The Zombies
Smiley Smile
Odessey and Oracle
The Monkees

Pop/Rock » Psychedelic/Garage » Psychedelic Pop

Psychedelia was an underground phenomenon in the mid-'60s and, like many underground phenomena, it eventually went overground. It didn't take too long -- once the Beatles delved into the style on 1966's Revolver, it was just a matter of time. Where straight psychedelic music actively pushed boundaries, psychedelic pop, by and large, took those innovations and applied them to concise, catchy pop songs. The psychedelic effects were used as trippy dressing -- sitars, fuzz guitars, tape effects, backward guitars, even Beach Boys harmonies, were all blended into something trippy, but usually not too freaky, since the tight song structures and melodies gave everything a framework. At times, psychedelic pop songs were studio creations, but there were organic bands such as Sagittarius whose psychedelia was considerably bright and melodic; there were distinct Beach Boys influences, but they weren't as bubblegum as, say, the Lemon Pipers' "Green Tambourine." Because it had a stronger pop content, psychedelic pop had a slightly longer shelf-life than psychedelia, existing into the early '70s, which is a little odd. What's even stranger is that some psychedelic pop is more interesting than average psychedelia, since it had weird, occasionally awkward blends of psychedelia and pop conventions -- the Neon Philharmonic's 1969 album The Moth Confesses is a prime example of this.

Psychedelic Pop Artists Highlights

The Zombies
The Zombies
The Monkees
The Monkees
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
Harry Nilsson
Harry Nilsson
Tommy James & the Shondells
Tommy James & the Shondells
Klaatu
Klaatu

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Psychedelic Pop Album Highlights

Smiley Smile
The Beach Boys
Smiley Smile
Odessey and Oracle
The Zombies
Odessey and Oracle
Donovan's Greatest Hits
Donovan
Donovan's Greatest Hits
Nuggets from Nuggets: Choice Artyfacts From the First Psychedelic Era
Various Artists
Nuggets from Nuggets: ...
Move
The Move
Move
Shazam
The Move
Shazam

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Psychedelic Pop Song Highlights

Title/Composer Performer Stream
Incense and Peppermints Strawberry Alarm Clock
Pleasant Valley Sunday The Monkees
Me and My Arrow Harry Nilsson
I Can Hear the Grass Grow The Move
Mellow Yellow Donovan
Blackberry Way The Move
Green Tambourine The Lemon Pipers
Pretty Ballerina The Left Banke
Something in the Air Thunderclap Newman
Surfer Girl The Beach Boys

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Other Styles in Psychedelic/Garage