10 60s Albums That Shaped Rock

The rock bands that came out in the 1960's were more or less focused on the singer. The songs may be fantastic, but the singer is who really has to sell it. Are You Experienced shattered all those preconceived expectations instantly.

Jimi Hendrix's guitar playing was the stuff of legend. His natural touch on the six-string has been imitated countless times over the years but never equaled. From freakouts on "Manic Depression" to beautiful cleanliness on "The Wind Cries Mary," this record is a masterclass on how to expand the use of the guitar beyond a mid-range melodic instrument.

The songs compiled together here are incendiary, from the funk-leaning soul of "Fire" to the ethereal "Third Stone From the Sun" to the flower-generation anthem "Purple Haze." These tracks show not just Hendrix's great guitar techniques but also his great gift for arranging songs. With the backbeat of Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell, these songs became a true force to be reckoned with.

While there had been guitar heroes before this album, Hendrix embodied everything that made up a guitar legend. After this debut, the guitarist suddenly became the most important person in the room for many rock bands to come.