Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Emerson, Lake & Palmer were a British progressive rock supergroup formed in early 1970, bringing together keyboardist Keith Emerson (formerly of The Nice), bassist and vocalist Greg Lake (formerly of King Crimson), and drummer Carl Palmer (formerly of Atomic Rooster and The Crazy World of Arthur Brown). Their combined pedigree instantly made them one of the most anticipated acts of the emerging progressive rock scene, and they delivered with a sound built on Emerson's virtuosic, classically-informed keyboard work, Lake's melodic songwriting and voice, and Palmer's technically dazzling drumming.

The band's self-titled 1970 debut was followed a year later by Tarkus, which topped the UK charts and remains one of their defining statements, fusing hard rock riffing with extended orchestral-style compositions like the title suite. Their run through the 1970s produced Brain Salad Surgery, widely regarded as their creative peak and later ranked among the greatest progressive rock albums, alongside enduring pieces such as «Karn Evil 9» and the acoustic ballad «From the Beginning». Lake's «Lucky Man», written years earlier, became an unlikely radio staple and one of the band's most recognizable songs.

Internal tensions led to the group's split in 1979, but they reunited roughly twelve years later, releasing Black Moon and In the Hot Seat in the 1990s and touring intermittently afterward. Their fusion of rock power with classical and jazz ambition influenced later progressive and symphonic rock acts, from Iron Maiden to Dream Theater, cementing ELP's place as one of the genre's foundational supergroups.