I was 12 in 1974 when I first bought my first LP. That record was Tarkus.
Everyone else in eighth grade was listening to John Denver, Elton John and and/or discovering the Beatles & Beach Boys for the 1st time, but I was proudly a prog rocker. By 10th grade everyone was into disco, but not me. By then I had all of ELP's records, almost all of Yes & the Moody Blues, King Crimson (when Greg Lake was still in the band), Rick Wakeman's Journey to the Center of the Earth, lots of Jethro Tull, early Alan Parsons, etc. I mean I also liked the Who, Stones, etc...whatever was being played on St. Louis' legendary KSHE 95. But especially ELP, which I always said, whenever asked, was my favorite band.
Very sad right now.