Rolling Coaster Sixties Psychedelic Rock Songs

The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, and The Doors were some of the most influential bands of the Sixties. They defined a generation with their unique brand of psychedelic rock.

The Rolling Stones- “Paint It, Black”

“Paint It, Black” is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released as a single in May 1966. It reached number one in both the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States and the UK Singles Chart. The song was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and produced by Andrew Loog Oldham.

Musically, “Paint It, Black” is based on an Egyptian darabouka drum rhythm played by Richie Unterberger of AllMusic writes that it features “riffs alternating between growling low notes and stark high notes”. Jagger’s lyrics arepainful and bleak, with the Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?-esque repetition of the opening line “I see a red door and I want it painted black”. In one interview, Jagger said that Richards came up with the main guitar riff for this song while he was taking an afternoon nap.

The Beatles- “A Day In The Life”

The Beatles- “A Day In The Life”

One of the most influential and popular rock bands of all time, The Beatles were at the forefront of the British Invasion of the 1960s. “A Day in the Life” is a song by the English rock band The Beatles that was released as the final track of their 1967 album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Credited to Lennon–McCartney, it was written primarily by John Lennon with assistance from Paul McCartney. It is widely regarded as one of their greatest and most important works.

The Doors- “Light My Fire”

Recorded in August 1966, “Light My Fire” was the first single released by The Doors, and it immediately shot to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it stayed for three weeks. The song was written by the band’s guitarist, Robby Krieger, and it is one of the most famous examples of psychedelic rock. The Doors were one of the most controversial bands of their time, and “Light My Fire” only added to their bad-boy image. The line “Girl, we couldn’t get much higher” was a reference to drug use, specifically LSD. Despite its suggestive lyrics, “Light My Fire” was a huge hit with listeners of all ages and became one of the most iconic songs of the 1960s.

Jimi Hendrix- “All Along The Watchtower”

Hendrix’s cover of Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” is one of the most famous psychedelic rock songs of all time. The song features Hendrix’s signature wah-wah guitar style and soaring vocals, and is considered one of the best Dylan covers ever recorded.

The Grateful Dead- “Touch Of Grey”

“Touch Of Grey” is a song by the American rock band the Grateful Dead, was written by Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia, and was first released on their album In the Dark in July 1987. The song became the band’s only top-ten single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number nine in February 1988. “Touch Of Grey” helped propel In the Dark to its commercial peak of number six on the Billboard 200 chart.

Cream- “Crossroads”

Crossroads is a song written and first recorded by American blues artist Robert Johnson in 1936. It has been cited as one of the greatest songs of all time and has been recorded by many artists.

In 2004, the song was ranked number four on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”, and in March 2005, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Led Zeppelin- “Whole Lotta Love”

“Whole Lotta Love” is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin. It is the opening track on the band’s second album, Led Zeppelin II, and was released in the US on 7 November 1969 as a single with “Living Loving Maid (She’s Just a Woman)” as its B-side. The song reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number one on the UK Singles Chart.

Janis Joplin- “Piece Of My Heart”

“Piece of My Heart” is a rock song written by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns and originally recorded by Erma Franklin in 1967. The best-known and most successful recording of the song was released by Big Brother and the Holding Company in 1968, with lead vocals by Janis Joplin. The song has been ranked as number 334 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”.

The Who- “Won’t Get Fooled Again”

The Who- “Won’t Get Fooled Again” is a song by the English rock band The Who, written by guitarist Pete Townshend. It was released as a single in 1971, reaching the top ten in both the UK and US, and was included on the band’s eighth studio album, Who’s Next.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience- “Purple Haze”

The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s debut album, Are You Experienced?, featuring the song “Purple Haze”, was released in the UK on May 12, 1967. The album was an instant success, rising to number two on the UK charts. In the US, the album was released on August 8, 1967 and reached number five on the Billboard 200. “Purple Haze” quickly became a fan favorite and remains one of Hendrix’s most popular songs.