Metacritic’s Best of Psychedelic Rock
A look at the best psychedelic rock albums of all time according to Metacritic.
The Best of Psychedelic Rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired, or influenced, by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. The genre emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in the United States and the United Kingdom.
The Beatles – “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”
The Beatles’ eighth studio album was released on June 1, 1967. “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” was an instant classic, spending 27 weeks at the top of the UK album charts and 15 weeks at number one on the Billboard 200. The album features some of the band’s most iconic tracks, including “With a Little Help from My Friends,” “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” and “A Day in the Life.”
The Beach Boys – “Pet Sounds”
It’s hard to overestimate the importance of The Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds.” The 1966 album challenged pop conventions not only with its intricate arrangements and bold use of instrumentation (there’s even a theremin solo!), but also with its candid expression of adolescent angst and uncertainty. “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” and “God Only Knows” are two of the most beautiful love songs ever written, while “Sloop John B” and “I’m Waiting for the Day” rank among the most emotionally devastating. Nearly 50 years later, “Pet Sounds” remains one of the most influential – and essential – listens in rock history.
Pink Floyd – “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn”
Few debut albums are as perfect as Pink Floyd’s The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Operating within the limits of what was technically possible in 1967, the Floyd created an aural world that was entirely their own, simultaneously earthy and otherworldly, pop-savvy and experimental. The album’s sense of exploration is evident from the first track, “Astronomy Domine,” with its spiraling guitar line and waltzing melody, chiming 12-string acoustic strums and Syd Barrett’s enigmatic lyrics about “lunar waves” crashing over observers on Earth. Throughout the record, Barrett’s distinctive electric guitar playing — a mix of elegantly bent blues licks and rampant feedback — guides the band through a series of rollicking pop tunes (“Flaming”), open-ended jams (“Interstellar Overdrive”), pastoral ballads (“The Scarecrow”), and nightmarish soundscapes (“Lucifer Sam”).
The Jimi Hendrix Experience – “Are You Experienced”
The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s debut album is a psychedelic tour de force, one of the most assaultive and innovative albums ever recorded. The group’s approach was simplicity itself: obstruct the rawest impulses of three virtuoso musicians by any means possible and let the resulting music speak for itself. This formula was responsible for a succession of unforgettable tracks, from the wah-wah freakout of “Fire” to the junkie paranoia of “Purple Haze” to the unhinged joyride of their one Stateside hit, “Hey Joe.” But it was also responsible for “Are You Experienced’s” less successful moments — like “May This Be Love” and an untitled closing jam that meanders on far too long. Overall, though, this is essential listening — groundbreaking in its own day and influential to generations afterwards.
The Velvet Underground – “The Velvet Underground & Nico”
Hailed as one of the most influential records of all time, The Velvet Underground & Nico defined what it meant to be underground. Released in 1967, the album is full of dark, honest lyrics and stripped down instrumentation that would pave the way for generations of punk and alternative bands. Although it was not a commercial success at the time, The Velvet Underground & Nico has been praised for its innovation and continues to be an important part of music history.
The Best Psychedelic Rock Albums
Psychedelic rock is a type of rock music that is inspired, or influenced by, psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It often uses new recording techniques and effects, sometimes specifically intended to imitate or enhance the experience of particular drugs. Psychedelic rock reached its peak popularity in the late 1960s with bands such as the Jimi Hendrix Experience, the Beatles, and the Grateful Dead.
The Beatles – “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”
releases of all time. It is the best-selling album in British history and has sold more than 32 million copies worldwide. In 1968, “Sgt. Pepper” won four Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. The album features artwork by Peter Blake and Michael Cooper and includes the hits “With a Little Help from My Friends,” “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” “Getting Better,” and “A Day in the Life.”
The Beach Boys – “Pet Sounds”
Conceived as a “teenage symphony to God,” The Beach Boys’ eleventh studio album, Pet Sounds, is one of the most influential pop albums of all time. Brian Wilson’s massive expenditure of time and money on the record – which features contributions from California session musicians the Wrecking Crew – resulted in an unprecedented level of perfectionism and some of the most sophisticated and beautiful pop music ever recorded. While it was not initially as commercially successful as previous Beach Boys releases (it peaked at No. 2 in America and was quickly overshadowed by The Beatles’ Revolver), Pet Sounds is now widely regarded as one of the best pop albums ever made.
Pink Floyd – “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn”
pink Floyd’s debut album is one of the most inventive and important psychedelic records ever made. It’s also one of the strangest, incorporating elements of Syd Barrett’s powerful, acid-fueled songwriting with the band’s own experimental edge. Piper is a bit disjointed and uneven, but it’s also incredibly exciting, featuring some of Floyd’s best-loved songs, including “See Emily Play,” “Lucifer Sam,” and the title track.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience – “Are You Experienced”
Originally released in 1967, this debut album from The Jimi Hendrix Experience is often cited as one of the greatest and most influential albums of all time. Featuring hits like “Purple Haze” and “Hey Joe,” the album showcases Hendrix’s mastery of the electric guitar, and his ability to blend elements of blues, jazz, rock, and R&B into a new and unique sound.
The Velvet Underground – “The Velvet Underground & Nico”
The Velvet Underground’s debut album was recorded with German singer Nico in late 1966 and released in 1967. It reached Number 173 on the Billboard 200 chart, but is now widely recognized as one of the greatest and most influential rock albums of all time. In 2003, it was ranked Number 13 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
