The Best Stoner Psychedelic Rock of All Time

A list of the best psychedelic rock songs of all time, perfect for any stoner’s playlist.

Jimi Hendrix- Are You Experienced?

Are You Experienced? is the debut studio album by American rock band the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Released in May 1967, it was the first LP for Track and Reprise Records. The album features hit singles “Purple Haze” and “Hey Joe”, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest debuts in the history of rock music. The album peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 in the US, and number fifteen on the UK Albums Chart. In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked it number 55 on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

The Doors- The Doors

The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were unique and among the most controversial and influential rock acts of the 1960s, mostly because of Morrison’s lyrics and voice along with his erratic, surrealist onstage persona. After the band’s first album was released in 1967, they debuted with the song “Light My Fire” which shot to number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. The Doors produced a total of six studio albums between 1967 and 1971; all of which entered the US Billboard Top 10 charts, including their self-titled debut album which peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 in 1967 and went on to sell over three million copies in the US. Despite having a brief lifespan of only four years, the band has endured as one of the most popular and best-selling bands of all time; they have sold over 100 million records worldwide.

Pink Floyd- The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

If you’re looking for the ultimate stoner psychedelic rock album, there’s no question that Pink Floyd’s The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is it. Released in 1967, the album was the band’s debut and was immediately popular with fans of psychedelic rock. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is a perfect example of how psychedelic rock can be both ethereal and trippy, while still remaining rooted in reality. The album’s standout tracks include “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun,” “Interstellar Overdrive,” and “See Emily Play.”

The Velvet Underground- The Velvet Underground & Nico

Formed in New York City in 1964, the Velvet Underground was originally a strategic alliance between Lou Reed, a Brooklynite art student and would-be songwriter, and John Cale, a classically trained Welshman two years Reed’s senior. With the addition of bassist Sterling Morrison and German-born multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Nico — whom Reed met when she was working as a fashion model and he was doing odd jobs at Andy Warhol’s Factory — the Velvets became Warhol’s house band, appearing with him on numerous occasions and serving as the prototype for his vision of a multimedia arts collective. The group also backed Nico on her 1967 debut album, Chelsea Girl.

Syd Barrett- The Madcap Laughs

Syd Barrett- The Madcap Laughs is often cited as one of the best stoner psychedelic rock albums of all time. The album was released in 1970, shortly after Barrett’s departure from Pink Floyd. The Madcap Laughs is a collection of reworked and unfinished songs that were recorded during Barrett’s final years with Pink Floyd.

The album features a stripped down, raw sound that is distinctly different from the polished production values of Pink Floyd’s later albums. Barrett’s songwriting is also more personal and idiosyncratic on The Madcap Laughs, as he tackles themes of mental illness, drug use, and relationships.

Despite its chaotic origins, The Madcap Laughs is a haunting and beautiful album that has inspired many subsequent generations of psychedelic rock musicians.

King Crimson- In the Court of the Crimson King

In the Court of the Crimson King is the debut studio album by the English rock band King Crimson, released on 10 October 1969 on Island Records in Europe and Atlantic Records in North America. It was mixed and released in stereo and quadraphonic. Upon its release, the album received mixed reviews. Retrospectively, it has been praised by many critics and is seen as influential to several genres, including progressive rock.

The album was recorded at Wessex Sound Studios in Islington, London, between July and August 1969, and was produced by Tony Clarkin and Robert Fripp. The majority of the material was written by Fripp or Peter Sinfield; however, two tracks were credited to Ian McDonald and Greg Lake. “I Talk to the Wind” was co-written by McDonald and Fripp’s future wife Toyah Willcox.

In the Court of the Crimson King reached number five on the UK Albums Chart and number 28 on Billboard’s Top LPs chart in the US. It has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipments of 500,000 copies in the US. The album was later reissued several times with bonus tracks. In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked it number 97 on its list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Hawkwind- In Search of Space

One of the most criminally underrated bands of all time, Hawkwind was to space rock what Black Sabbath was to heavy metal. Formed in London in 1969 by former member of The Hellions, Dave Brock, Hawkwind were at the vanguard of the nascent British underground counterculture movement that would eventually give birth to punk rock. Taking their cues from The Doors, Jimi Hendrix and Captain Beefheart, Hawkwind’s signature sound was a relentless wall of guitars, bass, drums and electronic noise that was as likely to induce a violent mosh pit as it was an LSD-fueled trance. Brock and company’s 1971 masterpiece In Search of Space is widely considered to be one of the genre’s defining documents.

Can- Tago Mago

Can- Tago Mago is often cited as one of the best psychedelic rock albums of all time, and for good reason. Released in 1971, the album is a mind-bending melding of genres, with elements of krautrock, jazz, and world music all present. The result is a trip of an album that’s both complex and accessible, and which has stood the test of time.

Neu!- Neu!

Formed in Düsseldorf, Germany, in 1971 by Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother, Neu! were one of the first krautrock bands. Their self-titled debut album, released in 1972, is a masterpiece of minimalism and repetition, with hypnotic motorik rhythms and occasional moments of pure blissful noise. The album was followed by a series of highly influential records that further explored the possibilities of krautrock, making Neu! one of the most important bands in the history of psychedelic rock.

Kraftwerk- Autobahn

If you’re a fan of Krautrock, you need to check out Kraftwerk’s “Autobahn.” This song is the epitome of what the genre is all about: hypnotic, electronic rhythms that make you feel like you’re cruising down the open road. It’s the perfect soundtrack for a road trip, or just driving around town on a sunny day.