The Best Rare Psychedelic Rock Albums
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Looking for the best rare psychedelic rock albums? Check out our list of the top 10 must-have albums for any fan of the genre!
The Best Rare Psychedelic Rock Albums
Psychedelic rock is a subgenre of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. The style is exemplified by the Beatles’ album Revolver (1966), the Beach Boys’ album Pet Sounds (1966), and the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s album Are You Experienced (1967). Psychedelic rock often uses distorted electric guitars, bass guitars, drums, and keyboards, as well as vocals.
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn by Pink Floyd
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is the debut album by Pink Floyd, and is one of the most important psychedelic rock albums ever recorded. Released in 1967, it is considered a classic of the genre, and was included in Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” list. The album contains some of Pink Floyd’s best-known songs, including “Astronomy Domine”, “Interstellar Overdrive”, and “See Emily Play”.
Are You Experienced by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Are You Experienced is the debut studio album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. It was first released in the United Kingdom on May 12, 1967, by Track Records, and then in the United States on August 23 by Reprise Records. The album was produced by Chas Chandler and featured Hendrix’s innovative approach to songwriting and electric guitar playing.
Axis: Bold as Love by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Originally released in 1967, Axis: Bold as Love is the second studio album by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. The album peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States and reached number three in the United Kingdom. The album features a number of Hendrix’s signature songs, including “Up from the Skies”, “Spanish Castle Magic”, and “Little Miss Lover”.
Electric Ladyland by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
If you’re looking for a mind-bending psychedelic rock album, you can’t go wrong with Electric Ladyland by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Released in 1968, the double album features some of Hendrix’s best-known songs, including “All Along the Watchtower,” “Voodoo Child (Slight Return),” and “ Crosstown Traffic.” With its mix of blues, funk, and psychedelic rock, Electric Ladyland is a classic of the genre and an essential addition to any music collection.
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band may be the most iconic album cover of all time. The Beatles are dressed in colorful military-style uniforms with a banner stretching behind them that reads “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” The album was released in 1967 and is considered one of the greatest albums of all time. It is also one of the rarest psychedelic rock albums, with only a handful of copies known to exist.
Honorable Mentions
It’s always hard to make a list like this, because there are so many great psychedelic rock albums out there. We tried to make a well-rounded list, but we’re sure we left out some classics. Here are some honorable mentions that didn’t quite make the cut.
The Doors by The Doors
One of the most important and influential American rock bands of all time, The Doors released their self-titled debut album in 1967. The record is now widely considered one of the greatest debut albums in rock history, and it includes some of the band’s most famous songs, like “Break On Through (To the Other Side),” “Light My Fire,” and “The End.”
The Velvet Underground & Nico by The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground & Nico is the debut album by American rock band the Velvet Underground, released in March 1967 by Verve Records. It was recorded with German-born producer and founding member Andy Warhol and his multimedia company, The Factory. Upon its release, the album’s sound was generally perceived as ahead of its time for its experimentalism, while also having pop appeal that assured strong sales and commercial success.
The Beatles (The White Album) by The Beatles
Even if it was just for the opening chords of “Back in the U.S.S.R.”, The Beatles’ self-titled 1968 double album, popularly known as The White Album, would be an essential psychedelic rock album. But there is so much more to love about this classic LP, from the stunning musicianship on display throughout to the beautiful and varied songwriting. From early standouts like “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and “Happiness is a Warm Gun” to the groove-laden “Yer Blues” and “Helter Skelter”, The White Album is an essential listen for any fan of psychedelic rock.
Abbey Road by The Beatles
Abbey Road is the eleventh studio album by the English rock band the Beatles, released on 26 September 1969 by Apple Records. The recording sessions for the album were the last in which all four Beatles participated. Although Let It Be was the final album that the Beatles completed before the band’s dissolution in April 1970, most of the album had been recorded before the Abbey Road sessions began.
Honorable mention must also go to The Kinks’ Are The Village Green Preservation Society, an album Ray Davies has admitted was his statement about trying to hold on to a disappearing way of life; and The Zombies’ Odyssey and Oracle, a tremendously ambitious record that didn’t find its audience until after it had been released.
