3 Psychedelic Rock Classics From the 1960s That We Bet You Haven’t Listened to in a Long Time (or Ever)

In the 1960s, the premier psychedelic rock bands were The Beatles, The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and The Jimi Hendrix Experience. While they did not strictly own the genre during the decade, these four groups have become the face of it. That being said, here are three psychedelic rock classics from the 1960s that we bet you haven’t listened to in a long time(or ever).

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“Arnold Layne” by Pink Floyd

Before David Gilmour’s entry into Pink Floyd in 1968, the band released their first-ever single on March 10, 1967. Written by Syd Barrett, “Arnold Layne” was Pink Floyd’s first official single and a psychedelic masterpiece that often gets overshadowed early simply due to its placement in Floyd’s catalog.

As you’d probably expect, this song is a complete and utter trip, and that was likely the point. Nevertheless, following its release, “Arnold Layne” went on to peak at No. 20 on the United Kingdom singles chart despite being banned from the BBC due to its subject matter.

“The Garden Of Earthly Delights” by The United States Of America

The United States of America was a short-lived rock band that only lasted from 1967 to 1968. However, during their year together, the group dropped some incredibly influential tracks that have remained relevant in cult-following psych rock scenes. One of those tracks is their 1968 single, “The Garden Of Earthly Delights”.

Unless you are part of that cult-following psych rock scene, then we believe there is a high likelihood that you haven’t heard this song. Although we would love to be wrong. Regardless, this single is the weird of the weird, and the counter culture of the counter culture. Thus, it has remained hidden for quite some time.

“Slide Machine” by The 13th Floor Elevators

If you already went ahead and listened to our previous selection, well, then get ready for something even weirder. From 1965 to 1969, the 13th Floor Elevators were an active psychedelic rock band that were actually credited for creating the genre tag. Also, unlike many bands from the decade, these guys weren’t from the UK, as they came from Austin, Texas.

During their four years together, the band released loads of avant-garde underground material. The one we believe to be in their more experimental category is “Slide Machine”.The song is a bit of a fusion between psych rock, soul, and electronic. Consequently, it is confusing to musically follow, but that is what makes it so great.

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