Psychedelic Rock Essentials: The Best Albums of the Genre

Psychedelic Rock Essentials is a blog dedicated to the best Psychedelic Rock albums of the genre. Here you will find album reviews, artist interviews, and more.

The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

The Beatles’ eighth studio album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, is the band’s most iconic and influential release. Released in 1967, the album is often cited as one of the greatest and most influential albums of all time. With its innovative production, boundary-pushing psychedelic sound, and timeless songwriting, Sgt. Pepper’s has had a profound impact on generations of musicians. The album spent 27 weeks at the top of the UK charts and 15 weeks at number one on the US Billboard 200. In 1998, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and in 2012, it was ranked number one on Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” list.

The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds

Few bands are as closely associated with the Beach Boys as Brian Wilson, and that’s largely thanks to his work on their classic album Pet Sounds. Released in 1966, the album is widely considered to be one of the best of all time, and it’s certainly one of the most influential in the world of psychedelic rock. Featuring some of Wilson’s most iconic songs, including “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” and “Sloop John B,” Pet Sounds is an essential listen for any fan of psychedelic rock.

Pink Floyd – The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

Released in 1967, this album is considered one of the first and most important psychedelic rock albums. It is a must-have for any fan of the genre.

Recorded in just two months, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn was Pink Floyd’s debut album. The band was quickly gaining popularity in the UK underground music scene, and their unique brand of psychedelic rock was unlike anything else that had been heard before.

Filled with exceptional musicianship, mind-bending sound effects, and trippy lyrics, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is a true classic of psychedelic rock. If you’re a fan of the genre, this is an essential album.

The Doors – The Doors

The Doors were one of the most influential and controversial rock bands of the 1960s. They were founded in Los Angeles in 1965 by singer Jim Morrison and keyboardist Ray Manzarek, both of whom were graduates of the film school at the University of California, Los Angeles. The band also included drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger. The Doors achieved national fame with their self-titled debut album, which was released in 1967 and included the hits “Light My Fire” and “Break On Through (To the Other Side).” The band’s subsequent releases include the albums Strange Days (1967), Waiting for the Sun (1968), The Soft Parade (1969), Morrison Hotel (1970), L.A. Woman (1971), and Other Voices (1972).

The Doors were one of the most popular bands of their time and sold over 100 million records worldwide. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. Morrison died in Paris in 1971 at the age of 27, but the band continued to tour and release albums until 1973, when they disbanded.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Are You Experienced

The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s debut album, Are You Experienced, is one of the most influential debuts in rock history. The album was released in 1967 and featured hits like “Purple Haze” and “Fire.” The album is a perfect example of Hendrix’s unique guitar playing and the band’s experimental approach to songwriting.

Cream – Disraeli Gears

Cream’s second album, Disraeli Gears, is often considered one of the greatest psychedelic albums of all time. The band took their sound in a new direction with this album, incorporating more blues and pop elements into their music. The result was a collection of songs that sounded both fresh and familiar, with classics like “Sunshine of Your Love” and “Strange Brew” becoming instantly recognizable hits. Disraeli Gears cemented Cream’s place as one of the most innovative and influential bands of the psychedelic era.

The Grateful Dead – Anthem of the Sun

The Grateful Dead’s second album, Anthem of the Sun, is one of the first great psychedelic rock albums. It’s also one of the most experimental, as the band dabbled in studio techniques that would become hallmarks of the genre. The result is an album that’s both trippy and essential.

Jefferson Airplane – Surrealistic Pillow

Jefferson Airplane’s second album, Surrealistic Pillow, is often considered one of the best Psychedelic Rock albums of all time. The album features the band’s classics “Somebody to Love” and “White Rabbit,” as well as other fan favorites like “She Has Funny Cars” and “Plastic Fantastic Lover.” Surrealistic Pillow is a must-have for any fan of Psychedelic Rock, and it remains an essential album in the genre today.

The Kinks – Are the Village Green Preservation Society

The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society is the sixth studio album by English rock band the Kinks, released in November 1968. It was the last album by the band to feature original bass guitarist Pete Quaife. It was also an attempt by chief songwriter Ray Davies to chronicle English village life in the late 1960s and a reflection on his own newfound appreciation for heritage and tradition after spending several years living in America.

The album was named after and inspired by The Kinks’ fan club, which was itself named after the George Orwell book Keeping Up With the Joneses. In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked it 387 on their list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”, and in 2012, NME ranked it 327 on their list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. In 2005, they placed it at number 45 in their list of “The 100 Greatest British Albums Ever”.

The Stooges – The Stooges

The Stooges – The Stooges (1969)

The self-titled debut album from The Stooges is often cited as one of the most important and influential proto-punk records of all time. Its sound was radical and ahead of its time, seamlessly blending elements of garage rock, hard rock and blues to create a unique and powerful sonic assault. Iggy Pop’s primal yelps, howls and snarls are the icing on the cake, making this an essential album for any fan of psychedelic rock.