Freakbeat

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title: "Freakbeat" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["rock-music-genres", "british-styles-of-music", "psychedelic-music", "mod-(subculture)", "garage-rock", "beat-music", "freakbeat"] description: "Genre of rock music in the 1960s" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freakbeat" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Genre of rock music in the 1960s ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox music genre"]

Field	Value
name	Freakbeat
other_names	* Freak beat
caption	CD cover artwork for Nuggets II: Original Artyfacts from the British Empire and Beyond, 1964–1969, a compilation featuring many examples of 1960s freakbeat.
stylistic_origins	*British Invasion
cultural_origins	Mid-1960s, United Kingdom
other_topics	*British rock
::

Freakbeat is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music originally coined by English music journalist Phil Smee in 1986 to refer to "hard-edged" British mod groups during the British Invasion and Swinging London period of the mid-to late 1960s. The genre bridges R&B, beat and early psychedelia.

Etymology

In 1986, English music journalist Phil Smee would coin the term "freakbeat" when compiling the Rubble series of compilations. AllMusic writes that "freakbeat" is loosely defined, but generally describes the more obscure but hard-edged artists of the British Invasion era.

Compilations

Much of the material collected on Rhino Records's 2001 box-set compilation Nuggets II: Original Artyfacts from the British Empire and Beyond, 1964–1969 can be classified as freakbeat.

The English Freakbeat series is a group of five compilation albums, released in the late 1980s, that were issued by AIP Records. The LPs featured recordings that were released in the mid-1960s by English rock bands in R&B and beat genres. The series served as a follow-up to the Pebbles, Volume 6 LP, itself subtitled The Roots of Mod, which was the only album in the Pebbles series that was devoted to English music. When the English Freakbeat series was reissued as CDs in the 1990s, the Pebbles, Volume 6 LP was adapted into the English Freakbeat, Volume 6 CD.

References

References

1. "Looking Back: 80 Mod, Freakbeat & Swinging London Nuggets – Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic".
2. (11 March 2012). "20 best: UK psych records ever made".
3. (27 February 2020). "Designer, historian and writer Phil Smee shows us his record collection".
4. Barron, Michael. (2023-02-15). "Eddie Piller Presents British Mod Sounds Volume 2: The Freakbeat & Psych Years".
5. (2022-11-09). "NEWS: British Mod Sounds of The 1960’s Volume 2: The Freakbeat & Psych Years".
6. Breznikar, Klemen. (2022-03-23). "Freakbeat {{!}} Wild/Psychy Mod {{!}} Evolution of Genré".
7. "Freakbeat Music Genre Overview | AllMusic".
8. Torabi, Arash. (2016-09-28). "New Releases From State Records: '60s Freakbeat Fans Read On".
9. "A Kaleidoscope Of Sounds: Psychedelic And Freakbeat Masterpieces - Record Collector Magazine".
10. (2002). "The Music Lover's Guide to Record Collecting". [[Backbeat Books]].
11. Interviews, Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews &. (2017-02-27). "60s Freakbeat Legends The Creation Celebrated On New Box Set".
12. "GET READY FOR THE COUNTDOWN {{!}} Mod, Brit Soul, R&B & Freakbeat Nuggets 3CD coming soon…".
13. "Announcing - Various Artists - Richard Norris Presents - Weird Scenes From The Hangout (Psychedelic & Freakbeat Dancefloor Anthems 1967-1982)".

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