Kansas

These corn-fed prog-rock philosophers hit it right exactly once: the 1977 acoustic doomshow "Dust in the Wind," which seems guaranteed to stick around long after the earth and sky are both gone. It's the first riff any guitarist learns to play (very similar to Janis Ian's "At Seventeen," in fact), as well as a sermon on the transience of material things, complete with air-violin solo, dry-ice video, and Steve Walsh's terrifying crumble-to-the-ground screams. ("All your money! Won't another! Minute buy-hiiiiiiiiy!") Radiohead tried to rewrite it as "Street Spirit (Fade Out)," but the original's much scarier; it also inspired the best scene in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. Compared to "Dust in the Wind," the rest of Kansas' oeuvre just sounds like ordinary prog. Guitarist/songwriter Kerry Livgren was a seeker after the truth, leading to brow-furrowing anthems like "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Point of Know Return." Fond of suites and such, the band at least had a sense of humor, as evinced by titles such as Leftoverture and for that matter "Magnum Opus" and "Icarus -- Borne on the Wings of Steel." Livgren moved on to become one of the leading lights of '80s born-again Christian rock with his new band, A.D. The usual cycle of breakups and reunions ensued, proving that everything is dust in the wind. Tragically, Kansas never got around to making a duet album with Toto. (ROB SHEFFIELD)

From 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide