Rhino Hi-Five: Badfinger

It took a short legacy of only two years and three albums for Big Star to enter the rock 'n' roll pantheon. Unsuccessful in the beginning of the 70’s, Alex Chilton and Chris Bell’s band is now acclaimed as one of the most influential of its kind.

Influence is a shapeless thing, moving and rearranging based on sounds from the past and how they align with sounds from the present. In the case of progressive rock, a genre relocated from the pop charts to sheet music stands and art rock-favored stereos over the past four decades, influence has shifted in a similar way—later records that expanded the lexicon have lapped previous records with the incorporation of new styles, cultures and their corresponding sounds. Prog may not be burning up the rock charts, but you can see the everlasting influence of the genre in bands ranging from Tool to Kanye West and beyond. With that said, here are ten crucial progressive rock releases for 2021 and beyond.

Having sold 125 million albums across the globe, including some 30 million copies of their “Black Album”, Metallica is among the unlikeliest of pop sensations to come out of the last half-century. So how did a heavy metal band with such a convoluted song structure end up on par with music from the likes of Madonna and Michael Jackson? By following their instincts and sheer determination. Let’s return to the roots of the most famous heavy metal band in history.