ACID ROCK AND PUNK ROCK
Psychedelic and acid rock
Drug use in the 60s fostered the creation of a new niche of music. As hallucinogenic drugs alter one's perception and mood, it logically follows that the experiences of creating and listening to music would be altered by substance use as well. The counter-culture movement in the 60s came with a rise in the use of hallucinogenic drugs known as psychedelics, particularly LSD/acid. The use of acid while creating music began to transform the typical rock sound into a new genre, as it seemingly enhanced creativity, amplified sensations, invoked synesthesia, and weakened the ego. Psychedelic rock and the acid rock sub-genre became increasingly popular as new artists emerged and well-established artists adopted the sound. The psychedelic rock sound is marked by fuzzy tones, guitar effects (reverb, wah-wah pedals), heavy electric keyboard use, and simple chord structures that were built up with subtle complexity. Lyrical content didn't necessarily need to include explicit references to drugs, although it frequently did. Regardless of topic, the lyrics themselves were typically surrealist, vivid, and/or cryptic.
"Purple Haze" Ad from Billboard magazine, September 9, 1967 [Public Domain]
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Sex Pistols performing in Norway, 1977 from Riksarkivet (National Archives of Norway) [Public Domain]
Punk Rock
The punk rock movement that emerged in New York in the early 70s (as well as the retroactively titled "proto-punk" subgenre of the late 60s) exemplified the "sex, drugs, and rock & roll" adage. Cocaine was becoming more popular in the United States, in part because it was believed to be non-addictive at the time. It came with a sense of prestige, as its use as a recreational drug was largely associated with celebrities and the elite; it was also more expensive than other drugs were if one wanted to guarantee its quality. For musicians specifically, especially those who were performing, cocaine was a drug of choice because it allowed them to stay awake for longer periods and maintain high energy for performances. The 70s also saw the beginning of the continued close association between rockstars and heroin, as the drug began to sweep through the punk scene. It was a less expensive drug, but it was extremely addictive and the use of it came at a great cost for many artists. As punk spread across the United States and the United Kingdom throughout the 70s, many artists began to develop heroin addictions and die from overdoses of it, along with other drugs and alcohol. Heroin is an anomaly among drugs as they are reflected in lyrical content: while other drugs are portrayed negatively by some and positively by others, with changing trends over time, heroin is almost always spoken about negatively in music despite the continued use of it.
Acid Tests were large parties held in the mid-60s. They were known for their promotion of LSD (acid) usage and served as venues for many acid rock bands.
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Acid Test Flyer from The Merry Pranksters et al., 1965 [Public Domain]
The iconic Janis Joplin is one of many talented artists lost too soon as a result of a drug overdose. She passed away in October 1970 after accidentally using a lethal amount of heroin.
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Janis Joplin, 1970 from Grossman Glotzer Management Corporation [Public Domain]
The Woodstock Music and Art Fair, held from August 15-18, 1969, was a massive music festival in New York. It was one of the largest music festivals in history, and is considered symbolic of the 60s counter-culture movement.
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The music club CBGB is often credited as being the birthplace of New York punk rock, providing a stage for artists like Television, the Talking Heads, and Patti Smith in the transition period to punk and the earliest days of the movement.
​CBGB, 2005 from Tabea Huth [CC BY-SA 3.0]
Debuting in 1967, The Stooges are known as one of the premier proto-punk bands. They were led by the "Godfather of Punk," vocalist Iggy Pop.
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Advertisement for The Stooges' self-titled album, 1969 from Cash Box Magazine [Public Domain]
Pink Floyd is a band associated with drugs despite having little to no mention of drugs in their lyrics, in part thanks to their "trippy" space rock sound. In particular, their albums "The Dark Side of the Moon" (1973) and "Animals" (1977).​
Roger Waters set, Hollywood Bowl 2006 from Daniel Koć [CC BY-SA 3.0]
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