The 10 Greatest Psychedelic Rock Albums of All Time

A list of the 10 best psychedelic rock albums of all time, as decided by the experts.

The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

This 1967 album is considered by many to be the greatest psychedelic album of all time. It was the first album to use stereo effects and Floyd Cramer’s “shimmer” technique. The album was also one of the first to use a Moog synthesizer.

The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds

By the time Brian Wilson finishedPet Sounds, it was obvious that the Beach Boys were no longer interested in making party anthems about cars and girls. This was something different – an avant-garde, top-to-bottom masterpiece that would change pop music forever. Working with a team of collaborators that included his brothers Carl and Dennis, as well as lyricist Tony Asher, Wilson pushed himself to new heights, crafting an intricate web of sound that incorporated elements of pop, jazz, classical music and more.And while the album’s suburban California sound would come to dominate American pop in the years to follow, at the time it felt like something completely new – a mind-bending journey into strange new territory.

The Doors – The Doors

The Doors’ debut album is one of the most influential and popular psychedelic albums of all time. Released in 1967, it includes some of the band’s most well-known songs, such as “Light My Fire,” “People Are Strange,” and “Break On Through (To the Other Side).” The album reached number two on the US Billboard 200 chart and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Pink Floyd – The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

1. Pink Floyd – The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

Issued in 1967, Pink Floyd’s debut album is a key release in the history of psychedelia. Although Syd Barrett’s songwriting was already displaying a fascination with the psychedelic experience, it was group’s use of sound that set them apart from their peers. With Barrett’s inventive guitar work and their use of tape loops and feedback, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn announced the arrival of a band who would change the face of popular music.

2. The Doors – The Doors

The Doors’ self-titled debut album was released in 1967 and featured one of the most iconic frontmen in rock history in Jim Morrison. With its mix of blues, rock and psychedelia, The Doors announced themselves as a band who were willing to push boundaries both musically and lyrically. The album features some of their best-known tracks including ‘Break On Through (To the Other Side)’, ‘Light My Fire’ and ‘The End’.

3. Love – Forever Changes

Love’s Forever Changes is often cited as one of the greatest albums of the 1960s. Released in 1967, it marked a change in direction for the band, who until this point had been associated with psychedelic rock. Forever Changes is a more introspective and mellow album, featuring singer-songwriter Arthur Lee at his best. Tracks such as ‘Alone Again Or’ and ‘A House Is Not A Motel’ remain some of the most beautiful and evocative songs from the era.

4. The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Are You Experienced?

Are You Experienced? Was Jimi Hendrix’s debut album, released in 1967. It featured a mix of original material penned by Hendrix himself and cover versions of popular songs such as Muddy Waters’ ‘Mannish Boy’ and Bob Dylan’s ‘All Along the Watchtower’. With its innovative blend of blues, rock and psychedelia, Are You Experienced? Established Hendrix as one of the most influential guitarists of all time.

5. Cream – Disraeli Gears

Cream were one of the first supergroups and their second album Disraeli Gears proved to be their commercial breakthrough. Released in 1967, it featured trademark blistering guitar work from Eric Clapton and inventive bass playing from Jack Bruce. Drummer Ginger Baker was also on top form, providing some intricate jazz-influenced fills throughout the record. Tracks such as ‘Sunshine Of Your Love’ and ‘Strange Brew’ remain some of cream’s best-loved songs

Love – Forever Changes

One of the most beautiful albums of all time, Love’s Forever Changes is an aching, poignant collection of songs that perfectly capture the ennui and discontent of the late ‘60s. Released in 1967, the album failed to find an audience at the time, but has since been widely acclaimed as a classic of its era. Recorded in just six weeks, Forever Changes is a masterful example of psychedelic pop, blending elements of folk, rock and orchestral music to create a unique and timeless sound. Featuring the timeless hits “7 and 7 Is” and “Alone Again Or”, Forever Changes is an essential album for any fan of ‘60s music.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Are You Experienced

Are You Experienced is the debut album from The Jimi Hendrix Experience, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest debuts in rock history. The album was recorded in just over a month in 1966, and features some of Hendrix’s most iconic tracks, including “Purple Haze”, “Foxey Lady”, and “Fire”. Are You Experienced showcases Hendrix’s incredible guitar playing, and is a must-listen for any fan of psychedelic rock.

The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground & Nico

Even though The Velvet Underground only released two albums while Lou Reed was in the band, they managed to have a huge influence on countless artists that would come after them. Their self-titled debut, The Velvet Underground & Nico, is widely considered one of the greatest and most influential albums of all time.

The album was originally met with mixed reviews upon its release in 1967, but it has since gone on to be praised for its masterful blend of genres, as well as itsgroundbreaking exploration of topics like drug use and sexual orientation. Musically, the album is all over the place, ranging from the gentle beauty of “Sunday Morning” to the feedback-drenched chaos of “I’m Waiting for the Man”.

If you’re looking for a place to start with The Velvet Underground, this is it. The Velvet Underground & Nico is an essential album for any fan of rock music.

The Grateful Dead – Anthem of the Sun

Anthem of the Sun is the second studio album by rock band the Grateful Dead. Released in 1968, it is the first album to feature second drummer Mickey Hart, who joined the band in September 1967. It was also the last album to be released on Warner Bros. Records before the band signed with minion parent company Rhino Entertainment for reissues and archival releases in 2001. The story goes that when Warner executives saw what the band had come up with—an avant-garde pastiche that spliced together various live recordings with studio sessions, then ran them all through a newly acquired reel-to-reel tape deck to create a single mind-bending whole—they had no idea what to make of it, and basically just dumped it on an unsuspecting public.

Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band – Trout Mask Replica

At the time of its release in late 1969, Trout Mask Replica confounded almost everyone who heard it. Released on Frank Zappa’s Straight Records label, the double album featured 28 songs clocking in at just over 77 minutes, and not a single conventional pop song in sight. Trout Mask Replica was the sound of Beefheart and his band – which included guitarists Ry Cooder and Zoot Horn Rollo, bassist Mark Boston (aka Rockette Morton), and drummer John French (aka Drumbo) – deconstructing rock & roll and blues conventions and rebuilding them into something new, strange and thrilling.

Syd Barrett – The Madcap Laughs

If Syd Barrett is the patron saint of psychedelic music, then The Madcap Laughs is his prophetic statement. Recorded in 1968 after Barrett had left Pink Floyd, the album is a hazy, dreamlike collection of 12 songs that range from the beautiful and melodic (“Octopus”) to the jarring and experimental (“Dark Globe”). Barrett’s fragile mental state is evident in both his lyrics and his guitar playing, which veers from brilliant to erratic and back again. The Madcap Laughs is an essential document of the late-’60s psychedelic era, and one of the most unique and arresting albums ever made.