Psychedelic Rock of the 1970s: An Instrumental History

Psychedelic rock of the 1970s was an instrumental history of a time and place. Psychedelic rock bands like Pink Floyd, The Grateful Dead, and Jefferson Airplane defined a sound and style that was uniquely theirs. This blog will explore the history of psychedelic rock, its defining characteristics, and its legacy.

Introduction

Psychedelic rock, also referred to as psychedelic pop or garage rock, is a style of music that emerged in the mid-1960s and became widely popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The genre is noted for its use of distorted guitars, feedback, and extreme sonic experimentation. The term “psychedelic” refers to the mind-altering effects of certain drugs, such as LSD, which were used by many musicians in the 1960s.

Psychedelic rock began to decline in popularity in the late 1970s, but has experienced a resurgence in recent years. Many modern bands have been influenced by psychedelic rock, and the genre remains an important part of the history of rock music.

The Beatles

During the 1960s, the Beatles rose to become one of the most popular and influential bands of all time. With their combination of catchy melodies, innovative production techniques, and personal lyrics, they revolutionized the sound of popular music and laid the groundwork for the psychedelic rock explosion of the 1970s. While their later work would move away from the pure pop of their early years, their influence on subsequent generations of musicians is undeniable.

The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones were one of the most popular and influential bands of the 1960s, and their work during this era was heavily informed by the psychedelic rock movement. The band’s 1967 album, Their Satanic Majesties Request, is a particularly clear example of their psychedelic influences, and it includes several tracks (“She’s a Rainbow,” “2000 Light Years from Home,” etc.) that rank among the best psychedelic songs of the 1960s. The Stones would continue to experiment with psychedelic sounds on subsequent albums like Beggars Banquet (1968) and Let It Bleed (1969), but they would also move in other directions, particularly on the more blues-based records that defined their sound in the 1970s.

Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin was an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bass player John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. The band’s heavy, guitar-driven sound has led them to be cited as one of the progenitors of heavy metal.

Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd was an English rock band formed in London in 1965. They achieved international acclaim with their progressive and psychedelic music. Pink Floyd were founded by students Syd Barrett on guitar and lead vocals, Nick Mason on drums, Roger Waters on bass and vocals, and Richard Wright on keyboards and vocals. The group first gained popularity performing in London’s underground music scene during the late 1960s, and under Barrett’s leadership released two charting singles and a successful debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967).Gilmour joined the band in December 1967; Barrett left in April 1968 due to deteriorating mental health.

Waters became Pink Floyd’s primary lyricist and conceptual leader, devising the concepts behind their albums The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals (1977), The Wall (1979) a rock opera about personal isolation and mental breakdown, and The Final Cut (1983), a requiem for Barrett. After Wright left Pink Floyd in 1979, they continued as a trio until disbanding in 1994.

Over fourteen studio albums, Pink Floyd pioneered concept albums that merged psychedelic rock with symphonic textures, reinvented screaming guitar feedback sounds on “Interstellar Overdrive”, became one of the first groups to use satire with “The Gnome” from Piper, wrote several ambitious concept albums such as Meddle, Atom Heart Mother – their firstNumber 1 album – Obscured by Clouds, Wish You Were HereandThe Dark Side of the Moon – which became one of the best-selling albums of all time. They are one of the best-selling music artists of all time with estimated sales over 250 million records worldwide. With accolades including fourteen Grammy nominations including eight forBest Rock Instrumental Performanceand six Brit Award nominations winning Best British Album three times for Dark Side of the Moon(1973), Wish You Were Here(1975))and The Division Bell(1994)) plus another Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution To Music; they were inducted into theU.S. Rock & Roll Hall of Famein 1996 and the UK Music Hall of Famein 2005. In 2013 Roger Waters announced he had no plans to play with them again while Gilmour saidPink Floyd was effectively defunctwith no intention to continue without Waters; Wright died that same year leaving Mason as Pink Floyd’s only surviving founding member.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Psychedelic Rock of the 1970s: An Instrumental History was an immensely popular genre that differed significantly from other popular genres of the time. With its emphasis on extended instrumentation and improvisation, psychedelic rock provided a unique listening experience that was unlike anything else available. Though the genre would eventually fall out of fashion, it remains an important part of music history and has influenced countless other genres in the years since.