Top Psychedelic Rock Bands of All Time
A list of the top psychedelic rock bands of all time, including Pink Floyd, The Beatles, and The Doors.
The Beatles
When most people think of psychedelic rock, the first band that comes to mind is The Beatles. The Beatles were at the forefront of the psychedelic rock movement and their music still holds up today. If you’re a fan of psychedelic rock, then you need to check out The Beatles.
Formed in Liverpool in 1960
The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. With members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they became widely regarded as the foremost and most influential music band in history. Rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock and roll, their sound ranged from pop ballads to psychedelic rock, often incorporating classical elements and unconventional recording techniques in innovative ways. In 1963, their enormous popularity first emerged as “Beatlemania”; as the group’s music grew in sophistication following their 1966 album Revolver, led by 1967’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, a phenomenon referred to as “Peppermania”.
As pop culture’s first bona fide celebrities, The Beatles quickly became a commercial success with the release of Please Please Me in early 1963; their comparative affluence gave rise to attendant rumours of extravagance and Reedism. In 1964, The Beatles occupied the top five positions on The Billboard Hot 100 chart for a record-setting fifteen weeks; they also held the top two spots on Billboard’s Top LP’s chart for nine weeks. From 1965 onwards they produced what critics consider to be some of the finest pop music ever recorded. Following creatively tense years that saw the group experiment with psychedelic music and retreat to the recording studio rather than touring, they publicly embraced flower power and hosted therapies at their homes in London during 1967’s so-called “Summer of Love”. McCartney quit The Beatles following acrimonious disagreements over management decisions during 1968; Lennon subsequently moved to New York City where he mounted a successful solo career marked by his increasingly political optimism combined with forthright criticism of The Vietnam War through songs such as “Give Peace a Chance” ( 1969) and “Imagine” (1971).
The Beatles’ disbanded acrimoniously in 1970. Commercial success continued throughout each former member’s solo career; Starr also found renewed popularity via his work as a film actor and television personality after 1968. All four members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame posthumously: Lennon was murdered by an unstable fan in 1980; Harrison died of lung cancer nine years later; McCartney remains active as a musician, writer and visual artist whose career has spanned six decades; Starr achieved critical acclaim for his work on several successful film projects after 1968 but did not perform with Wings again until 1994.
Reunions between various members occurred sporadically during the ensuing decades but weren’t formalised until 2001 when all four members appeared onstage together at McCartney’s induction into the United States Rock & Roll Hall of Fame—the first time they had appeared together since 1969. During that same year he released his last album with new material:Driving Rain included “Freedom”, written for George Harrison after his death from cancer earlier that year.
Members: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr
The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. With members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they became widely regarded as the foremost and most influential music band in history. Rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock and roll, the Beatles later experimented with several genres, ranging from pop ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock, often incorporating classical elements and unconventional recording techniques in innovative ways. In 1963, their enormous popularity first emerged as “Beatlemania”; as the group’s music grew in sophistication, led by primary songwriters Lennon and McCartney, the band were integral to pop music’s evolution into an art form and to the development of the counterculture of the 1960s.
The Beatles built their reputation playing clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg over a three-year period from 1960, with Stuart Sutcliffe initially serving as bass player. The core trio of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, together since 1958, went through a succession of drummers, including Pete BestBefore asking Starr to join them in 1962. Manager Brian Epstein moulded them into a professional act…
Albums: “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, “Abbey Road”, “The Beatles” (White Album)
The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. With members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they became widely regarded as the foremost and most influential music band in history. Rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock and roll, the Beatles later experimented with several genres, ranging from pop ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock, often incorporating classical elements and unconventional recording techniques in innovative ways. In 1963, their enormous popularity first emerged as “Beatlemania”; as the group’s music grew in sophistication, led by primary songwriters Lennon and McCartney, they came to be perceived as an embodiment of the ideals shared by the counterculture of the 1960s.
The Beatles built their reputation performing live shows in clubs throughout England and Hamburg over a three-year period from 1960, with Stuart Sutcliffe initially serving as bass player. The core trio of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, together since 1958, went through a succession of drummers—Pete Best was sacked in 1962 and replaced by Ringo Starr—and gained international popularity after their first television appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964. As their popularity grew into “Beatlemania”, the band acquired the nickname “the Fab Four”, with all four members appearing on newspaper front pages worldwide for the first time on 4 October 1964.
From 1965 onwards, the Beatles produced what many critics consider their finest material, including groundbreaking works such as Rubber Soul (1965), Revolver (1966) and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967). In 1968, they founded Apple Corps Ltd., a multimedia company that continues to represent them via numerous licensed products; among these are albums of reworked archive recordings such as Love (2006), Cirque du Soleil’s The Beatles: Love (2006) and Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur (2007). In 1967–68, following Brian Epstein’s death from an accidental drugs overdose at age 32—and amid much controversy concerning their drugs use—the group returned to live performing with a acclaimed performance at London’s Royal Albert Hall; during this period they also released two highly acclaimed studio albums: Magical Mystery Tour (1967) which topped many international charts;
Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band soundtrack album (1968). By early 1970 commercial tensions within the band had begun to surface: Starr quit temporarily in August 1968 while recording sessions for The Beatles were taking place at Abbey Road Studios; he would return shortly afterwards at McCartney’s request. These difficulties aside, agreed to embark on what became one of rock music’s most ambitious undertakings—a concert tour across North America that included stops in Japan , Thailand , Vietnam , Nigeria , Ghana , Ethiopia , Israel , Greece , South Africa . Despite growing tensions within the group during late 1968 after returning from touring – Harrison quit briefly – they continued recording what became their self-titled ninth studio album throughout early 1969; it would eventually be released in May that year featuring some of their most overtly experimental work. By now relations between Lennon and McCartney had deteriorated sharply over creative differences; when Harrison made plans to leave permanently after completing work on Abbey Road that August he was persuaded to stay by Starr. Recording sessions for Abbey Road were arranged so that each song could be completed before another member left for holiday; this helped maintain some level of efficiency given the growing acrimony within the group. Abbey Road would ultimately prove to be both their penultimate release – Let It Be followed six months later – as well as their most commercially successful album ever.”
The Rolling Stones
Formed in London in 1962
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. The first stable line-up consisted of bandleader Brian Jones (guitar, harmonica, keyboards), Mick Jagger (lead vocals, harmonica), Keith Richards (guitar, vocals), Bill Wyman (bass guitar), Charlie Watts (drums), and Ian Stewart (piano). Manager Andrew Loog Oldham was first to call the band the Rolling Stones as he thought Jagger and Richards were teaming up like a pair of stones on a Rolling Stones record. The band’s primary songwriters, Jagger and Richards, assumed leadership after Andrew Loog Oldham’s departure in 1967.
Brian Jones was the original leader of the group. The band’s debut album, released in April 1964, reached number one in the United Kingdom and number three in the United States. Until his death in 1969, Jones was a major creative force behind the group Headley Grange with Ronnie Wood became their other principal songwriter.
Members: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Ronnie Wood
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London, England, in 1962. The first stable line-up consisted of Brian Jones (lead guitar, harmonica), Stewart Clinton “Mick” Jagger (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Keith Richard (bass guitar), Bill Wyman (bass guitar), Charlie Watts (drums), and Ian Stewart (piano). Jones was removed from the official line-up in 1963 but continued to play as a member until his death in 1969. Success followed with their next album, Aftermath (1966), which reached number one in several countries and included tracks like “Paint It Black” and “Under My Thumb”.
During the late 1960s, tensions between Jagger and Richards went public, as each felt that they were being creatively stifled by the other. This resulted in guitars being exchanged for vocal duties on songs like “I Wanna Be Your Man” and “Little Red Rooster”, while others like “The Last Time”, “Get Off of My Cloud”, and “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” became Richards’ domain. The Glimmer Twins wrote most of the Stones’ classic material during this period.
In 1968, Jones died at the age of 27 due to drug-induced complications. replacement guitarist Mick Taylor led the band until 1974 when he quit amid creative differences with Jagger and Richards. Ronnie Wood officially joined in 1975 after a lengthy tenure as a studio musician and touring member. He has been a member ever since, making him one of only two members (Watts being the other) to appear on all Rolling Stones studio albums released since 1971’s Sticky Fingers.
The Stones experienced another personnel change in 2016 when Watts retired from touring due to health reasons; he was replaced by their longtime touring keyboardist Chuck Leavell’s son Zak Starkey.
Albums: “Exile on Main St.”, “Beggars Banquet”, “Let It Bleed”
The Rolling Stones are one of the most successful and iconic rock bands of all time. Formed in London in 1962, the band rose to prominence in the UK with their debut album, “The Rolling Stones,” in 1964. They soon became a global force with their follow-up albums, “Out of Our Heads” (1965) and “Aftermath” (1966). The Stones’ success continued into the 1970s with their timeless albums, “Exile on Main St.” (1972), “Beggars Banquet” (1968), and “Let It Bleed” (1969). These three albums solidified the Rolling Stones as one of the greatest rock bands of all time.
Pink Floyd
Psychedelic rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It was pioneered by bands such as Pink Floyd, the Grateful Dead, and the Beatles.
Formed in London in 1965
Pink Floyd was an English rock band formed in London in 1965. They are credited with influencing the development of psychedelic and progressive rock, and are best known for their 1967 single “See Emily Play” and their 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon, which is one of the best-selling albums of all time.
Members: Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, Richard Wright, Nick Mason
Pink Floyd was an English rock band formed in London in 1965. They achieved international acclaim with their progressive and psychedelic music.
Pink Floyd were founded by students Syd Barrett, Nick Mason and Roger Waters at London Polytechnic in 1965. Barrett was the original lead singer and primary songwriter; his early lyrics incorporated a large amount of word play, and often had an overtly humorous quality. Wright’s soaring melodies provided a counterpoint to Waters’ brooding lyrics about capitalist exploitation, mental illness and withdrawal from society. After Barrett’s departure in early 1968, they recruited guitarist David Gilmour to complete the lineup.
The group achieved commercial success with their second album, A Saucerful of Secrets (1968), which spawning the hit single “See Emily Play”. In January 1969, Pink Floyd began recording several tracks for their debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. One of these tracks, “Interstellar Overdrive”, took up the entire first side of the record and became one of their most popular live songs.
Albums: “The Dark Side of the Moon”, “Wish You Were Here”, “The Wall”
Pink Floyd was an English rock band from London. They are one of the most commercially successful and influential bands in history. Pink Floyd are known for their creative, innovative music and their thought-provoking lyrics. They have released thirteen studio albums, eight of which reached the top of the UK charts. Their most famous albums include “The Dark Side of the Moon”, “Wish You Were Here”, and “The Wall”.
Led Zeppelin
Psychedelic rock is a subgenre of rock music that emerged in the late 1960s. The style is characterized by a preoccupation with altered states of consciousness and is often associated with the use of psychedelic drugs. The term “psychedelic” is derived from the Greek word ψυχή (psyche, “mind”) and δηλείν (delein, “to make visible, to reveal”), and was first coined by psychiatrist Humphry Osmond in 1956.
Formed in London in 1968
Led Zeppelin was an English rock band originally formed in London in 1968. The group consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist and keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. The band’s heavy, guitar-driven sound has led them to be cited as one of the progenitors of heavy metal. Their style drew from a wide variety of influences, including blues, psychedelia, and folk music.
Led Zeppelin’s four members each came from highly accomplished backgrounds. Jimmy Page had been a session musician before forming the Yardbirds, one of the premiere British rock bands of the 1960s. Robert Plant had been a successful solo artist with several hit singles. John Paul Jones had worked with artists such as Jeff Beck and the Rolling Stones. And John Bonham was considered one of the greatest rock drummers of all time.
Led Zeppelin’s debut album, Led Zeppelin (1969), is often considered one of the greatest debut albums in rock history. The band went on to release a string of successful albums over the next decade, including Led Zeppelin II (1969), Led Zeppelin III (1970), Houses of the Holy (1973), Physical Graffiti (1975), and Presence (1976). They also released the highly acclaimed live album The Song Remains the Same (1976) and the double album In Through the Out Door (1979).
Sadly, disaster struck on September 25th, 1980 when John Bonham died after consuming 40 shots of vodka in 24 hours. The band was dissolved shortly thereafter. Bonham’s death marked not only the end of Led Zeppelin, but also brought an end to one of the most successful and influential rock bands in history.
Members: Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, John Bonham
Led Zeppelin was an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist and keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. The band’s heavy, guitar-driven sound has led them to be cited as one of the progenitors of heavy metal. Their style drew from a wide variety of influences, including blues, psychedelia, and folk music.
The band performed blues and folk rock-influenced material on their first two albums. Their third album, Led Zeppelin III, featured a more acoustic sound. For Led Zeppelin IV in 1971 they debuted the song “Stairway to Heaven”, which has become one of the most popular rock songs ever written. In 1973, the fourth album’s track “Houses of the Holy” became their fifth single to reach number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. By 1974, Led Zeppelin was a top-selling arena rock band with albums such as Physical Graffiti and Presence achieving commercial success; they had reached new heights of power and popularity with songs such as “Kashmir” and “Whole Lotta Love”.
Albums: “Led Zeppelin IV”, “Houses of the Holy”, “Physical Graffiti”
Formed in 1968, Led Zeppelin consisted of vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. The band’s style fused elements of blues and folk music with rock and incorporated a heavy use of improvisation and Dobro guitar. They are widely considered to be one of the most successful, innovative, and influential rock groups in history.
Led Zeppelin’s fourth album, commonly known as Led Zeppelin IV (1971) and featuring the track “Stairway to Heaven”, is among the most popular and influential works in rock music. It was edited for single release in the United Kingdom as “Stairway to Heaven” / “Misty Mountain Hop”. “Stairway to Heaven” has been voted by readers of Guitar World magazine as the greatest guitar solo of all time. In November 2007 it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Houses of the Holy (1973) was Led Zeppelin’s fifth album. It featured a variety of styles that displayed the band’s growing interest in world music and experimentation with recording techniques. The tracks on Physical Graffiti (1975), their sixth album, ranged from hard rock to acoustic balladry, while featuring novel production treatments such as multitracking and tape loops.
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 one of the most controversial and influential rock bands of the 1960s, mostly because of Morrison’s lyrics and on-stage antics, which included frequent references to sex, drugs, and death.
Formed in Los Angeles in 1965
The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1965. The group was founded by 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 which were interpreted as having erotic or psychedelic overtones. Distancing themselves from the hippie backlash of 1967, they cultivated a more unsettled, disorderly and strongly atmospheric sound on subsequent albums The Soft Parade (1969) and Morrison Hotel (1970), both of which were major commercial successes.
The band members shared a passion for the writings of the beat generation poets such as Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg which they incorporated into their songwriting. In early 1967 they recorded their debut album The Doors which contained their breakthrough hit “Light My Fire” and launched them as one of the most popular American bands of all time. The single “Hello, I Love You” also topped the charts in 1968.
Morrison’s unpredictable behavior and drug abuse affected both his health and career in the years leading up to his death at age 27 in Paris on July 3, 1971. Although he was a member of the band for only four years he had a profound impact on their music and popularity which has continued long after his death.
Members: Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, John Densmore
The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential rock acts of the 1960s, mostly because of Morrison’s lyrics and unpredictable stage persona. After Morrison’s death in 1971 at the age of 27, the remaining members continued as a trio until disbanding in 1973.
Despite having a relatively short career, the Doors have been cited as one of the most influential bands of their era. Their debut album, The Doors (1967), released by Elektra Records, charted at No. 2 on the US Billboard 200 and produced the group’s most successful single, “Light My Fire”. The album sold almost three million copies within a year of its release and eventually became one of the best-selling debut albums of all time.
Albums: “The Doors”, “Strange Days”, “Waiting for the Sun”
Psychedelic rock is a genre that emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It was inspired by the psychedelic culture of the time, which featured mind-altering drugs such as LSD and marijuana. The music is characterized by distorted guitars, extended solos, and mind-bending lyrics.
The Doors were one of the most successful psychedelic rock bands of all time. They formed in Los Angeles in 1965 and quickly gained popularity with their self-titled debut album, which included the hit singles “Break On Through (To the Other Side)” and “Light My Fire”. The band’s follow-up albums, “Strange Days” (1967) and “Waiting for the Sun” (1968), were also critical and commercial successes. The Doors’ final studio album, “L.A. Woman” (1971), was released after the death of lead singer Jim Morrison.
The band’s mix of blues-based rock and dark, poetic lyrics influenced many subsequent artists, including Van Morrison, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, and Joy Division.
