The Greatest Psychedelic Rock Bands of All Time
Take a trip down memory lane with this list of the greatest psychedelic rock bands of all time.
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The members consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. They are often regarded as the most influential band of all time. Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that became popular in the 1960s. The Beatles were a big part of that with their hit song, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.”
The band’s history
The Beatles were an English rock band that became arguably the most successful act of the 20th century. They formed in Liverpool in 1960 and their lineup consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. The Beatles are often cited as the most influential band of all time and are credited with helping to pioneer psychedelic rock.
The band’s history is marked by periods of intense creativity, collaboration, and conflict. They broke up in 1970 and each member went on to have successful solo careers. The Beatles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and their recordings were added to the National Recording Registry in 2002.
The band’s sound
The Beatles’ sound was marked by a wide range of influences, from Chuck Berry and Little Richard to Dylan, including classical music, which they absorbed from the records in George Harrison’s collection. They also occasionally incorporated Indian instruments on their later work after studying the sitar with Ravi Shankar. All four members wrote songs for the band, with Lennon–McCartney being the most prolific; John Lennon wrote or co-wrote some of the group’s most commercially successful material. Harrison and, to a lesser extent, Starr also received songwriting credits.
The Beatles’ catalogue has been reissued several times and compilations continue to be released. In 1988, Rolling Stone ranked them No. 1 on its list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time”, an accolade they continue to hold as of 2020. In 2019, they were nominated for and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Let It Be”.
The band’s impact
The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. With a line-up comprising John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they are often regarded as the most influential band of all time. The group were integral to the development of 1960s counterculture and popular music’s recognition as an art form. Rooted in skiffle and 1950s rock and roll, their sound incorporated elements of classical music and traditional pop in innovative ways; the band later explored music styles ranging from ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock. As pioneers in recording, songwriting and artistic presentation, the Beatles revolutionised many aspects of the music industry and popular culture.
The Beatles became widely regarded as the foremost and most influential rock band of all time. Rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock and roll, their sound was later influenced by R&B, Indian music, classical music and fired by emergence of The Beatles into the forefront of youth culture with their fashion sense, humour and ability to convey social comment. In 1963 Brian Epstein secured a record contract for them with EMI’s Parlophone label.
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band that formed in 1962. They have released 30 studio albums, 23 live albums, and numerous compilations. The Rolling Stones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004. They are considered one of the greatest rock bands of all time.
The band’s history
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. The first stable line-up consisted of Brian Jones (guitar, harmonica), Mick Jagger (lead vocals, harmonica), Keith Richards (guitar, vocals), Bill Wyman (bass guitar), Charlie Watts (drums), and Ian Stewart (piano). Stewart was removed from the official line-up in 1963 but continued to work with the band as a contracted musician until his death in 1985. Jones died less than a month after recording finished for their 1981 album Tattoo You. After Wyman’s departure in 1993, Darryl Jones replaced him on bass guitar. Other notable keyboardists for the band have been Nicky Hopkins, Billy Preston, and Ivan Neville.
The Rolling Stones were at the forefront of the British Invasion of bands that became popular in the United States in 1964 and were identified with the youthful and rebellious counterculture of the 1960s. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004. Rolling Stone magazine ranked them fourth on their “100 Greatest Artists of All Time” list and their estimated record sales are above 250 million units worldwide. They have released 30 studio albums, 23 live albums and numerous compilations.
The band’s sound
Psychedelic rock, sometimes referred to as simply psychedlia, is a style of rock music that was popularized in the 1960s and is characterized by a distorted or hallucinogenic sound, often created with the help of electronic effects. The genre became widely known in the United States after the release of the Beatles’ album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in 1967, which was influenced by psychedelia. Psychedelic rock reached its peak of popularity in the late 1960s with bands such as the Doors, the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and Jimi Hendrix Experience. The style continued to be popular in the 1970s with artists such as Pink Floyd and Queen.
The band’s impact
The Rolling Stones are one of the most important bands in the history of rock and roll. They have been active for more than 50 years and their music has influenced generations of artists. The Rolling Stones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004. They have released more than 30 studio albums and sold over 200 million records worldwide.
The Rolling Stones were a driving force behind the development of psychedelic rock, a subgenre of rock that emerged in the mid-1960s. Psychedelic rock is characterized by its use of electronic instruments, extended improvisation, and unusual sound effects. The Rolling Stones incorporated these elements into their music on their 1967 album, Their Satanic Majesties Request. The album was not well received at the time, but it is now considered one of the greatest psychedelic rock albums of all time.
The band’s impact on psychedelic rock was significant enough that they are often considered one of the greatest psychedelic rock bands of all time. Their influence can be heard in the music of subsequent generations of artists, including Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and The Grateful Dead.
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were one of the most controversial and influential rock groups of the 1960s and 1970s, mostly because of Morrison’s erratic behavior and self-destructive lifestyle. Members of the band were also prosecuted for their involvement in the 1969 death of Morrison’s girlfriend, Pamela Courson.
The band’s history
The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were one of the most controversial and influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s, mostly because of Morrison’s lyrics and stage antics. After Morrison’s death in 1971 at the age of 27, the remaining members continued as a trio until finally disbanded in 1973.
The Doors were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. The band gained popularity for their live performances which often featured psychedelic light shows. In 1967 they released their debut album, The Doors, which contained their most successful single “Light My Fire”. The singles “Break On Through” and “Hello, I Love You” brought them mainstream attention in the United States. The band continued to release successful albums such as Strange Days (1967), Waiting for the Sun (1968), The Soft Parade (1969), Morrison Hotel (1970), L.A. Woman (1971), and Other Voices (1972).
The band’s sound
The Doors were one of the most innovative and influential rock bands of the 1960s. With their unique blend of blues, psychedelia, and eastern-influenced music, they created a sound that was unlike anything that had come before. The band’s lyrics, which were often cryptic and filled with hidden meanings, added to their mystique. The Doors were one of the first rock bands to embrace the concept of the “album-oriented rock” format, releasing a series of groundbreaking albums that defined the genre.
The band’s sound was created by the interplay between the two main songwriters, Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek. Morrison’s bluesy, distinctive vocals were backed by Manzarek’s inventive keyboard playing, which made extensive use of organ sounds. The rest of the band was rounded out by guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore.
Despite their short career (the band only released six studio albums before Morrison’s death in 1971), The Doors left a lasting legacy and remain one of the most iconic rock bands of all time.
The band’s impact
The Doors’ impact on popular culture was considerable during the late 1960s and early 1970s. According to Oliver Stone, “wherever I went in the world, people would say, ‘Hey, have you heard this band? They’re great’… People hearing their records would say they’d seen things in a different way”. The Doors’ music and their live performances continue to inspire other artists.
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin was an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist and keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. The band’s heavy, guitar-driven sound, rooted in blues and psychedelia on their early albums, has earned them recognition as one of the progenitors of heavy metal, though their unique style drew from a wide variety of influences, including folk, pop, and world music.
The band’s history
Led Zeppelin was formed in 1968 by Jimmy Page (guitar), Robert Plant (vocals, harmonica), John Paul Jones (bass guitar, keyboards) and John Bonham (drums). With their heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are regularly cited as one of the progenitors of hard rock and heavy metal. Their style drew from a wide variety of sources and influences, including blues, psychedelia and folk music.
The band’s sound
Led Zeppelin’s musical style originated in the blues rock of the late 1960s and was heavily influenced by the works of other British Invasion bands, as well as American artists such as Elmore James, Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. With their heavy, guitar-driven sound and lyrics often dealing with mystical and supernatural themes, Led Zeppelin were initially dismissed by critics as being part of the same “loud, overblown hard rock” trend that included other bands such as Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. However, Led Zeppelin’s incorporation of previously unused musical instruments and innovative recording techniques expanded upon rock’s sonic palette beyond what had been previously considered possible. These elements combined to help create an identification of the band’s sound that would prove influential on hard rock acts of subsequent generations, such as Iron Maiden, Van Halen, Metallica and Guns N’ Roses.
The band’s impact
Formed in 1968, Led Zeppelin was an English rock band that is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential bands of all time. The band’s members were vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. They are often credited with popularizing the genre of psychedelic rock.
Led Zeppelin’s music is characterized by a heavy, distorted guitar sound, powerful vocals, and a bluesy influence. Their debut album, “Led Zeppelin” (1969), is largely seen as a blueprint for the hard rock and heavy metal genres. The band’s next two albums, “Led Zeppelin II” (1969) and “Led Zeppelin III” (1970), further cemented their reputation as one of the most innovative and influential rock bands of all time.
Pink Floyd
Formed in 1965, Pink Floyd is one of the most influential and important rock bands of all time. They are best known for their concept albums, which include The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and The Wall. They are also known for their groundbreaking live shows, which often featured psychedelic light shows and projections.
The band’s history
Pink Floyd was an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic groups, they were distinguished for their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philosophical lyrics and elaborate live shows, and became a leading band of the progressive rock genre. They are one of the most commercially successful and influential groups in popular music history.
The band initially consisted of Syd Barrett on lead guitar and lead vocals, Nick Mason on drums, Roger Waters on bass guitar and vocals, and Richard Wright on keyboards and vocals. Barrett’s erratic behavior forced his departure from the band in 1968; Wright also left that year, being replaced by keyboardist/bassist Jon Carin. Guitarist/singer/songwriter David Gilmour joined as a fifth member in December 1967. Approaching the commercial peak of their powers with The Dark Side of the Moon (1973) and Wish You Were Here (1975), Pink Floyd achieved critical acclaim withAnimals (1977) and The Wall (1979). Barrett died in 2006, Wright in 2008 and Waters in 2014. Gilmour is the only Pink Floyd member to have performed on every one of their studio albums; Mason has appeared on all but two: A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987) which was recorded without him due to contractual issues, as well as The Endless River (2014), recorded without him after he decided not to participate.
With their final album, The Endless River (2014), they became one of the best-selling bands of all time with estimated sales over 250 million records worldwide. By 2013, they had sold more than 375 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling music artists in history. According to Classic Rock magazine editor Mick Wall: “Their influences stretch out much further than just progressive rock … Pink Floyd co-founded not only a genre but an attitude.”
The band’s sound
Pink Floyd’s sound is based on the innovative use of basic compositional elements, and on their capacity to evoke a sense of time, space, and mood. The band’s musical style evolved from their psychedelic rock roots to become an unusual mix of blues-rock, pop, experimental music, and electronic rock. Their lyrics often dealt with philosophical themes and concepts such as war, mental illness, drug abuse, and the individual’s place in the cosmos.
The band’s sound is characterized by the use of extended instrumental passages, innovative production techniques, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially successful and influential groups in popular music history. They have sold over 250 million records worldwide, including 75 million units sold in the United States.Their work has earned them numerous awards, including fourteen Grammy nominations (six of which they won), seven Brit Awards (including one for Outstanding Contribution to Music), an Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement, and a 2015 induction into the US Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The band’s impact
If Pink Floyd is the best psychedelic rock band of all time, they’re also one of the most culturally impactful bands ever. For more than 50 years, their music has soundtracked the triumphs and tragedies of generations of fans, and their influence can be felt in everything from arena rock to EDM. They are, quite simply, one of the most important bands in the history of popular music.
