One of the first really great albums of all time, for me, is In The Court Of The Crimson King, by King Crimson, from 1969.
Everything, from the cover artwork, to the quality of the songwriting, the playing, and the sound, were all outstanding! No other group of musicians or recordings inspired me more.
Greg Lake, Robert Fripp, Ian McDonald, Michael Giles, and lyricist Pete Sinfield, were King Crimson.
Greg was a killer bass and guitar player, and a real John Lennon singer!
Here are King Crimson, performing their first big gig in Hyde Park, London, July 1969! What a band! (You will have to forgive some of the mixing, as well as the monitor mix the singers were hearing, especially In the Court of the Crimson King!)