Marc Bolan and T. Rex

Marc Bolan started out in 1967 with a band called Tyrannosaurus Rex, playing acoustic folk music with drummer Steve Peregrin Took and bassist Steve Currie. By 1970, they'd shortened the name to T. Rex and shifted toward a more electric sound, bringing in drummer Mickey Finn and percussionist Dino Dines. That change set the stage for what came next.

Their 1971 album 'Electric Warrior' broke through internationally, with singles like 'Bang a Gong (Get It On)' and 'Jeepster' becoming glam rock anthems. Bolan's lyrics had an otherworldly quality, and the band's flamboyant style helped define the early 1970s glam scene. They followed up with albums like 'The Slider' in 1972, which included the title track and songs like 'Children Of The Revolution'.

T. Rex kept recording through the mid-1970s with albums like 'Tanx' and 'Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow.' Songs such as '20th Century Boy,' 'Cosmic Dancer,' and 'Cat Black' show the range of their output, from stomping rock to more reflective moments. Bolan's persona drew attention, both for its theatricality and the controversies that sometimes followed, but the music itself held a distinctive, catchy sway.