Psychedelic rock, also referred to as psychedelia, is a diverse style of rock music inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelic culture, which is centred on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music is intended to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs, most notably LSD. Many psychedelic groups differ in style, and the label is often applied spuriously. Originating in the mid-1960s among British and American musicians, the sound of psychedelic rock invokes three core effects of LSD: depersonalization, dechronicization, and dynamization, all of which detach the user from reality. Musically, the effects may be represented via novelty studio tricks, electronic or non-Western instrumentation, disjunctive song structures, and extended instrumental segments. Some of the earlier 1960s psychedelic rock musicians were based in folk, jazz, and the blues, while others showcased an explicit Indian classical influence called "raga rock". In the 1960s, there existed two main variants of the genre: the more whimsical, surrealist British psychedelia and the harder American West Coast acid rock. While "acid rock" is sometimes deployed interchangeably with the term "psychedelic rock", it also refers more specifically to the heavier and more extreme ends of the genre. The peak years of psychedelic rock were between 1967 and 1969, with milestone events including the 1967 Summer of Love and the 1969 Woodstock Rock Festival, becoming an international musical movement associated with a widespread counterculture before beginning a decline as changing attitudes, the loss of some key individuals, and a back-to-basics movement led surviving performers to move into new musical areas. The genre bridged the transition from early blues and folk-based rock to progressive rock and hard rock, and as a result contributed to the development of sub-genres such as heavy metal. Since the late 1970s it has been revived in various forms of neo-psychedelia. Wikipedia

Chronology

Released Title Classification Artist Score Ratings
1967 Axis: Bold as Love excellent The Jimi Hendrix Experience 4.338 19430
1967 Their Satanic Majesties Request very good The Rolling Stones 3.718 8729
1967 Little Games good The Yardbirds 3.310 1169
1967 The Doors excellent The Doors 4.449 39872
1967 Strange Days excellent The Doors 4.027 19396
1967 The Piper at the Gates of Dawn excellent Pink Floyd 4.177 39354
1968 Waiting for the Sun excellent The Doors 3.847 12651
1968 It's All About... very good Spooky Tooth 3.646 596
1968 A Saucerful of Secrets very good Pink Floyd 3.753 23627
1968 Caravan excellent Caravan 3.927 2476
1969 Pretties for You good Alice Cooper 3.242 1751
1969 The Soft Parade nice The Doors 3.463 10349
1969 More good Pink Floyd 3.178 12294
1969 Ummagumma good Pink Floyd 3.393 18283
1970 Easy Action good Alice Cooper 3.176 1594
1970 Morrison Hotel excellent The Doors 4.003 14278
1970 Games Guitars Play nice Harvey Mandel 3.508 91
1971 The Cry of Love excellent Jimi Hendrix 3.890 3487
1972 Obscured by Clouds good Pink Floyd 3.400 14902



Psychedelic Rock