Kansas

If Steppenwolf isn’t artsy enough for you, consider the out-there prog-rock stylings of Kansas. The band’s biggest hit is probably the delicate acoustic ballad “Dust in the Wind” — that song every dad in America has performed at karaoke night at some point in time — but it isn’t really indicative of their typically baroque, gleefully indulgent style. 1976’s “Carry on Wayward Son,” one of the most frequently played tunes on classic-rock radio, is more apropos: It consists of several movements, like an opera in miniature, and it channels the bombast and sprawl of a Greek epic. They might be one of the only bands whose songs actually follow the arc of the classical hero’s journey. And yes, guitarist Rich Williams still wears that rad eye patch.