Psychedelic Rock from 1966-1971
Contents
A collection of the best Psychedelic Rock from 1966-1971.
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The Origins of Psychedelic Rock
Psychedelic rock, also referred to as “acid rock”, is a subgenre of rock music that is based on distorted and extended guitar solos, experimental sounds, and an overall trippy feeling. The first psychedelic rock song is often credited to The Byrds’ “Eight Miles High”, which was released in 1966. The genre reached its peak between 1967 and 1971.
The British Invasion
The British Invasion was a mid-1960s cultural phenomenon in which rock and pop music acts from the United Kingdom and other parts of the English-speaking world, became popular in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada. The term is usually used to refer to the wave of post-Beatles groups who reached international prominence during the same period as The Beatles. The scale of The British Invasion was such that it changed essentially everything about American pop music.
Psychedelic rock, sometimes referred to as acid rock, is a diverse style of rock music distinguished by distorted guitars, druggy lyrics and extended improvisation. The style originated in the early 1960s with bands such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones experimenting with LSD and other mind-altering substances. Psychedelic rock reached its peak of commercial success in 1967 with hits such as “The Letter” by The Box Tops, “Light My Fire” by The Doors and “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)” by Scott McKenzie.
The American Garage Rock Scene
American garage rock was an important pre-cursor to the development of Psychedelic Rock. Often happening in suburban garage bands, this scene produced some of the first proto-psychedlic sounds in rock music. These bands were often influenced by British Invasion groups like the Beatles and Rolling Stones, as well as American Rhythm and Blues. Some of the most wellknown garage rock bands include:
The Sonics
The Wailers
The Trashmen
The standells
The Seeds
Music from this era is characterized by its raw sound, simple song structures, and distorted guitars. It laid the foundation for what would become Psychedelic Rock.
The Development of Psychedelic Rock
Psychedelic rock is a type of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. The style is characterized by distorted guitars, trippy lyrics, and mind-bending sound effects. The genre is often associated with the counterculture movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Psychedelic rock reached its peak of popularity between 1966 and 1971.
The Birth of Psychedelia
The 1960s was a time of major social upheaval across the globe. Psychedelic drugs such as LSD and MDMA were becoming increasingly popular among young people, who were using them to explore new states of consciousness. In music, the Beatles and other British Invasion bands were experimenting with mind-altering drugs and incorporating them into their music. This new style of music, which came to be known as psychedelic rock, would have a profound impact on popular culture for years to come.
Psychedelic rock first burst onto the scene in the mid-1960s with the release of the Beatles’ album Revolver. This record marked a turning point in the band’s career, as it marked their first foray into experimental territory. The album’s opener, “Taxman,” features George Harrison’s use of feedback and distortion, which create a sound that is both unsettling and exhilarating. The following track, “Eleanor Rigby,” is a beautiful ballad that uses McCartney’s signature melody and Lennon’s lyrics about loss and isolation to create a feeling of melancholy. These two tracks exemplify the two sides of psychedelic rock: experimentation and emotion.
As the 1960s progressed, more and more artists began to experiment with mind-altering drugs and incorporate them into their music. Psychedelic rock quickly became one of the most popular genres of the decade with hits like Jefferson Airplane’s “Somebody to Love” and The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations.” These songs used innovative production techniques such as studio effects and multitracking to create sounds that were unlike anything that had been heard before.
By the early 1970s, psychedelic rock had reached its pinnacle with albums like Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon and The Beatles’ Abbey Road. These records pushed the boundaries of what was possible in rock music and inspired generations of musicians to come.
The Mainstreaming of Psychedelic Rock
In the late 1960s, psychedelia began to enter the mainstream with the commercial success of hits such as The Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”, Jefferson Airplane’s “Somebody to Love”, and Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love”. Psychedelic rock also achieved chart success with songs such as The Doors’ “Light My Fire”, The Grateful Dead’s “One More Saturday Night”, and Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale”. By 1967, psychedelic rock was sufficiently established that various media outlets ran features on the phenomenon, including a cover story on psychedelic rock in Time magazine.
Psychedelic rock reached its peak in popularity with the release of The Beatles’ album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in 1967, which was widely regarded as a watershed moment for the genre. Sgt. Pepper’s was a major influence on subsequent popular music, particularly progressive rock, and helped to legitimize psychedelia as a serious musical genre. Other important releases from this period include The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s Are You Experienced (1967), Cream’s Disraeli Gears (1967), Pink Floyd’s The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967), and The Doors’ self-titled debut album (1967).
The Legacy of Psychedelic Rock
Psychedelic rock, also known as acid rock, is a style of rock music that developed in the mid-1960s. Psychedelic rock was inspired by psychedelic culture, which is centred around the use of psychedelic drugs. The style of psychedelic rock is characterised by its use of fuzzy guitars, mind-bending sound effects, and trippy lyrics. Psychedelic rock reached the height of its popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
The Influence of Psychedelic Rock
Psychedelic rock, often shortened to psychedelia, is a diverse style of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. Musically, psychedelic rock incorporates elements of electronic and experimental music, making use of distortion, feedback and other studio effects, while lyrics often explore 60s counterculture and LSD-inspired states of mind. Psychedelic rock reached the height of its popularity in thelate 1960s and early 1970s, with groundbreaking albums such as The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s Are You Experienced (1967) and Pink Floyd’s The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967) selling millions copies worldwide.
However, by the early 1970spsychedelia had largely faded from the mainstream music scene, replaced by more mellow subgenres such as progressive rock and hard rock. Nevertheless, psychedelic rock has continued to exert a significant influence on subsequent musical styles; many post-punk, new wave and indie rock bands have been openly influenced by psychedelia, while classic psychedelic artists like Syd Barrett, The Grateful Dead and Roky Erickson have enjoyed something of a renaissance in recent years.
The End of an Era
Psychedelic rock began to fall out of fashion at the end of the 1960s, when bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones started to move away from the style. At the same time, a new generation of rock bands was arising that would come to be known as “hard rock” or “heavy metal.” Psychedelic rock would have a profound influence on these genres, but it would also fade into the background as newer styles came to the fore.
Nevertheless, psychedelic rock left a lasting legacy. Many of the musicians who had been influenced by psychedelic rock went on to have successful careers in other genres, and the style continued to be popular among underground and independent artists. In the 21st century, there has been a resurgence of interest in psychedelic rock, with many younger bands looking to the past for inspiration.
