I guess the term is hard to define, maybe a better term would be rock which rocks bad enough the lyrical themes don’t matter?
Ur example:Holy Diver.
I’m thinking of bands like Blue Oyster Cult and Hawkwind who have songs about fantasy/scifi subjects.
Queen’s soundtracks for Highlander and Flash Gordon, do they count?
Several Bowie tunes - I’m thinking specifically Starman and Space Oddity, but I know there are others.
2112 by Rush. ETA: Tony Carey’s Planet P Project.
Would Pink Floyd’s Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun qualify? The PTV version is awesome as well.
“Rocket Man” -Elton John
OK, it’s cringy when William Shatner sings it but other than that…
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto?
I guess not.
Speaking of Floyd, how about Interstellar Overdrive?
Do instrumentals even count?
“Starship Troopers” by Yes is pretty solid.
Hey!
yeah, tonnes of Bowie stuff would fit. The albums “Diamond Dogs” and “The Rise and Fall of the Spiders from Mars” are pretty much sci-fi stories in themselves (and have loads of great tunes on them)
King Crimson, maybe, or Robin Trower? Uriah Heep? (I spent most of my youth in a fantasy land of sorts ;), so I could be totally off the mark.)
Dammit! I just squeegeed that phrase out of my brain after Asimovian’s birthday thread, and now I’ll have to start all over. I think this time I’ll sing the Gilligan’s Island theme song to the tune of “Amazing Grace,” or vice versa.
Rick Wakeman’s Journey to the Center of the Earth and its quarter-of-a-century-later sequel Return to the Center of the Earth
Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Pretty much the entirety of ELO’s album, Time. Particularly Yours Truly, 2095.
Rush’s new album, “Clockwork Angels” is a concept album set in a Streampunk world. Of course Rush has lots of Sci-fi/fantasy themed work. Oh lets see… By-Tor and the Snowdog, Rivendell, The Necromancer, The Fountain of Lamneth, the previously mentioned 2112, Cygnus x-1, Hemispheres, Countdown (science fact, not fiction), and probably others that are slipping my mind right now.
Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of War of the Worlds – clunky title, but one of the best adaptations of the novel.
Songs:
“'39” by Queen
“Beautiful Zelda” by the Bonzo Dog Band
“Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft” by Klaatu (though the Carpenters do a nice version, too).