More albums from King Crimson
King Crimson's Popular Music Videos
Artist Playlists
About King Crimson
Hometown
London, England
Formed
November 1968
Genre
Rock
King Crimson simultaneously defined and transcended prog rock. Fiercely original guitar stylist Robert Fripp has been the only constant through the British band’s many evolutions, always shepherding the group to something new. Their 1969 debut, In the Court of the Crimson King, blew minds with its unprecedented mix of hard-rock, jazz, avant-garde, and classical influences, with a pre-ELP Greg Lake’s rich, larger-than-life voice delivering lyricist Peter Sinfield’s wildly imagistic lyrics. With constantly shifting lineups through the ’70s, King Crimson pursued an uncompromisingly unique sound, sometimes relying heavily on improvisation. They split after the 1974 proto-metal touchstone Red, but Fripp rebooted the band for three funky, polyrhythmic, New Wave-influenced ’80s albums fronted by Bowie/Talking Heads sideman Adrian Belew. Variations of the Belew-fronted lineup convened in the ’90s and 2000s. In 2013, a new Crimson with new singer Jakko Jakszyk began touring, bringing fans tunes from all across the band’s career for the first time.
Members of King Crimson include, or have included, Adrian Belew, Robert Fripp, Ian McDonald, Greg Lake, Michael Giles, John Wetton, Bill Bruford, Gavin Harrison, Pete Sinfield, Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto, Trey Gunn, Gordon Haskell, Bill Rieflin, David Cross, Ian Wallace, Mel Collins, Jakko M. Jakszyk, and Jamie Muir.
Musical InfluencesKing Crimson's musical influences include Béla Bartók, Gustav Holst, The Beatles and more.
Influenced by King CrimsonKing Crimson has influenced the music of Peter Gabriel, TOOL, Coheed and Cambria and more.
Similar to: King Crimson
Discover more music and artists similar to King Crimson, like Gentle Giant, Yes, Emerson, Lake & Palmer
