Rockpedia

Compare

Two genres, side by side. The ratings are editorial judgements on a ten-point scale, not measurements. Where they come out level, the difference is in the prose underneath them.

First genre

Surf rock1961

Second genre

Psychedelic rock1966

Head to headSurf rock vs Psychedelic rock
Surf rock: heaviness 2, melody 9, speed 6. Psychedelic rock: heaviness 3, melody 8, speed 4.Heaviness2 / 3Melody9 / 8Speed6 / 4
Each corner is a ten-point rating. The further out, the higher.

The difference, by ear

Several surf bands turned psychedelic in 1966. The reverb stayed and the tempo dropped.

Psychedelic rock is sung cleanly where surf rock is mostly instrumental, and much slower: 70 to 140 bpm against 160 to 200. Songs run longer in psychedelic rock: usually 3 to 10 minutes, against 2 to 3 minutes in surf rock. To hear the difference, play Dick Dale next to Pink Floyd. They share a root in rock, and surf rock came first, by five years.

Put together from each genre's vocals, tempo, song length, key acts and place in the tree.

In figures

Heaviness
Surf rock2
Psychedelic rock3
+1
Speed
Surf rock6
Psychedelic rock4
−2
Melody
Surf rock9
Psychedelic rock8
−1

Surf rock

1961 · California, USA

Where it sits

Rock › Rock and roll › Surf rock

In short

Instrumental, drenched in tank reverb, with fast tremolo picking. The sound of the Californian coast, later recycled by punk and by Tarantino.

How it sounds

  • Fender tank reverb dialled almost to maximum - the wet sound is mandatory.
  • Fast tremolo picking on a single note, a technique Dick Dale took from his family's Lebanese music.
  • Almost always instrumental; where there are vocals, they are Beach Boys-style harmonies.

Key acts

  • Dick Dale
  • The Ventures
  • The Beach Boys

Start here

The pickDick Dale - Misirlou. A Greek folk tune turned into artillery.

Full page →

Psychedelic rock

1966 · San Francisco / London · 5 subgenres

Where it sits

Rock › Psychedelic rock

In short

Effects, sitar, feedback and songs that fall apart halfway through. The lab that produced prog, space rock and, indirectly, doom.

How it sounds

  • Studio effects: phasing, reversed tape, tape echo, extreme panning.
  • Instruments unusual for rock: sitar, theremin, mellotron, harpsichord.
  • Structures that come apart - a song can have three unrelated sections.

Key acts

  • Pink Floyd
  • Jefferson Airplane
  • The 13th Floor Elevators
  • Cream

Start here

The pickPink Floyd - Interstellar Overdrive. Ten minutes that explain half this tree.

Full page →