Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush-What´s Next (1980)

At the start of the 1980s, Canadian guitarist Frank Marino released his seventh album with his inseparable band Mahogany Rush, this time with the addition of Vince Marino (Frank's brother) on second guitar. The rest of the lineup remained the same: bassist Paul Harwood and drummer Jimmy Ayoub. Despite the growing emphasis on melody and the ubiquitous keyboards that were beginning to take hold in rock music during those years, Frank Marino was still determined to expand his powerful 1970s hard rock sound, as evidenced by "What's Next", with a repertoire packed with tremendous songs like "Loved By You", "Finish Line", "Something's Comin' Our Way", and powerful covers such as the traditional blues "Rock Me Baby", Bob Diddley's exhilarating "Mona", and The Doors' frenetic "Roadhouse Blues".

Asia Minor-Between Flesh And Divine (1980)

Asia Minor was a French band that emerged as the golden age of progressive rock was ending and the European neo-progressive movement was beginning to take hold. Formed by several musicians of Turkish and French descent, they released two magnificent albums that are among the finest recordings of the European avant-garde genre. Influenced by the atmospheric and symphonic sound of Camel, their debut in the late seventies showed great promise thanks to their exuberant symphonic style. However, all their creativity and immense talent would be fully realized on their second full-length album, "Between Flesh and Divine", considered one of the jewels of French progressive rock. It features highly musical compositions brimming with intricate interplay between all the instruments, as exemplified in tracks such as the harmonious "Nightwind", the bucolic "Northern Lights", the dark psychedelic "Lost in a Dream Yell", and the dynamic "Dreadful Memories". However, the lack of media recognition, both commercially and critically, would precipitate the dissolution of Asia Minor some time after the release of this second album. 

Electric Light Orchestra-Eldorado (1974)

In 1974, Electric Light Orchestra was still in the midst of a perfectionist process, searching for a distinctive style that blended progressive rock with the pop melodies inherited from The Beatles. That same year saw the release of "Eldorado", the band's fourth album, where frontman Jeff Lynne began exploring how to make his progressive and complex sound both addictive and popular. Conceived as a concept album about dreams and the magic of humankind, this new release features a 30-piece orchestra conducted by Louis Clark, in addition to Lynne's own band, comprised of Richard Tandy (keyboards), Hugh McDowell (cello), Bev Bevan (drums), Michael Edwards (cello), Mike Kaminski (violin), and Mike de Albuquerque (bass). This arsenal of musicians and instruments transforms the album into an uplifting torrent of grandiose progressive pop. This grandiosity is reflected in the opening "Eldorado Overture" and the closing "Eldorado-Finale". Here also appears one of the band's iconic pieces, the exuberant pop "Can't Get It Out Of My Head", a clear indication of what was to come in the following years. The poignant "Boy Blue", a classic piece featuring prominent brass instruments and string interludes, the melodic "Laredo Tornado", the rocking "Poorboy", the ingenious "Nobody's Child", and the brilliant "Eldorado" showed that Jeff Lynne was on the right track, gradually developing the characteristic sound of Electric Light Orchestra, a distinctive style that would later bring them definitive acclaim.

Beyond-O-Matic-Sonic Reclaimator (1996)

Beyond-O-Matic was an interesting American space rock band that released four noteworthy albums between 1994 and 2010. In 1996, with their second album, "Sonic Reclaimator", this band comprised of Peter Fuhry (vocals, guitar, accordion, flute, and clarinet), Glenn Wilcox (drums), and Kurtz Stenzel (keyboards), demonstrated the compositional maturity that had been somewhat lacking in their first and commendable release, "The Flight of Luis García" (1994). On this album, their brilliant approach, featuring expansive tracks, atmospheric and relaxed passages under the ever-present ambient synthesizers, and hard rock influences, makes this release one of the best American progressive efforts of the 1990s.

Flame Dream-Out In The Dark (1981)

In the 1980s, among the hundred or so progressive rock or art rock bands, few adhered to the avant-garde philosophy of the 1970s. However, several dozen maintained the germinal spirit of the genre's beginnings in the late 1960s. One of these was Flame Dream, a Swiss band that drew from the classic symphonic rock of Yes and Genesis during their golden age. Their style, driven by Ronald Ruckstuhl's keyboards, clearly displays these influences but with an added accessibility for modern audiences. The addition of wind instruments like the flute and saxophone broadens their musical palette, making them much more than mere imitators. Formed in 1977 in Lucerne, they released five superb albums over ten years, highly regarded today by proghead fans. "Out In The Dark", released in 1981, was the third album by this Swiss band, comprised of Roland Ruckstuhl (keyboards and synthesizers), Peter Wolf (wind instruments and vocals), Urs Hochuli (bass and vocals), Peter Furrer (drums), and Dale Hauskins (guitar). Tracks like "Wintertime Nights", "Nocturnal Flight", and "Strange Meeting", with their vintage Genesis influence, along with the elaborate instrumental "Kaleidoscope", make up a work that both revived and maintained a musical essence that seemed somewhat outdated in the early 1980s.

Mahalia Jackson-In The Upper Room (1959)

Mahalia Jackson is undoubtedly the most admired and respected gospel singer and African American religious music artist in history. Considered a diva of the genre, she transcended being a prominent singer and performer; her religious and social commitment led her to participate in numerous advocacy activities alongside Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. Despite collaborating with jazz greats like Duke Ellington, she never accepted offers to record or participate in projects within that genre, limiting herself to singing spiritual music and recording countless works within that style. Nominated for several Grammy Awards and winner of other prestigious prizes, her discography, while not extensive, is one of the richest and most fundamental in the history of gospel music, having resonated worldwide and cementing her status as one of the great icons of contemporary music.