Smash hit

Pretty Things: SF Sorrow (1968) This tells the life story of the titular Sebastian F Sorrow from cradle to grave, fusing the British band’s garage blues tendencies with psychedelia. The music merges many different styles, under the wacky production of the late Norman Smith.

The Who: Tommy (1969) Pete Townshend’s rock opera about a “deaf, dumb and blind kid” who becomes hailed as a messiah needs no introduction, having been an album, a film and a stage show and produced hits such as Pinball Wizard.

David Bowie: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972) You can tell from the unwieldy title that this is a concept album. On what was his breakthrough record, Bowie “plays” an androgynous alien rock star in a dystopian future. It includes many of glam- rock’s finest moments, such as Five Years, Moonage Daydream and Hang on to Yourself.

The Osmonds: The Plan (1973) Who would have thought that the toothsome popsters would go psychedelic? Well, they did with this Mormon-themed concept album, mixing the expected orchestral pop with acid-rock flourishes.

Horslips: The Tain (1973) Based on an Irish saga, this was an ambitious blend of rock and traditional Irish music. The songs tell the 10th-century story of a war between Ulster and Connaught.

Robert Calvert: Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters (1974) The erstwhile Hawkwind front man pulled in a starry cast of collaborators for this deranged masterpiece about our hero and his famously accident-prone combat planes. Guests include Brian Eno, Arthur Brown and Viv Stanshall.

Genesis: The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974) Peter Gabriel’s Genesis produced their first fully fledged concept album/rock opera, telling the story of a New York hustler called Rael.

Rick Wakeman: Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (1975) The Yes keyboard maestro delved into British history for his third synth-fest — complete with mandatory orchestra and choir. This is the apotheosis of prog rock — love it or loathe it.

Pink Floyd: The Wall (1979) Roger Waters created this thinly disguised autobiographical tale of a rock star complaining about the isolating effect of his fame. The live version set new standards for spectacular stage shows.

Sufjan Stevens: Greetings from Michigan — the Great Lake State (2003) The first instalment in Stevens’s mission to make an album about each of the 50 US states is a homage to his home state. Playing every instrument himself, he sings about everything from urban blight in Detroit to unemployment in Flint.

Neil Young: Greendale (2003) Not the likeliest rocker to go conceptual, Young created a fictional California community and filled it with characters, in this case a family torn apart by a murder.

The Streets: A Grand Don’t Come for Free (2004) A new chapter in concept albums, hip-hop artist Mike Skinner’s second album tells a fully rounded story centred on the loss of £1,000.

Aimee Mann: The Forgotten Arm (2005) Inspired by Mann’s long-standing interest in boxing, this tells of two lovers — one of them a boxer returning from the Vietnam war — meeting at the Virginia state fair and going on the run.

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