Psychedelic Rock: How the Fly Changed Music in the 1960s

Psychedelic Rock hit the music scene in the 1960s and changed the landscape of music forever. Find out how the Fly changed music in this decade.

Origins of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock, also referred to as “psychedelia”, is a subgenre of rock music that emerged in the late 1960s. The term is often used to describe a style of music that is influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate the experience of hallucinogenic drugs. Psychedelic rock often makes use of feedback, extended solos, and distorted instrumentation.

Late 1950s – early 1960s: the birth of rock and roll

Psychedelic rock, also called psychedelia, is a style of rock music that was popular in the 1960s and is characterized by a distorted or mind-altering sound, often created by feedback or guitar effects. The genre began to take shape in the late 1950s and early 1960s with the release of Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley & His Comets and the emergence of Elvis Presley. Psychedelic rock reached its peak in popularity in the mid-1960s with bands like The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and The Grateful Dead. The genre began to decline in popularity in the late 1960s, but has experienced a resurgence in recent years.

The term “psychedelic” (coined by British psychiatrist Humphry Osmond in 1956) comes from the Greek words for “mind” (psyche) and “manifest” (delos), and refers to the mind-altering effects of psychedelic drugs such as LSD. Psychedelic rock music, then, is intended to replicate and enhance those mind-altering effects.

Psychedelic rock was strongly influenced by other genres, including blues (especially electric blues), folk, jazz, and world music. It was also influenced by literary movements such as Beat poetry and the writings of French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre. Psychedelic rock often makes use of extended improvisation, unorthodox chord progressions, and unusual time signatures. It is also characterized by a preoccupation with themes of space exploration, drug use, Eastern mysticism, and paranoia.

Mid-1960s: the British Invasion

In the mid-1960s, a new wave of British rock groups who shared a disdain for the conventions of pop music and a fascination with mind-altering drugs, Eastern mysticism, and science fiction emerged. Bands such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and the Kinks began to experiment with feedback, distorted guitars, and new studio techniques that produced a more psychedelic sound. In 1965, the Beatles released the album Rubber Soul, which featured the song “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown),” one of the first pop songs to explicitly reference drug use. The release of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in 1967 further expanded the possibilities of what could be achieved in rock music. The album’s opening track, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” was widely rumored to be about LSD, though John Lennon denied this claim.

The Sound of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock, also referred to as psychedelia, is a subgenre of rock music that emerged in the 1960s. The sound of psychedelic rock is characterized by distorted guitars, sound effects, and trippy lyrics. The genre is known for its association with the counterculture of the 1960s, and its use of mind-altering substances such as LSD.

The use of feedback and distortion

Both feedback and distortion were explored long before they became electronic effects used in psychedelic rock, but it was the electric guitar that made them integral parts of psychedelic music.

Feedback is the basic shape of rock ‘n’ roll guitar tone: a distorted signal that is amplified to the point where it begins to create its own unique sound. When this sound is played back through an amplifier, it can create a feedback loop that will cause the amplifier to produce a sustained note.

Distortion is an effect that takes the beautiful, clean sound of an electric guitar and “mangles” it into a thick, fuzzy mess. This effect was first explored by blues guitarists who wanted to recreate the sound of their overdriven amplifiers. Over time, distortion became an essential part of many different genres of music, including punk, metal, and most notably, psychedelic rock.

The use of reverb and delay

Two of the most important effects used in psychedelic rock were reverb and delay. Reverb provided a sense of space, giving the impression that the music was coming from somewhere beyond the speakers. Delay was used to create spacey, ethereal sounds or to create a sense of movement within a song. The use of these effects helped to create the unique sound of psychedelic rock.

The Visuals of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that became popular in the late 1960s. The term “psychedelic” refers to thevisual hallucinations that can occur when certain drugs are taken. Psychedelic rock was influenced by the drug culture of the time and the visual art movements of the time, such as Op Art and Fluorescent paintings.

The use of light shows

In the 1960s, Psychedelic Rock concerts often featured light shows. These shows were usually made up of different color slides that were projected onto a screen while the band was playing. They were often accompanied by strobe lights and other effects.

The use of light shows at Psychedelic Rock concerts was meant to create a more trippy and immersive experience for the audience. The visuals were often made to match the music that was being played, and they would sometimes change based on the mood of the song.

Light shows became a staple of Psychedelic Rock concerts, and they are still used today at some concerts and festivals. However, they are not as common as they once were.

The use of projections

The use of projections was an important element in psychedelic concerts. The most common form of projection was the overhead projector, which was used to project images onto a screen or directly onto the musicians or audience. This allowed for the creation of three-dimensional and moving images, which added to the visual excitement of the concert.

Black lights were also used to create an otherworldly atmosphere. They made white clothing and objects glow, and they made it appear as if the entire room was bathed in moonlight. Fluorescent paint was often used on clothing, walls, and stages to create an even more psychedelic effect.

The Legacy of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock, often shortened to “psychedelia”, is a style of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. The style is characterized by a trippy, otherworldly sound that draws on the Acid Rock, Indian Classical, and Blues Rock genres. The style is often associated with the use of psychedelic drugs, such as LSD, and is often considered to be a precursor to the more experimental styles of rock that would emerge in the 1970s.

The influence on subsequent genres of music

Psychedelic rock, often referred to simply as psychedelia, is a style of rock music that was inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelic culture, and is centred on a distorted guitar sound. Psychedelic music may aim to replicate the experience of taking psychedelic drugs, and often incorporates hallucinogenic imagery.

Psychedelic rock reached its peak in popularity in the late 1960s, but had a significant impact on subsequent genres of music including punk rock, heavy metal, acid house, and jam bands. Psychedelic rock is sometimes used interchangeably with acid rock.

The influence on popular culture

Psychedelic rock, also sometimes called 1960s psychedelia, is a style of rock music that was inspired by psychedelic culture and that competed with the dominant form of pop music at the time. Psychedelic rock began to be influential in the early 1960s, when bands such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones began to experiment with new sounds and production techniques influenced by drug culture and Eastern mysticism.

Psychedelic rock became more commercialized in the late 1960s with the advent of groups such as Cream, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and Jefferson Airplane. By the early 1970s, however, punk rock and disco had emerged as major musical trends, and psychedelic rock began to wane in popularity. Nevertheless, some psychedelic bands, such as Pink Floyd and Hawkwind, continued to be successful throughout the 1970s.

The legacy of psychedelic rock has been evident in subsequent popular music genres such as glam rock, progressive rock, and punk rock. Psychedelic influences can also be heard in certain aspects of disco, electronica, and even heavy metal.