10 Most Influential American Acts On British Rock

By the mid '60s the British Invasion of America was well underway. The Who, the Beatles and the Stones were making their mark on the American scene, and shaping the way rock 'n' roll was progressing. Guitars were getting louder, feed back was becoming common practise, and guitar solos were ever more erratic. When the Brits weren't touring the States, London was the place to be. The night clubs and bars were musical hubs of innovation. Guitarists like Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton where regulars on the circuit. On any given night you were likely to spot at least several famous faces in the crowd.

In 1966 Jimi Hendrix arrived in London, and fairly soon, toppled the reigning guitar messiah, Eric Clapton, from his pedestal. In an audacious move for a relative unknown, Jimi Hendrix, got up on stage to jam with Cream to jam. He wiped the floor with Clapton, causing him to leave the stage and sheepishly find solace in a cigarette backstage.

Less than a month later in November, Hendrix played at the Bag O'Nails, where members of the Beatles, the Stones, and the Who were in attendance. Their reaction was one of awe and disbelief. It shook the London scene to its core, encouraging everyone to up their game. Just four years later Hendrix died, but his influences on British rock remained.