The Best Psychedelic Rock Bands of All Time

A list of the best psychedelic rock bands of all time, including Pink Floyd, The Beatles, and The Doors.

The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. With members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they became widely regarded as the foremost and most influential music band in history. Rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock and roll, the Beatles later experimented with several musical styles, ranging from pop ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock, often incorporating classical elements and unconventional recording techniques in innovative ways. In 1963, their enormous popularity first emerged as “Beatlemania”; as the group’s music grew in sophistication following their success with “I Want To Hold Your Hand” (1963), devices such as fuzz guitars and reversed tapes were sometimes used by the Beatles to produce new sonic textures. They are also noted for their use of innovative production techniques such as multitracking.

After the band’s break-up in 1970, all four members enjoyed successful musical careers of varying lengths. McCartney and Starr, the surviving members of the group, remain musically active.

The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys are an American rock band formed in Hawthorne, California in 1961. The group’s original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their friend Al Jardine. The Beach Boys are one of the most influential bands of all time, owing to their unique blend of pop, surf rock, and psychedelic rock. They are known for such hits as “Good Vibrations,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” and “God Only Knows.”

The Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. Brian Wilson was recognized as a BMI Icon at the 2002 BMI Pop Awards. In 2010, the group was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd is one of the most successful and influential rock bands of all time. Formed in London in 1965, the band achieved worldwide fame with their progressive and psychedelic music. They are known for their iconic songs “Another Brick in the Wall,” “Wish You Were Here,” and “Comfortably Numb.” Pink Floyd has sold over 200 million records and their album The Dark Side of the Moon is the second-best selling album of all time.

Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin was an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group’s heavy, guitar-driven sound has led them to be cited as one of the progenitors of heavy metal. Their style drew from a wide variety of sources, including blues, psychedelia, and folk music.

Led Zeppelin are widely considered one of the most successful, innovative, and influential rock groups in history. They created a unique blend of blues and rock that had a huge impact on popular music. They also had a huge influence on other genres, including metal and punk. Led Zeppelin is one of the best-selling music artists of all time with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005.

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 charismatic but unpredictable stage persona.

The band took its name from the title of Aldous Huxley’s book The Doors of Perception (1954), which itself was a reference to a line in William Blake’s “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell” (1793). The Door’s music was a fusion of rock, blues, jazz, classical music, and poetry that came to be widely known as psychedelic rock.

Morrison died at the age of 27 in 1971. The remaining members continued as a trio until finally disbanding in 1973. Signing with Elektra Records in 1966, The Doors released eight albums between 1967 and 1971. All of their songs were written by the group members except for two tracks: “Listen to My Heartbeat” which was co-written by Krieger and Densmore; and “Stone Cold Crazy” which was co-written by Freddie Mercury (of Queen) and Brian May (of Queen).

In 1968, they released Waiting for the Sun, which included the classic singles “Hello I Love You” and “Touch Me.” The album reached number three on the Billboard 200 chart. In 1969, they released Soft Parade with lead vocals by Krieger on several tracks including the Top 40 hit single “Tell All the People.”Following the death of Morrison in 1971, the remaining members released two more studio albums: Other Voices and Full Circle; both received mixed reviews.

The Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its unique and eclectic style, which blended elements of country, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, rock, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock. The band’s sound was often characterized by extended jams and an mellow approach to songwriting. They were one of the most prolific touring bands in rock history and performed more than 2,300 concerts throughout their career. The Grateful Dead has been ranked by Rolling Stone as the 27th greatest live band of all time.

Jimi Hendrix

No other musician has had as much of an impact on rock music as Jimi Hendrix. He is often cited as the greatest guitar player of all time, and his innovative style of playing combined elements of blues, jazz, and R&B to create a sound that was completely new and unique. His 1967 debut album, Are You Experienced, is widely considered to be one of the greatest debut albums in rock history, and it launched him into superstardom. He followed it up with the release of two more critically acclaimed albums, Axis: Bold as Love and Electric Ladyland, before his untimely death in 1970 at the age of 27.

Janis Joplin

She was one of the most successful and well-known rock stars of her time. She was known for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and her passionate style of singing. Janis Joplin was a pioneer in the psychedelic rock genre and is considered to be one of the most influential singers of her generation. Some of her most popular songs include, “Piece of My Heart”, “Me and Bobby McGee”, and “Summertime”.

The Who

The Who is an English rock band that was formed in London in 1964. The band is considered to be one of the most influential rock bands of all time. They have sold over 100 million records worldwide and have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Who is known for their hits such as “My Generation”, “Won’t Get Fooled Again”, and “Baba O’Riley”.

Cream

Cream was a British rock supergroup active from 1966 to 1968 consisting of drummer Ginger Baker, bassist/singer Jack Bruce, and guitarist/singer Eric Clapton. One of the first power trios, Cream combined Blues Rock with Psychedelic Rock and are widely considered to be one of the most influential bands of the 1960s. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and their song “Crossroads” was added to the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998.

With hits like “Sunshine of Your Love” and “White Room”, Cream was one of the most popular bands of their time, selling over 35 million records worldwide. Despite their success, the band was plagued by personal conflicts and drug addiction, which led to their break-up in 1968.