10 Songs That Started Hard Rock
7. Manic Depression - Jimi Hendrix
It's impossible to understate the cultural impact that Jimi Hendrix's music had within the span of just a few years. First bursting on the scene in England, Hendrix's style of guitar playing changed the game for other six-stringers almost overnight. Across the musical wizard's debut album Are You Experienced?, "Manic Depression" is one of the key moments when blues rock began to morph into something heavier.
Always known as a blues player, Hendrix rides the rhythm of the track with an impeccable groove, as he shouts his pain of having his soul stripped away due to his sadness. The leads in between sudden jolts of vocals come off like sparks from a metal press.
Given the bluesy fills and lowdown lyrics, the song should just be an ordinary bluesy romp, but nothing Hendrix did was ordinary. The use of various effects from wah-wah to distortion give the guitars a distinctive bite, while the entire solo section opens up new sonic textures that the rock scene had never seen before. By throwing his entire being into his music, Jimi Hendrix showed the world new musical colors that many didn't even know were possible. The psych-rock revolution was now officially underway.