The Psychedelic Rock Songs You Need to Hear
Looking for some new psychedelic rock to check out? Here are some of the best psychedelic rock songs that you need to hear!
The Psychedelic Rock Movement
Psychedelic rock, also referred to as “psych rock” or “psychedelia”, is a style of rock music characterized by psychedelic images and soundscapes. Psychedelic rock often contains elements of other genres, including folk, electronic, and even classical music. The genre emerged in the 1960s and reached its peak in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
The Origins of Psychedelic Rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that emerged in the late 1960s and was popular into the early 1970s. The best psychedelic rock songs are experimental, often drawing inspiration from other genres like jazz and Indian classical music. Psychedelic rock is also characterized by complex song structures, extended instrumental sections, and an emphasis on atmosphere and mood.
The origins of psychedelic rock can be traced back to the early 1960s with artists like Bob Dylan and The Beatles experimenting with mind-altering drugs like LSD. Other important early figures in the psychedelic movement include The Beach Boys, The Byrds, and The Grateful Dead. In 1966, The group 13th Floor Elevators released their debut album,,The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators,, which is widely considered to be one of the first psychedelic rock albums.
In 1967, San Francisco became the epicenter of the psychedelic scene with bands like Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and Big Brother and the Holding Company playing free concerts in Haight-Ashbury. This period is often referred to as the “Summer of Love.” Some of the most influential psychedelic albums were released during this time, including The Doors’ self-titled debut album,,The Doors,,and Pink Floyd’s second album,,A Saucerful of Secrets,,both released in 1967.
In 1968, psychedelia began to spread beyond North America and Europe with artists like Ravi Shankar and Osamu Kitajima incorporating elements of Indian music into their work. This trend would continue into the 1970s with Japanese bands like Yellow Magic Orchestra blending electronic music with traditional Japanese instruments. Psychedelic rock reached its commercial peak in 1971 with The Rolling Stones’ album,,Sticky Fingers,,and Led Zeppelin’s fourth album,,Led Zeppelin IV.,, However, by 1973, the psychedelic movement had largely dissipated due to a combination of drug overdoses (notably that of Brian Wilson), shifting public tastes, and increased police crackdowns on illegal drug use.
The Sound of Psychedelic Rock
Psychedelic rock, also referred to as psych rock or garage rock, is a style of music that typically contains distorted guitars, vocals, and trippy sound effects. The genre is known for its 60s and 70s roots, when bands like The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Pink Floyd popularized the sound with mind-bending tracks like “Purple Haze” and “Dark Side of the Moon.”
While the genre has since faded from the mainstream, it continues to influence today’s musicians. In fact, many modern artists have been credited with reviving psychedelic rock, such as Tame Impala, MGMT, and The Black Keys.
If you’re looking to explore the genre, start with these essential psychedelic songs.
The Best Psychedelic Rock Songs
Psychedelic rock, also referred to as simply psychedelia, is a style of rock music influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. The music is intended to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs, most notably LSD.
“A Whiter Shade of Pale” – Procol Harum
Procol Harum’s debut single is one of the most instantly recognizable psychedelic anthems ever recorded. The organ-driven song, with its distinctive opening riff, was a huge hit in 1967 and has been covered by everyone from Anne Murray to Willie Nelson. “A Whiter Shade of Pale” is a perfect example of the way that Procol Harum took the sounds of early psychedelia and gave them a unique twist.
“Tomorrow Never Knows” – The Beatles
“Tomorrow Never Knows” is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, released on their 1966 album Revolver. Credited to Lennon–McCartney, it was primarily written by John Lennon. The song has a distinctive psychedelic quality incorporating tape loops and reversed vocals, and features lead vocals by Paul McCartney over an instrumental track by Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Although the song was not released as a single in the United Kingdom or the United States, it drew considerable airplay on radio stations that were playing album tracks rather than singles.
In 2000, “Tomorrow Never Knows” was voted number 279 in Q magazine’s reader poll of the 100 Greatest Tracks ever recorded. In 2012, Rolling Stone ranked it at number 469 on its list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”.
“In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” – Iron Butterfly
Iron Butterfly’s debut album Heavy was released in early 1968 to little fanfare, but it did contain their soon-to-be classic “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.” Haunting and trippy, the 17-minute opus was unlike anything anyone had ever heard before and pretty much defined the term psychedelic rock. The song became a huge hit, propelling the album to the top of the charts, and giving Iron Butterfly a place in rock history.
The Legacy of Psychedelic Rock
Psychedelic rock, also known as acid rock, is a type of rock music that became popular in the 1960s. The style is characterized by distorted guitars, feedback, and heavy use of psychedelic drugs such as LSD.Psychedelic rock reached its pinnacle in the late 1960s with groups such as the Doors, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and the Grateful Dead.
The Influence of Psychedelic Rock
Psychedelic rock, also referred to as psychedelia, is a diverse style of music that originated in the late 1960s. It was inspired by psychoactive drugs such as LSD and marijuana, and is characterized by distorted sounds, extended instrumentation, and imagery related to drug use and the psychedelic experience.
Psychedelic rock became popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s with bands such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, and the Grateful Dead. The genre continued to be popular in the 1970s with artists such as David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and Queen. In the 1980s and 1990s, psychedelic rock declined in popularity but experienced a resurgence in the 2000s with bands such as the Strokes, Radiohead, and Tame Impala.
The influence of psychedelic rock can be heard in genres such as alternative rock, art rock, electronic music, experimental rock, heavy metal, jam band music, punk rock, pop music, progressive rock, and shoegaze.
The End of the Psychedelic Rock Era
By the early 1970s, the psychedelic rock era was coming to an end. The last great psychedelic band, Pink Floyd, released their final album with Syd Barrett, The Madcap Laughs, in early 1970. Barrett had left the band in 1968 due to mental health problems exacerbated by drug use, and the album was a critical and commercial failure.
While some bands continued to experiment with psychedelia, most notably the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane, the genre began to splinter. Some bands, like the Doors and Jimi Hendrix Experience, began to explore harder rock sounds. Others, like the Beach Boys and Byrds, turned to country-influenced music.
The final nail in the coffin of psychedelic rock came in late 1970 when John Lennon announced that he was leaving the Beatles. The band would release their last album, Let It Be, in May of 1970, bringing an end to one of the most influential eras in rock music history.
