The Best Psychedelic Stoner Rock Albums
Contents
A list of the best psychedelic stoner rock albums as voted on by the /r/stonerrock community on Reddit.
The Best Psychedelic Stoner Rock Albums
Psychedelic stoner rock is a subgenre of rock music that combines aspects of psychedelic rock and stoner rock. It typically features lengthy jams, heavy distortion, and trippy lyrics. If you’re a fan of either genre, then you’ll love this list of the best psychedelic stoner rock albums.
The Doors – 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 because of Morrison’s cryptic lyrics and charismatic but unpredictable stage persona, and the group was widely regarded as an important part of the counterculture.
The Doors’ debut album, The Doors, was released in 1967 to critical acclaim. It became one of the best-selling debut albums ever, reaching number two on the Billboard 200 chart. The singles “Break On Through (To the Other Side)” and “Light My Fire” both reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album sold three million copies in the United States and generated eight singles.
Jimi Hendrix – Are You Experienced
Are You Experienced is the debut studio album by American rock band the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Released on May 12, 1967, it was the first LP for Track and Reprise Records. The album was recorded over the course of a year from 1966 to 1967 in sessions at several London locations, including De Lane Lea Studios and Olympic Studios. Produced by Chas Chandler, Are You Experienced features Jimi Hendrix’s songwriting and electric guitar playing utilizing feedback and controlled distortion created with amplifier settings, processors, and note bending. The album features elements of blues rock and hard rock which display Hendrix’s songwriting range.
tracks on Are You Experienced are some of Hendrix’s best-known compositions, including “Purple Haze”, “Fire”, “The Wind Cries Mary”, and “Hey Joe”. These songs would develop a devoted following among psychedelic rock fans during the late 1960s and would be enduring staples of Hendrix’s live performances throughout his career. In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked Are You Experienced fifth on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time; in 2004, they placed it 37th on their list of the 100 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Cream – Disraeli Gears
This is the album that put Cream on the map and made them one of the most successful bands of their era. It features some of their best-known songs, including “Strange Brew,” “Crossroads,” and “Sunshine of Your Love.” The album was a critical and commercial success, reaching #4 on the Billboard 200 and selling over two million copies in the US.
The Grateful Dead – Workingman’s Dead
The Grateful Dead’s 1970 album Workingman’s Dead is often cited as one of the best psychedelic stoner rock albums. The Dead were always a psychedelic band, but on this album they took a more refined, country-tinged approach to their sound. The result is an album that is both trippy and grounded, with classics like “Uncle John’s Band” and “Casey Jones.”
Santana – Abraxas
Santana’s second album is a hurricane of psychedelic rock, jazz and Latin rhythms, led by Carlos Santana’s transcendent guitar playing. The band had been jamming together for months before they entered the studio, and it shows in the tightness of their performances. Abraxas is loaded with classics, from the Latin-infused “Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen” to the hard-rocking “Oye Como Va.”
The Best Psychedelic Stoner Rock Songs
Stoner Rock is a genre of rock music that emerged in the early 1990s. The best psychedelic stoner rock albums are a mix of heavy metal and hard rock with psychedelic and space rock elements. The songs are usually about marijuana, partying, and good times. If you’re looking for some good psychedelic stoner rock to listen to, check out these albums.
The Doors – “Light My Fire”
Originally released as the first single from their self-titled debut album, this song became one of The Doors’ biggest hits. It reached number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the Cash Box Top 100. “Light My Fire” was written by Robbie Krieger and sung by Jim Morrison. The song’s iconic opening keyboard riff was inspired by Slavic folk music.
Jimi Hendrix – “Purple Haze”
Although this is technically a song about an acid trip, it perfectly encapsulates the vibe of the psychedelic stoner rock genre. The minute-long intro builds up a feedback-drenched wall of sound that collides with Hendrix’s wah-wah drenched guitar riff. The result is a track that is both trippy and catchy, with a hook that will stay in your head for days.
Cream – “Sunshine of Your Love”
This song is off of the album Disraeli Gears and is one of the best examples of psychedlic stoner rock. It is a great song to trip to, and it has a great beat that will keep you dancing all night long.
The Grateful Dead – “Uncle John’s Band”
The Grateful Dead were one of the most influential psychedelic rock bands of the 1960s. They were known for their extended jams and for their live performances, which often included improvisation. “Uncle John’s Band” is one of their most famous songs, and it perfectly demonstrates their unique style of psychedelic stoner rock.
Santana – “Black Magic Woman”
“Black Magic Woman” is a song written by British singer Peter Green that first appeared as a Fleetwood Mac single in various countries in 1968, subsequently appearing on the 1969 Fleetwood Mac compilation albums English Rose (US) and The Pious Bird of Good Omen (UK), as well as many other compilations.
In 1970, it was released as a single by Santana, with playing the electric guitar and singing lead vocals. Although the song became a hit for Santana, reaching number four in the US in 1971 and number 32 in the UK, it is best known for itsFleetwood Macversion which reached number one in several countries.
Santana’s version of “Black Magic Woman” was ranked at number 70 on Guitar World’s list of the “100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time”.
