psychedelic songs that were Billboard hit singles?

MGMT - "Time to Pretend"

2009
UK #35
US #23 (Hot Modern Rock Tracks)

 

It wasn't a hit single.

 

standard soul/funk song.

 

Have you heard the Shuggie Otis original? It's psychedelic soul. There is such a thing.

 

Kenny didn't go country until after his time with the band - First Edition - which was a good 7 years.
They had two full psychedelic albums and then others that were other genres including rock and country rock.

It wasn’t a “one shot” deal from a solo country artist.

 

Another #95 on Billboard, from 1967, and not yet mentioned: Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine

 

How fun would it have been to see Roger's pull this one out of his hat for a late 80's show? Surely this never happened, did it?

 

Chambers Brothers - Time Has Come Today

 

He would do it more recently so maybe he did it earlier.

 

I just can't call songs that are up in the 80s and 90s or more of the Billboard charts "hits" - maybe some can, but surely you've got to draw that line somewhere?

 

WOW . . . thank you for doing the legwork! I was not only too lazy, I just automatically assumed he would never do this. I mean this song basically sounds like the last coupla hours of a rough acid trip where you're trying to somehow evaluate the last few hours and where your mind is at present - and it's really effective and accurate at that.

 

But it should have been.

 

For what it’s worth, Kenny always will give his fans what they want.
I’m sure he realized this became a cult classic after the Big Lebowski and wasn’t shy or embarrassed to bring out this nugget for some grins.

 

Good points. And I had forgotten the song was in BL - not sure how much crossover there was between fans of Kenny and fans of BL, but it doesn't matter - as you said, he's giving the fans what they want.

 

What do you call that ending?!? That's a major league psych-out in my book

 

Holy smokes!! Never heard the Killer doing this, interesting. But this original by Mickey Newbury... haunting. I love it! Thanks for the post!

 

That's one of the earliest baroque pop tracks. It's groundbreaking and a stunner but it's not psych IMHO. Their psych masterpiece is 'There's Gonna Be A Storm'.

 

Simon Dupree aka Gentle Giant in a couple of years (and a The Moles as well). Neither one fit in the category but just fun to mention.

 

The Animals had a surprising number of psych Billboard hits: Inside Looking Out, San Francisco Nights, When I Was Young, Monterey, Sky Pilot.

 

of course.

 

The Thirteenth Floor Elevators - "You're Gonna Miss Me" peaked at #55 on the Billboard hot 100 chart in the Fall of 1966.
As far as I know, this was the first authentically psychedelic U.S. rock record that charted. "Eight Miles High" might have sounded
(perhaps) more 'psychedelic', but as far as I know The Byrds weren't actually tripping when they recorded it like The Elevators were.

 

Yep...one of the first "psych" songs I remember as a kid was "Time Has Come Today" by the Chambers Brothers...it just entered my mind that "I Want To Thank You..." by Sly and the Family Stone might fit the bill...a number one hit, it works as both a great funk song and as psych IMO.

 

I've been drawing the line at the 50s on the chart...but there were regional hits back then that didn't do that well nationally but were big in local markets.

 

Bubble Puppy, "Hot Smoke and Sassafras" from 1969, reached #14 on the charts. I really like this song and didn't know it made it so high on Billboard. Also didn't know until researching this today that the phrase "Hot Smoke and Sassafras" originated as an expression used by Granny on "The Beverly Hillbillies".

 

Somebody To Love too.