10 Perfect Songs That Started Hard Rock

You can pretty much break up the era of guitar god as an era before and after Jimi Hendrix. While Jimi wasn't the first rock star to make his trade playing his guitar, it always felt like second nature to him, with the six string practically being an extension of his body whenever he took leads on blues standards like Hey Joe and Red House. This was the era of psychedelia though, and you can hear Jimi trying to blow the doors of your mind wide open on Purple Haze.

Being inspired by either a dream he had or the helpful effects of LSD, Jimi's take on blues marked a turning point on both sides of the Atlantic, with the guitarist quickly becoming the most important person in the band. With an R&B flavored backbeat, the whole song is practically a collage of every heavy genre of the time put together under one roof, especially when Jimi turns on his distortion pedals and hints at the metal stylings that were to come just a few years later with acts like Black Sabbath.

For all of the great images that Jimi paints through his lyrics though, his real voice always came out when he took leads on his songs, like he's trying to squeeze every last bit of emotion out his guitar that he can before the tape runs out. Even without any drugs in your system, Purple Haze is the kind of track that speaks to the more reptilian side of your brain, making every note feel that much more exciting when you play it. You're not necessarily stoned...but beautiful.