The Creepy Psychedelic Rock of the 60s and 70s

A look at the dark and psychedelic side of rock music from the 60s and 70s and how it reflects the paranoia and social unrest of the times.

The Psychedelic Movement

The psychedelic movement of the 60s and 70s brought about a lot of changes in the music industry. One of the most prominent changes was the introduction of psychedelic rock. This new genre of music was characterized by its use of mind-altering drugs, long jams, and improvised live performances.

The Origins of Psychedelic Music

Psychedelic music is a genre of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. Its defining features include the use of electronic instruments and louder, more distorted guitars, and it is characterized by a preoccupation with LSD and other psychedelic drugs.

Psychedelic music began to be affected by Eastern influences after the popularity of the Beatles’ 1966 LP Revolver, which included sitar on the track “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)”. The sitar quickly became synonymous with psychedelic rock, and was featured on many subsequent records. Psychedelic rock also incorporated elements of jazz and folk music, as well as expanding upon established rock & roll conventions such as electric blues guitar solos and feedback.

In 1967, the first Summer of Love took place in San Francisco, California. This coincided with the release of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles, an album which further popularized psychedelic rock. The hippie culture that developed during the Summer of Love helped to spread psychedelic rock to other parts of the world, including Africa and Latin America.

The Sound of Psychedelic Music

Psychedelic music is a style of rock music popular in the 1960s that was inspired by Eastern modal music, Indian ragas, African rhythms, and the experimentalelephant race – raga patterns. Psychedelic music often makes use of new recording techniques such as feedback, echo, stereo panning, and close miking. It is also characterized by lyrics about drug use, the quest for transcendence, social alienation, and expanded consciousness.

Psychedelic rock reached its peak of popularity in 1967 with the release of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles. Other popular psychedelic bands included The Doors, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Pink Floyd, and The Grateful Dead. The genre began to decline in popularity in the early 1970s, but has experienced a revival in recent years.

The Psychedelic Rock of the 60s and 70s

The psychedelic rock of the 60s and 70s was a music genre that was characterized by the use of distorted guitars, feedback, and other sound effects, and by the incorporation of elements of jazz, blues, and folk music. The genre emerged in the mid-1960s and reached its height of popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. They became the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed act in the history of popular music. Their best-known lineup consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. The group’s songs and recordings are mainstays of radio airplay and discuss adolescence, social issues, love, and spirituality.

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), Ian Stewart (piano), Mick Jagger (lead vocals, harmonica), Keith Richards (guitar, vocals), Bill Wyman (bass) and Charlie Watts (drums). Watts replaced Wyman in 1963; Jones died in 1969 and was replaced by Mick Taylor, who remained until 1974. After Taylor’s departure, Ron Wood became a member in 1975. Since Wyman’s retirement in 1993, Darryl Jones has served as the bassist.

The band’s primary songwriters, Jagger and Richards, assumed leadership after Andrew Loog Oldham became the group’s manager. Jones had wanted to play folk music but Jagger and Richards wanted a more blues-oriented sound. The Rolling Stones made their live debut at the Marquee Club in London on 12 July 1962

Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd was an English rock band formed in London in 1965. They achieved international acclaim with their progressive and psychedelic music. Pink Floyd were founded by students Syd Barrett on guitar and lead vocals, Nick Mason on drums, Roger Waters on bass and vocals, and Richard Wright on keyboards and vocals. Guitarist, vocalist and songwriter David Gilmour joined the band in December 1967; Barrett left in April 1968 due to deteriorating mental health. Waters became the primary lyricist and conceptual leader of the group. The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals (1977), and The Wall (1979) are seen as some of the greatest albums of all time. By 2013, they had sold more than 250 million records worldwide.

The band have received numerous awards throughout their career, including 15 Grammy Awards (plus one for their Pink Floyd: The Wall documentary), five Brit Awards – winning two for Best British Group – an American Music Award, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the British Phonographic Industry, the Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, recognition from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility with inductees Wright and Mason receiving recognition as non-performing members, plus a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1997. In 1985 they were awarded with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Legacy of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock, also known as acid rock, is a style of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. The style is characterized by distorted guitars, trippy lyrics, and mind-altering drugs. The genre is strongly associated with the counterculture of the 1960s and 1970s. Despite its dark and often creepy sound, psychedelic rock has had a lasting impact on popular music.

The Influence of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock, also referred to as acid rock, is a style of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. Psychedelic rock is characterized by distorted guitars, drug-inspired lyrics, and mind-expanding visuals. The genre is often associated with the counterculture movement of the 1960s and 1970s.

Psychedelic rock was highly influential on subsequent genres such as punk rock, progressive rock, and heavy metal. Many of the genre’s leading exponents were based in the United Kingdom, including Pink Floyd, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones. Psychedelic rock reached its peak of popularity in the late 1960s with the release of albums such as The Doors’ self-titled debut album and Jimi Hendrix’s Are You Experienced.

The End of the Psychedelic Era

The late 1960s saw the rise of psychedelic rock, a subgenre of rock music that was defined by its unique sound and trippy, mind-altering themes. Psychedelic rock reached its peak in 1967, the so-called “Summer of Love,” but by the early 1970s, the genre had begun to lose its appeal. As a result, the late 1970s and early 1980s are often considered the end of the psychedelic era.

There are several reasons why psychedelic rock lost its popularity in the late 1970s. First, many of the key figures of the genre, such as Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, had died by this time. Second, punk rock was on the rise and quickly eclipsed psychedelia in terms of both popularity and cultural impact. Finally, many baby boomers who had been at the forefront of the psychedelic movement were now entering their 30s and 40s and moving on to other things.

While psychedelic rock may no longer be as popular as it once was, its legacy can still be heard in today’s music. Many modern artists have been influenced by psychedelic rock, and some have even attempted to revive the genre. Whether or not psychedelia will ever make a full comeback remains to be seen, but it’s clear that its influence will continue to be felt for many years to come.