Psychedelic Rock’s Best Concept Albums
Contents
The best concept albums in psychedelic rock provide listeners with an immersive experience that takes them on a journey.
The Who – Tommy
Tommy is the fourth studio album by English rock band The Who, released by Track and Polydor Records in May 1969. The album was a commercial and critical success, reaching number 4 in the UK charts and number 2 in the US. The album was developed from the band’s 1968 rock opera of the same name. Tommy is considered one of the best concept albums of all time.
Summary
Tommy is the fourth studio album by English rock band The Who, released on May 23, 1969. The album was a commercial and critical success, reaching number two in the UK and number four in the US. It was voted number 229 in Colin Larkin’s All Time Top 1000 Albums 3rd Edition (2000).
Why It’s a Classic
Even if you’ve never heard Tommy, chances are you know “Pinball Wizard,” one of the WHO’s most popular hits. The iconic rock opera Tommy was released in 1969 and is the fourth studio album by the band. The double album is a rock opera that tells the story of a “deaf, dumb and blind” boy who becomes a pinball champion.
Tommy was a commercial and critical success, reaching number four on the UK charts and number two on the US Billboard 200. The album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America and has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked it number 96 on their list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
The album features Roger Daltrey on lead vocals, Pete Townshend on guitar and vocals, John Entwistle on bass and vocals, and Keith Moon on drums. Tommy was Townshend’s response to the Mod movement and was also influenced by his own experiences with drug use and spirituality. The album features a mix of genres including rock, psychedelic rock, hard rock, and pop.
While Tommy is considered one of the WHO’s best albums, it is also one of the most controversial due to its subject matter. Some religious groups criticized the album for its references to drug use and other adult themes. Nevertheless, Tommy remains an important work in both the WHO’s discography and in the history of rock music.
Pink Floyd – The Wall
Released in 1979, Pink Floyd’s The Wall is one of the best concept albums of all time. The album is a story about a man named Pink, who is a rock star that slowly becomes isolated and paranoid. The album is full of great songs, and the story is very well told.
Summary
After the success of their album The Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd began work on their next album, The Wall. The album became one of the best-selling albums of all time, and is considered one of the best concept albums ever made.
The album is a rock opera that tells the story of Pink, a man who is struggling to deal with his mental health issues. The album is divided into two parts, “The Wall” and “The Trial”. “The Wall” is about Pink’s life, and “The Trial” is about his eventual breakdown.
The album features some of Pink Floyd’s best-known songs, including “Another Brick in the Wall”, “Comfortably Numb”, and “Run Like Hell”.
Why It’s a Classic
Few albums are as ambitious or ahead of their time as Pink Floyd’s The Wall. Released in 1979, it was the band’s second consecutive No. 1 album in the U.S., following 1977’s Animals. It would go on to sell more than 23 million copies worldwide, earning a place among the best-selling albums of all time.
But The Wall is more than just a commercial success; it’s a groundbreaking work of art that broke new ground in both music and storytelling. A concept album about an isolated protagonist who slowly withdraws from society, The Wall is a bold, experimental work that pushed the boundaries of what a rock album could be.
Featuring iconic tracks like “Another Brick in the Wall,” “Comfortably Numb,” and “Run Like Hell,” The Wall is a timeless classic that remains as relevant today as it was when it was first released.
The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
The Beatles’ eighth studio album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, is often cited as one of the greatest and most influential albums of all time. Released in 1967, the album was a commercial and critical success. It topped the charts in the UK, US, and several other countries and won four Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year.
Summary
The album is a reflection of the times in which it was made. It is a product of the peace and love movement that started in 1967. The album’s artwork was designed by Peter Blake and Jann Haworth, and it won the Grammy Award for best album cover. The album was number one on Billboard’s Top LPs chart for 15 weeks and stayed on the charts for 155 weeks. It was included in Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
Why It’s a Classic
When the Beatles released their eighth studio album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, in 1967, they had no idea that they were about to change the face of popular music forever. Pepper was the first album to be conceived as a unified work of art, with each song contributing to a larger whole. The result was a groundbreaking masterpiece that challenged both listeners and performers to rethink the possibilities of rock music.
The album opens with the title track, a rousing anthem that sets the stage for the journey ahead. From there, the Beatles take us on a wild ride through a variety of genres, including psychedelic rock (“Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”), country (“She’s Leaving Home”), and era-defining pop (“With a Little Help from My Friends”). The album culminates in the stunning “A Day in the Life,” an ambitious suite that perfectly captures the spirit of its time.
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is not only one of the greatest albums of all time, it is also one of the most influential. With its innovative concepts and revolutionary sound, Pepper showed the world that rock music could be so much more than just three chords and a chorus. It remains an essential listen for anyone who loves music.
The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds
psy·che·del·ic rock – a style of rock music marked by the use of feedback, electronic effects, and distorted guitars, and by the extensive use of studio techniques to create unique sounds and textures. If you’re a fan of this genre, then you know that the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds is considered one of the best concept albums of all time.
Summary
Psychedelic rock, also referred to as psychedelic pop, is a subgenre of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. Musicians incorporated elements of psychedelic culture, including experimental sound effects and lyrical themes about mind alteration and drug use, into their recordings and performances. The Beach Boys’ album Pet Sounds is considered one of the most influential works in the genre.
The Beach Boys began recording Pet Sounds in early 1966. The album’s lead singer, Brian Wilson, was heavily influenced by the Beatles’ album Rubber Soul, which he had recently heard. Wilson sought to create an album that would surpass Rubber Soul in quality and innovation. He enlisted the help of producer George Martin and composer/arranger Tony Asher to realize his vision.
The result was an album that featured complex harmonies, elaborate arrangements, and innovative studio techniques. The Beach Boys’ goal was to make listeners feel as if they were “floating on a cloud.” To this end, Wilson made liberal use of tape loops, echo chambers, reverb, and other sound effects. He also incorporated elements of symphonic and avant-garde music into the album’s arrangements.
Pet Sounds was released to mixed reviews in May 1966. Critics praised its ambition but faulted its uneven execution. The album was a commercial disappointment upon its initial release, but it has since been recognized as one of the greatest recordings of all time. It has been cited as an influence by numerous artists, including Paul McCartney, who stated that it was the inspiration for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Why It’s a Classic
Psychedelic rock was still in its infancy in 1966 when the Beach Boys released their eleventh studio album, Pet Sounds. The record’s release coincided with the band’s ascension to mainstream pop superstardom, yet its sophisticated, experimental sound was a radical departure from the group’s earlier hits like “Surfin’ U.S.A.” and “I Get Around.” Brian Wilson, the band’s primary songwriter and producer, drew inspiration from the Beatles’ work on Revolver and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band to create an album that would be both a commercial success and a critical masterpiece.
Pet Sounds is often hailed as one of the first concept albums in rock music, with its thematic focus on love, loss, and nostalgia. The record’s innovative studio techniques – including multitracking, close harmony singing, and sound effects – redefined what was possible in pop music and had a profound influence on subsequent generations of artists. The Beach Boys would never again achieve the same level of critical or commercial success as they did with Pet Sounds, but the album remains one of the most revered works in popular music.
King Crimson – In the Court of the Crimson King
King Crimson’s debut album is a tour de force of psychedelic rock. Released in 1969, the album features the band’s signature sound – a mix of hard rock, jazz, and classical music. King Crimson – In the Court of the Crimson King is a concept album that tells the story of a young man’s journey to the court of the Crimson King. The album is filled with strange and wonderful sounds, and it is one of the best examples of psychedelic rock.
Summary
King Crimson’s debut album is one of the most important and influential works in all of psychedelic rock. It was released in October of 1969, and it instantly became a critical and commercial success. The album is a concept album that tells the story of a young boy who witnesses the destruction of his world by a Crimson King. The album features some of the most iconic and influential tracks in all of psychedelic rock, including “21st Century Schizoid Man”, “I Talk to the Wind”, and “Epitaph”. If you are a fan of psychedelic rock, or if you are simply looking for an album that is truly groundbreaking and unique, then you need to check out In the Court of the Crimson King.
Why It’s a Classic
Psychedelic rock’s first great concept album, and still one of its best. Robert Fripp’s hymnal guitar lines sear through the swirling atmospherics created by founder/multi-instrumentalist/producer/conceptualist Peter Sinfield. The result is an endlessly compelling glimpse inside an expansive, operatic mind. The story goes that during the recording sessions, engineer Martin Birch taped a sign to the studio wall which read, “Do not listen to this album while under the influence of narcotics.” It was excellent advice.
