psychedelic rock
For when your brain needs to melt and your legs need to move
By Rob Gordon
Look, I spent years organizing records by genre, sub-genre, and that impossible space between them. Psychedelic rock always gave me fits because it refuses to stay put—it sprawls, it mutates, it bleeds into garage rock and stoner grooves and space-rock freakouts. And that's exactly why it works for running.
Here's the thing about a long run: around mile four, your brain starts doing this thing where time stretches and contracts. You're locked in the rhythm but also floating above it. That's the psychedelic sweet spot. Bands like Psychedelic Porn Crumpets—yes, that's their actual name, and yes, they show up in six of these playlists—understand that you need propulsion and disorientation at the same time. Their stuff churns and swirls but never loses the plot. Same with Frankie and the Witch Fingers. They've got that garage-psych churn that makes mile six feel like you're running through a desert fever dream in the best possible way.
I remember arguing with Dick about whether psych-rock was "running music" at all. He claimed anything without a straight four-on-the-floor beat was impractical. But he's never felt what happens when a Wand track kicks in during a tempo run—when the drums lock in but the guitars are doing something sideways and your stride finds this groove you didn't know existed.
The key is this: psychedelic rock gives you momentum without rigidity. You're not trapped in some 180-BPM metronome hell. Bands like La Luz and New Candys build these hypnotic loops that let your mind wander while your legs stay honest. It's music for when you want to disappear into the run, not conquer it. And after nineteen playlists worth of evidence, I'm convinced—this is the genre for runners who think better when reality gets a little bent.
Top 10 Psychedelic rock Running Songs
These tracks appear across multiple curated psychedelic rock running playlists.
- 1. Heartbroken, In Disrepair — Dan Auerbach
- 2. Rolling On — The Murlocs
- 3. Sure As Spring — La Luz
- 4. Surf 2 — New Candys
- 5. Walk Like a Motherfucker — Ghost Funk Orchestra
- 6. (Baby) Hold On — The James Hunter Six
- 7. 1000 Answers — The Hives
- 8. 1996 — Wild Child
- 9. 80's Men — Bummers
- 10. Ain't Quite Right — Still Blank
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of pace does psychedelic rock work best for?
Easy to moderate—think conversational pace to steady tempo. This isn't speed work music. Psychedelic Porn Crumpets and Frankie and the Witch Fingers groove in that 140-160 BPM zone that matches a comfortable 9-10 minute mile. The whole point is to slip into a hypnotic rhythm, not sprint yourself into oblivion. Save your stoner-metal crossover stuff for when you're grinding out a long tempo run and need something heavy but not frantic. Recovery runs? Absolutely. You want your brain floating while your legs recover.
What's the typical BPM range for psychedelic rock running playlists?
Most of this stuff lives between 120-160 BPM, which is perfect if you're not obsessed with cadence matching. La Luz sits on the mellower end—great for easy runs. Psychedelic Porn Crumpets can push toward that 160 mark with enough energy to carry a tempo effort. The beauty is the variation—psych-rock doesn't lock you into robotic consistency. Some tracks cruise, some churn, some build. If you need every song at exactly 150 BPM, go listen to EDM and leave the rest of us alone.
Which artists should I start with if I'm new to psychedelic rock for running?
Start with Psychedelic Porn Crumpets—they show up in six playlists for a reason. They've got momentum and weirdness in equal measure. Then move to Frankie and the Witch Fingers for that raw garage-psych energy. New Candys if you want something a bit more atmospheric. La Luz if you're doing easy miles and want surf-tinged psych grooves. Ghost Funk Orchestra brings in some funkier elements that work surprisingly well for steady efforts. Avoid jumping straight into the heavy stoner-rock crossover stuff until you know you like your running music a little drugged-out and sprawling.
Is psychedelic rock better for long runs or intervals?
Long runs, no question. This is music for zoning out over distance, not crushing 400-meter repeats. The hypnotic, sprawling nature of psych-rock—the way a Wand or Spiral Drive track can drift and build—matches the mental state of miles 8 through 15 better than anything. That said, some of the more driving garage-psych stuff works for tempo runs when you need propulsion without aggression. But intervals? No. You need precision and anger for that. Save the psychedelia for when you want to disappear into the run and let the miles blur together.
Why are so many of these playlist titles so weird?
Because psychedelic rock attracts a certain type of person—someone who thinks 'DIVE BAR BATHROOM' or 'MISTER BLISTER' is a perfectly reasonable name for a running playlist. Honestly, I respect it. If you're running to a genre that values experimentation and weirdness, your playlist titles should reflect that. 'HERMOSA' and 'THE VIBE' suggest someone curating a mood, not just chasing BPMs. It's the same reason Psychedelic Porn Crumpets is a better band name than 'The Running Rockers.' If the music bends reality, the titles should too. Embrace it.