Hawkwind

This English band has undergone as many lineup changes as a soccer team over the last three decades, but it's still a comfort to have Hawkwind around. With albums titles such as Warrior on the Edge of Time and The Chronicle of the Black Sword -- an adaptation of Michael Moorcock's fantasy novels -- it should come as no surprise that the sonic air fluttering around their rock wings is a mix of early Metal, Prog, wild synths and drug-induced sci-fi surrealism. Hawkwind may be the favorite band of elves, trolls, warlocks, witches, druids and Smurfs, but a career-spanning compilation by them is a history of rock unto itself. Like a real-life Spinal Tap, Hawkwind mastered gritty Blues Rock, Roots rock and early Metal (their Top-5 British hit "Silver Machine" was belted out by Lemmy, who later went on to front Motorhead) before becoming a unique Progressive Rock band. Nearly every other 1970s Prog band has long since fallen by the wayside, but Hawkwind continue on. Perhaps chanting to the "Hairy Hosts of Hogar" was a good career move after all.