#15: The Moody Blues — “Nights in White Satin” (1967)
Blends orchestral arrangements with dramatic minor-key verses, culminating in an impassioned spoken-word poem (“Late Lament”) backed by gong crashes. The band merged lush symphonic instrumentation with rock balladry to create an expansive, solemn tone. Closing the track with an eerie, recitative poem challenged every convention of late-1960s pop radio formats.
