“We are children of the future,” the space cowboy sang all those years ago. Here we are, almost 55 years later, living that future.
Which psychedelic acts are those children of the 1960s still listening to these days — and their children, and even their children’s children?
Here is a top 30 of classic psychedelic and underground acts, based on today’s streaming (Spotify). A rough guide, to be sure, as sales and radio play would be included in a more definitive list. It is not a hall of fame, but a popularity contest, as we’re just crunching numbers here.
To no one’s surprise, the top three are Pink Floyd, the Doors and Jimi Hendrix. (Where are the Beatles, creators of some of the most important psych sounds? Not included on the basis that they were so much more than a psychedelic act.)
Let’s dig in:
| Psychedelic act | Monthly listeners (rounded) |
|---|---|
| 1. Pink Floyd | 15,414,000 |
| 2. The Doors | 8,949,000 |
| 3. Jimi Hendrix (Experience) | 7,806,000 |
| 4. Steppenwolf | 4,723,000 |
| 5. Cream | 3,831,000 |
| 6. Jefferson Airplane | 3,207,000 |
| 7. Yes | 3,136,000 |
| 8. The Zombies | 2,819,000 |
| 9. The Moody Blues | 2,649,000 |
| 10. The Grateful Dead | 2,643,000 |
| Source: Spotify | As of June 22, 2022 |
Yes, there is some subjectivity at work here. The Beatles, if included, would top the list. Also left off were Santana, the Steve Miller Band and Deep Purple, who started out in the psychedelic realm (more or less) but moved on to more commercial pursuits. All four of those popular acts would have shaken up the top 10.
As for who is included, there are judgment calls as well. Cream was as much a blues-rock band as psychedelic outfit, but much of their output was underground music with psych leanings. (“You know it when you see it” dept.) Yes is usually described as prog, but the early work predates the term and was plenty psychedelic (same with King Crimson, below).
Surprised to see the strong showings by Steppenwolf and the Zombies, and the relatively low ranking of the Dead, considering all the fuss.
| Psychedelic act | Monthly listeners (rounded) |
|---|---|
| 11. Donovan | 2,233,000 |
| 12. Mountain | 1,739,000 |
| 13. Big Brother & the Holding Co. | 1,659,000 |
| 14. Procol Harum | 1,567,000 |
| 15. Traffic | 1,056,000 |
| 16. Love | 995,000 |
| 17. King Crimson | 855,000 |
| 18. Blind Faith | 671,000 |
| 19. Iron Butterfly | 451,000 |
| 20. Os Mutantes | 395,000 |
Cheers to Os Mutantes for a top 20 showing. This section of the list is topped by Donovan, a folkie to most, but whose enduring fame rests upon some seminal (and superb) psychedelic songs.
| Psychedelic act | Monthly listeners (rounded) |
|---|---|
| 21. The Mothers of Invention | 347,000 |
| 22. Spirit | 332,000 |
| 23. 13th Floor Elevators | 330,000 |
| 24. The Pretty Things | 314,000 |
| 25. Quicksilver Messenger Service | 289,000 |
| 26. Syd Barrett | 287,000 |
| 27. Eric Burdon & the Animals | 284,000 |
| 28. Sun Ra | 268,000 |
| 29. Strawberry Alarm Clock | 258,000 |
| 30. Vanilla Fudge | 216,000 |
Sad to see Country Joe and the Fish, creators of what is arguably the finest psychedelic album, finish just out of the top 30. Hawkwind and the Electric Prunes barely missed the cut, as well. Syd Barrett reps for solo Pink Floyd mostly on the strangeness factor. (David Gilmour would have ranked in the second 10.) Sun Ra = creator of head music dating back to the late 1950s.
Futhermore: Below are numbers for some acts of interest, most of whom created important works of psychedelia but didn’t make a career of it.
| Act | Monthly listeners (rounded) |
|---|---|
| Beatles | 26,322,000 |
| Santana | 9,593,000 |
| The Steve Miller Band | 6,476,000 |
| Deep Purple | 6,122,000 |
| Velvet Underground | 3,428,000 |
| Canned Heat | 2,343,000 |
| The Byrds | 2,151,000 |
| Todd Rundgren (w/o Utopia) | 1,985,000 |
| The Yardbirds | 932,000 |
| Tangerine Dream | 385,000 |
This top 30 list is a snapshot as of June 22, 2022, and won’t be updated in the near future, barring any major omissions. We’ll probably do it again in a year so.
More psychedelic lists:
this is messed up. yes but no country joe!
Good to see Moody Blues there. Donovan – groovy, cosmic, great albums etc obviously so that’s cool. Great to see Traffix coz they were groovy, folky, jazzy. Zappa/Mothers – Fairplay but they took the piss out of labels/scenes. Otherwise, really good list – thanks!
Spirit being so low is a poor show. No Ultimate Spinach, West Coast Pop Art or HP Lovecraft, and did I miss Love?
Love is there, in top 20. West Coast Pop would make the cut if we did this today … the others not close. All based on raw streaming numbers. Will do it again this summer.