Bands That Play Psychedelic Rock, Blues, and Instrumental Jam
Looking for a band that plays psychedelic rock, blues, and instrumental jam? Then check out our list of the best bands in the genre!
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience was an American rock band that formed in Westminster, London, in September 1966. The group was active until June 1969, when Jimi Hendrix, the band’s lead guitarist and lead vocalist, died of a drug-related death. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. The Jimi Hendrix Experience was founded by bassist/vocalist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, who were both former members of folk rock group the Animals. Guitarist/vocalist Jimi Hendrix joined shortly thereafter.
Cream
Cream was a 1960s British rock power trio composed of Eric Clapton (guitar, vocals), Ginger Baker (drums, percussion), and Jack Bruce (bass, vocals). The group’s sound was characterised by a hybrid of blues rock and hard rock that occasionally incorporated elements of pop, psychedelia, and experimental music.
After forming in 1966, Cream released four albums in a little over two years before breaking up in 1968. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and ranked number 16 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock in 1999. Rolling Stone magazine ranked them number 25 on their list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time” and number 56 on their list of the “100 Greatest Artists of the 20th century”.They were also included in both lists simultaneously.
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were the most financially successful and critically acclaimed band of the psychedelic rock era. The Doors combined elements of blues, jazz, classical music, and rock to create their sound. Morrison was known for his poetic lyrics and psychedelic performances. The Doors were one of the first American bands to embrace Eastern mysticism and incorporate it into their music.
The band released eight studio albums between 1967 and 1971. All of their studio albums were commercially successful. Their debut album, The Doors (1967), is one of the best-selling debut albums of all time. It includes the singles “Break On Through (To the Other Side)” and “Light My Fire”. The Doors’ second album, Strange Days (1967), was also a commercial success, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart and spawning the singles “People Are Strange” and “Love Me Two Times”.
The Doors’ third album, Waiting for the Sun (1968), reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and spawned the single “Hello, I Love You”. The album also features the song “The Unknown Soldier”, which was used as the soundtrack to a documentary about the Vietnam War.
The band’s fourth album, The Soft Parade (1969), peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart and features the singles “Tell All The People” and “Touch Me”.
Their fifth album, Morrison Hotel (1970), reached No. 12 on the Billboard 200 chart and spawned the singles “Roadhouse Blues” and “Waiting For The Sun”.
The sixth album, Absolutely Live (1970), is a live album that was recorded during their 1969 tour. It peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Their seventh album, L.A Woman (1971), was their final studio album with Jim Morrison as lead singer. It reached No., 2 on the Billboard 200 chart and spawned the singles “Love Her Madly” and “Riders On The Storm”.
The eighth and final album, Other Voices (1971), was released after Jim Morrison’s death. It peaked at No., 36 on the Billboard 200 chart and features Manzarek on lead vocals for most of the tracks.
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. Ranging from quintet to septet, the band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, country, bluegrass, blues, gospel, and jazz. They also had their own unique and psychedelic visual style.
The band was ranked 57th by Rolling Stone magazine in its The Greatest Artists of All Time issue. The Grateful Dead has sold more than 35 million albums worldwide. The Grateful Dead was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and their music continues to be played on radio stations across the world.
Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane was a psychedelic rock band who emerged out of the San Francisco music scene in the mid-1960s. They were one of the first bands to achieve mainstream success with this new style of music and their 1967 album, Surrealistic Pillow, is often cited as one of the defining documents of the psychedelic era. The band was known for their experimentalism, extended jams, and political activism, and they became one of the most popular groups of their time. Despite lineup changes and substance abuse issues, Jefferson Airplane remained active until 1972 when they finally dissolved.
