4 Rock Songs From the 1960s That Feel Like a Bad Psychedelic Trip

So often, we associate the psychedelic movement of the 1960s with sunny concepts like flower power and free love, hippies dancing in the park, and minds opening to the beauty of the world. While there was plenty of that (and songs to go with it), there were just as many bad psychedelic trips being had. And indeed, a bad trip needs a song, too, which is where these 1960s psychedelic rock cuts come in.

“People Are Strange” by The Doors

Jim Morrison spoke to every outcast, weirdo, and loner when writing the lyrics to The Doors’ massive hit, “People Are Strange”. The song itself was catchy enough to hit commercial radio. However, the lyrics paint a much darker picture of the world that most people will avoid if given the option. The rock ‘n’ roll groove made it palatable, sending the 1967 track to the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100.

“Revolution 9” by The Beatles

If there were ever a track that distilled the phenomenon of disorienting auditory hallucinations and unsettling paranoia that bad trips can often entail, it would have to be The Beatles’ “Revolution 9”. Unsurprisingly, Paul McCartney had little to no role in this Fab Four track. Instead, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and George Harrison crafted this oscillating, confusing eight-minute deep cut. And it’s exactly as weird as one would expect, coming from these three eccentric artists.

“(Ballad Of The) Hip Death Goddess” by Ultimate Spinach

Dark and macabre topics like death, decomposition, and the afterlife aren’t necessarily go-to conversation starters for people tripping on psychedelic drugs. Still, sometimes the mind can’t help but wander. Songs like Ultimate Spinach’s “(Ballad Of The) Hip Death Goddess” put lyrics and music to these demented rabbit holes we can sometimes willingly—or not so willingly—jump into while tripping. Something about the vocal delivery still pulls you in and makes you listen, but in a way that makes you feel like you’re under a dark spell.

“At The Mountains Of Madness” by H.P. Lovecraft

Not to be confused with the novella by author H.P. Lovecraft, “At The Mountains Of Madness” by the Chicago band H. P. Lovecraft certainly deserves a spot on a list of 60s songs that sound like bad psychedelic trips. For the full effect, we recommend listening to this track through headphones. The near-constant panning and strange, hallucinatory soundscape make it sound like you’re on an LSD trip that’s quickly scaling your own personal mountain of madness.

Photo by Edmund Teske/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

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