Small Faces

In the late '60s every British band of note attempted to create the ultimate concept album, and Ogden's Nut Gone Flake (a hashish reference, of course) is one of the era's best. Although the Tolkien-inspired narration on the B-side sounds a bit goofy, the Small Faces' trippy mix of mod-fueled RnB, quirky folk-pop and proto-Zeppelin bombast proves they were first-tier rockers right alongside the Beatles and Kinks. Plus, "Afterglow" is one of the most soulful power ballads in rock history.