The Yardbirds' 1966 single "Shapes of Things" marked the moment the British blues-rock band pivoted towards psychedelia, blending their Chicago blues roots with new sonic experimentation. Recorded at Chess Records in Chicago with new guitarist Jeff Beck, the track became the band's creative turning point and remains one of the earliest examples of psychedelic rock, influencing the genre's development in both the UK and US.

Beck himself called it "the pinnacle of The Yardbirds, our best single," describing the recording process as "hellish work" as he bent notes on a single guitar string to emulate Buddy Guy while drawing on Middle Eastern and raga influences. The song's structure borrowed a Dave Brubeck-style jazz bassline overlaid with a marching beat from drummer Jim McCarty, while lyrics penned by Keith Relf, Paul Samwell-Smith and McCarty carried a "back to nature" hippie sensibility. Released in 1966, it was an immediate hit on both sides of the Atlantic, and Beck remained proud of it even after leaving the band later that year, re-recording it in 1968 with The Jeff Beck Group.