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The 100 Best Psychedelic Rock Albums of The Golden Age

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  • Jason LeValley
  • May 5, 2021
  • 4:00 pm

The 100 Best Psychedelic Rock Albums of The Golden Age

When compiling a list of the greatest psychedelic rock albums of the Golden era, there are a couple of things to take into consideration.

First, one must determine the parameters of the era: when did it begin and when did it end? In this case, the beginning is much clearer than the end. The Yardbirds released the single, “Shapes of Things on February 25th, 1966, followed by The Byrds releasing the single “Eight Miles High” on March 14th of that year. Prior to those two singles psychedelic rock didn’t exist, so it’s safe to say that 1966 was the beginning of psych-rock’s golden era.

The end of the era is a bit more difficult to determine. Psych rock appeared to be dying down toward the end of the 60s with the biggest bands of the decade (The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Byrds, etc.) already moving on to other styles. The Manson murders occurred in fall of ‘69 followed by the stabbing of a man during the Rolling Stones set at Altamont and I don’t think it’s any exaggeration to say that these events damaged the psychedelic vibe. When the new decade took hold, psychedelic music faded fast, particularly in America. Most bands that had been playing psych moved on to progressive rock or hard rock. The new artists that emerged in the 70s did their own thing, be it singer-songwriter, glam rock, proto-punk, and weren’t interested in continuing the fads of their elder siblings. By the time punk and disco came to prominence in the mid to late 70s, psychedelic rock was dead as a door nail.

Vanilla Fudge debut album cover

In choosing my top albums and ranking them, I used a two-factor system: quality of album and psychedelic quotient. The Beatles were (almost inarguably) the best band of the era, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that their three overtly psychedelic albums made my top 10. Another of their long-players, the “White Album”, makes the list on the basis of a couple tracks sounding trippy, although it’s clear that they were moving away from psychedelia by the time the record debuted in late 1968.

 

Gandalf album cover

100 Greatest Psychedelic Rock Albums of the Golden Era

100 Moby Grape–Moby Grape
99 Little Games—The Yardbirds
98 Picturesque Matchstickable Messages–Status Quo
97 The Time Has Come—The Chambers Brothers
96 A Beard of Stars—Tyrannosaurus Rex
95 Ptoof!–The Deviants
94 A Gift from a Flower to a Garden–Donovan
93 Da Capo—Love
92 Psychedelic Lollipop—Blues Magoos
91 Music in a Doll’s House—Family
90 Vanilla Fudge—Vanilla Fudge
89 Contact—Silver Apples
88 Maggot Brain—Funkadelic
87 No Way Out—The Chocolate Watchband
86 Cheap Thrills—Big Brother and the Holding Company
85 Yes–Yes
84 5th Dimension—The Byrds
83 Side Trip–Kaleidoscope
82 Cauldron—Fifty Foot Hose
81 We Are Paintermen—The Creation
80 Cellophane Symphony—Tommy James and the Shondells
80 Brave New World–Steve Miller Band
79 Aorta-Aorta
78 On the Threshold of a Dream—The Moody Blues
77 Move—The Move
76 Begin—The Millenium
75 Evolution—The Hollies

Buffalo Springfield Again album cover

74 The Birthday Party—The Idle Race
73 Nazz—Nazz
72 Tangerine Dream—Kaleidoscope (UK)
71 Gandalf—Gandalf
70 The Bee Gees–1st
69 It’s a Beautiful Day—It’s a Beautiful Day
68 OAR—Skip Spence
67 Studio—Tages
66 Nice—The Nice
65 Happy Trails—Quicksilver Messenger Service
64 Silver Apples—Silver Apples
63 Wheels of Fire—Cream
61 Together–Country Joe and the Fish
60 Sailor—The Steve Miller Band
59 Crown of Creation–Jefferson Airplane
58 Balaklava—Pearls Before Swine
57 Buffalo Springfield Again–Buffalo Springfield
56 Angel’s Egg—Gong
55 Ultimate Spinach—Ultimate Spinach
54 The Crazy World of Arthur Brown—Arthur Brown
53 Easter Everywhere—The 13th Floor Elevators
52 Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus—Spirit
51 We Are Ever So Clean—Blossom Toes
50 Web of Sound—The Seeds

49 Incense and Peppermints—Strawberry Alarm Clock
48 The Madcap Laughs–Syd Barrett
47 I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die—Country Joe and the Fish
46 Trip Thru Hell–C.A. Quintet
45 Whatevershebringswesing—Kevin Ayers
44 Would You Believe—Billy Nichols
43 I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)–The Electric Prunes
42 Joy of a Toy–Kevin Ayers
41 After Bathing at Baxter’s–Jefferson Airplane
40 The Twain Shall Meet—Eric Burdon & the Animals
39 H.P. Lovecraft I–H.P. Lovecraft
38 July—July
37 Children of the Future—The Steve Miller Band
36 Anthem of the Sun—The Grateful Dead
35 Spirit—Spirit
34 Ummagumma—Pink Floyd
33 H.P. Lovecraft II—H.P. Lovecraft
32 In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida–Iron Butterfly
31 The Psychedelic Sounds of…The 13th Floor Elevators
30 Their Satanic Majesties Request—The Rolling Stones
29 Strange Days—The Doors
28 The United States of America– The United States of America
27 Waiting for the Sun–The Doors
26 In Search of the Lost Chord—The Moody Blues

Are_You_Experienced_-_album cover

25 The Doors–The Doors
24 Think Pink—Twink
23 Tomorrow–Tomorrow
22 Electric Music for the Mind and Body—Country Joe and the Fish
21 Axis: Bold as Love–The Jimi Hendrix Experience
20 Forever Changes—Love
19 Aoxomoxoa–Grateful Dead
18 The Who Sell Out–The Who
17 Roger the Engineer—The Yardbirds
16 Disraeli Gears–Cream
15 The Soft Machine vol. 2
14 The Soft Machine vol. 1
13 SF Sorrow—The Pretty Things
12 Part One—The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band
11 Electric Ladyland—The Jimi Hendrix Experience
10 Heaven Is in Your Mind—Traffic
9 Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake–Small Faces
8 Odessey and Oracle—The Zombies
7 Magical Mystery Tour—The Beatles
6 A Saucerful of Secrets–Pink Floyd
5
Are You Experienced–The Jimi Hendrix Experience
4 Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band—The Beatles
3 Surrealistic Pillow—Jefferson Airplane
2 Piper at the Gates of Dawn—Pink Floyd
1 Revolver—The Beatles

 

Related: Top 200 Songs from the Original Psychedelic Era

Related: Top 15 Psychedelic Songs by The Beatles

Related: The Top 100 Psychedelic Rock Artists of All-Time

Revised 5/2/2024

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40 thoughts on “The 100 Best Psychedelic Rock Albums of The Golden Age”

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  1. Matt
    February 25, 2025 at 9:44 am

    Pretty good list. I won’t quibble with some of your ’70s choices as you clearly know that they’re more prog than psych, but no Parable of Arable Land?

    Reply
    • Jason LeValley
      February 25, 2025 at 10:35 am

      The Parable by Arable Land by Red Krayola always seemed more experimental than psychedelic. Which 70s selections are you referring to?

      Reply
  2. Dave Beck
    January 15, 2025 at 5:10 am

    I am a RnR fan and have always loved Happy Trails by Quicksilver Messenger Service. With the two long Ellis McDaniel (Bo Diddley) songs rocking 70% of the LP I am confused how they are considered Psychedelic Rock. I also have always loved The 13 Floor Elevator for their rocking sound even if Roky Erickson was a original acid head. Rock on friends!

    Reply
  3. Peter
    November 1, 2024 at 6:33 pm

    Good list, and nice to see a few of my faves (Kevin Ayers, PBS “Balaklava,” Small Faces, Zombies…). A lot of psych “experts” overlook certain British progressive folk artists, Might want to check out Dando Shaft’s first two LPs, John & Beverley Martin’s “Road to Ruin,” early Incredible String Band, and Bert Jansch & Pentangle. Peace!

    Reply
    • Jason LeValley
      November 1, 2024 at 6:51 pm

      Thanks for the kind words and suggestions.

      Reply
  4. Sam Brown
    October 8, 2024 at 1:12 pm

    Respectfully, has to be added …..
    king crimson in the court of the crimson king. No question about it mate

    Reply
    • Jason LeValley
      October 8, 2024 at 2:23 pm

      That definitely has some psychedelic qualities, but it’s more often considered one of the first prog records.

      Reply
  5. Ted Osiecki
    March 21, 2024 at 5:38 pm

    No After Bathing at Baxters by the Airplane?

    Reply
    • Jason LeValley
      March 22, 2024 at 8:46 am

      That’s a good call. We’ll have to take another look at that. Thanks for your input.

      Reply
      • Michael McKenna
        October 23, 2024 at 11:20 pm

        Great list. I know everyone’s favorites can’t make the list. But may I suggest SRC’s 1st lp. Black Sheep alone should qualify the lp.

        Reply
    • Roger Hoffmann
      March 22, 2024 at 3:28 pm

      I just read this review and when I got to #1 , my 1st thought was the same: Bathing at Baxters conspicuously absent. I know all of this- selection and ranking, is by nature very subjective- as is my thinking that album represented the height of both the Airplane and psychedelic rock in general. At any rate, this is a pretty good selection all in all, but JA’s “Baxter’s” seems like one of the very best examples of the genre; and I still treasure listening today.

      Reply
      • Jason LeValley
        March 22, 2024 at 4:23 pm

        Thank you for your wonderful feedback. We will revisit that album to potentially add it to the list.

        Reply

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