

Few rock albums ripple with as much influence as 1969’s In the Court of the Crimson King, one of the definitive statements in progressive rock. But the band has remained nothing if not interesting, experimenting with a variety of changes in lineup, texture, and style, from lean, almost pop-style compositions to winding song suites, from tightly controlled to wildly improvisational. Surveying more than five decades of restless reinvention, here’s a playlist designed to take you deeper into King Crimson.