 The song 's use of Indian and free @-@ form jazz influences , along with its impressionistic lyrics , were immediately influential on the emerging genre of psychedelic rock . Accordingly , some authors and music historians , including Eric V. D. Luft , Domenic Priore , and Dwight Rounds , have described " Eight Miles High " as being the first bona fide psychedelic rock song . In his book Riot On Sunset Strip : Rock ' n ' Roll 's Last Stand in Hollywood , Priore cites " Eight Miles High " as being the record that kicked off the psychedelic craze , explaining " prior to ' Eight Miles High , ' there were no pop records with incessant , hypnotic basslines juxtaposed by droning , trance @-@ induced improvisational guitar . " 
