12 Mind-Blowing Music Facts You Never Knew

Music is the cornerstone of most of our moments, large and small - where would we be without the morning shower tunes, the nightclub drops and the emotional burners that help us stare heroically out the window on a long train journey? It provides the soundtrack to our lives and a special experience that, while enjoyed by many, is purely our own.

But the sheer scale of the industry and the history of the art form mean that, while enjoying it to its fullest, there are many mysteries, secrets and curiosities that most of us simply don't know about the vast world of music.

Without further ado, let's unpack some of the more mind-blowing facts that you might not have heard before.

Jimi Hendrix, considered by many to be the king of electric guitar (move over, B.B.), was a genius player by anyone's standards and seemed able to craft smooth bluesy gold out of thin air. However, he was entirely incapable of reading sheet music.

As a self-taught guitarist, Hendrix never benefited from a musical education beyond the sounds of his record player. He learned to play by ear, laboriously picking out the riffs and melodies of his heroes to expand his knowledge and ability.

According to interviews with the man himself, he instead used colours to recall and communicate his musical ideas to his bandmates. It is no wonder then that his psychedelic album covers and bright musical textures were quickly embraced by his late-sixties/early-seventies acid-soaked fan base.