The 1960s was the peak of many trends in classic rock. For example, ’60s psychedelic rock songs are probably better than the psychedelic rock songs of any other era. Notably, John Lennon said The Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Forever” wasn’t very psychedelic at first.
5. The Beatles’ ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’
“Strawberry Fields Forever” might be the defining psychedelic rock song of the ’60s. In a 1980 interview from the book All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono, John discussed its origin.
“Dick Lester offered me the part in this movie [How I Won the War], which gave me time to think without going home,” he recalled. “We were in Almería, and it took me six weeks to write the song. I was writing it all the time I was making the film. And as anybody knows about film work, there’s a lot of hanging around. I have an original tape of it somewhere. Of how it sounded before it became the sort of psychedelic-sounding song it became on record.”
4. David Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’
According to a 1969 interview from the book Bowie on Bowie: Interviews and Encounters with David Bowie, “Space Oddity” was inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. That alone makes it a quintessential ’60s psychedelic rock song. 2001 is a film Hollywood could only have made in the ’60s, with its art-house leanings, interest in space exploration, and hippie-ish sense of wonder.
“Space Oddity” does a good job of capturing that sense of wonder. While 2001 is more epic, “Space Oddity” is more personal in scope, focusing on how hard the main astronaut in the film had it. The movie and the tune almost work as companion pieces.
3. Procol Harum’s ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’
One of the strangest combinations of a band name and a song title, Procol Harun’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale” has a bizarre set of lyrics. But the lyrics don’t matter here. The tune is just about trying to set a mood and that mood is amazing. The use of an organ makes it sound like this song is from a church in outer space. The heartfelt vocal wailing shouldn’t work but it does. Lana Del Rey probably cribbed from “A Whiter Shade of Pale” for her song “The Greatest.”
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2. The Monkees’ ‘Porpoise Song’
Carole King proved her songwriting genius over and over. She and Gerry Goffin wrote The Monkees’ “Porpoise Song,” which deserved to become an anthem of the counterculture.
The Monkees were often compared to The Beatles. However, “Porpoise Song” has an unusual Wall of Sound combined with animal noses, so it’s more similar to The Beach Boys’ art-rock. It’s definitely the best song ever written about a porpoise! While it wasn’t a hit like “Daydream Believer” or “I’m a Believer,” “Porpoise Song” might be The Monkees’ greatest work of art.
1. The Beach Boys’ ‘Good Vibrations’
Some ’60s psychedelic rock songs are impenetrable. During their psychedelic era, The Beach Boys managed to make songs that were sonically adventurous and lyrically accessible. The lyrics of “Good Vibrations” aren’t too different from their early pop material. However, the bizarre instrumentation makes “Good Vibrations” one of the most revolutionary songs ever to hit the pop charts.
“Good Vibrations” was basically the end of the band’s commercial peak. They had some hits afterward, like “Rock N Roll Music” and “Kokomo,” but they never recaptured their ’60s glory years. But what a song to go out on.
Listening to ’60s psychedelic rock songs makes you wish the genre would come back!
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