Expand Your Palate With These 3 Legendary Psychedelic Rock Songs

These three legendary psychedelic rock songs are the best examples of the subgenre. They epitomized the sound of the 1960s and rewrote rock history. If you want to get into psychedelic rock, these three tracks are a great place to start. They are the building blocks of this singular era of rock music.

“Tomorrow Never Knows” by The Beatles

“Lay down all thoughts / Surrender to the void / It is shining / It is shining…That you may see / The meaning of within / It is being / It is being,” the lyrics to The Beatles’ “Tomorrow Never Knows” read. The Beatles weren’t only known for psychedelia, but they sure had their moments. They helped popularize this subgenre after retiring their blues, mop-top act. This track remains a high point from that era of their sound.

“That love is all / That love is everyone / It is knowing / It is knowing,” the lyrics continue. This song hits all the necessary angles of psychedelic rock. It’s heady and emotionally surrendered. Inspired by Eastern philosophy, the song capitalizes on The Beatles’ spiritual journey. They would eventually move away from this sound, but not before establishing it for future generations to build on.

“Eight Miles High” by The Byrds

The Byrds’ “Eight Miles High” mixes folk-rock with psychedelic tones. This song was the perfect bridge between the softer sounds of 1960s rock and the burgeoning horizon of psychedelia.

“Eight miles high, and when you touch down / You’ll find that it’s stranger than known / Signs in the street, that say where you’re going / Are somewhere just being their own…Nowhere is there warmth to be found / Among those afraid of losing their ground,” the lyrics read. This track is largely considered the first psychedelic rock song. This track completely redirected the history of rock music.

“See Emily Play” by Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd also ventured into many genres, but they leaned heavily into psychedelia with “See Emily Play.” This whimsical track has childlike pop melodies, making it surprisingly digestible for these art-rockers.

“Emily tries but misunderstands, ah ooh / She’s often inclined to borrow somebody’s dreams till tomorrow / There is no other day / Let’s try it another way / You’ll lose your mind and play / Free games for May / See Emily play,” the lyrics read. This song is textbook psychedelia, with hard-to-pin-down lyrics and kaleidoscopic sounds.

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