Cream

It’s kind of hard to imagine, but back in 1967 Eric Clapton was a tripped-out hippie, sporting an afro and playing ten-minute solos on a multi-coloured painted Gibson SG. Cream was the first power trio in rock history and took psychedelia to a new level. Their lengthy instrumental improvisations raised the virtuosity bar for everyone, and their huge distorted sound was a big influence on most hard rockers of the seventies.