The Best Psychedelic Rock Instrumentals on YouTube
Contents
- The Psychedelic Furs- “The Ghost in You”
- The Doors- “The End”
- Pink Floyd- “Interstellar Overdrive”
- The Grateful Dead- “Dark Star”
- Jimi Hendrix- “Third Stone from the Sun”
- Cream- “Crossroads”
- King Crimson- “21st Century Schizoid Man”
- The Moody Blues- “Nights in White Satin”
- Yes- “Roundabout”
- Emerson, Lake & Palmer- “Karn Evil 9”
Looking for some mind-bending psychedelic rock instrumentals to get lost in? Look no further than YouTube, where you can find an abundance of great tunes to trip out to. In this blog post, we’ll highlight some of the best psychedelic rock instrumentals on YouTube, perfect for your next acid trip!
The Psychedelic Furs- “The Ghost in You”
The Psychedelic Furs are an English rock band founded in February 1977. Led by singer Richard Butler and his brother Tim Butler on bass guitar, the Psychedelic Furs are one of the many acts spawned from the British post-punk scene.
ThePsychedelic Furs had several hits in the 1980s, including “Love My Way”, “Pretty in Pink”, and “Heaven”. The band continued to tour and release albums throughout the 1990s and 2000s.
“The Ghost in You” is a song by the Psychedelic Furs, released as a single in 1984. It was released as a single from the album Mirror Moves. The song peaked at #3 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart and at #26 on the Hot 100.
The Doors- “The End”
The Doors- “The End” is widely considered to be one of the best psychedelic rock instrumentals of all time. The song was written by Jim Morrison and was released on the band’s 1967 album, The Doors.
The song is an 11-minute journey through the mind of Morrison, who was heavily influenced by psychedelic drugs at the time. The song features a number of different elements, including spoken word passages, ethereal sound effects, and multi-layered instrumentation.
While the song is primarily an instrumental, it does feature a brief vocal performance from Morrison at the end, in which he can be heard intoning the words “the end is the beginning is the end.”
“The End” has been covered by a number of different artists over the years, but none have been able to capture the magic of The Doors’ original version.
Pink Floyd- “Interstellar Overdrive”
Pink Floyd’s “Interstellar Overdrive” is a trippy, spacey, and atmospheric track that is perfect for any psychedelic rock fan. The song features some of the best guitar work from Syd Barrett and the rest of the band, and the production values are top-notch.
The Grateful Dead- “Dark Star”
The Grateful Dead – “Dark Star” is one of the best psychedelic rock instrumentals on YouTube. This 9-minute jam is full of spacey sound effects and trippy guitar work, making it the perfect track to trip out to. The Dead were always masters of improvisation, and this track is a perfect example of that. If you’re looking for some mind-bending psychedelic rock, this is the track for you.
Jimi Hendrix- “Third Stone from the Sun”
Released in 1968 on the album Electric Ladyland, “Third Stone from the Sun” is one of the best psychedelic rock instrumentals ever made. The song is a 6-minute journey through space and time, with Hendrix’s guitar playing sounding like an otherworldly creature. The song is also notable for its use of feedback and wah-wah pedals, which were essential to creating the psychedelic sound of the late 1960s.
Cream- “Crossroads”
Cream was a British rock supergroup consisting of drummer Ginger Baker, bassist/singer Jack Bruce, and guitarist/singer Eric Clapton. This track, “Crossroads”, is from their 1968 album Wheels of Fire.
King Crimson- “21st Century Schizoid Man”
“21st Century Schizoid Man” is a song by the British progressive rock band King Crimson. It was first released on their debut album In the Court of the Crimson King in 1969. The song was composed by guitarist Robert Fripp, with lyrics by Mike Giles and Peter Sinfield.
The song is notable for its heavy use of dissonance, distortion, and feedback, as well as Fripp’s use of the newish chromatic descending lick that would become one of his signatures. It has been praised as “one of rock’s most influential drum performances”, and has been described as “one of the most intense listening experiences in all of popular music”.
The Moody Blues- “Nights in White Satin”
Completed in 1967 and released the following year, “Nights in White Satin” is one of the Moody Blues’ most enduring and popular songs. It’s also one of the best-known instrumentals of the psychedelic era.
With its intricate, multi-layered arrangement and hypnotic flute solo, “Nights in White Satin” was an instant hit with listeners looking for something more cerebral and challenging than the standard pop fare of the day. The song’s popularity has only grown in the intervening years, and it remains one of the most beloved psychedelic rock instrumentals of all time.
Yes- “Roundabout”
“Roundabout” is a 1971 song by the British rock band Yes. Written by singer Jon Anderson and guitarist Steve Howe, it was released as a single from the band’s fourth studio album, Fragile. The song was a minor hit in the United Kingdom upon its release, reaching number 13 on the UK Singles Chart, and later became one of the band’s best-known songs.
The song is built around a central theme of a “roundabout”, a type of whirling carousel ride. The opening bars feature a guitar solo by Howe which uses a pedal steel guitar sound. The song features a riff which Anderson said was inspired by Paul Simon’s “Mother and Child Reunion”. The song was not originally intended to be included on Fragile, but was added at the last minute at the insistence of producer Eddy Offord.
“Roundabout” has been praised for its musical compositions and has been hailed as one of the greatest rock instrumentals of all time. The song has been covered by numerous artists, including American metal band Tool, who released their version as a single in 1993.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer- “Karn Evil 9”
Emerson, Lake & Palmer- “Karn Evil 9” is a great example of a psychedelic rock instrumental. This piece is full of energy and excitement, and the use of electric guitars and keyboards gives it a really unique sound. The video is also very well done, with some great visuals that complement the music perfectly.