The Best Psychedelic Rock Records on Discogs
Contents
- The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
- The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds (1966)
- Pink Floyd – The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967)
- The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Are You Experienced? (1967)
- Cream – Disraeli Gears (1967)
- The Doors – The Doors (1967)
- The Kinks – Something Else by the Kinks (1967)
- The Rolling Stones – Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967)
- The Who – Sell Out (1967)
- Traffic – Mr. Fantasy (1967)
Psychedelic rock is one of the most enduring and popular genres of music, and we’ve rounded up the best psychedelic rock records on Discogs. From classic albums by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones to more recent releases by Tame Impala and The Flaming Lips, there’s something for everyone in this list.
The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
The Beatles’ eighth studio album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, is the band’s most iconic album and is often considered one of the greatest albums of all time. The album features some of the band’s most well-known songs, including “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” “With a Little Help from My Friends,” and “A Day in the Life.” Sgt. Pepper’s was revolutionary for its time, incorporating a wide range of genres, including rock, pop, psychedelia, and even Eastern music. The album artwork is also iconic, and the album won four Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year.
The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds (1966)
The Beach Boys’ classic album Pet Sounds is, without a doubt, one of the most important and influential psychedelic pop records ever made. It’s also one of the best. From the opening chords of “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” to the closing notes of “Caroline No”, the album is a tour de force of pop songwriting, Brian Wilson’s soaring melodies and unforgettable vocal harmonies. The album was recorded using some of the most cutting-edge recording techniques of the time, and features contributions from some of the most celebrated session musicians in history, including Carol Kaye, Hal Blaine and Glen Campbell.
Pink Floyd – The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967)
Pink Floyd’s debut album is a masterpiece of British psychedelia, and its biggest influence is Syd Barrett. Piper was a huge turning point in rock music, and the record’s influence can be felt in everything from “Hang On to Yourself” by David Bowie to “Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)” by Jimi Hendrix.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Are You Experienced? (1967)
The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s debut album is rightly considered one of the greatest of all time. It’s a record that perfectly captures the band’s unique mix of virtuosity, charisma and raw power. From the opening seconds of ‘Purple Haze’, it’s clear that this is something special. Every track is crammed with huge riffs, influential solos and some of the most exciting musicianship ever committed to tape. With its groundbreaking blend of blues, rock and psychedelia, Are You Experienced? laid the groundwork for generations of bands to come.
Cream – Disraeli Gears (1967)
This album is the epitome of psychedelic rock. It is the perfect melding of blues-based hard rock andLeary’s LSD-laced lyrics. The result is an album that is both trippy and hard-hitting. The opening track, “Strange Brew,” is a perfect example of this marriage of styles, with its heavy riffs and mind-bending lyrics. Other standouts include “Sunshine of Your Love,” “We’re Going Wrong,” and “Crossroads.” This is an essential album for any fan of psychedelic rock.
The Doors – The Doors (1967)
The Doors’ self-titled debut album is one of the most important and influential pieces of psychedelia ever released. The record saw the band move away from their blues roots and explore a more experimental, avant-garde sound. Featuring tracks like “The End” and “Light My Fire,” The Doors is a timeless classic that still sounds fresh today.
The Kinks – Something Else by the Kinks (1967)
The Kinks – Something Else by the Kinks is one of the best psychedelic rock records on Discogs. The album was released in 1967 and was a departure from the band’s earlier work. It is a concept album that follows the story of a man who is in love with a woman who is in love with someone else.
The album is full of great songs, including “Waterloo Sunset”, “Death of a Clown”, and “Love Me Till the Sun Shines”. The Kinks were one of the first bands to experiment with psychedelia, and this album is a great example of their work in that genre. If you are looking for a great psychedelic rock record, you should check out The Kinks – Something Else by the Kinks.
The Rolling Stones – Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967)
The Rolling Stones – Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967)
The Beatles may have been the standard-bearers for psychedelic pop in the 60s, but The Rolling Stones weren’t far behind with their own take on the style. Their Satanic Majesties Request is a surprisingly psychedelic record from the band, featuring sitars, Mellotrons, and other trippy sounds throughout. Though it’s not their best-known record, it’s certainly one of their most interesting, and a must-hear for any fan of psychedelic rock.
The Who – Sell Out (1967)
The Who’s Sell Out is one of the most insane and ambitious pieces of psychedelic commercialism, a concept album/radio play/mockumentary about a pirate radio station that’s pushed to the brink of breaking the law. It’s also one of their best works, weaving together elements of music hall, psychedelia, ska, and pop into a delirious pastiche.
Traffic – Mr. Fantasy (1967)
Recorded in 1967 and released in 1968, Mr. Fantasy is the debut album by English rock band Traffic. The album was a commercial and critical success, reaching number 16 on the UK Albums Chart and number nine on the US Billboard 200. Mr. Fantasy is widely considered to be one of the best psychedelic rock records of all time.
The album features several of Traffic’s best-known songs, including “Paper Sun”, “Hole in My Shoe”, and “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush”. Mr. Fantasy was an important early influence on the developingpsychedelic rock genre, and has been included in several lists of the best psychedelic rock albums of all time.