Psychedelic Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees
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Psychedelic rock was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, cementing its place in music history. This genre of music is defined by its use of mind-altering drugs, often LSD, and its exploration of mysticism, Eastern philosophy, and the occult.
The Beatles
The Beatles are often credited as the originators of psychedelic rock and roll. The band’s use of feedback, distorted guitars, and experimental studio techniques was hugely influential on the genre. The Beatles’ psychedelic sound can be heard on tracks like “I Am the Walrus” and “Tomorrow Never Knows”.
“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”
“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” is a song released in 1967 by the English rock band the Beatles. The song appears on their album of the same name and was written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It was released as a single in the United Kingdom on 1 June 1967, and topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks. In June 1967, it also became the first ever single to enter the UK chart at number one. In the United States, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, but reached number one on the Cash Box Top 100 chart.
“With a Little Help from My Friends”
psychedelic rock and roll song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, released by the Beatles on their album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in 1967. The song was written for and sung by their friend and compatriot, drummer Ringo Starr, as his moment on the album. It is widely regarded as one of the most important songs in the history of popular music.
The Doors
The Doors were one of the most influential and controversial bands of their time. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. The Doors are best known for their hit song “Light My Fire” and their album “The Doors”.
“Light My Fire”
“Light My Fire” is a song by American rock band the Doors, which was released on July 3, 1967, on the group’s debut album The Doors. It was recorded at Sunset Sound Studios in Hollywood, California in March 1967. Released as a single in July 1967, “Light My Fire” spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in late July and early August 1967. It became one of the band’s most popular songs and is still one of their signature songs.
The song was written by Robby Krieger and Jim Morrison, and was originally intended to be sung by Morrisons bandmate Ray Manzarek. However, Morrison took over lead vocal duties at the insistence of producer Paul A. Rothchild. The lyrics were inspired by Morrison’s turbulent relationship with his then-girlfriend Pamela Courson.
“Light My Fire” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007 and was voted number 35 on Rolling Stone’s list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”. In 2004, it was ranked number 42 on Pitchfork Media’s Top 200 Tracks of the 1960s list. In 2015, the Library of Congress selected “Light My Fire” for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
“Break on Through (To the Other Side)”
“Break on Through (To the Other Side)” is a song by American rock band the Doors, originally released as the opening track on their debut album, The Doors. It was recorded in August 1966 at Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood and released in January 1967.
The song became a minor hit for the band, reaching number 111 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single’s B-side, “End of the Night”, peaked at number 42 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. The song’s memorable opening chord is an E major triad played by keyboardist Ray Manzarek with his left hand (E-B-E). Robby Krieger’s guitar riff outlines an F♯ minor blues scale (F♯-A-B-C♯-E) and John Densmore overdubs congas to accentuate the 4/4 time signature.
In October 1967, “Break on Through” was released as a single in the United Kingdom, but it failed to chart. In 1968, it was included as the opening track on Strange Days in both the United States and United Kingdom. Due to its length (3:08), many radio stations edited it down to 2:41 for airplay. For example, a live version of “Break on Through” included on Alive, She Cried (1983) is 2:43 long; however, this is still slightly longer than most radio edits.
Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who is widely considered to be one of the most influential electric guitarists of all time. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
“Purple Haze”
“Purple Haze” is a song written by Jimi Hendrix and released as the second single by the Jimi Hendrix Experience on March 17, 1967. The song features his inventive arrangements and playing, which combined speed and precision with an insistent blues feel.
The song is one of Hendrix’s best-known and most popular songs. In 2004, it was ranked number seventeen on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and in 2006 it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
“The Wind Cries Mary”
“The Wind Cries Mary” is a song written by Jimi Hendrix and recorded by the Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1967. It reached the top ten in the UK and US, and was ranked number four42 on Rolling Stone’s list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”. The composition has been described as Hendrix’s “most beautiful ballad”.
Led Zeppelin
Psychedelic rock group Led Zeppelin was formed in 1968 by Jimmy Page, who had previously been a member of the Yardbirds. The band’s early years were spent touring the United States and Europe extensively, during which time they built up a large and devoted following. They released their self-titled debut album in early 1969, which was a commercial and critical success.
“Stairway to Heaven”
“Stairway to Heaven” is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released in late 1971. It was composed by guitarist Jimmy Page and vocalist Robert Plant for the band’s untitled fourth studio album (often called Led Zeppelin IV). The song is built around Page’s use of a Gibson EDS-1275 double-neck guitar and open Tunings, and both the composition and performance featured on the album have led it to be regarded as one of the greatest rock songs ever recorded.
Plant wrote the lyrics while staying at Headley Grange, a country house in Hampshire, which was also where the band members wrote and rehearsed many of the songs for Led Zeppelin IV. The record producer, Jimmy Page, suggested that Plant should write something “mystical”, which led to the composition of “Stairway to Heaven”. In an interview with Guitar World magazine, Page recounted how he came up with the opening riff for “Stairway to Heaven”. He was “mesmerised” by Orson Welles’ 1941 film Citizen Kane and wanted to create something similar for Led Zeppelin’s fourth album:
After several failed attempts, Page finally created a riff that he liked. Once he had come up with this opening section, he brought it into rehearsals and then tried different sections out until they found what they were looking for. The piece was completed at Island Records studios in London; however, problems were encountered during its recording. Engineer Andy Johns had trouble getting a good sound on Page’s double-neck Gibson EDS-1275 guitar during the first few takes; however, after setting up two separate amplifiers for each neck and tweaking their levels, Johns achieved the desired sound.
“Whole Lotta Love”
“Whole Lotta Love” is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin. It is the opening track on the band’s second album, Led Zeppelin II, and was released in the United States, several countries in Europe, and Japan as a single. The US release became the first Led Zeppelin single to reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked it No. 75 on their list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”.
