Sad Cafe-Facades (1979)

Sad Cafe were another of those unclassifiable bands that navigated between melodic pop-rock and art rock. Formed in the mid-70s in Manchester, they had several high-impact hits such as "Every Day Hurts", "Strange Little Girl", "My Oh My", and "I'm in Love Again", reaching high positions on the UK charts. Their lineup consisted of Paul Young (vocals), Ian Wilson (guitar), Vic Emerson (keyboards), Ashley Mulford (guitar), John Stimpson (bass), and Tony Cresswell (drums). In 1977, under the RCA label, they released their debut album, "Fanx Ta-Ra", in which their refined style of harmonious pop-rock caught the attention of critics and audiences in Britain and Europe. With their next album, "Misplaced Ideals" (1978), they maintained their status as a promising band, creating another magnificent album of great melodies with irresistible vocals, complemented by excellent and sophisticated instrumentation. "Facades", released a year later, was produced by the renowned 10cc member Eric Stewart, resulting in their most eclectic work, ranging from the melodic hard rock sounds of "Take Me To The Future" to complex compositions like "The World", passing through the catchy pop-rock of "Little Girl", the grandiose melodies of "Nothing Left Toulouse", and the sublime mid-tempo of "Get Me Outta Here".

Foghat-Fool For The City (1975)

"Fool For The City" was the fifth album by the hugely popular boogie rock and hard blues rock band Foghat, a record that would achieve platinum status thanks to tracks like the well-known "Slow Ride", and reach high positions on the charts worldwide in 1975. Formed in 1971 in London from the ashes of another seminal British blues rock band, Savoy Brown, by guitarist Dave Peverett along with guitarist Rod Price, bassist Tony Stevens, and drummer Roger Earl, they quickly gained a tremendous reputation in the United States thanks to their incendiary concerts and their simple yet direct style of hard rock boogie. "Fool For The City" consists of seven essential hard rock, boogie, and blues rock songs that immortalized them thanks to tracks like the aforementioned "Slow Ride", an extensive tour de force of vibrant, fiery rock and roll. But this album is not just about this emblematic song; it also features the dizzying and addictive hard rock that gives the album its title, the rock and roll "My Babe", the powerful blues rock "Terraplane Blues", the rhythmic "Save Your Loving (For Me)" or the melodic with jazzy touches "Take It or Leave it".

Chris Farlowe-From Here To Mama Rosa with The Hill (1970)

Chris Farlowe is considered one of the best voices in British Rhythm and Blues and a true legend of British rock music. With a strong personality, he belonged to various bands during the 1960s, always leaving his distinctive mark with his unique voice. His hesitant beginnings as a solo singer, releasing a series of unremarkable albums, ended when he formed the Thunderbirds, a band with which he released some significant hits that secured him a certain reputation among professional musicians in his country. Interestingly, in this first lineup, he coincided with future British rock legends Dave Greenslade and Carl Palmer. However, they didn't achieve widespread public acclaim, a fact that earned him the status of a great figure without a following. But in the mid-1960s, Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger agreed to produce his song "Think", with which he finally achieved the long-awaited success. In the following years came other hits like "Just a Dream", "Out of Time", and "Yesterday's Papers", which cemented his status as one of the leading figures in the music scene of the era. In 1970, Farlowe, along with the Thunderbirds, now reformed as The Hill, composed of Steve Hammond (guitar), Peter Robinson (Hammond organ), Bruce Waddell (bass), Paul Buckmaster (cello), and Colin Davey (drums), recorded the album "From Here to Mama Rosa with the Hill", considered a minor masterpiece of British rock. This album, a departure from his previous rhythm and blues recordings, was framed by the bombastic orchestral sounds of psychedelic and avant-garde pop, enveloped in brilliant progressive sonorities such as "Mama Rosa", "Head in the Clouds", "Winter of My Life", "Are You Sleeping?", "Questions", and "Travelling Into Make-Believe". From here, Farlowe would move between a series of collaborations with the legendary bands Colosseum and Atomic Rooster, as well as his own solo career, releasing albums regularly until 2014 when his last work appeared.

Rose Tattoo-Rose Tattoo (1978)

Like their compatriots AC/DC, Rose Tattoo is an Australian hard rock band that shares many similarities with the legendary group led by the Young brothers. Founded in the mid-70s in Sydney, their main driving force was vocalist Angry Anderson, who, along with guitarists Peter Wells and Mick Cocks, bassists Geordie Leach and Ian Rilen, and drummer Dallas Royall, managed to get the same producers as AC/DC to back their first recordings on the Australian independent label Alberts. At the end of 1978, Rose Tattoo released their self-titled debut album, showcasing a fast-paced and powerful hard rock sound, as evidenced by the raw and visceral tracks "Never Too Loud", "Rock 'n' Roll Outlaw", "Nice Boys", "Stuck On You", and "Remedy". In the following years the band would gain a great reputation and tremendous success due to their acclaimed concerts throughout Europe, which would allow them to conquer the British and European market with the subsequent album "Assault & Battery" (1981).

Atlantis-Atlantis (1973)

After the German band Frumpy disbanded, some of its members decided to form a new group called Atlantis, which moved away from the psychedelic and avant-garde approach of its predecessor, exploring styles such as blues, funk, soul, and American hard rock with progressive influences. Formed in mid-1972 by singer Inga Rumpf, keyboardist Jean-Jacques Kravetz, and bassist Karl-Heinz Schott, they recruited guitarist Frank Diez and drummer Curt Cress. Shortly after their formation, they moved to London where they entered Island Records studios to record their debut album. However, before recording, Kravetz was replaced by keyboardist Jean-Alain Roussel, and Traffic percussionist Reebop Kwakuh Baah also participated in the recording sessions. Subsequent tours of the UK, opening for Traffic and Procol Harum, marked the beginning of a constant turnover of members. In the middle of the following year came the band's second album, "It's Getting Better", which was followed by another successful tour and further personnel changes. In 1974, after their third album, "Ooh Baby", the band embarked on a long tour of the United States as the support act for Lynyrd Skynyrd. The following LP, "Get On Board", would be Atlantis's final epitaph, with Rumpf and Schott, the only two remaining members of the original lineup, bringing the adventure of this magnificent German band to an end. Focusing on their successful debut album (which achieved considerable sales on the British and North American charts), we find a varied sound of styles, from blues, soul and classic rock as is evident in "Get Up", "Rock'n' Roll Preacher", "Maybe It's Useless", "Words Of Love" and "Let's Get On The Road Again", to progressive pieces with the extensive and excellent "Living At The Edge Of Time".