160 Mind Expanding Psychedelic Albums Pt1 by Junomoogmello 
This psychedelic chart may surprise some people. It is in two parts, mainly because of the size of it. The first part generally tends to include music from the sixties, the second part includes some more 'up to date' psychedelic offerings. Firstly, I have only included albums which I own on vinyl, part of this decision is that the amazing cover art on many of the albums forms a significant part of the overall experience for me. There is nothing like the tactility of vinyl and truth is, the sound can't be matched! Secondly, it includes some albums by bands which definitely do deliver that 'psychedelic sound', however the albums may not have intentionally been intended to fit within that mould or to hit that market. I include Deep Purple, The Rolling Stones, Yes, David Bowie, Tangerine Dream and the Velvet Underground in this group. Thirdly, there are some compilations included and I think this is ok. A good example being Pink Floyd Relics, where some of their finest psychedelic era tracks can only be found on this album, an album which has never really got the credit it is due. It was not a deliberate decision to mostly include albums which were issued during the Summer of Love or within a few years either side of 1967, it just happens that my favourite psychedelic albums are from this period. Without doubt, many of the bands rose from the Haight-Ashbury neighbourhood and San Francisco Bay region. The UK also played its part with many bands delivering albums which clearly sat within the psychedelic mould. The Beatles, The Moody Blues and The Kinks all delivered a number of albums which sit well within the psychedelic boundary, some may argue they are closer to pop and in the case of The Moody Blues, closer to Prog. So when I refer to the 'psychedelic mould', what exactly is it and where are the boundaries? I can't answer that question without reference to the readily available mind expanding drugs available during the birth of Psychedelia. The psychedelics without doubt influenced the creativity and music scene during the mid to late sixties. It wasn't until October 68 that LSD became an illegal drug in the USA. Sadly, a large number of amazing musicians in the sixties and early seventies lost their lives to harder drugs, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Tim Buckley, to name but a few. Many may argue that Syd Barrett died the day he laid down his guitar for the last time...The psychedelic sound was built around diverse rhythms constructed with loose hi-hat and tight snare and bass drum patterns, often coloured with tambourine, congas, bongos. Kettle drums could be used to add effect and drama. Lead guitar was overdriven creating that typical fuzz guitar sound, Hendrix was a master, in fact Tangerine Dream's debut was a nod to Hendrix. Many bands opted to introduce eastern instruments like the Sitar and Tabla, the Beatles were early pioneers, introducing Sitar on a number of tracks. Textures created on organ, most notably Farfisa and Hammond were often provided by bands to add to the psychedelic sound. Pink Floyd and the Grateful Dead used the Organ to great effect on many tracks. Very early sound sampling found its way onto numerous albums, this may have been achieved by reversing or slowing down tapes (Beatles, Sgt Pepper and Revolver) and if bands could afford it, adding early Mellotron textures which the Moody Blues pioneered. Vocals were put through basic effects processors to add mystique and volume! Other conventional instruments like flute, oboe, French Horn, harpsichord, harmonium, piano and wind chimes all found their way onto a number of psychedelic tracks. Some more unusual instruments like the Vox Continental keyboard and Theremin were used by a few bands, the Doors most famously used the Vox on all their albums, it carved out that very typical Doors sound. Iron Butterfly, The Beatles and The Animals also used the Vox on many tracks. The Beach Boys used the Theremin which provided a very unique sound at the time. Many bands included early basic electric piano, sometimes just to provide unusual effects, not necessarily to bash out a tune. In summary, Psychedelic music is quite rich and diverse offering the listener an escape from reality into another realm, without the use of mind altering drugs. It includes jazz, garage, pop and rock genres and in the case of Blue Cheer (named after a variety of LSD), early metal. I hope this chart may help introduce fellow music lovers to some classic Psychedelic albums which they may not have listened to before. Enjoy the trip!
- Chart updated: 03/19/2024 19:45
- (Created: 01/15/2024 06:54).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
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[First added to this chart: 02/11/2024]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2
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0
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[First added to this chart: 02/11/2024]
Year of Release:
1969
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,705
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The Hollies at their most experimental, too experimental on ‘Lullaby to Tim’, where sadly, the vocal effect kills that particular song and as many believe, also the album. I take the track for what it is, an experiment which went too far. Thankfully, the rest of the album holds up really well, side two really coming into its own. Plenty of fuzz guitar, great vocal harmonies and interesting instrumentation throughout, which holds the listener’s interest. The very psychedelic cover art (designed by The Fool’s Simon and Marijke) adds to the overall psychedelic experience.
[First added to this chart: 02/18/2024]
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[First added to this chart: 02/10/2024]
95. (=)
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A really stripped back album of beauty. I was amazed to discover this rare vinyl in immaculate condition (after a clean) when crate digging one wet February morning. The vocal style will be an acquired taste and to listen to all four sides back to back may be too challenging for some. Tyrannosaurus Rex were a duo, acoustic guitar, percussion and vocals. The style sits in the psychedelic folk camp and is very stepped back with no clever effects or strange or exotic instruments to add excitement. A kazoo gets a mention in the inner sleeve notes and I think this is the only album where I have seen one listed in an instrument list! Tyrannosaurus Rex moved away from psychedelia forging a path to glam rock, which wasn't to my personal taste, they shortened their name to T Rex and Mark Bolan became a glam rock God before his untimely death in a car accident.
[First added to this chart: 02/10/2024]
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The opener, ‘Hungry Freaks Daddy’ is in my top five psychedelic tracks. The riff is so infectious and the quality of recording gives the track a depth not heard on many albums from this era. However, as with everything Zappa was involved with, moments of madness (daftness) water down the overall experience. If the overall album was consistent with the first track, it would be higher in this chart.
[First added to this chart: 01/28/2024]
Year of Release:
1966
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,732
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This album has quite a bluesy feel to it, the second track on side one being a good example. The sleeve notes point to the Chicago Blues style being an influence on several tracks. This is an album of two halves with the bluesy numbers on side one and with side two moving into much more psychedelic realms. 'Happenings Ten Years Ago' is the track most associated with the album, breaking down and then out into blistering guitar work.
[First added to this chart: 01/30/2024]
Year of Release:
1966
Appears in:
Rank Score:
871
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[First added to this chart: 02/10/2024]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,590
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These guys were all under 20 when this album was cut. Students from the San Jose region, individual members hailing from Dublin, Ireland, Brooklyn, New York, Springfield, Missouri, Cleveland, Ohio and Indianapolis, Indiana, they all came quite different geographic backdrops and a hell of a distance for 66! Great cover of ‘My Generation’.
[First added to this chart: 01/21/2024]
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Named after a particularly potent variety of LSD, this band doesnt hold back, raw, loud, no messing. Could this actually be the first metal album? Very possibly! The quality of recording isn't great but when listened to at volume that becomes kind of irrelevant!
[First added to this chart: 01/30/2024]
Year of Release:
1968
Appears in:
Rank Score:
474
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Total albums: 100. Page 10 of 10
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160 Mind Expanding Psychedelic Albums Pt1 composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 90 | 90% | |
| 1970s | 9 | 9% | |
| 1980s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1990s | 1 | 1% | |
| 2000s | 0 | 0% | |
| 2010s | 0 | 0% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Jefferson Airplane | 4 | 4% | |
| The Beatles | 3 | 3% | |
| Pink Floyd | 3 | 3% | |
| The Byrds | 3 | 3% | |
| The Jimi Hendrix Experience | 3 | 3% | |
| The Doors | 3 | 3% | |
| Spirit | 3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
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