Great Forgotten Songs #129 – T-Rex “Monolith”

Marc Bolan

The classic T-Rex song “Monolith” is from the album Electric Warrior, their sixth album if including the group’s earlier incarnation as Tyrannosaurus Rex. The album marked a turning point in the band’s sound, dispensing with the folk-oriented music of the group’s previous albums and pioneering a flamboyant, pop-friendly take on electric rock and roll known as glam rock.

The album reached number 1 on the UK charts and became the best selling album of 1971. The single “Get it On” reached the top ten in the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Retitled “Bang A Gong (Get It On)” by the US record company, it also became the band’s only hit in North America.

Electric Warrior has since received acclaim as a pivotal release of the glam rock movement.

Hear the song below:

 

The album is credited as the first glam rock record album, pioneering the development of glam rock.

In 1987, Electric Warrior was ranked number 100 in Rolling Stone magazine’s “100 Greatest Albums of the Last 20 Years” list. In 2003, the album was ranked number 160 by the same magazine in its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. In 2004, Pitchfork ranked Electric Warrior as the 20th best album of the 1970s. The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

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Rafael Polcaro: I'm a Brazilian journalist who always loved Classic Rock and Heavy Metal music. That passion inspired me to create Rock and Roll Garage over 6 years ago. Music has always been a part of my life, helping me through tough times and being a support to celebrate the good ones. When I became a journalist, I knew I wanted to write about my passions. After graduating in journalism from the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais, I pursued a postgraduate degree in digital communication at the same institution. The studies and experience in the field helped me improve the website and always bring the best of classic rock to the world! MTB: 0021377/MG