10 Perfect Rock Songs That Changed Music History

There's a good case to be made that Jimi Hendrix didn't even come from this planet. Even though you could hear the faintest wisps of blues and R&B in his sound, what he did with the guitar always seemed to be extracted directly out of his soul, taking his emotions and translating them through music in a way no one else could. This was the beginning of the psychedelic era of rock and roll, and the beginning of Purple Haze feels like it's breaking down the door of your mind.

From the first few notes that Jimi plays, Purple Haze was a much different breed than the bluesy players that were coming up around the same time like the Yardbirds, looking to expand the playing field in terms of what could be done with this one instrument. Compared to the likes of Eric Clapton or Jimmy Page, Hendrix's approach to his instrument almost felt like an extension of his body half the time, whether that meant playing it with his teeth or playing notes that seemed to transcend anything that you would find on your average guitar neck.

Following Hendrix's arrival though, thousands of guitar players came up in his wake, trying to expand the playing field that much more, using the help of psychedelic drugs to have the music expand beyond your traditional 3 minute pop song. The electric guitar is still a relatively new instrument in the grand scheme of things, and Purple Haze was a showcase of what you could do with this piece of wood with strings on it if you let the music carry you somewhere else.