100 Greatest Psychedelic Albums

Rick · **Joined:** Wed Oct 06, 2010 7:21 pm **Posts:** 455

100 Greatest Psychedelic Albums

Criteria: With instrumental originality, sound exploration, studio effects and extended improvisation as the central elements of psychedelic music, these albums were chosen as the best examples that helped define the genre. Impact & lasting influence were factors with lyrical content considered to a lesser degree. Those artists known specifically as vocal groups were excluded. Editor's note: As with all lists, this is a subjective list & makes no claim of an official nature.

Updated list as of 10/31/08
List Compiled by & Editor:Rick Varner

1. Electric Music For The Mind & Body - Country Joe & The Fish
2. Piper at The Gates of Dawn - Pink Floyd
3. Strange Days - The Doors
4. Anthem Of The Sun - Grateful Dead
5. United States of America - United States of America
6. Electric Ladyland - Jimi Hendrix Experience
7. After Bathing At Baxter's - Jefferson Airplane
8. Velvet Underground & Nico - Velvet Underground
9. Surrealistic Pillow - Jefferson Airplane
10. Easter Everywhere - 13th Floor Elevators
11. H.P. Lovecraft - H.P. Lovecraft
12. The American Metaphysical Circus - Joseph Byrd & The Field Hippies
13. Beacon From Mars - Kaleidoscope
14. Spirit - Spirit
15. Fifth Dimension - The Byrds
16. DeCapo - Love
17. Balaklava - Pearls Before Swine
18. 12 Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus - Spirit
19. I Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die - Country Joe and The Fish
20. Aoxomoxoa - Grateful Dead
21. Volume 2 - West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band
22. Angel's Egg - Gong
23. Tomorrow - Tomorrow
24. Are You Experienced - Jimi Hendrix Experience
25. Mr Fantasy - Traffic
26. S F Sorrow - The Pretty Things
27. Music In A Doll's House - Family
28. Forever Changes - Love
29. Crown of Creation - Jefferson Airplane
30. Parable of Arable Land - The Red Crayola
31. The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter - The Incredible String Band
32. In Search of The Lost Chord - The Moody Blues
33. Clear Light - Clear Light
34. Roger The Engineer - Yardbirds
35. Begin - The Millenium
36. The Amazing Charlatans - The Charlatans
37. L - Steve Hillage
38. A Child's Guide To Good & Evil - West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band
39. Present Tense - Sagittarius
40. H.P. Lovecraft II - H.P. Lovecraft
41. Captain Beyond - Captain Beyond
42. Flash - Moving Sidewalks
43. Earth Opera - Earth Opera
44. A Saucerful Of Secrets - Pink Floyd
45. Quicksilver Messenger Service - Quicksilver Messenger Service
46. Behold and See - Ultimate Spinach
47. Camenbert Electrique - Gong
48. Atom Heart Mother - Pink Floyd
49. Hurdy Gurdy Man - Donavan
50. Side Trips - Kaleidoscope
51. Inner Mystique - The Chocolate Watch Band
52. The Twain Shall Meet - Eric Burdon & The Animals
53. The 5000 Spirits/Layers of The Onion - The Incredible String Band
54. Barrett - Syd Barrett
55. Volume One - The Soft Machine
56. Freak Out - Mothers of Invention
57. Younger Than Yesterday - The Byrds
58. Steppenwolf the Second - Steppenwolf
59. It's A Beautiful Day - It's a Beautiful Day
60. Sunshine Superman - Donavan
61. Monster Movie - Can
62. Caravan - Caravan
63. The Madcap Laughs - Syd Barrett
64. The Cycle Is Complete - Bruce Palmer
65. Jet Propelled Photograph - The Soft Machine
66. Hawkwind - Hawkwind
67. Fever Tree - Fever Tree
68. Space Ritual - Hawkwind
69. Use of Ashes - Pearls Before Swine
70. Space Hymn - Lothar & The Hand People
71. A Web of Sound - The Seeds
72. Their Satanic Majesties Request - Rolling Stones
73. The Great Conspiracy - Peanut Butter Conspiracy
74. Psychedelic Lollipop - Blues Magoos
75. Ogden's Nut Gone Flake - Small Faces
76. Transmissions From The Satellite Heart - The Flaming Lips
77. Wow - Moby Grape
78. Oar - Alexander 'Skip' Spence
79. The Psychedelic Sounds of The 13th Floor Elevators - 13th Floor Elevators
80. Before The Dream Faded - The Misunderstood
81. Gandalf - Gandalf
82. Underground - The Electric Prunes
83. Crazy World Of Arthur Brown - Arthur Brown
84. Magical Mystery Tour - The Beatles
85. Contact - Silver Apples
86. Cauldron - Fifty Foot Hose
87. Everybody's Here - Lost & Found
88. Long Years in Space - Neighb'hood Childr'n
89. Strictly Personal - Captain Beefheart
90. Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera - Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera
91. Outsideinside - Blue Cheer
92. The Yellow Balloon - The Yellow Balloon
93. Truth - D.R. Hooker
94. Renaissance - Vanilla Fudge
95. Journey To The Center Of The Mind - The Amboy Dukes
96. SRC - SRC
97. Vanilla Fudge - Vanilla Fudge
98. Another Time/Another Place - Fever Tree
99. Mad River - Mad River
100. We Are Ever So Clean - The Blossom Toes

10 Best New Psychedelic Albums:

1. Voyage 34 The Complete Trip - Porcupine Tree
2. Psonic Psunspot - The Dukes of Stratosphere
3. The Sky Moves Sideways - Porcupine Tree
4. The Nightmare of J.B. Stanislas - Nick Garre
5. Cottonwood hill - Brainticket
6. Night at Cubist Castle - Olivia Tremor Control
7. Apache/Inca - Maitreya Kali
8. Mystic Siva - Mystic Siva
9. Circulatory System - Circulatory System
10. In The Aeroplane Over The Sea - Neutral Milk Hotel
11. Illinoise - Sufjan Stevens
12. Shinki Chen - Shinki Chen & Friends

Rick · **Joined:** Wed Oct 06, 2010 7:21 pm **Posts:** 455

The new Syd Barrett collection that for the first time brings together tracks by Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett on one compilation, is now available for all to own.

David Gilmour who originally worked on Syd Barrett's two solo albums, is the executive producer for the album.

The previously-unreleased 20-minute instrumental 'Rhamadan' is available as a bonus download with the CD and is also featured on the iTunes LP format.

beaverteeth92 · **Joined:** Tue Oct 12, 2010 2:09 pm **Posts:** 1163

What about Touch by Touch?

Rick · **Joined:** Wed Oct 06, 2010 7:21 pm **Posts:** 455

beaverteeth92 wrote:

What about Touch by Touch?

If you're talking about the record from the 1980's. The one with the girl and robot playing chess on the cover, I actually have it on vinyl and it's a nice 'touch' of AOR/classic rock but not for this list.

beaverteeth92 · **Joined:** Tue Oct 12, 2010 2:09 pm **Posts:** 1163

Nah man, the one from the mid-to-late 60s. It was a one-off group because their stuff was too complex to perform live. It took me about a year to finally find someone who owned the CD reissue. Here's my Dropbox link:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8239226/Touch.zip

Negative Creep · **Joined:** Tue Oct 12, 2010 5:21 pm **Posts:** 11672

Quote:

85. Contact - Silver Apples

Just been getting into these guys.
Absolutely mind-blowing.

Johnny · **Joined:** Sun Aug 21, 2011 7:13 am **Posts:** 171

How can someone justify putting Electric Music For The Mind And Body over Piper At The Gates Of Dawn?

And could it be possible to consider MGMT for the best new psychedelic albums?

Negative Creep · **Joined:** Tue Oct 12, 2010 5:21 pm **Posts:** 11672

Because Electric Music is a flawless psychedelic masterpiece.

Negative Creep · **Joined:** Tue Oct 12, 2010 5:21 pm **Posts:** 11672

I've always said that I'm not a big fan of the Dead because of their inconsistency, but man - Anthem Of The Sun is just phenomenal. That's the only Dead album where I can listen to every song without getting bored.

It totally deserves it's top 5 place here.
Rick, this list is marvelous.

Adam · **Joined:** Tue Dec 21, 2010 1:48 am **Posts:** 53

Rick wrote:

Criteria: With instrumental originality, sound exploration, studio effects and extended improvisation as the central elements of psychedelic music, these albums were chosen as the best examples that helped define the genre.

With that in mind, I'm surprised that The Psychedelic Sounds of The 13th Floor Elevators was not included.

Rick · **Joined:** Wed Oct 06, 2010 7:21 pm **Posts:** 455

Adam wrote:

Rick wrote:

Criteria: With instrumental originality, sound exploration, studio effects and extended improvisation as the central elements of psychedelic music, these albums were chosen as the best examples that helped define the genre.

With that in mind, I'm surprised that The Psychedelic Sounds of The 13th Floor Elevators was not included.

I'm surprised too ! Thanks for bringing it to my attention, it's been added.

cloudstr · **Joined:** Thu Jun 23, 2011 6:40 am **Posts:** 73

One of best psychedelic albums, every song is just perfect. It's such a shame that not many people have heard of this.

Rick · **Joined:** Wed Oct 06, 2010 7:21 pm **Posts:** 455

cloudstr wrote:

One of best psychedelic albums, every song is just perfect. It's such a shame that not many people have heard of this.

As you said, not many have heard it and neither had I. I listened and added it at the bottom
to give it some props.

cloudstr · **Joined:** Thu Jun 23, 2011 6:40 am **Posts:** 73

yay thanks!! It's great to know there's an Asian artist on the list.

100 Greatest Psychedelic Albums

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