Relentless 70s Psychedelic Rock Bands

A list of the most popular and well-known relentless 70s psychedelic rock bands that continue to influence music today.

The Psychedelic Rock Movement

Psychedelic rock, also referred to as “psych rock” or “acid rock”, is a style of rock music that emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The music is characterized by distorted guitars, mind-bending lyrics, and trippy effects. The genre is often associated with the drug culture of the time, as many of the bands were known for their heavy use of drugs like LSD.

The Birth of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock, also referred to as psychede lica or simply psychede lia, is a broad genre of popular music that originated in the mid-1960s. Musicians and bands included in the genre include The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett, The Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, 13th Floor Elevators and Moby Grape. Psychedelic rock’s formative years occurred during a time of widespread social changes including the civil rights movement and the hippie subculture.

The style is typified by its use of electronic manipulation (such as echo and feedback), complex distorted guitar riffs, extended solos and live improvisation. Other features include lyrics that often deal with social issues such as drug use and alienation; experimental instrumentation such as sitars, Farfisas and Mellotrons; and elaborate studio production with sound effects thatcreate a “trippy” or “psychedelic” experience.

The Sound of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock, also referred to as psychedelia, is a style of rock music that was popularized in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The sound of psychedelic rock is characterized by distorted guitars, trippy sound effects, and drug-inspired lyrics. The style is often associated with the hippie counterculture of the 1960s and 1970s.

The Psychedelic Rock Movement was led by bands such as The Beatles, The Doors, Pink Floyd, and The Grateful Dead. These bands defined the sound of psychedelic rock and helped to popularize the genre. Psychedelic rock reached its peak of popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but the genre has experienced a resurgence in recent years.

The Biggest Psychedelic Rock Bands of the 1970s

Psychedelic rock bands of the 1970s paved the way for many of the rock bands we know and love today. They were relentless in their pursuit of mind-expanding sounds and trippy lyrics. Many of these bands are still touring today and their influence is still felt in the music industry. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest psychedelic rock bands of the 1970s.

Pink Floyd

One of the most iconic psychedelic rock bands of the 1970s, Pink Floyd is known for their concept albums and mind-bending live shows. With hits like “Another Brick in the Wall” and “Wish You Were Here,” the band helped define the sound of psychedelia and create a new standard for rock music.

Formed in London in 1965, Pink Floyd began as a psychedelic pop group led by singer-songwriter Syd Barrett. Barrett’s unique songwriting and guitar playing style soon made the band one of the most popular acts in England, and they began to draw attention from the international music community. In 1967, Pink Floyd released their debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, which featured Barrett’s surreal lyrics and densely layered soundscapes.

While Pink Floyd continued to gain popularity, Barrett’s mental health began to deteriorate due to his excessive use of drugs. In 1968, he was replaced by guitarist David Gilmour, who helped steer the band in a new direction. Under Gilmour’s leadership, Pink Floyd released a series of successful concept albums including The Dark Side of the Moon (1973) and Wish You Were Here (1975). These albums featured longer songs with more complex arrangements, and they turned Pink Floyd into one of the biggest rock bands in the world.

Pink Floyd remain one of the most influential bands in rock music, and their impact can still be felt today.

Led Zeppelin

One of the most popular – and biggest selling – bands of the 1970s, Led Zeppelin was also one of the most influential, laying the groundwork for both heavy metal and hard rock. Formed in 1968 by former Yardbirds guitarist Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin featured singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. The band’s debut album, 1969’s ‘Led Zeppelin’, is often cited as one of the greatest debut albums ever made, and their second album, ‘Led Zeppelin II’, cemented their status as rock superstars. With a mix of hard rock, folk and blues influences, Led Zeppelin went on to release a series of hugely successful albums throughout the 1970s including ‘Physical Graffiti’ and ‘Presence’. The band disbanded following Bonham’s death in 1980.

The Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in Santa Clara, California. The band is known for its unique and eclectic style, which blended elements of rock, folk, country, jazz, bluegrass, and blues. They also developed their own fusion of country and folk which they called “Americana.” The band is considered one of the originators of the jam band genre.

Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath is an English rock band, formed in Birmingham, England in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, singer Ozzy Osbourne, and drummer Bill Ward. The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. Originally formed as a heavy blues-rock band named Earth, the group soon adopted the Black Sabbath moniker and began incorporating occult themes with horror-inspired lyrics and tuned-down guitars. They also composed songs about social instability, political corruption, drugs, and apocalyptic prophecies of the horrors of war. By 1973, Black Sabbath had become one of the biggest bands in history.

Deep Purple

Deep Purple was formed in 1968 by singer Rod Evans and guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, who recruited bassist Nick Simper, drummer Ian Paice, and organist Jon Lord. The band’s sound was distinguished by Blackmore’s complex guitar work, Lord’s classical influences, Paice’s energetic drumming, and Evans’s powerful vocals. The band’s debut album, Shades of Deep Purple (1968), was a surprise hit; it reached the Top Ten in the UK and the US. After releasing three more albums with this lineup – The Book of Taliesyn (1968), Deep Purple (1969), and In Rock (1970) – the band fired Evans and Simper.

The Legacy of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock bands of the 1970s created a new and innovative sound that would influence music for decades to come. These bands took traditional rock and roll and added elements of jazz, blues, and country to create a new genre of music. They also incorporated new techniques such as feedback and distortion to create a sound that was unlike anything that had been heard before. Psychedelic rock bands were able to create a sound that was both familiar and yet completely new, and this is one of the things that made them so popular.

The Influence of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock, also referred to as psyrock, is a style of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. This type of music is known for its use of distorted guitars, feedback, extended solos, and often wild and trippy lyrics. Psychedelic rock reached the height of its popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with bands such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Pink Floyd. While the genre has remained popular among certain audiences, it has largely faded from the mainstream in recent decades. Nevertheless, the influence of psychedelic rock can still be heard in many modern styles of music.

The End of an Era

The legacy of psychedelic rock is often contested. To some, it was a passing fad that was quickly forgotten in the face of disco and punk rock. To others, it was a vital and influential force in music that continues to be felt today.

Psychedelic rock emerged in the mid-1960s as a result of the convergence of two distinct but related movements: the garage rock explosion of the early 1960s and the British Invasion. Garage rock bands like The Sonics and The Wailers were creating primal, primal rock music that was raw and immediate, while the British Invasion bands were incorporating elements of pop, R&B, and even classical music into their sound.

Psychedelic rock took these two strains of music and added a heavy dose of mind-altering drugs, resulting in a sound that was simultaneously heavier and more expansive than anything that had come before. The new sound was typified by bands like The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Doors, and Jefferson Airplane.

Psychedelic rock reached its peak in 1967 with the release of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, an album which made full use of the studio’s possibilities to create a multi-layered sound that was both experimental and accessible. Sgt. Pepper’s stands as one of the most important albums in popular music history, and its influence can still be felt today in the work of contemporary artists like Beck and MGMT.

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