The Best Psychedelic Rock Albums of the 60s

The sixties were a wild time and the music of the era reflects that. If you’re looking for the best psychedelic rock albums of the 60s, look no further. We’ve got you covered.

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

The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

When The Beatles released Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in 1967, the album changed the entire landscape of rock music. From its iconic cover art to its mind-bendingly experimental tracks, Sgt. Pepper’s is widely considered to be one of the greatest albums of all time.

The album contains some of The Beatles’ most beloved songs, including “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” “With a Little Help from My Friends,” and “A Day in the Life.” But what really sets Sgt. Pepper’s apart is its innovative use of studio techniques and expansive sonic palette. The Beatles pushed the boundaries of what was possible in rock music, and the results are still being felt today.

The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds

The Beach Boys’ classic album Pet Sounds is often lauded as one of the best psychedelic rock albums of the 1960s. The record features 12 tracks of beautifully crafted pop songs, with Brian Wilson’s Beach Boys harmony vocals and innovative production techniques at the forefront. The result is an album that sounds both ahead of its time and absolutely timeless.

The Doors – The Doors

The Doors debut album is one of the most important and influential records of the 60s. It is the perfect amalgamation of Jim Morrison’s dark and poetic lyrics, Ray Manzarek’s jazzy and experimental keyboard work, Robbie Krieger’s bluesy and psychedelic guitar work, and John Densmore’s groovy and propulsive drumming. All of these elements come together to create a sound that is both unique and timeless.

Jimi Hendrix – Are You Experienced

Recorded in just over a week in early 1967, Are You Experienced remains one of the most influential rock albums of all time. The sheer number of great songs on the record – “Purple Haze,” “Fire,” “Hey Joe,” “The Wind Cries Mary,” and “I Don’t Live Today” – is staggering, and the album announced Hendrix as a truly groundbreaking talent. His revolutionary approach to the electric guitar – using feedback, distortion, and other effects to create new sounds – would change the course of rock music.

The Rolling Stones – Beggars Banquet

Beggars Banquet is the seventh British and ninth American studio album by English rock band The Rolling Stones, released in December 1968 by Decca Records in the United Kingdom and London Records in the United States.

It marked a return to roots rock for the band following the more psychedelic records Their Satanic Majesties Request andBetween the Buttons. Beggars Banquet was well-received by music critics upon its release. In subsequent decades, it has been hailed as one of the greatest albums of all time by many publications.

The album’s first side contains five tracks: three original songs written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards (including one co-written with Brian Jones); one cover of a Sleepy John Estes blues song; and an instrumental jamsession led by Jimmy Page on slide guitar. Side two comprises four Jagger–Richards originals, including two that are considered classic Stones songs: “Sympathy for the Devil” and “Street Fighting Man”. These were both released as singles at the time; “Sympathy for the Devil” was a number-one hit in France, while “Street Fighting Man” was not successful in most countries but did make it to number 48 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in 1968.

The album’s artwork caused controversy upon its release due to its suggestive cover photo (taken at a Waite & Baker Ltd photographic studio) which showed a toilet with graffiti that included a lurid description of an act of coprophilia.

Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin (1969)

The debut album from Led Zeppelin is one of the most influential rock albums of all time. It’s a perfect blend of blues, folk, and psychedelia, with hints of Eastern influences. The band’s use of distortion and feedback set them apart from other bands of the time, and their heavy riffs laid the foundation for what would become heavy metal. This is one album that every rock fan should own.

Pink Floyd – The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

If you want to get an idea of what the psychedelic scene might have been like in the late 60s, this is the album for you. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is a strange, beautiful and trippy journey that takes the listener on a wild ride. The album features some of Pink Floyd’s most well-known tracks, including “Astronomy Domine” and “Interstellar Overdrive”. If you’re looking for an introduction to psychedelic rock, this is the perfect place to start.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Axis: Bold as Love

The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s 1967 album, Axis: Bold as Love, is one of the most iconic and influential psychedelic rock albums of the 1960s. The record is a perfect example of Hendrix’s incomparable guitar style, blending blues, rock, and pop into a revolutionary new sound. With classics like “Purple Haze,” “Fire,” and “The Wind Cries Mary,” Axis: Bold as Love cemented Hendrix as one of the most innovative and important musicians of his generation.

The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground & Nico

The Velvet Underground’s self-titled third album is one of the most influential records ever made. The brainchild of Lou Reed and John Cale, the record is a hazy, feedback-drenched mix of garage rock and avant-garde experimentation that would come to define the sound of underground music for generations to come. Released in 1967, the album features some of the band’s most iconic tracks, including ‘I’m Waiting for the Man’ and ‘All Tomorrow’s Parties’.

Cream – Disraeli Gears

Released in 1967, Disraeli Gears was the second album by Cream, and it is considered to be one of the best psychedelic rock albums of all time. The album features the hit single “Sunshine of Your Love”, which is often considered to be one of the greatest rock songs ever recorded. Other standout tracks on the album include “Strange Brew”, “Tales of Brave Ulysses”, and “We’re Going Wrong”.