsating "Song of a Devil's Servant", and the progressive blues rock of "Everyday's Torture". From here on, the group's golden age would begin, creating large-scale media works such as "Seven Tears" (1971), "Together" (1972), "Moontan" (1973) and "Switch" (1975).

Focus-Hamburger Concerto (1974)

This legendary Dutch band revolutionized the world of rock in the early 70s, largely thanks to the unparalleled talent of Jan Akerman and Thijs Van Leer. Akerman is one of the greatest guitarists in history, both electric and acoustic, as well as a master of the medieval lute, while Van Leer is an accomplished keyboardist on the harpsichord, piano, and Hammond organ, and is considered one of the best flautists in contemporary music. Before the release of "Hamburger Concerto", Focus had released several works oriented towards progressive jazz, featuring extensive jams, tracks brimming with blistering instrumentation, and an impressive interplay between the organ, flute, and a remarkable guitar. This fourth release showcases pure progressive rock, as demonstrated by the title track, an expansive piece that occupies the entire second side, where Jan Akerman and Thijs Van Leer share the lead vocals on a track built upon a foundation of classical music. While side A features the Renaissance-inspired "Delitiae Musicae", the enchanting "La Cathedrale de Strasbourg", the powerful "Birth", with one of the most legendary solos in history by Akkerman, and the forceful progressive jazz track "Harem Scarem". "Hamburger Concerto" is the greatest achievement in Focus's career and one of the high points of the progressive rock genre in the 1970s.

Faith No More-Angel Dust (1992)

Encouraged by the success of their second full-length album, "The Real Thing" (1989), the American band Faith No More delivered another creative peak with "Angel Dust", released in 1992. Their style blends hard rock with pop sensibilities and a modern heavy rock sound, drawing on influences from indie rock to rap. Standout tracks on this new album include the hit "Midlife Crisis", the rap-metal anthem "Everything's Ruined", and the subversive "Crack Hitler" and "Land of Sunshine". In a short time, this album achieved triple gold status in the North American, Canadian, and British markets, and along with its successor, "King For A Day...Fool for A Lifetime" (1995), it marked Faith No More's most brilliant and successful period.

Jade Warrior-Jade Warrior (1971)

Jade Warrior was a band that differed stylistically from everything else in the early 1970s. Their style, a clever combination of blues and folk, pastoral sounds, ambient music, and world music, quickly made them one of the cult bands of British progressive rock. Although they evolved with each album, they never lost their original identity, preserving their ambient passages with rock elements. In their debut release, Jade Warrior subtly approached British folk, through the use of flute, and Latin rock, through their percussion driven by bongos and other percussion instruments. Tracks like "Masai Morning" showcase that characteristic Eastern facet of Jade Warrior, with a rich combination of flutes, bongos, Eastern elements, and a bluesy guitar. Other tracks such as the dark ballad "Windweaver", the fierce "A Prenormal Day At Brighton", the minimalist bluesy "Petunia" and "Telephone Girl", together with the semi-progressive ambient tracks with large doses of ethnic creativity "Dragonfly: Metamorphosis/Dance Of The Sun Spirit/Death" and "Sundial Song", are one of the original proposals of this legendary British pseudo-progressive band.

Kopperfield-Tales Untold (1974)

Kopperfield was a short-lived band from Michigan that attempted to emulate the sounds of British progressive rock by blending them with powerful American rock. Although they never achieved commercial success, they maintained considerable popularity as an explosive live act, thanks to their performances in venues across the American Midwest between 1970 and 1975. Their initial lineup consisted of Paul Decker (keyboards and vocals), Jimmy Robinson (lead vocals), Bill Wallace (keyboards and guitar), Chuck Eagan (guitar), Tom Curtis (drums), Keith Robinson (keyboards), and Jerry Opdycke (bass). In 1974, they self-produced their only official release, "Tales Untold", a hard rock album with a significant and consistent dose of progressive elements. The keyboards, primarily the Hammond organ, along with the guitar riffs, are the highlights of this sole Kopperfield record. Their American rock influences, such as "Anatomy", are interwoven with more progressive tracks like "Moonride", or the energetic rock songs "Watching The Go By", "Brain Riot", and "Truckin' ". However, beyond these commendable compositions, the rest of their albums lacked the commercial and creative appeal needed to attract a wider audience, and so they eventually disbanded. Many years later, Kopperfield was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2020).

David Bedford-The Odyssey (1976)

Best known for his work with Mike Oldfield, David Bedford was a British musician and composer whose repertoire ranged from classical to rock music. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music at Lennox Berkeley in London and the University of Venice, his professional career began in the late 1960s with Kevin Ayers on the album "Joy of a Toy". During the 1970s, Bedford actively collaborated with artists such as Mike Oldfield, Robert Wyatt, and Elvis Costello, while also developing a career as a composer of contemporary classical music and teaching music in various British schools. In 1976, he released an album based on one of the masterpieces of classical literature, Homer's epic poems, on which Bedford played all the instruments except the guitars, which were played by Mike Oldfield and Andy Summers. This album is strongly reminiscent of his early work with Mike Oldfield, particularly in its synthesizer arrangements. The shadow of albums like "Hergest Ridge" looms over "The Odyssey", which, while not having transcended rock history, is a worthy symphonic rock album.

Black Sabbath-The Eternal Idol (1987)

While Black Sabbath's career in the 1970s was filled with great works, establishing the Birmingham band as one of the greatest in the history of heavy metal, with a stable lineup of Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Bill Ward, and Geezer Butler, the following decade was quite turbulent, marked by numerous lineup changes. First, former Rainbow vocalist Ronnie James took over as lead singer, followed by former Deep Purple member Ian Gillan, and finally, a then-unknown Tony Martin, who ushered in the second most stable period in the band's long history. Further changes were still to come, but with albums like "The Eternal Idol", the band reaffirmed their commitment to high-quality heavy metal, nearly reaching the heights of some of their most iconic works. An album that doesn't lack progressive tendencies, as seen in "Ancient Warrior", "Nightmare", and "The Eternal Idol", while the powerful hard rock/heavy metal, replete with Iommi's incredible and memorable guitar riffs, is present in "Hard Life To Love", "The Shining", "Glory Ride", and "Born To Lose". Although Martin's voice is slightly bluesier and more nuanced than Osbourne's and Dio's, his contribution breathed new life into the career of the iconic British band.

Bodkin-Bodkin (1972)

Bodkin were a short-lived Scottish quintet who released a superb progressive heavy blues album in 1972, but then vanished without a trace. Related to the heavy, dark style of bands like Nosferatu, Atomic Rooster, and Bram Stoker, their sound was based on energetic rock where powerful guitars and a prominent organ created a very appealing mix of dark rock and heavy blues rock, with progressive elements and a certain psychedelia imbued with passages related to the occult and Satanic, but very far removed from the general (literary) concept of bands like Black Sabbath or Black Widow. Their origins date back to 1971 when keyboardist Doug Rome recruited guitarist Mick Riddle and vocalist Zeik Hume, forming the core of Bodkin. Later, bassist Bill Anderson and drummer Dick Sneddon joined them. With this lineup, they entered the studios of producer Jim West, who also owned the independent record label West. He produced and released their self-titled debut album in mid-1972. This single album features five tracks, beginning with the suite "Three Days After Death", which is divided into two parts. The first is highly dynamic, blending heavy rock sounds with subdued passages of atmospheric organ, while the second is more progressive and rhythmic, with sounds reminiscent of Uriah Heep's hard rock. In a similar vein is "Aunt Mary's Traschan", the longest track, which throughout its development leaves us with that scent of classic Deep Purple, while the remaining tracks, "After Your Lumber" and "Plastic Man", being shorter pieces, have less room for progressive moments and are more focused on heavy rock with sharp guitars that remind us of early Black Sabbath.

Michael Sembello-Bossa Nova Hotel (1983)

Although the name Michael Sembello may not ring a bell for many, this multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter is the author of "Maniac", one of the most famous songs of all time. Years earlier, Sembello had worked with Stevie Wonder, participating in the recording of several of his albums, such as "Fulfillingness' First Finale" and "Songs In The Key Of Life", both from the mid-70s. In the following years, he also actively participated in projects for artists like The Temptation, David Sanborn, Donna Summer, and George Benson, among many others. In 1983, Sembello released his first solo album, "Bossa Nova Hotel", which included "Maniac", a song featured on the soundtrack of the film "Flashdance", reaching number one on the Billboard charts and winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song that year. This song, written in collaboration with Dennis Matkosky, definitively launched Michael Sembello's already prolific career. For the recording of "Bossa Nova Hotel", Sembello assembled a stellar lineup of musicians, including bassist Nathan Watts, drummers Vinnie Colaiuta and Carlos Vega, and keyboardists George Duke and Don Freeman. The album's repertoire is a fusion of synth-pop and smooth jazz with bluesy undertones, featuring not only the exhilarating and infectious "Maniac", but also other undeniably high-quality tracks like "Cadillac" and "Automatic Man". From this point on, Sembello dedicated himself almost exclusively to composing film scores for movies such as "Summer Lovers" (1982), "Gremlins" (1984), "Cocoon" (1985), "The Monster Squad" (1987), and "Independence Day" (1996), in addition to sporadically releasing a series of solo albums that remain largely unknown outside of North America.