20 Most IMPORTANT Classic Rock Albums Ever Made

For most of the 60's, the guitar playing game was still finding its feet. Though some heroes like George Harrison and Eric Clapton were making the rounds across England, their approach still seemed indebted to the 50's guitar gods like Carl Perkins, along with the blues guitarists like Robert Johnson and Buddy Guy. Jimi Hendrix, on the other hand, seemed to come from the other side of the galaxy.

As Hendrix made the rounds across Swinging London, his debut record Are You Experienced lit a fire in everyone who has ever felt the true power of music. From track to track, Hendrix casually reinvents the construct of what a guitar player is supposed to do, implementing layers of distortion, reverb, and feedback to make sounds no one had ever heard before.

The effects weren't the only weapon in Hendrix's arsenal though. His expertise of blues and R&B led to new avenues for guitar playing, as he played behind his head and with his teeth while also playing laid back chords that sounded like a piano being played on a guitar. Just the opening of "Purple Haze" feels like the sound of hard rock bursting into existence. Jimi Hendrix may not have been the first player to pick up a six-string, but you're lying to yourself if you think he's anything short of the greatest.