The Best Psychedelic Rock Bands of 2016

Looking for some new psychedelic rock bands to check out? Here are our picks for the best of 2016!

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 among the most controversial and influential rock acts of the 1960s, mostly because of Morrison’s lyrics and voice, as well as his erratic behavior while performing. After Morrison’s death in 1971 at age 27, the remaining members continued as a trio until finally disbanding in 1973.

Although the Doors’ active career ended in 1973, their popularity has persisted. The Doors were the most popular American band of 1967 and ranked number 41 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock. In 1993, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Rolling Stone ranked them number 54 on their list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time” and number 22 on their list of “The Immortals: 100 The Greatest Artists of All Time”. In 2002, Robbie Krieger and John Densmore reunited to perform acoustic shows with a variety of guest vocalists including Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains), Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots), Ian Astbury (The Cult) and Perry Farrell (Jane’s Addiction).

Jefferson Airplane

Jefferson Airplane, an American rock band based in San Francisco, was one of the pioneering bands of psychedelic rock. Formed in 1965, the group defined the San Francisco Sound and was the first from the Bay Area to achieve commercial success with their 1967 record Surrealistic Pillow. They were headliners at the three most famous American rock festivals of the 1960s—Monterey (1967), Woodstock (1969) and Altamont (1969)—and the first Isle of Wight Festival in England (1968). Their 1967 breakup, fueled by personality conflicts as well as artistic differences, exposed fissures that would inform their subsequent solo careers.

The Airplane continued to tour and record sporadically under various lineups through 1972. It reunited periodically after that but has not flown since 2002.

The Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in San Francisco. The band is known for its eclectic style, which combined elements of rock, folk, country, jazz, bluegrass, blues, and gospel. They are considered one of the most influential bands of the 20th century. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

Santana

Santana is a rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1966 by Mexican-American guitarist Carlos Santana. The band first came to public attention with their performance at the Woodstock Music & Art Festival in 1969. Santana continued to work in the 1970s and achieved commercial success with their next three albums, Abraxas (1970), Santana III (1971), and Caravanserai (1972).

Since the band’s initial breakthrough, Santana has sold more than 100 million records worldwide and has won ten Grammy Awards. Carlos Santana has been inducted into the Rolling Stone Magazine Hall of Fame (1997), the Latin Recording Academy Hall of Fame (2000), as well as both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1998) and the UK Music Hall of Fame (2017).

Jimi Hendrix Experience

From their incorporation of feedback and distortion to their use of volume and sustain, the Jimi Hendrix Experience redefined what rock guitar could do. Hendrix’s technical prowess was undeniable; his ability to make his guitars wail, moan, sob, and cry was without equal. But it was the way he integrated those technical skills into the band’s songs that made him a true innovator. Hendrix wasn’t just a great guitar player; he was a great songwriter, and his songs bore the indelible stamp of hisvisionary talent.

Cream

Cream was a 1960s British rock supergroup power trio consisting of drummer Ginger Baker, bassist/singer Jack Bruce, and guitarist/singer Eric Clapton. Their sound was characterized by a hybrid of blues, hard rock and psychedelic rock, combining psychedelic pop with a heavy guitar-and-drums middle eight.Cream made their UK debut in 1966 with the single “Wrapping Paper”/”Cat’s Squirrel”. The album Fresh Cream (1966) was moderately successful; its US release peaked at number 39 on the Billboard 200 album chart.Disraeli Gears (1967) was their breakout album in the US, topping the Billboard 200 chart. It reached number one in the UK as well, becoming one of the earliest British pop albums to achieve gold sales certification in America. The moral standpoint of some of the lyrics on Disraeli Gears created controversy among critics; for example, “We’re So Good Together” appeared to condone drug use and rape.The group’s third album Wheels of Fire (1968) topped both US and UK charts simultaneously; it later became the world’s first platinum-selling double album. Wheels of Fire is credited as having popularised the power trio format and established Cream as “a band beyond compare”. Their fourth studio album Goodbye (1969) featured two final singles that were not as commercially successful as their earlier hits: “Badge” reached number 60 in the UK and number 16 in America, while “Doing That Scrapyard Thing” peaked at number 29 in Britain but failed to dent the US charts altogether.In October 1968 Baker crashed his car while attempting to drive from gig to gig across England; he sustained serious injuries which plagued him for years afterwards. Clapton became frustrated with Bruce’s drug addiction and quit mid-tour during 1968; he would again leave after completing another tour with Cream just months later over creative differences regarding musical direction. Following this materialization of disagreements within Cream, Baker and Bruce decided to continue working together with other musicians under a different name: Blind Faith.(text from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cream_(band))

The Byrds

The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band initially consisted of Jim (later Roger) McGuinn (lead vocals, lead guitar), Gene Clark (tambourine, vocals), David Crosby (rhythm guitar, vocals), and Michael Clarke (drums). However, by the time of their first album, Clark had left due to disagreements with the band’s direction. The remaining quartet was joined by Chris Hillman (bass guitar) and Gram Parsons (keyboards, guitar) to form the classic quintet.

Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd was an English rock band formed in London in 1965. They achieved international acclaim with their progressive and psychedelic music. Distinguished by their use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, extended improvisation and elaborate live shows, they are one of the most commercially successful and influential groups in popular music history.

King Crimson

King Crimson is a British progressive rock band formed in London in 1968. The group has undergone multiple lineup changes throughout its history, with founder Robert Fripp being the only consistent member. They are credited with influencing a number of musical genres, including progressive rock, hard rock, heavy metal and avant-garde. King Crimson’s debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King, is often regarded as one of the most influential and groundbreaking albums in the history of music.

The band has released a total of 21 studio albums, 14 live albums and numerous singles and compilations. They have sold over 40 million albums worldwide. King Crimson has been inactive for long periods throughout its history; the longest being an eight-year break between 1974 and 1982. The band has played live sporadically since 1997, though no plans for new material or further tours have been announced since 2003.

Yes

Psychedelic rock, also sometimes called acid rock or trippy rock, is a music genre that emerged in the mid-1960s that was inspired by the use of psychedelic drugs, such as LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, mescaline and DMT. The genre often used distorted guitars, feedback, deep basslines and complex song structures. Psychedelic rock reached the height of its popularity in the late 1960s with bands like The Beatles, The Doors and Pink Floyd.

In recent years, there has been a resurgence in popularity for psychedelic rock bands. Here are some of the best psychedelic rock bands of 2016:

Tame Impala – Tame Impala is an Australian psychedelic rock band from Perth, Western Australia. The band was founded in 2007 by Kevin Parker. The band’s debut album, Innerspeaker, was released in 2010 and their second album, Lonerism, was released in 2012. Tame Impala’s musical style has been described as neo-psychedelia and garage psych.

The Black Angels – The Black Angels are an American psychedelic rock band from Austin, Texas. The band was formed in 2004 by Alex Maas, Christian Bland and Stephanie Bailey. The Black Angels’ debut album Pas refunds pleinement Volumes 1 & 2 was released in 2006. Their third album Phosphene Dream was released in 2010 and their fourth album Indigo Meadow was released in 2013.

The Brian Jonestown Massacre – The Brian Jonestown Massacre is an American musical project led by Anton Newcombe. It was formed in San Francisco in 1990 and currently consists of Newcombe (vocals) and Joel Gion (percussion). The Brian Jonestown Massacre has been on hiatus since 2014 but announced a reunion tour for 2016.

The Raveonettes – The Raveonettes are a Danish indie rock duo from Copenhagen consisting of Sharin Foo (vocals & bass) and Sune Rose Wagner (vocals & guitar). They formed the band in 2001 and have released seven albums: Chain Gang Of Love (2003), Pretty In Black (2005), Lust Lust Lust (2007), In And Out Of Control (2009), Raven In The Grave (2011), Observator (2012) and Pe’ahi (2014).