10 '60s Albums Every Rock Fan Should Own

You’re not really a rock guitarist until you’ve delved into at least a little bit of Jimi Hendrix.

From his aura to the effects he used, every single Hendrix tune feels like an event, as if you’re seeing an angel being beamed down to grace you with musical beauty. Any one of Hendrix’s three studio albums are mandatory listening, but if there’s one you have to listen to, it has to be Are You Experienced.

Recorded right after he started making waves in the London club scene, this record is one monumental rock jam after another, with Hendrix infusing almost any genre he sees fit into the mix.

Though Hendrix may get a lot of credit for his blues chops on songs like “Hey Joe” and “Red House,” these songs are all over the map, from the hard rock of “Fire” to the deep funk of “Manic Depression” to the gorgeous sounds of “The Wind Cries Mary.”

There are even songs on here that defy any sort of explanation, like the opening of “Purple Haze,” which sounds like Hendrix forcing your third eye open through sheer force of will. We will never see an artist like Hendrix again, but we can take comfort in listening to the pure gold he left behind.