Sonic History of Moog Instruments: Movement into Mainstream

View recordings from the early era of Moog instruments

1970    Terry Manning – Home Sweet Home

1970    Emerson, Lake, & Palmer
“Lucky Man” features a Moog solo recorded by Keith Emerson at the end of the song, and is one of the first songs to feature a synth as a prominent solo instrument.

1971    Jeff Haskell – Switched on Buck

1971    Leon Russell – Leon Russell and the Shelter People
(Stranger in a Strange Land)

1971    Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Pictures at an Exhibition

1971    Tonto’s Exploding Head Band – Zero Time
Tonto is an acronym for “The Original New Timbral Orchestra,” the world’s first (and still the largest) multitimbral polyphonic analog synthesizer, designed and constructed by Malcolm Cecil. Consisting of two Moog modular series III synths and various modules from other manufacturers, the Tonto is most frequently heard on the recordings of Stevie Wonder from this era.

1972    Stevie Wonder – Music of My Mind

1972    Stevie Wonder – Talking Book

1973    Stevie Wonder – Innervisions

1973    Mahavishnu Orchestra – Birds of Fire
Album features Jan Hammer on Moog Synthesizer.

1973    Mother Mallard’s Portable Masterpiece Co.
The Bob Moog Foundation is grateful to David Borden for donating the Mother Mallard’s Moog Modular to the Foundation for our archives.

1974    Yes – Tales from Topographic Oceans
One of the first albums to feature a MiniMoog.

1974    Kraftwerk – Autobahn

1975    Tangerine Dream – Rubycon

1975    Gary Wright – The Dream Weaver

1976    Electric Light Orchestra – A New World Record

1976    Jeff Beck – Wired

1977    Donna Summer – I Remember Yesterday
The hit song “I Feel Love” featured a Moog synth bassline and became characteristic of the disco sound.

1977    Clara Rockmore – The Art of the Theremin (recorded 1977, released 1987)
Produced by Dr. Robert Moog

1977    Rush – A Farewell to Kings
Album utilized a Moog Taurus pedal and a MiniMoog.

1979    Gary Numan – The Pleasure Principle