Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music. It was very popular in the 1960s when it started, and still has many fans today. It was first made in San Francisco, but it also was made in other cities such as New York City, and in other countries including England.
Psychedelic rock songs sometimes have lyrics describing the effects of drugs, if any words at all. Songs were sometimes very long (10-15 minutes), and much of this time might be taken up by a solo, like a drum solo or a guitar solo. Some major groups that made psychedelic rock included: The Beatles, The Doors, The Byrds, The Grateful Dead, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa and The Animals.
Psychedelic rock was popular music for listening to when getting high with hashish or LSD, or both. During Grateful Dead concerts, some people actually sat inside the huge speakers that the Grateful Dead brought to their concerts.
Psychedelic Rock Media
"Swinging London", Carnaby Street, circa 1966
Producer Terry Melcher in the studio with the Byrds' Gene Clark and David Crosby, 1965
The Beatles on tour, July 1965
The Fillmore, San Francisco (pictured in 2010)
Poster for the Mantra-Rock Dance event held at San Francisco's Avalon Ballroom in January 1967. The headline acts included the Grateful Dead, Big Brother and the Holding Company and Moby Grape.
Poster for Jefferson Airplane's song "White Rabbit", which describes the surreal world of Alice in Wonderland
The stage at the Woodstock Festival in 1969
Primal Scream performing live with the cover of their album Screamadelica in the back
Other websites
- Hear Psychedelic rock (music and interviews) on the Pop Chronicles (1969).