The Psychedelic Rock Bands of the 70s You Need to Know

The Psychedelic Rock Bands of the 70s You Need to Know – If you’re a fan of classic rock, then you need to know about these psychedelic bands from the 1970s.

The Psychedelic Movement

The psychedelic movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s brought about a change in music and culture. This change was characterized by the use of mind-altering drugs, such as LSD, and a focus on peace, love, and freedom. Psychedelic rock bands were at the forefront of this change, and their music still resonates today. Here are some of the best psychedelic rock bands of the 70s that you need to know.

The Beatles and psychedelic music

The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960. They became widely regarded as the foremost and most influential act of the rock era. With a line-up comprising John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they are commonly known as the Fab Four. The Beatles built their reputation playing clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg over a three-year period from 1960, with Stuart Sutcliffe initially serving as bass player. The core trio of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, together since 1958, went through a succession of drummers, including Pete Best, before asking Starr to join them in 1962. Manager Brian Epstein moulded them into a professional act, and producer George Martin enhanced their musical potential by helping them develop their use of recorder instruments, harmonies and innovative sound effects. They gained popularity in Britain after their first single, “Love Me Do”, became a modest hit in early 1963.

In 1964, they achieved massive commercial success with their debut album Please Please Me and propelled by iconic singles such as “I Want To Hold Your Hand” and “She Loves You”. They toured extensively around the world including the United States where they sparked the “British Invasion” of rock music with young America falling in love with The Beatles overnight. By early 1966 differences within the group caused McCartney to temporarily leave followed by Lennon’s announcement in 1967 that he was leaving the group permanently; Harrison also considered leaving at one point. These events spurred band mate Ringo Starr to temporarily quit; he later rejoined just prior to recording sessions for what would become Abbey Road. Although all four members remained under contract until 1970 after giving reluctant approval to McCartney’s proposed Album Long And Winding Road which would be released as Let it Be following its completion after Abbey Road was completed and released first , tensions between them had escalated to the point that all future collaborations were effectively ended.

The Beatles experimented with several musical styles throughout their career including pop ballads, electronica music , Indian classical music and even Tony Perkins’ film score for Fahrenheit 451 before finally moving into psychedelic pop with albums such as Revolver , Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band which is widely considered one of the greatest albums ever made and Magical Mystery Tour . While some criticized The Beatles for selling out when they stopped touring live full time after 1966 to focus on making innovative records in the studio many argue that The Beatles actually subverted traditional ideas about how popular music ought to be produced by instead focusing on quality Control freaking everything down to the minutiae . With album sales estimated at half a billion copies worldwide , The Beatles remain popular more than five decades after their break-up making them one of if not *the* most commercially successful band in history .

The Grateful Dead and the counterculture

The Grateful Dead and their fans, known as Deadheads, developed a subculture that fused non-stop music with a free-spirited lifestyle. At the heart of the counterculture was an emphasis on freedom of expression, mind expansion, and communal living. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Grateful Dead became the de facto house band of Ken Kesey’s Acid Tests—experimental gatherings that popularized the use of LSD.

The Deadheads’ way of life was based on following the band on tour and engaging in spontaneous street theatre and impromptu musical performances. They would often dress in colorful clothing, decorate their bodies with permanent markers, and use drugs such as LSD and marijuana to enhance their experience. The Deadheads’ community-oriented lifestyle is credited with popularizing hippie culture and influencing several subsequent generations of music fans.

The Psychedelic Bands of the 70s

The Psychedelic era of rock music was a subgenre that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The style is characterized by its use of psychedelic rock elements, which include distorted guitars, feedback, and extreme sound effects. Many of the bands from this era were influenced by Eastern religions and philosophy, and they used their music to promote peace, love, and freedom.

Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd is one of the most iconic and influential psychedelic rock bands of the 20th century. Formed in London in 1965, the group is best known for their mind-bending concept albums and atmospheric live shows.

Pink Floyd were at the forefront of the British psychedelic scene, experimenting with new sounds and visuals to create an immersive and mind-expanding experience for their fans. They are perhaps best known for their groundbreaking album The Dark Side of the Moon, which was released in 1973 and spent 741 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart.

Other notable albums include The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967), A Saucerful of Secrets (1968), Ummagumma (1969), Atom Heart Mother (1970), Meddle (1971), Obscured by Clouds (1972) and Wish You Were Here (1975).

Pink Floyd continued to tour and release new music until 1995, when they formally disbanded. They have sold more than 250 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling music artists of all time.

Led Zeppelin

Formed in 1968, Led Zeppelin consisted of Robert Plant (vocals), Jimmy Page (guitar), John Paul Jones (bass) and John Bonham (drums). The band’s self-titled debut album was released in early 1969 and was an immediate success. It featured the band’s signature song, “Whole Lotta Love,” which is still a rock radio staple. Led Zeppelin quickly became one of the biggest and most influential bands of the 1970s with their heavy, blues-based sound. They released a string of successful albums throughout the decade, including “Led Zeppelin II” (1969), “Led Zeppelin IV” (1971), “Houses of the Holy” (1973) and “Physical Graffiti” (1975). The band’s popularity waned in the early 1980s following the death of drummer John Bonham in 1980, and they officially disbanded in 1982. Led Zeppelin is one of the best-selling bands of all time, with estimated sales of over 200 million records worldwide. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.

The Doors

The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential rock acts of the 1960s because of Morrison’s lyrics and his erratic, landmark stage performances. The band released eight studio albums before Morrison’s death at the age of 27 in 1971.

After the Doors’ final performance with Morrison in New Orleans on December 12, 1970 (later released as An American Prayer), the three surviving members continued as a trio until 1973 when Densmore left to focus on his solo career. The band continued to tour and release music with new singer Paul Rothchild until 1978 when they disbanded for good.

The Legacy of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock is a genre of rock music that became popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Psychedelic rock is characterized by distorted guitars, trippy lyrics, and other mind-altering effects. The genre is often associated with the counterculture of the 1960s and 1970s. Psychedelic rock bands such as Pink Floyd, The Grateful Dead, and The Beatles influenced subsequent generations of rock musicians.

The influence on subsequent generations

Generations after the golden age of psychedelic rock continue to be influenced by the mind-bending sounds and free-spirited ideals of the genre. Here are just a few ways that psychedelic rock has left its mark on music today.

Psychedelic rock helped define what it means to be a “rock star.” The larger-than-life personalities and stage shows of bands like Pink Floyd, The Grateful Dead, and Jimi Hendrix created an image of the rock star as something otherworldly, larger than life. This image has had a lasting impact on popular culture and continues to be referenced in music today.

Psychedelic rock also expanded the possibilities of what rock music could sonically achieve. The use of feedback, distortion, and experimental recording techniques on tracks like The Beatles’ “Tomorrow Never Knows” and Pink Floyd’s “Interstellar Overdrive” pushed the boundaries of what was thought possible in rock music. These sonic innovations have been hugely influential in subsequent generations of rock musicians.

The DIY ethic of many psychedelic rock bands was also hugely influential in subsequent generations of independent musicians. Psychedelic rockers often self-produced their records and booked their own tours, creating an infrastructure that would later be adopted by punk bands, hip hop artists, and countless other independent acts.

Finally, psychedelic rock’s embrace of countercultural values has remained an influential force in popular music. The rejection of mainstream values and the championing of mind-expanding drugs as a path to spiritual enlightenment were core tenets of psychedelic rock. These ideas have resonated with generations of young people looking for an alternative to mainstream culture.

The impact on popular culture

Psychedelic rock, sometimes called garage rock, is a style of rock music that became popular in the mid-1960s and continued into the early 1970s. The genre is generally defined by distorted guitars, trippy lyrics, and a overall mind-bending sound.

Psychedelic rock bands were often inspired by mind-altering drugs such as LSD, and the music often reflected this influence by being experimental and chaotic. Many of these bands were also influenced by Eastern spiritual traditions such as Hinduism and Buddhism, which led to a more psychedelic sound.

Psychedelic rock had a significant impact on popular culture, particularly in thecounterculture of the 1960s. The genre influenced fashion, art, literature, and film. It also had a political element, as many psychedelic rock bands used their music to promote peace and love. The Beatles were perhaps the most famous psychedelic rock band, and their album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is often considered one of the greatest albums of all time.