Queen-A Night At The Opera (1975)

Queen were always as revered as ridiculed by a certain part of both society and specialized criticism, even so they knew how to overcome all this and get a wide legion of followers around the world.
And all because of its ambiguous and deliberately bisexual image, which brought them both harm and benefit, however, what has remained above all else has been their music, a great argument on which this mythical band established its great media power. .
"A Night At the Opera" released in 1975, it would be the band's fourth album and ultimately their best work, and just for that wonder that a song like "Bohemian Rhapsody" supposes is already worth this great album.
In this work the band shows its full maturity, that of confirmation to its baroque sound, the balance between its most rock facet and its most convoluted image.
In addition to the star theme, "Death On Two Legs" stands out, an electrifying composition with portentous rhythm and melodic changes, Mercury's musical hall with "Seaside Rendezvous" or "Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon", approaches to the progressive with "The Prophet's Song" and its commerciality with "39" or "You´re My Best Friend", not to mention this eternal ballad titled "Love Of My Life".
An album as outstanding as it is unique, where the Queen are pompous, spectacular, energetic and unique.

Steeleye Span-Commoners Crown (1975)

Steeleye Span together with the Fairport Convention are the two great standards of British folk in their entire history.
Without underestimating the Convention, Steeleye Span knew how to evolve from folk to rock in a spectacular way, billing some of the genre's masterpieces for four decades
In 1974 Jethro Tull leader Ian Anderson produced his album "Now We Are Six" and decisively influenced the band's progressive evolution towards more experimental terrain.
A year later they published "Commoners Crown", a work as extraordinary as it is sublime, here the experience with Ian Anderson is so evident that at times the band sounds like Jethro Tull in its most folk rock vibe.
However the group goes further and include influences from classical and baroque music as in the theme "Bach Goes To Limerick" that perfectly combines the classic flavor with jigas so inspired by traditional Irish folk.
This is one of the high points of an album that shows a cohesion without any fissure and that shows an incredible balance between folk and rock, tipping the scales towards this last genre, which does not subtract any handicap, but rather enriches tremendously the result of a great album making it an absolute gem of English folk rock.

Triumph-Allied Forces (1981)

This formidable power trio, despite always being somewhat overshadowed by their compatriots Rush, has produced a discography brimming with vigorous and intense hard rock, with forays into progressive rock, for nearly two decades. Throughout this time, they showcased spectacular stage presence and immense instrumental virtuosity from their three members: Rik Emmett (guitar and vocals), Gil Moore (drums and vocals), and Mike Levine (bass and vocals). In 1981, they released "Allied Forces", their fifth album, in which the Canadian band perfectly reflects their hard rock roots, their more melodic side, and their progressive influences. On this release, Rik Emmett demonstrates his masterful guitar playing alongside his melodic vocals, while percussionist Gil Moore delivers the most crushing and energetic tracks. Powerful tracks like “Fool For Your Love” and “Allied Forces” stand in stark contrast to the more accessible “Magic Power” and “Say Goodbye”, while the phenomenal “Fight The Good Fight” and “Ordinary Man” represent the album's most complex and progressive moments. For all these reasons, this fifth album became one of Triumph's greatest creative achievements, garnering immense success with over a million copies sold in the North American market, earning a platinum record and considerable sales in Canada and Europe.

Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers- Into The Great Wide Open (1991)

Tom Petty is one of the great genuinely American artists who has penetrated deep into world rock thanks to his professionalism, his works and his great talent.
His long career has been based on rock, blues and certain touches of pop, ingredients with which he has published a series of great albums that have passed into posterity.
In 1991 he publishes Into "The Great Wide Open", his eleventh album, (his eighth with the Heartbreakers), which was produced by the great Jeff Lynne, leader of the fireproof and great Electric Light Orchestra.
This work marks the zenith of Tom Petty at the popular level, rivaling any successful band or artist of the time.
The album contains almost a dozen great songs from the best repertoire of American rock, dreamy and essential songs within its entire label, themes as legendary as the sublime "Learning To Fly" or the fantastic "Into The Great Wide Open".

The Michael Schenker Group-The Michael Schenker Group (1980)

Michael Schenker is one of the best guitarists in the history of rock music, endowed with a fabulous technique and exceptional taste, former component of formations as mythical as Scorpions and UFO in different stages, with which he came to record fantastic albums like "Lovedrive", or "Phenomenon", "Force It" or "No Heavy Petting" among others.

At the end of the 70s, an irregular solo career would begin, alternating great albums with others of less impact.

It is this first work that best defines this musician, combining the best she did with UFO, demonstrating that the greatness of this band resided fundamentally in him.

For her first album, she recruited singer Gary Barden, whose vocal registers were perfect for Schenker's energetic style.

Great songs make up this fantastic album, among which "Armed to Ready", combining the rage and rawness of the best heavy, with the melody and commerciality, or the powerful "Cry For The Nations", not to mention the rhythmic "Victim of illusion" or the instrumental "Bijou Pleasurette".

J.J.Cale-Troubadour (1976)

Fundamental album in the career of J.J. Cale and zenith of his work, where the guitarist reaches maturity and consolidates himself as one of the greatest in rock
Here there is more emphasis on the diversity of instruments, which give the production of the album much more color and versatility to the music of this great artist.
Famous for containing the mythical "Cocaine", in its original version, which Eric Clapton later popularized worldwide.
A work full of great pieces like the agile "Ride Me High", the humorous "I´m A Gypsy Man" or the rhythmic "Let Me do it To You".
This album is a basic piece for the influence of later great guitarists as years later we would see, for example, Mark Knopfler.

Bob Dylan-Street Legal (1978)

"Street Legal" was Bob Dylan's eighteenth studio album, released by Columbia in 1978, in the midst of a turbulent personal life at the time, including his divorce in June 1977.
During the first part of his "Rolling Thunder Revue" tour and taking advantage of the summer, Dylan took a break and returned to his Minnesota farm. There he would begin to compose songs for his next album, among others he composed "Changing of the Guards", "No Time to Think" or "Where Are You Tonight?" ... six of the nine songs included in "Street Legal" were composed in Minnesota during that summer.
But during the recordings, another story occurred that deeply affected Dylan, on August 16 the news killed Elvis Presley.
By the time Street Legal was released, the staunchest purists shouted in the sky, due to the album's "commerciality" recognizing years later that tracks with "Señor (Tales of Yankee Power)" and "Baby, Stop Crying" were monumental compositions worthy of Any major Dylan work.
The theme of the album is about once again, religion as Dylan was still fully with that Catholic mysticism that had taken hold of him, although the plot has a more apocalyptic tone than in other albums, making reference to both the devil in "New Pony" and to God in the mentioned "Señor (Tales of Yankee Power)". The album obtained the third disc of gold in the United States for Dylan, after "Blood on the Tracks" and "Desire".
When Dylan embarked on his European tour, he was greeted by the public with a warm reception, and his two singles, "Baby, Stop Crying" purportedly inspired by Robert Johnson's "Stop Breaking Down" theme and the monumental "Changing of the Guards" were a hit at all the world.

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young-Four Way Street (1971)

One of the greatest live records in history, a must-have record in any minimally complete rock collection.

Originally started as a trio (Crosby, Stills & Nash) and with the subsequent union of Neil Young to give more solidity to the ensemble, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young wrote in just over a year one of the brightest pages of American music from the late 60s, thanks to the superb studio album "Déja Vu" (1970) and an exhausting tour of the United States that left this excellent live double as the final document. And it is that such a meeting of egos could not last in time without ending up devouring each other as if they were blood-hungry cannibals.

Here we can both listen to his most intimate side with really delicious acoustic sessions and his wildest side with an explosion of pure, stark and brutal rock

While in the first set the camaraderie reigned between laughter and clapping on the back, in the second set they were a rain of high decibels, immersed in devilish guitar duels and a rhythmic section that did not rest for a second, an American rock masterpiece

Dio-Holy Diver (1983)

Ronnie James Dio is one of the great voices of rock, as well as one of the most essential artists that have ever existed to understand the evolution of hard rock and heavy metal.
After belonging to mythical bands like Elf, Rainbow and Black Sabbath and having starred with all of them in some of the best albums ever recorded in that style, he decided to start a fruitful solo career creating great albums that today are considered icons of heavy metal. the 80s.
"Holy Diver" appeared in 1983 was his great debut, for the occasion the little great singer surrounds himself with experienced musicians such as Vinny Appice, Jimmy Bain and Vivian Campbell, a perfect group for his voice and his way of seeing heavy music.
In this album Dio consolidates the foundations of 80s metal, combining the heaviness of the Black Sabbath with the epic and the spectacular of Rainbow.
Jewels like "Rainbow in the dark", "Stand Up and Shout", or the classic "Don´t Talk to Strangers" perfectly define their style and sound.
With this album Dio would become one of the benchmarks of heavy metal forever.

Bryan Adams-Reckless (1984)

One of the greats of the 80s is undoubtedly the Canadian Bryan Adams, who combined commerciality with quality, with a style that flirted with pop rock and AOR in the 80s.
Four years after his debut album, Adams released his fourth album "Reckless", which would end up catapulting him worldwide.
An album in which all his songs were potential singles, all composed with his right hand Jim Vallance, a songwriting duo that would catapult the album to the top sales positions in many countries. Shocking songs like "It's Only Love", "Run To You", "Somebody", "Kids Wanna Rock" or "Long Gone" were radio hits. However, it would be the superb ballad "Heaven" and the song "Summer of 69", that would be the most successful and those that boosted the album to sell more than five million copies in the United States, a superb album that defined the career of this spectacular musician.

Bruce Springsteen-Born To Run (1975)

Bruce Springsteen is one of rock's most inspired and influential songwriters and a generational icon from the 1970s and 1980s.
Considered the Boss of Rock, Springsteen has influenced millions of people who immediately identified themselves with situations lived in their own experiences such as the ones he narrated in his songs, since he spoke about the problems of the working class, of the normal citizen in times of rebellion and social demands.
His artistic explosion would come in 1975 with his album "Born To Run", songs like "Thunder Road", "Born To Run or Backstreets", they captured the essence of rock but dealing with themes such as homosexuality, companionship, passion, despair or anyone's dreams, often unfulfilled.
Musically it would be shown as an effective album and very well intertwined thanks to its solid band, the E Street Band, which became the true protagonists of those compositions.
The music provided here is spectacular, vibrant, powerful and direct, transcending much beyond its time, making this album an absolute work of rock.

The Rolling Stones-Exile On Main St (1972)

In the early seventies, The Rolling Stones had moved to France, fleeing the oppressive British tax system, and it was there, on French soil, that they began preparing their new album, which would be the tenth of their career. However, their time in France would not be a bed of roses for the group. To begin with, the drug addictions of some of its members, mainly Jagger and Richards, the disastrous location chosen for the album's recording a mansion near Cannes where Keith Richards and his family usually resided, which had a murky past as a Gestapo headquarters during World War II in addition to the chaotic recording sessions, all led to controversial and marathon weeks of total chaos and unprecedented mayhem. During those sessions, everything became frenetic, from the inadequate electrical installation for the powerful and sophisticated studio equipment, to the constant coming and going of countless friends and acquaintances of the band (including drug dealers), not to mention the large recording crew. On top of all this, there were the frequent recording interruptions due to the frequent absences of some of the band members who left for personal matters. This disarray resulted in tremendous chaos that somehow ended up being incorporated into the final sound of the album, which received a barrage of criticism from the specialized press upon its release. This hostile reception would eventually become the band's masterpiece, considered one of the greatest contributions to rock music. 

On this album, the band explored diverse musical territories like never before, including jazz, soul, gospel, country, blues, and rockabilly, with numerous instrumental jam sessions. Among the highlights were a series of brilliant songs such as the commercially successful "Tumbling Dice", the rocker "Rip This Joint", the country anthem "Torn and Frayed", the gritty "Ventilator Blues", the rock and roll number "Shake Your Hips", and the incredibly addictive and very Stones-esque "All Down the Line" and "Rocks Off". For many, this was the last great work of The Rolling Stones, even though their dozen subsequent releases were many excellent albums, but none possessed the variety, the frenetic energy, and the somewhat unbridled genius born from the haphazard recording of this legendary "Exile on Main St".

Saxon-Wheels Of Steel (1980)

Saxon was one of the three bands that led the movement that was called New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (the other two were Iron Maiden and Def Leppard), however they did not have the same recognition as the two previously mentioned, partly due to a series of bad decisions that would relegate them to the background unfairly.
In 1980 they released their second album and one of their great works, considered by many to be one of the fundamental records of heavy metal.
Here they would already define their sound in an overwhelming way, with memorable songs like "Motorcycle Man", one of the movement's great hymns.
Also songs like "Freeway Mad" or "Wheels of Steel" showed us a band that also knew how to compose epic and powerful songs, forming a superb work of great heavy metal.

Lou Reed-Transformer (1972)

After a first debut album that would pass without penalty or glory, Lou Reed achieved his status as a rock icon in 1972 thanks to his album "Transformer", in which he had the considerable help of two geniuses such as David Bowie and Mick Ronson.
They are fundamental pieces in the commercial plus to Reed's music, not far removed from what he had already done with the Velvet Underground.
Also thanks to the "Walk On The Wild Side" theme, it achieves a somewhat unexpected success, but that would define forever the career of this great New York musician.
However, it is the most rock facet with stark and powerful songs that mark the path that Lou Reed will follow in the following years.
Compositions such as "Vicious" or "Hangin´Round" are a good example of this with a powerful sound thanks to the great Mick Ronson's guitar, turning musical references for posterity.

Jefferson Airplane-Surrealistic Pillow (1967)

We are facing one of the absolute works of rock, an exceptional example of the greatness of a style and of a legendary band that has gone down in history as one of the greatest.
This work perfectly combines folk and acid rock, psychedelia and all this in a powerful and very effective way.
His strength goes far beyond the success of his two celebrated singles; "Somebody To Love" and "White Rabbit".
All the songs included in this fabulous album are authentic musical jewels of exciting appeal and a pleasure to listen to.
As for example the Today theme, an enigmatic, brilliant and addictive piece, that surrounds us and captures us with that dense and disturbing atmosphere.
Also noteworthy are the initial and dynamic "She Has Funny Cars", so fresh and vital that it is based on a powerful guitar riff and magnificent voices.

The Police-Reggatta De Blanc (1979)

For a few years The Police were cataloged as the greatest band on the planet, exaggerated or not, their popularity levels were so great that there was some truth to it.
With a proposal where the predominant punk of the time, seasoned with rock, reggae sparkles and pop influenced by the new wave, the trio had an intense activity, getting to have their works as the most acclaimed among the public and critics.
"Reggatta de Blanc" was their second work in which the group would add more elements to their particular style, since it is very varied due to the tastes and personalities of each of its members.
Excellent songs such as "Walking On The Moon" or the successful "Message in A Bottle" with that new wave touch, confirmed that this band was very big, although with little tour according to the ego of its components.

Pat Metheny Group-Letter From Home (1989)

At the end of the 1980s, Pat Metheny gave us another great album of modern and exotic jazz with "Letter From Home", for which, as with all his previous works, he won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance. A successor to the ethereal and refined "Still Life" from several years earlier, this new release showcases a more versatile and dynamic Pat Metheny, displaying elements from his earlier work, though he never completely abandons the sound that predominated on "Still Life", subtly incorporating traces of it in many passages. Latin sounds are present here and there, as if trying to emerge and become the dominant sound, without ever truly dominating the album's jazz style. A good example of this is the opening track, "Have You Heard", where the dynamism of Lyle Mays' keyboards and Metheny's impressive six-string prowess shine. The light, jazzy melody of “Every Summer Night” contrasts with the preceding track and the following one, the Bossa Nova-influenced “Better Days Ahead”. “Spring Ain’t Here”, dedicated to Stanley Turrentine, is the album’s most somber and darkest moment, which, despite its enormous complexity, maintains a subtle and elegant tone, a hallmark of the Pat Methey Group’s signature sound. The cheerful, Caribbean-tinged “Beat 70” gives way to the subtlety of the catchy “Dream of the Return” and the hypnotic and memorable “Are We There Yet”, one of the album’s high points, where Mays’ synthesizer shines brilliantly. This track serves as a prelude to the most elegant moment, “Letter From Home”, a catchy, melodic, and relaxing piece that brilliantly concludes a memorable album and a worthy showcase of the best jazz fusion of the 1980s.

Isaac Hayes-Hot Buttered Soul (1969)

"Hot Buttered Soul" was the album that forged the legend of Isaac Hayes, a powerful timeless progressive soul work that reflects the inexhaustible talent of this genius.
To his delicious base of calm soul, he added orchestral arrangements, guitars full of psychedelic fuzz and sounds of Hammond, all together with Hayes' deep voice of sexual depth.
An overwhelming work that demonstrates the great personality in themes such as the exalted and initial "Walk On By" or his particular sodomized version of the country theme that Johnny Rivers popularized;" By The Time I Get To Phoenix".
This work would be completed with another of his great achievements such as the enormous "Black Moses" published some time later.

Cream-Wheels Of Fire (1968)

In 1967, Cream released the legendary "Disraeli Gears", their second full-length album, which already hinted at a shift towards more avant-garde sounds, while still remaining within the band's psychedelic style. The subsequent success of this album led to their worldwide adoration and one of the most triumphant tours in history.

It was during this tour that their next recording project, "Wheels of Fire", was conceived. This album is considered one of the greatest double albums ever made and the band's swan song.

In this magnificent work, divided into a studio disc and a live disc, Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Jack Bruce reached their creative peak and simultaneously established themselves as the leading figures on their respective instruments. 

Produced by Felix Pappalardi and with arrangements by Robert Stigwood, the studio sessions were recorded in London and New York over several months in 1967 and 1968. Among the new tracks on the first disc, titled "In The Studio", are the bluesy "Politician" and "Sitting On Top The World", the psychedelic "Those Were The Days" and "Pressed Rat And Warthog", the timeless classics "Born Under A Bad Sign" and "White Room", and the acoustic "As You Said". 

The second disc, subtitled "Live At Fillmore West", was recorded in March 1968 at the Fillmore West and the Winterland in San Francisco and contains four superb pieces masterfully performed by the trio, including the legendary version of Robert Johnson's "Crossroads", where Eric Clapton showcases his fantastic talent on the guitar. 

Another version, this time by Willie Dixon, is "Spoonful", which showcases the band's jamming side, brimming with improvisation and great feeling from all three musicians. The final two tracks are the frenetic rural blues "Traintime" and the experimental "Toad", featuring a spectacular drum solo by the great Ginger Baker. 

"Wheels of Fire" is a seminal and fundamental album in the history of rock and a clear example of why Cream is considered the first supergroup and, at the same time, one of the greatest bands of all time.

Grand Funk Railroad-We're An American Band (1973)

We're An American Band is the definitive work of Grand Funk Railroad, not only for the quality of its enormous compositions, but also for the great commercial repercussion that they had for it, mainly due to the song that gives the album's title and main single job.
With a superb production by Todd Rundgren, the group manages to perfectly combine the melody with the energy and rawness of the best American hard rock.
Don Brewer's contributions in terms of composition and his vocal performance were decisive for the drastic change in sound and the enormous success achieved.
Another major innovation was the inclusion of Craig Frost on keyboards, which was also revitalizing and exquisite, filling in the gaps that were left empty on previous albums.
They even dare to approach progressive rock in a certain way with the magnificent "Creepin ' ", a quality exercise and sublime performance.
Throughout the album the band functions as a perfect oiled machine, leaving us an absolute masterpiece of hard rock.

Free-Fire And Water (1970)

Free would sign in the early 70s one of the most magnificent blues rock albums in memory.
Without a doubt his best work, which in itself is almost impossible to catalog due to the excellence of his other works.
This album would emerge thanks to the maturity germinating in the transit of its first two albums, culminating here in a spectacular way.
With a clean and much more consistent sound, leaving behind the experimentation and the progress made previously and with the addition of a great advance in terms of compositional quality.
Also on the album is one of the songs that are legendary in rock such as "All Right Now", number one in several countries worldwide and a classic song.
The rest of the album shows us the qualitative homogeneity with a band in full evolution in both maturity and inspiration.
Songs such as "Fire and Water", "Mr Big" or "Heavy Load" ... are all good examples of that privileged six-string that was Paul Kossoff, where he transmitted pure feeling, in addition to the masterful voice of Paul Rodgers and a perfect rhythmic base that formed a perfect group.

Foreigner- 4 (1981)

Foreigner's fourth album was the final stardom of the band worldwide.
If already in the previous albums they had managed to attract the attention of the critics and the North American public mainly, in this new work, the band succeeds fully, managing to sell more than seven million records only in the United States and several more around the world.
With a style dominated by masterfully executed catchy songs and with an exquisite production by Mutt Lange and Mick Jones, who move between melodic hard rock and A.O.R ..
Songs like the essential "Juke Box Hero", the irresistible "Urgent", the powerful "Night Life" or the excellent ballad "Waiting For A Girl Like You", make up an undeniable superb work of melodic Hard Rock

Genesis-Nursery Cryme (1971)

It has always given the impression that the "Nursery Cryme" and the "Foxtrot" are part of the same work because of their similar atmosphere (despite the fact that the staff behind the sound engineering was not the same) and the similarity of their covers.
Even the "Nursery Cryme" cover can be seen inside the "Foxtrot" cover. Both covers are surreal paintings by Paul Whitehead, who was also responsible for the magnificent "Trespass" cover.
A year before they had published "Trespass" and although there were glimpses of eloquent progressive rock in it, they were still in a phase of certain immaturity, the evolution they carried out in just one year was truly amazing, turning them into a fundamental band within the progressive.
"Nursery Cryme" turned out to be a fantastic album, imaginative and complete with versatility, nuances and great sensations.
With remarkable virtuosity, they proved to be able to tackle without complexes, compositions of the most diverse from extensive and fantastic, such as "The Musical Box", to concise and brief ones such as "For Absent Friends".
New member Steve Hackett's guitar along with Gabriel's hypnotic voice stand as absolute leaders and basic reference in the band's sound.
All the compositions are diversified, mixing the long complex compositions with the immediate themes of easy assimilation.

Anthony Phillips-The Geese And The Ghost (1977)

Almost seven years after leaving the band Genesis, Anthony Phillips released his first solo album, "The Geese and The Ghost", which is widely criticized and very well received by the public.
His ex-groupmates Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins, among other reputed musicians, collaborated on this album.
A work dominated by medieval and Elizabethan airs, classical, acoustic and electric guitars with 6 and 12 strings, pianos and other string instruments such as bouzouki.
Instrumental pieces such as the masterful "Henry: Portraits From Tudor Times with its six parts and "The Geese and the ghosts parts 1 and 2", the latter composed as a duo with Rutherford give a clear essence and magnitude of the potential of this formidable symphonic progressive rock work

Pat Metheny-As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls (1981)

"With As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls", Pat Metheny made an album of clear experimentation on musical exploration, which led him to touch progressive rock.
A very well-balanced album, with its usual dose of jazz fusion, but with a surprisingly elegant and very sophisticated sound, thanks to the high degree of complexity.
This album is defined as one of his most definitive works, however the apparent lack of musical structure, the surprising timbres that appear almost continuously and the combination of abstract passages with harmonies and melodies close to romanticism make this album an unprecedented milestone in jazz rock music.

Marillion-Misplaced Childhood (1985)

In 1985 Marillion released her third album "Misplaced Childhood", which would eventually become her best work and also the most popular and best-selling.
Conceptually devised, it deals with the most private and dark nightmares plus reconciliations with the love of its leader and singer Fish.
With this work the band reached its highest level of creativity and the ideal and absolute balance.
It is also the job where the band shows its maturity, after two great albums, but somewhat inconsistent.
The concept, its interpretive power, perfect harmony, poetic lyrics, cultured language and instrumental precision, made it one of the best albums in progressive rock and an instant classic.

The Allman Brothers Band-At Fillmore East (1971)

“At Fillmore East” is considered one of the best live rock albums ever made, and is also The Allman Brothers' masterpiece. 

This double live album contains so much improvisation that it sets it apart from the vast majority of live recordings by any other self-respecting band. 

The essence of this album lies in the spontaneous songs with the incredibly long instrumental passages performed by all the band members on stage, especially those by Duane and Gregg Allman.

Faithfully adhering to the jazz concept of a jam session, the gods of Southern rock demonstrate their enormous potential and their inexhaustible musical creativity. 

Despite minor studio tweaks and the fact that several songs were shortened for inclusion on this double album, “At Fillmore East” remains a quintessential reference point for Southern rock. 

This masterful double album comprises just seven tracks, among which the 23-minute “Whipping Post” and the 20-minute “You Don’t Love Me” stand out epic jams that seamlessly blended with the more conventionally long songs. 

An album that captured the essence, power, and talent of one of the greatest bands ever to grace a stage.

Asia-Asia (1982)

Thanks to the perseverance of John Kalonder and David Geffen who had in mind to constitute a superband in the late 70s, they got to unite Steve Howe and John Wetton, along with Carl Palmer and Geoff Downes and thus Asia would be born.
A group that would define their music between progressive rock and pop from the 80s.
Their first album is one of the fundamental albums of the decade, these four great musicians hit the bull's eye to shock the rock world with superb work.
With epic synth sounds, a powerful guitar, Wetton's deep, warm voice, and Palmer's punchy and precise drums, this immortal gem was made.
The songs are not far behind and it shows a perfect balance between commercial and spectacular, as well as an addictive sound.
Only the two singles on the album, "Heat of the Moment" and "Only Time Will Tell", taught us the clarity with which it was the basis of the band's personal style.
Forcefulness, sensitivity, power and virtuosity along with perfect melodies were synonymous with durability.

Faces-A Nod Is a Good As A Wink...To A Blind Horse (1971)

An authentic masterpiece of rock, at the same time as one of the most enjoyable and fun records of the genre.
It contains the hit "Stay With Me", which they had been waiting so long for, since the days of Small Faces.
It is also full of songs with rhythms and choruses as addictive, as one hundred percent rockers.
"Cases like Miss Judy's Farm" or "That's All You Need", just for not two songs are great of the genre.
Here Rod Stewart's tremendous voice was rocking like few others could and the band was a machine for creating contagious rhythms and riffs.

Creedence Clearwater Revival-Cosmo's Factory (1970)

This was the album at the peak of the popularity and creativity of the Creedence Clearwater Revival, also being the first album by the number one band in England and the second to do so in the United States.
It was preceded by the tremendous success of two singles that were later included on the album, "Travellin´Band" and "Up Around The Bend".
The first is an authentic masterpiece of the best rock and roll of the 50s, but not only these two themes were the only highlights, all the songs included here were potential hits, from the tremendous version of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" of the great Marvin Gaye, even the sweet "Lookin 'Out My Back", passing through the elegant "Long As I Can See The Light", or the sensational "Who'll Stop The Rain", this song is claiming against the Vietnam War, a song that has all the ingredients of the deepest reminiscences of American folk.

Buffalo Springfield-Buffalo Springfield (1966)

Buffalo Springfield are one of the fundamental bands in American folk, country and rock of all time.
And it is not for less if we consider that in the same band were three of the best musicians in all of history such as Neil Young, Stephen Stills and Richie Furay.
They created a school and many groups and artists in the following decades were influenced by these three great composers.
An album that is remembered above all for the huge "For What Is Worth", composed by Furay, an immortal song that will never go out of style.
Stills 'eclecticism and Young's steadfastness also paid off in the form of great songs like Stills' "Go And Say Goodbye", a clear example of the germinal country-rock, or the rockers "Pay The Price and Everybody's Wrong", where they were approaching, by force of his live shows.

10cc-The Original Soundtrack (1975)

In 1975, 10 cc published "The Original Soundtrack", without a doubt the great masterpiece of this mythical band.
With an overwhelming start, this surprising album already offered us from the first minute the mini-opera "Une Nuit A Paris", which soon wanted to compare with Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody", released many months later.
This composition demonstrated the enormous creativity of those two geniuses named Godley and Creme.
However it would be the song "I´m Not In Love", the one that becomes the banner of this album, in the end it would become the crowning work of the band and its composer Gouldman, a theme that perfectly defines 10 cc.
Another very prominent song is "Blackmail" with its spectacular final guitar solo, which closed one side of the album full of music.
The second side of the album, without being able to measure up to the first, rounds off a work where creativity and originality are the maximum exponent of it.
This album is a real pleasure for the ears to listen to for its exquisite taste in all its compositions.

Nazareth-Hair Of the Dog (1975)

In 1975, Nazareth released what would ultimately become their masterpiece and, at the same time, their most commercially successful album. As was typical for the Scottish band, this sixth release combines excellent original tracks with covers of other artists, but always bearing their unmistakable signature. 

Among the originals are the immortal "Hair of the Dog", a hard rock song featuring magical and powerful guitar riffs; the powerful heavy rock track "Miss Misery", the blues rock song "Changin' Times", the Southern blues-influenced "Whiskey Drinkin' Woman" ,and the lengthy and heavy "Please Don't Judas Me", undoubtedly the album's most memorable moment, a piece that moves between hard rock, progressive rock, and psychedelic sounds. Among the covers are the emotive “Love Hurts”, originally by the Everly Brothers, the bluesy “Guilty” by Randy Newman, and the visceral “Beggars’ Day” by Crazy Horse. 

In short, “Hair Of The Dog” is another superb album from the Scots, where they once again demonstrated their genius in composing a series of songs that brilliantly combine multiple influences, achieving a coherent and versatile style within the hard rock scene of the seventies.

Return To Forever-Romantic Warrior (1976)

"Romantic Warrior" was Chick Corea's first foray into rock, after his first album against the Return To Forever began with more acoustic sounds and Brazilian rhythms.

This electric and baroque album is the perfect example of that jazz rock stage of the band.

Choosing the medieval theme (with a cover of tremendous beauty), the four components of the group, all of them of sublime category, improvising and imaginative experts, let themselves be carried away by the energy of rock and leave us with a series of compositions that leave us speechless the first listen.

In addition to Corea, it is composed by Al Di Meola, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White who together unleash their great creativity, where there are compositions by all of them, highlighting the fast-paced "Medieval Overture", the funk of Meola "Majestic Dance" or the theme that gives the album its title, a standard of jazz rock, an album that deserves the category of masterpiece.

Eric Clapton-Slowhand (1977)

This is an album that everyone associates with their most successful songs; "Cocaine", but that nevertheless contains many more elements than just that mythical song.
A work that not only stands out for its guitar, but also for its great compositions.
It is logical that if it is since "Cocaine" is one of the most emblematic themes of rock and not only for its music but also for its theme.
However, it would be unfair to ignore great jewels such as the wonderful "Wonderful Tonight", full of beauty and sweetness or the powerful country "Lay Down Sally", both songs by Clapton.
This trio of songs made this album a memorable and essential album that transcends beyond time.

Electric Light Orchestra-A New World Record (1976)

"A New World Record" was the album that definitively took over from The Electric Light Orchestra, a majestic work that contains the perfect balance between quality, commerciality, elegance, energy, synchronism and sobriety.
I reach the astonishing figure of five million records sold in the first year.
A new world record as predicted by its title, packed with hit singles; like "Rockaria", a masterful mix between rock'n'roll and opera, the version of The Move "Do Ya", the powerful and visceral "Livin Thing" with those seductive violins and an impressive ballad like "Telephone Line".
It also contained the initial "Tightrope" and its solemn symphonic intro or "Shangri-La", a melodic ballad with exotic touches that made up a superb album.

Dire Straits-Dire Straits (1978)

In 1978 Dire Straits surprised the world with their first album, which contained the immortal Sultans of Swing, which however was the song that partially eclipsed the rest of the album.
It was the work in which the great influences of Bob Dylan and J. J. Cale are appreciated in the compositions created by Mark Knopfler.
And it is that the personal touch given by the guitarist to his musical vision that manages to give the final work an originality that sets him far enough from those.
Globally considered, deep down it suffers from many things, even resulting somewhat monotonous in a hasty listening, but if it is taken into consideration and we take time to give it a few listens we discover the imperishable essence of a band that would start playing in small pubs and that in a few years they would go on to give great concerts in stadiums and massive venues.
The origin is here, in those addictive chords and those subjugating melodies.
In addition to "Sultans Of Swing", the album contains some gems such as the initial "Down to the Waterline", and "In the Gallery or Lions", eclipsed by the success of the star song.

Ten Years After-Cricklewood Green (1970)

"Cricklewood Green" is considered one of the peaks of blues rock, incidentally with this album Ten Years After they reached their creative peak demonstrating their status as one of the fundamental rock bands of all time.
This album is a powerful and visceral combination of blues rock seasoned with small doses of commerciality, which makes it a much more accessible work than his previous works.
The virtuosity demonstrated here by the entire band, but especially by Alvin Lee and a great sound density, maintain the blues essence that has always characterized this legendary British band.
Tracks such as the powerful "Sugar the Road", the "Working on the Road" rhythm, or the fantastic and successful "Love Like A Man" and "50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain", became authentic highlights of a perfect and very coherent album, very rarely a band of blues rock achieved such quality and greatness in a single album

The Eagles-Hotel California (1976)

This is one of the most legendary, amazing and best-selling rock albums. An album product of the logical evolutionary process that the group was experiencing in those years.
Here they reach the peak of their creativity and demonstrate their great mastery as musicians and composers.
However, who really benefited from this album would be its drummer and main vocalist Don Henley, who ends up becoming the leader of a band which already had all its members to some indisputable geniuses.
It is an album where beauty, delicacy and darkness would make it very special.
From the supposed satanic references of the song that gives the album its title, to the exquisite "New Kid in Town", everything in it is at times integrative and attractive.
As for the production and the sound, here they reach almost perfection where the instrumentation is polished to the maximum unimaginable and the style is approaching pop at times, although of course while still sounding completely at its folk and country roots ... in definitive an absolute masterpiece

David Bowie-The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars (1972)

The Glam Rock phenomenon was an ambiguous movement. Behind the outlandish makeup, sequins, and high heels hid rockers who sold not only an attitude but also a style that was the pure essence of rock. Far removed from labels or classifications, they were simply at the service of music with plenty of riffs and melodies, not without provocation and a lack of inhibitions, driven by a great desire for freedom.

David Bowie was one of the pioneers of this eccentric trend. From the outset, his remarkable ambiguity between masculine and feminine, along with the distinctive feature of having one eye of each color, would become the paradigm of gay power. He would later continue his chameleon-like career, transforming into an unclassifiable, avant-garde, and surprising artist. 

As early as his 1969 album "Space Oddity", Bowie displayed this tendency with a work where acoustic pieces were prominent, a style he continued in "The Man Who Sold the World" (1970) and "Honky Dory" (1971), where he showcased a more electrified sound thanks to his band The Spiders From Mars and especially his guitarist Mick Ronson, a fundamental figure in David Bowie's career during those years. Later, with his band, Bowie created the character who would become the icon of glam rock, "Ziggy Stardust", a science fiction being from outer space with orange mohawk hair (a precursor to punk rock) and a lightning bolt painted on his face. 

Ziggy captivated Bowie to the point that they became one and the same, fulfilling each other's roles until, some time later, Bowie was forced to destroy his own creation. But before that, he had created a universe of fantasy, galactic rock, and flamboyant style, built on gems like "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders of Mars" (1972) and "Aladdin Sane" (1973). 

"The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders of Mars" is undoubtedly the masterpiece of glam rock and of David Bowie in particular, where he was able to steer that style towards a more hard rock direction, an apocalyptic and visionary concept album, with a repertoire full of classic tracks such as the sublime "Moonage Daydream", "Suffragette City", the beautiful "Starman", the rocking "Five Years", and the superb "Ziggy Stardust". 

But on July 3, 1973, on the stage of the Hammersmith Odeon in London, Bowie, or rather Ziggy, committed his own "rock 'n' roll suicide" before the bewildered eyes of the audience, ending the reign of the king of glam rock. 

Thus began a new stage in the ever-diverse career of the now "White Duke" that would make him one of the most respected and influential artists of all time, a true classic for any of the facets he explored throughout his career.

Badfinger-Straight Up (1971)

"Straight Up" is a pop-rock masterpiece that however did not have the success or recognition it should.
It was the Beatle George Harrison who would choose to produce this album initially after Apple Records (owned by The Beatles) initially rejected the album.
Eventually it would be Todd Rundgren who would oversee the production before it was released in 1971.
An album that contains jewels such as "Day After Day" where Harrison himself appears as a guest on guitars and Leon Russell on piano.
A song nowadays so vindicated, that it was a successful single that could have gone much further if it were not for the fact that the record label itself was going through its low hours.
The album also contained very remarkable titles like "Name Of The Game", "Take It All" or "I´d Die Baby" that made up a colossal album that unfortunately (a constant in Badfinger) could not have gone much further.

Status Quo-Whatever You Want (1979)

Status Quo were frequently looked down upon and even ridiculed for their simple, four-chord boogie rock, which drew considerable criticism from a large portion of the conservative and intolerant British music press of the 1970s. However, making this lighthearted style suitable for mass consumption has been the singular aim of this legendary band, which has gone on to create some of the greatest albums in the history of rock music.

Albums like “Dog Of Two Heads” (1971), “Piledriver” (1973), “Rockin’ All Over The World” (1977), and “If You Can’t Stand The Heat” (1978) earned them a place among the great bands of the 1970s.

In 1979, Status Quo released their twelfth studio album, “Whatever You Want”, which, in addition to the infectious title track one of their most memorable hits featured the band experimenting with new ideas in prodigious compositions such as “Living On An Island”, “Who Asked You”, “Come Rock With Me”, “High Flyer”, and “Breaking Away”.

With this brilliant album, Status Quo continued to secure their privileged position among the leading British bands, maintaining a consistent presence on the charts worldwide and retaining their undiminished and respectable credibility among their millions of fans.

The Doobie Brothers-Minute By Minute (1978)

During their early career, The Doobie Brothers explored various styles and influences, including rock, R&B, southern rock, country, and folk, but above all, their sound was defined by powerful guitars, the common denominator of their unmistakable style. This was spearheaded by the duo of Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons, two formidable guitarists distinguished by their impetuous style, backed by an effective rhythm section. During this initial period, they produced successful albums of tremendous rock, such as "The Captain and Me" (1973) and "Stampede" (1975). After the latter, one of their key figures, Johnston, began to lose prominence to the new singer, Michael McDonald, who became a fundamental part of the band's stylistic shift towards a more commercial direction. From their very first album with the new singer, the band moved towards more sophisticated sounds, closely aligned with jazz and soul, with touches of funk. By then, the band's lineup was very different from its original early days. In addition to McDonald, guitarist Jeff "Skink" Baxter had joined, accompanying Simmons and Johnston. Like the singer, both came from Steely Dan. The new rhythm section consisted of drummer John Hartman and bassist Keith Knudsen. This new lineup released the brilliant "Takin' It To The Streets" (1976), which already contained the elements that would later make them even more successful, and which continued with the even more jazz-influenced "Livin' On The Fault Line" a year later. But it wasn't until 1978 with the monumental "Minute By Minute", on which Tom Johnston no longer participated, that The Doobie Brothers radically changed their style, adopting a sound completely infused with soul, funk, and rhythm and blues, where keyboards took center stage at the expense of guitars, resulting in a truly spectacular sound. Rich vocal harmonies, witty and sharp lyrics, and catchy melodies dominate most of the tracks, as demonstrated by the melodic and irresistible "What A Fool Believes", a number one hit on the charts, the jazzy "Minute By Minute", and the infectious "Open Your Eyes" and "How Do The Fools Survive". However, they didn't abandon their rock roots with the glorious "Don't Stop To Watch The Wheels", while the remaining tracks maintained a high standard, such as the instrumental country song "Streamer Lane Breakdown" and the festive "Dependin' On You". 

This radical change in style earned The Doobie Brothers their first number one album, a triple platinum record for its enormous sales, and three Grammy Awards.

Wishbone Ash-New England (1976)

With "New England", the Wishbone Ash returned to the sound they had left on their "Argus" album four years earlier, and although they did not fully achieve it, they did invoice an extraordinary work that curiously was not successful.
With a series of great compositions and a great way to combine the most classic style of the band with the most commercial facet, present in previous albums, "New England" is unfairly undervalued and goes unnoticed when it comes to naming the best albums of the Wishbone Ash.
Wonderful songs like "Runaway", the melodic "Lorelei", or the precious "Lonely Island", you can think that at that time there was an epidemic of deafness among the public and specialized criticism for not appreciating the greatness of this little masterpiece.

Robin Trower-Bridge Of Sighs (1974)

This album is one of the clear examples of why Robin Trower was considered one of the best guitarists of the time, in addition to having been compared to Jimi Hendrix himself.
An album that lacks absolutely nothing, everything is in its place and with an exquisite production.
It is made up of a series of songs of great quality, such as the monumental "Day of the Eagle", with those enormous guitar riffs without detracting from the work of James Dewar on bass and vocals.
The song "Bridge of sighs" is a slow subject but it maintains the greatness of the previous one.
While songs like "Too Rolling Stoned" are the funkiest thanks to their outstanding bass rhythm, on the other hand "A little bit of sympathy" completes this great string of great songs from a supreme category of great blues rock that are written in gold letters

Groundhogs-Split (1971)

Acclaimed by both the critics and the public "Split" was the fourth album by the British Groundhogs, the band led by the great guitarist Tony McPhee, who with their British blues with elements of hard rock and psychedelic left an enormous mark at the beginning of the 70 and was a benchmark in many later bands.
Over the years, the Groundhogs have delved deeper into psychedelic sounds and hard rock, giving their blues style, greater packaging and strength that, by the way, reaches its creative zenith in the "Cherry Red" theme, perhaps the most famous composition of the band.
The four parts that make up the "Split" theme stand out for their great dynamism in guitar riffs and in their incendiary solos.

Sky-Sky (1979)

In the late 1970s, almost as the most glorious era of progressives was drawing to a close, there were still ambitious concerns on the minds of many musicians.
This is how a super band called SKY would be formed, based on an idea of very experienced musicians like the old Curved Air; Francis Monkman, the 1,000-battle-hardened bassist Herbie Flowers or the seasoned and renowned session musician John Williams.
The original idea was to fuse rock with the baroque and romantic academy, the avant-garde, touches of jazz and the sensible flavor of pop.
The final work was translated into very elegant music, executed with great skill and at the same time accessible.
His first album does not match the creativity of his next two works, but nevertheless it is an exquisite work that perfectly meets the standards of the most demanding fans of the progressive rock.

Kansas-Leftoverture (1976)

Kansas' fourth album is the perfect balance of that prototype wall of sound that combines the violin, piano, organ, synthesizer and electric guitars playing in unison.
This album brought them massive commercial success in the United States, recognition of the criticism and was the prelude to their consecration worldwide.
Here is his biggest hit rock, "Carry On Wayward Son" which is the beginning of the album and was closed by his most successful suite "Magnum Opus", divided into six parts, where each member has room for instrumental brilliance.
The rest of the album maintains a level of quality and a variety of very diverse styles, from the forceful rock of "What's on my Mind", to the most epic "The Wall", or unclassifiable jewels such as "Miracles out of Nowhere" or "Cheyenne Anthem". This album earned five Platinum certifications for its sales in the United States alone.

Saga-Images At Twilight (1979)

"Images At Twilight", would be the title of the second album from Saga, here the band is already mature enough to make a remarkable album.
The group gives a radical change to the sound of the first album, with a predominance of guitars to the detriment of keyboards that become mere accompaniments with the occasional sporadic lucidity and in general a much more compact sound among all its members.
With better production, this work includes what is perhaps the group's best-known song; "You're not alone".
Even the album cover is much more complex and elaborate.

Home-The Alchemist (1973)

Home was an ephemeral British progressive rock band that published several albums of little commercial impact, but not without high quality. In 1973 they published their best work, which today is considered a progressive rock cult album.
"The Alchemist" was conceived as a complex and conceptual work, as if it were an opera, but without its drama, among its members was Laurie Wisefield, who later became part of the Wishbone Ash.