Psychedelic, Hard Rock, and Metal

Around the 70s and later, Rock ‘n Roll started to develop sub-genres. We have already listened some of these subgenres namely Country Rock (or Southern Rock) and Blues Rock.

Now we will look at some of the other famous rock sub-genres.

Psychedelic Rock

“Psychedelic” refers to the use of psychedelic- or mind-altering drugs that were emerging and prevalent during the sixties and seventies. Psychedelic Rock tried to capture these drug experiences in music. There was also a strong theme of “hedonism” – the believe that pleasure is the only goal in life.

Psychedilic Rock retained the typical orchestration associated with Rock music, but often incorporated exotic instruments, like sitars. The Beatles’ album “St. Pepper’s Heart Club Band” is considered by many to be a psychedelic album .

Another psychedelic rock band dating from the late 60s is The Yarnbirds. Eric Clapton was the lead guitarist for The Yarnbirds from 1963-1965. The Yarnbirds was known for their experimental use of the electric guitar. Below are two songs by The Yarnbirds.

“Over Under Sidewards Down”



“Happenings Ten Years Time Ago”



Hard Rock & Heavy Metal

The word “Hard” in Hard Rock refers to the high dynamics of the music; in other words the loudness of the volume which is often so loud (due to amplification) that the sound becomes distorted and therefore has lots of dissonance. Distortion is a key feature in this genre. Hard Rock is strongly influenced by blues music and many of the songs are based on the 12 Bar Blues structure. The pentatonic scale is also frequently used, which is probably rooted in the Spirituals and Negro folk songs.

Jimi Hendrix was one of the initiators of Hard Rock. “The Jimi Hendrix sound and the instrumentation of his band – guitar, bass, and drums: the ‘power trio’ – were at the core of the hard rock style and of the heavy metal style that followed” (Crossroads in Music, p. 222). Hendrix was influenced by Psychedelic Rock, particularly their experimentation with the electric guitar, which, of course, was something he excelled at.

The term “Heavy Metal” was first used in the song “Born to Be Wild,” by Steppenwolf, which is also considered to be the first Heavy Metal song.

But what is the difference between Hard Rock and Heavy Metal? The two genres (if they are indeed two separate genres) overlap a great deal. Generally, I would say, that both have high dynamics with a big focus on the “metals” (the electric guitar and bass guitar); however, Heavy Metal tend to have more intricate melodies and harmonies, with longer guitar solos. Sometimes Heavy metal may also seem more aggressive, with lots of emphasis on being “macho”. It is also believed that the influence of Blues and Rhythm & Blues had a greater influence on Hard Rock, while other more complex genres like Jazz and Classical Music also contributed to Heavy Metal.

Let’s listen to “Born to Be Wild”:



The British band Judas Priest is one of the early Heavy Metal artists. Listen to their song “Breaking the Law.”



The idea of “breaking the law” is consistent with a theme in Heavy Metal that is anti-conformist and anti-establishment – even anarchistic.

A common characteristic in Hard Rock and Heavy Metal is the use of guitar riffs. A “riff”, as you may remember, is similar to the “vamp” in Disco. Listen to the highly recognizable guitar riff in Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water.”



Did you notice the use of the organ in this song? The use of the organ as an instrument in music is rooted in Gospel music.