Dogged determination

Kate Bush ’s fifth album combines hit singles with a seven-song conceptual suite, all expressing the unmistakable style of one of progressive music’s most uncompromising visionaries. To mark 40 years of inspiration, The Anchoress, Within Temptation’s Sharon den Adel, Auri’s Johanna Kurkela, The Blackheart Orchestra’s Chrissy Mostyn and Exploring Birdsong’s Lynsey Ward celebrate the enduring magic and influence of Hounds Of Love .

Renowned Italian photographer Guido Harari snapped Kate Bush during the commercial peak of her career from 1982 to 1993. In an extract from his book The Kate Inside , he offers a fascinating glimpse into what it was like to work with the singer-songwriter and how the Hounds Of Love press images came about.

In 1974, Mike Oldfield defied the critics and hit the top of the UK charts with Hergest Ridge, the ambitious follow-up to his unexpectedly successful debut Tubular Bells . To coincide with the release of the 50th-anniversary edition, the musician, his siblings and collaborators recount the story of an album created by an overwhelmed 21-year-old taking refuge near the Welsh borders.

Whipping boys of the UK music press in the 90s, Bush know what an uphill battle feels like. Today they’re still fighting, but instead of battling the detractors, they’re prioritising improvement.

OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS, ELLE HAS CELEBRATED CREATIVITY OF ALL KINDS. HERE, A RANGE OF TODAY’S LEADING ARTISTS, WRITERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS AND DIRECTORS SHARE THE RITUALS, ROUTINES AND REALITIES BEHIND THEIR GREATEST WORKS, FROM MIND-BLOWING EXCEL SHEETS TO THE MAGIC OF THE DARK ROOM

The great and good of progressive music give us a glimpse into their prog worlds. As told to Grant Moon.