The Top 10 Psychedelic Rock Songs of All Time
Contents
- The Doors – “Light My Fire”
- The Jimi Hendrix Experience – “Purple Haze”
- Jefferson Airplane – “Somebody to Love”
- The Rolling Stones – “Paint It, Black”
- The Beatles – “A Day in the Life”
- Pink Floyd – “Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2”
- The Grateful Dead – “Touch of Grey”
- The Velvet Underground – “I’m Waiting for the Man”
- Syd Barrett – “Octopus”
- 13th Floor Elevators – “You’re Gonna Miss Me”
Psychedelic rock is a genre of music that is characterized by trippy, mind-bending sounds and often features mystical or psychedelic lyrics. If you’re looking for some good psychedelic rock to trip out to, check out our list of the top 10 psychedelic rock songs of all time.
The Doors – “Light My Fire”
“Light My Fire” is a song by The Doors that was recorded in 1967 and released on their self-titled debut album. The song was written by Doors’ frontman Jim Morrison and guitarist Robby Krieger, and it became one of the band’s most popular songs. It reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1967 and has been included on numerous compilation albums. “Light My Fire” is considered to be one of the defining songs of the psychedelic rock genre.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience – “Purple Haze”
psychedelic rock, also known as psychedelia, is a style of rock music characterized by exaggerated feedback, sound effects, and distorted guitars. The genre was popularized in the 1960s by artists such as the Beatles and Rolling Stones. Many of the most popular psychedelic rock songs were released in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
“Purple Haze” is a song by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. It was released in 1967 as a single from the album Are You Experienced. The song features Hendrix’s signature distorted guitar sound and is one of his most popular songs. “Purple Haze” is often considered one of the greatest psychedelic rock songs of all time.
Jefferson Airplane – “Somebody to Love”
Released in 1966, “Somebody to Love” is a song by the American rock band Jefferson Airplane. The song was written by Darby Slick, the brother-in-law of Jefferson Airplane’s singer Grace Slick. It is one of the most famous psychedelic rock songs of all time and is still popular today.
The Rolling Stones – “Paint It, Black”
Distortion. Rage. Sorrow. “Paint It, Black” is the archetypal psychedelic rock song, a seething paean to depression that’s as beautiful as it is harrowing. The 1966 single – which went to No. 1 in both the U.S. and U.K. – was the first time the Stones fully embraced electronics, with Brian Jones playing sitar (!) and Bill Wyman eschewing his bass for a fuzzed-out keyboard drone. The result was a dark, ethereal four-minute window into Keith Richards’ damaged soul, and one of the most influential records of its decade.
The Beatles – “A Day in the Life”
The iconic last song on 1967’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is a perfect capper to the greatest album of all time. At almost seven minutes long, “A Day in the Life” was also the longest song The Beatles had ever released up to that point. It consists of two distinct parts: the first is a Paul McCartney-penned section built around three piano chords, and the second is a John Lennon-written bridge that connects disparate images from newspaper headlines. The result is one of The Beatles’ most beautiful and complex compositions, with an ending crescendo that features some of Ringo Starr’s most impressive drumming.
Pink Floyd – “Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2”
Pink Floyd – “Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2”
This is one of the most well-known and iconic psychedelic rock songs of all time. It was released as a single in 1979 and reached number one in several countries, including the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. The song is from the album “The Wall” and is about conformity and rebellion. The lyrics were written by Roger Waters and the song was sung by schoolchildren.
The Grateful Dead – “Touch of Grey”
“Touch of Grey” is a song by the Grateful Dead, which first appeared on the album In the Dark in 1987. The song was written by Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia, and it was one of the band’s most successful singles, reaching number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The lyrics of “Touch of Grey” are about aging, and how one can find hope in the midst of darkness. The song has been covered by many artists, including Bruce Hornsby, who had a hit with his version in 1988.
The Velvet Underground – “I’m Waiting for the Man”
The Velvet Underground is one of the most influential rock bands of all time, and “I’m Waiting for the Man” is one of their most iconic songs. The track is a perfect example of the band’s signature sound, which combines elements of garage rock, proto-punk, and psychedelia. The song’s eerie atmosphere and catchy riff have made it a staple of both the Velvet Underground’s live shows and many subsequent psychedelic rock bands.
Syd Barrett – “Octopus”
Syd Barrett was the genius behind one of the most influential bands in music history, Pink Floyd. He wrote some of their most beloved songs, including “See Emily Play” and “Bike.” But Barrett’s own mental health problems led to his eventual downfall, and he was forced to leave Pink Floyd in 1968.
“Octopus” is a song from Barrett’s first and only solo album, The Madcap Laughs. The album was recorded during a period when Barrett’s mental health was rapidly deteriorating, and it’s obvious in the song. The lyrics are nonsensical and the vocals are screechy and off-key. But despite all of that, “Octopus” is a beautiful and haunting song that perfectly captures the sense of paranoia and confusion that Barrett was feeling at the time.
13th Floor Elevators – “You’re Gonna Miss Me”
Released in early 1966, this Space Rock classic was the first hit for the 13th Floor Elevators and one of the defining tracks of Psychedelic Rock. The song features a memorable guitar riff and some very strange lyrics, making it an obvious choice for our list.
