Characteristics of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock is a subgenre of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. Learn about the key characteristics that make up this genre of music.

Psychedelic Rock Defined

Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. The style is characterized by a distorted, ‘trippy’ sound, often created by swirling guitars and feedback.Psychedelic rock also often incorporates experimental and highly reverbed instruments, such as sitars and electronic effects.

The sound of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock is a subgenre of rock music that emerged in the 1960s. It is characterized by a distorted, ‘ heavier ‘ sound that was created with the help of feedback from electric guitars and drug-induced states. The main goal of psychedelic rock was to create an experience that would take listeners on a ‘ trip ‘ by altering their perceptions and mindsets.

The sound of Psychedelic Rock is often described as being “heavy” and “distorted”. This is due to the use of feedback from electric guitars, and the use of drug-induced states to create an altered state of mind. Psychedelic Rock often incorporates elements of other genres, such as: blues, folk, and even Indian classical music.

The look of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock, also sometimes referred to as garage rock, is a subgenre of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. This type of rock music is characterized by outrageous and often weird fashion sense, mind-bending drug use, and mind-altering live performances.

Psychedelic rock is most commonly associated with the late 1960s “hippie” culture, but its influence can still be seen in today’s fashion and music. Psychedelic fashions were characterized by brightly colored clothing made from unconventional materials such as velvet, tie-dye, and paisley. Hair was often worn long and unkempt, and both men and women sported beads, headbands, and flower crowns.

While most psychedelic rock bands were white, there was a significant number of African American musicians who were influential in the genre, including Jimi Hendrix, Sly & the Family Stone, and George Clinton. Funkadelic, Parliament-Funkadelic, and Bootsy’s Rubber Band were all notable African American psychedelic rock bands that fuse elements of funk with psychedelic rock.

The Beatles are often credited as being one of the first psychedelic rock bands with their 1966 album Revolver. The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds album from 1966 is also considered to be one of the defining albums of the genre. Other well-known psychedelic rock bands include The Doors, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Pink Floyd, and The Velvet Underground.

Origins of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock, also called psychiatrick rock, is a style of rock music that emerged during the mid-1960s. The style is characterized by a distorted, often feedback-laden electric guitar sound, paired with a trippy, mind-expanding lyrical approach. The genre is often tied to the subculture of psychedelia, which featured widespread use of mind-altering drugs such as LSD.

The British Invasion

The first stirrings of what would become psychedelic rock occurred in the 1960s with the British Invasion, when English rock bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones introduced new sounds and instrumentation that would come to be associated with the genre. Psychedelic rock began to coalesce as a distinct style in the United States in 1965 and 1966, when American bands like The Byrds and The Grateful Dead began experimenting with new sonic possibilities opened up by artists like The Beatles and Stones.

The Summer of Love

In the summer of 1967, the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco became the epicenter of a new and revolutionary musical movement. Young people from across the country, drawn by the promise of peace, love, and mind-expanding drugs, flock to the Haight in droves. The media dubbed this phenomenon “The Summer of Love.”

Psychedelic rock is born out of this heady mix of social, political, and musical experimentations. The music is characterized by extended improvisation, innovative instrumentation, and a willingness to experiment with new sounds and structures.

Psychedelic rock would come to dominate the 1960s counterculture movement and leave a lasting impression on popular music. Today, the sound of psychedelic rock can be heard in everything from classic rock radio staples to modern indie bands.

Key Artists of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that was inspired by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. The music is intended to replicate and enhance the experience of psychedelic drugs, often focusing on the exploration of the psyche.

The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960. They became the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed band in history. With their songwriting partnership of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, they are widely considered the greatest and most influential act of the rock era. Rooted in skiffle and 1950s rock and roll, the group later utilised several genres ranging from pop ballads to psychedelic rock, often incorporating classical and other elements in innovative ways. In 1963, their enormous popularity first manifested itself in US chart success with “From Me to You”; they achieved mainstream trajectories internationally later that year with “She Loves You”. As their careers progressed, the band came to be perceived as the embodiment of progressive ideals, seeing themselves as leading a musical “revolution” that would merge art and popular culture; as music historian Bill Pohlman writes, they became “theイングリッシュ counterpart to [the] French situationist movement,” with Pop artists such as Andy Warhol taking similar Gandhi-inspired positions.[1][2]

During their time as a recording and touring act, the Beatles exerted an enormous influence on popular culture. According to Cunningham, they were responsible for “defining England’s homegrown culture for several decades”,[3] while Introspective magazine states that “no other popular music group did more than [the Beatles] to expand our consciousness and change our perceptions of reality”.[4][nb 1] Music critic Richie Unterberger writes that their impact was not just confined to music but also extended into fashion and social attitudes:

The Beatles changed everything … Suddenly everything was possible … They influenced fashion … They brought forth ideas about drug use which previously had been considered criminal or at least unseemly … They helped create—or were reflection of—a new open-mindedness about sexuality … They suggested possibilities for social change which were then unthinkable.[5]

The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London, England, in 1962. The first stable line-up consisted of Brian Jones (guitar, harmonica), Mick Jagger (lead vocals, harmonica), Keith Richards (guitar, vocals), Bill Wyman (bass), Charlie Watts (drums), and Ian Stewart (piano). Stewart was removed from the official line-up in 1963 but continued to work with the band as a contracted musician until his death in 1985. The band’s primary songwriters, Jagger and Richards, assumed leadership after Andrew Loog Oldham became the group’s manager. Jones left the band less than a month before his death in 1969, having already been replaced by Mick Taylor, who remained until 1974. After Taylor left the band, Ronnie Wood took his place in 1975 and continues on guitar in tandem with Richards. Since Wyman’s retirement in 1993, Darryl Jones has served as touring bassist. The Stones were at the forefront of the British Invasion of bands that became popular in the United States in 1964.

Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is influenced or inspired by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It often uses new recording techniques and effects and draws on non-Western sources such as Indian music. Psychedelic rock reached its peak popularity between 1965 and 1967 but continues to influence contemporary rock music.

Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix was an American rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter who achieved international fame in the late 1960s. He is considered to be one of the most influential electric guitarists in the history of popular music, and one of the most celebrated musicians of the 20th century. Hendrix helped to pioneer the development of psychedelic rock, a genre in which musicians sought to replicated and enhance the experience of hallucinogenic drugs. His songs “Purple Haze” and “Bold as Love” are among the most iconic psychedelia-tinged tracks ever recorded.

Legacy of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock, also referred to as psychedelia, is a diverse style of rock music that originated in the mid-1960s. Psychedelic rock is characterized by distorted guitars, lyrics that often deal with topics of a psychedelic or trippy nature, and extended improvised jams. The legacy of psychedelic rock is still evident in today’s music scene.

Psychedelic Rock today

Psychedelic rock isRepresented today by a number of different styles and sub-genres, including: neo-psychedelia, acid rock, stoner rock, krautrock,space rock, and post-rock.

Psychedelic rock is a style of music that emerged in the mid-1960s. The music is characterized by its distorted guitar sound, extended improvisation, and use of feedback. Additionally, the genre often made use of different time signatures and psychedelic (or drug-induced) lyrics. Psychedelic rock developed from a number of earlier genres including: blues rock, garage rock, and freakbeat.

The first wave of psychedelic bands were influenced by the likes of: The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, and The Grateful Dead. However, there were also a number of bands who took their own unique approach to the genre; including: Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett’s Pink Floyd, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Cream, The Doors, The Velvet Underground & Nico.

In the 1970s psychedelia began to wane in popularity; however there was a second wave of bands who were influenced by the original psychedelia movement. These bands included: Hawkwind