Top 5 Psychedelic Rock Songs!

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The Top 5 Psychedelic Rock Songs

If you listen to any 60s or 70s era rock, you are destined to be a fan of the psychedelic rock that dominated much of those years. I am talking about artists like Jimi Hendrix, the Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, and more! These artists created some fantastic music and today, we are going to rank the top 5 psychedelic rock songs! This is purely an opinionated post and I would enjoy hearing your take on the top 5 in the comments below! Now, lets get started with the article!

#5) The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever

Coming in at #5, we have a classic by The Beatles. Having seen a few of these lists before, I often see people rank this song at #1 or #2. However, while the song is great, I do not think that it is the best psychedelic rock song. 

The sounds produced in the song are pretty and calming in nature and whisk you away to the strawberry fields as The Beatles intended. The song is really a great way to listen to some psychedelic rock without going too far down a rabbit whole. However, it certainly provides a psychedelic aspect. If you just listen to the lyrics you can tell that The Beatles were not quite in a sober state of mind when they penned this classic! 

#4) The Doors - Light My Fire

This is probably the most known song on this list and also possibly the most popular. This song is not inherently too psychedelic. However, it originated from the height of the psychedelic era and has some characteristics of a great trippy song. The lyrics are pretty basic and are based on love, as you would assume. 

This song becomes more interesting though when you give it a listen all the way through and realize just how much music there is in this song. The artistry shown in this song is just beautiful. While there is singing and lyrics, the instruments are quieter and more subdued but, when the time is right, they all come together to create a beautiful feeling of a jam session. It is not something that you at first expect in a chart-topping song but it really is quite beautiful!

#3) Grateful Dead - Scarlet Begonias

I grew up with parents that listened to the Grateful Dead all the time. In fact, almost every night there was some concert or another playing. Scarlet begonias has always been my personal favorite and I think that it fits almost perfectly into this list. It is perhaps not the most trippy song, but it fits in perfectly into the psychedelic era playlist. This song consists of some great guitar licks, interesting lyrics, an easy going feel, and a jam session like solo. Add this all together and you have one of the best songs to ever come from the psychedelic era of rock. 

The best part about this song though is the way that the melodies and the lyrics mesh, much like many other Grateful Dead songs. This is just such an relaxing and easy going ballad that it is good for any trip. For example, I have it added to my road trip playlist! Now, moving onto number two!

#2) Jimi Hendrix - Third Stone from the Sun

This is probably not the most notable Jimi Hendrix song. In fact, I do not think that it is even in the top 25 on most streaming platforms. However, if you take a few minutes and give this song a listen, you will see that it really is a psychedelic era song. The song is mostly instrumental, but Jimi doesn't let that stop him from creating one of the best trippy songs and whisking you away to another dimension.

The song is basically an instrumental track with a few spoken words added in at the end. The song itself features Jimi's signature playing style with quick notes that blend together to form beautiful melodies. This is backed up by a dynamic rhythm and funky bass melody that really brings the song together. The song is perfect if you want to be lifted into another world or, if you simply want to relax and listen to some good old Hendrix.  

#1) Pink Floyd - Shine on You Crazy Diamond, Parts 1-5

Anyone who knows anything about psychedelic rock will know that every list like this one will have to include Pink Floyd somewhere, and most likely somewhere near the top. I have decided not to play the silly game of trying to find someone who is better fit for number one than Pink Floyd so, the number one song on this list is Shine on You Crazy Diamond parts 1-5.

This is a sadder song than the rest as it was created by Pink Floyd to mourn the loss of their band member Syd Barrett. The song starts of super slow but then picks up a bit of momentum as we start to move into the later parts. What really makes the song such a psychedelic and trippy song though is, as usual, David Gilmour's guitar parts. He has three main solo parts and each one is perfectly placed and perfectly played. 

The song itself is really amazing because through Gilmour's playing you can really feel the pain that he is trying to get out. He is, in a sense, mourning the loss of a friend and it was through music that they decided to honor him. I think that this is why this is such a well played and well put together song. However, don't just think that its just some sob story of a song because this song will take you away down the Pink Floyd rabbit hole! It is for all these reasons that this song made number one on this list!

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