The Best Psychedelic Rock Songs of All Time
Contents
- The Best Psychedelic Rock Songs of All Time
- “A Day in the Life” by The Beatles
- “I Can See for Miles” by The Who
- “Paint It, Black” by The Rolling Stones
- “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” by Iron Butterfly
- “Somebody to Love” by Jefferson Airplane
- “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane
- “Dark Star” by The Grateful Dead
- “Tomorrow Never Knows” by The Beatles
A list of the best psychedelic rock songs of all time, as determined by the experts.
The Best Psychedelic Rock Songs of All Time
Psychedelic rock, also known as simply psychedelic rock, is a subgenre of rock music that drew its inspiration from psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. The style is distinguished by pulsating rhythms, distorted and extended guitar solos, and exclaimed vocals. If you’re looking for the best psychedelic rock songs of all time, look no further. This list contains the cream of the crop.
“A Day in the Life” by The Beatles
“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. The song is written in the form of a standard rock song, but features a number of unusual time signatures and chord changes. It is widely considered to be one of the greatest songs of all time, and was ranked as the greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone magazine in 2004.
“I Can See for Miles” by The Who
The Who’s “I Can See for Miles” was released in 1967 and is one of the defining songs of the psychedelic rock genre. The song was written by Pete Townshend and is one of the band’s most successful singles, reaching number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US and number seven in their native UK. The song’s signature sound is created by Townshend’s fuzz-tone guitar and Keith Moon’s manic drumming.
“Paint It, Black” by The Rolling Stones
“Paint It, Black” by The Rolling Stones is a classic example of psychedelic rock. The song was released in 1966 and was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. The song is about the Vietnam War and the devastation it caused. The song is considered one of the best examples of psychedelic rock due to its dark, distorted sound and lyrics.
“In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” by Iron Butterfly
“In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” is a song by American rock band Iron Butterfly, released in 1968. The record topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks, becoming the group’s only No. 1 hit. It was released as a single with “Unconscious Power” as its B-side. “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” (alsoreleased as In the Garden of Eden) is one of the best-known songs of the psychedelic rock era and is still heard regularly on classic rock radio.
“Somebody to Love” by Jefferson Airplane
“Somebody to Love” is a song by American psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane. It was written by lead singer Grace Slick and released as a single in 1967, reaching number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song is included on the band’s album Surrealistic Pillow (1967).
The song has been covered by numerous artists, including being ranked number 331 on Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” list.
“White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane
“White Rabbit” is a song written by Grace Slick and recorded by the American rock band Jefferson Airplane for their 1967 album Surrealistic Pillow. It became the band’s second top-ten hit after “Somebody to Love”. The song was released as a single on June 1, 1967, and peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In October 1968, it was ranked #98 on Rolling Stone’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song is included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and is also one of the classic rock songs that are regularly played on classic rock radio stations.
“Dark Star” by The Grateful Dead
“Dark Star” is a Grateful Dead classic that epitomizes the band’s psychedelic sound. The song was actually written by Bob Weir and Jerry Garcia during a LSD trip, and it definitely shows in the free-flowing, loose composition. The Dead would often stretch “Dark Star” out to twenty minutes or more in live performances, giving each member of the band plenty of space to shine.
“Tomorrow Never Knows” by The Beatles
This song is widely considered to be one of the best examples of psychedelic rock. It was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and was recorded in 1966. The song features a number of innovative elements, including backwards tapes, sitar, and looped drums.
