Classic Psychedelic Rock Albums You Need to Hear

Looking for a mind-bending musical experience? Check out our list of classic psychedelic rock albums that you need to hear. From The Beatles to The Doors, these albums will take you on a trip like no other.

The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

If Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is the album that defined psychedelia, then The Beatles are most certainly the band that defined the genre. This album is an obvious choice for any list of psychedelic albums, as it is not only one of the best-selling albums of all time, but also one of the most important and influential albums ever made. Though there are many great psychedelic tracks on Sgt. Pepper’s, “A Day in the Life” is perhaps the most iconic, with its mind-bending sound collage and trippy lyrics.

The Doors – The Doors (1967)

The Doors’ self-titled debut album is one of the most important albums of the psychedelic rock era. It was released in 1967, the same year as The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and it has a similar impact. The Doors is a brilliantly experimental album that takes the listener on a journey through the mind of lead singer Jim Morrison. The songs are dark and mysterious, with Morrison’s deep, resonant voice leading the way. The music is atmospheric and mountainous, with waves of distorted guitars and organ swells. This is an essential album for any fan of psychedelic rock.

Jimi Hendrix – Are You Experienced (1967)

Are You Experienced is the debut album by American rock band The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Released in 1967, the LP was an immediate commercial and critical success, and it is widely regarded as one of the greatest debuts in the history of rock music. The album features a range of Hendrix’s musical styles and influences, including blues, soul, and British rock.

Pink Floyd – The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967)

Pink Floyd’s debut album is a classic of the psychedelic genre. The band had only been together for a year when they recorded the album, but their talent is undeniable. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is a concept album based on author Kenneth Grahame’s book The Wind in the Willows, and it’s full of trippy sound effects and surreal lyrics. Standout tracks include “Astronomy Domine” and “Interstellar Overdrive.”

The Rolling Stones – Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967)

The Stones’ Satanic Majesties is a bit of an outlier on this list, as it’s the only album that doesn’t fall squarely into the “psychedelic rock” category. But it’s such an important work in the history of psychedelia, and so emblematic of the widespread use of mind-altering substances in the late-60s, that it would be negligent to leave it off. Satanic Majesties is a kaleidoscopic pastiche of sounds and styles, featuring some of the band’s most beautiful and trippy melodies. It may not be a “pure” psychedelic work, but it captures the spirit of the times better than almost anything else.

The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)

n 1967, The Velvet Underground released their debut album, ‘The Velvet Underground & Nico’, which is widely considered one of the most influential and important albums in rock history. The album featured the now-iconic Warhol banana cover art, and introduced the world to Lou Reed’s dark and poetic lyrics, as well as John Cale’s avant-garde style of playing. The songs on this album are some of the most influential in all of rock music, including ‘I’m Waiting for the Man’, ‘Heroin’, and ‘All Tomorrow’s Parties’.

The Beach Boys – Smile (1967)

Opening with the sound of waves and bird calls, The Beach Boys’ Smile is an immediate tonal departure from the band’s sunshine pop image. The album was plagued by production delays and internal conflict, but the final result is a stunningly ambitious and innovative work that stands as one of the pinnacles of American pop music. Featuring complex harmonies, experimental arrangements, and a focus on the darker side of human nature, Smile is a still-unmatched achievement in psychedelic rock.

Love – Forever Changes (1967)

Love’s Forever Changes is one of the most beautifully tragic albums of all time. Arthur Lee’s LA group were at their peak on this, their third album – and it would be their last with original bassist Bryan MacLean, who wrote the classic ‘Alone Again Or’. Elsewhere, the sun-dappled paranoia of ‘Bummer In The Summer’ and the string-laden opener ‘A House Is Not A Motel’ make Forever Changes a hazy, not-quite-of-this-world classic.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Electric Ladyland (1968)

The third and final album by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Electric Ladyland is a psychedelic rock masterpiece. Featuring hits like “All Along the Watchtower” and “Voodoo Chile,” the album is a classic example of Hendrix’s innovative guitarwork and songwriting.

Cream – Disraeli Gears (1968)

There are a lot of great psychedelic rock albums from the 1960s, but Cream’s Disraeli Gears is certainly one of the best. The album features some of the band’s most well-known and loved tracks, including “Sunshine of Your Love” and “Crossroads”. The album’s artwork is also iconic, and it’s definitely worth picking up a copy if you’re a fan of classic rock.