Psychedelic rock is quite an incredible genre. Even though the golden age of the genre has passed, plenty of psych-rock outfits are still keeping it alive. Still, you can’t beat the classics. Some of these songs are criminally underrated, while others are quite memorable. Either way, each of these tracks is perfect for a psychedelic rock playlist!
1. “Interstellar Overdrive” by Pink Floyd
There are quite a few Pink Floyd songs worthy of this list, but we think the 1967 track “Interstellar Overdrive” deserves some love. This experimental, celestial track incorporates elements of free-form guitar and the Farfisa organ. The recorded track is perfect, but this song was also a treat to hear live back in the day as well.
2. “My White Bicycle” by Tomorrow
This debut 1967 single by Tomorrow is a dizzying tornado of reversed guitar tracks and psychedelic editing effects. It also features the guitar stylings of Steve Howe, quite a while before Yes was even a thing. “My White Bicycle” was also later covered by Nazareth in 1967, where it finally got the charting success in the UK that it deserved.
3. “The Way” by July
July is a sorely underrated name in psych-rock. Luckily, diehard fans of the genre still listen to their only 1968 album with reverence. “The Way” is one track from that otherworldly album that is particularly memorable. The use of tape-speed effects makes it sound both groovy and a little bit creepy, to be honest.
4. “Vacuum Cleaner” by Tintern Abbey
Any psychedelic rock fan worth their salt knows this 1967 song all too well. It’s a great example of both psych-rock and Britain’s particular brand of garage rock at the time. The drums are the real song-makers on this track, but the screeching feedback from that iconic guitar solo is also very memorable. It almost feels like a Jimi Hendrix bit.
5. “Paper Sun” by Traffic
“Paper Sun” was Traffic’s debut single back in 1967. It’s your standard psychedelic rock track, complete with a sitar line and instrumentation that sounds almost jazzy in a way. If you’re interested in psych-rock subgenres, this is a great example of raga rock.
6. “Happenings Ten Years Time Ago” by The Yardbirds
This list wouldn’t be complete without at least one Yardbirds track. The 1966 song “Happenings Ten Years Time Ago” is the band’s most psych-rocky track to date, and it also happens to be the band’s first with Jimmy Page. Decades later, it’s still quite hypnotizing to listen to.
Photo by RB/Redferns
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