Skip to main content
Music Radar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
(opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)
  • Guitars
  • Amps
  • Pedals
  • Drums
  • Synths
  • Software
  • Pianos
  • Controllers
  • Recording
  • Buyer’s guides
  • Live
  • DJ
  • Advice
  • Acoustic
  • Bass
  • About us
  • More
    • Reviews
Magazines
  • Computer Music
  • Electronic Musician
  • Future Music
  • Keyboard Magazine
  • Guitarist (opens in new tab)
  • Guitar Techniques (opens in new tab)
  • Total Guitar (opens in new tab)
  • Bass Player (opens in new tab)
More
  • 9 next-gen drum plugins
  • SampleRadar: 163 tape loops samples
  • Best free music-making software
  • Best electric guitars 2023

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  1. Home
  2. News

Jimi Hendrix on MusicRadar

By The MusicRadar team
published 17 September 2010

  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
Jimi Hendrix on MusicRadar
(Image credit: SUZANNE PLUNKETT/Reuters/Corbis)

Jimi Hendrix on MusicRadar

Saturday 18 September is the 40th anniversary of the tragic death of Jimi Hendrix. Much more than just the man who is widely regarded to be the greatest electric guitarist of all time, James Marshall Hendrix was a sonic explorer, an outrageous performer and a cultural force. And if a cooler individual has ever picked up an instrument and stepped onstage… well, we've never seen them.

This week on MusicRadar, in celebration of Jimi's 27 short years on the planet, we are revisiting some of our most popular Hendrix features and tutorials, alongside brand new interviews with some of the world's greatest players. And they are all in here in one place for your viewing pleasure...

So, without further ado, it's time for us to move over, and let Jimi take over MusicRadar. First up, Your ultimate Jimi Hendrix top 10 revealed!

Page 1 of 20
Page 1 of 20
Your ultimate Jimi Hendrix top 10 revealed!
MusicRadar users select their definitive Jimi playlist

Your ultimate Jimi Hendrix top 10 revealed!

To round off our week of Jimi love, we asked you to nominate your favourite Hendrix tracks to contribute to the ultimate Jimi Hendrix top 10, as voted for by users of the MusicRadar site and our Facebook and Twitter followers.

And the winner is…


MORE: Your ultimate Jimi Hendrix top 10 revealed!

Page 2 of 20
Page 2 of 20
Joe Satriani's top 10 Jimi Hendrix songs of all time
Satch's ultimate Jimi playlist for your iPod
(Image credit: Sayre Berman/Corbis)

Joe Satriani's top 10 Jimi Hendrix songs of all time

"Jimi Hendrix's music means everything to me. In fact, I consider it to be a fundamental part of my DNA. His guitar playing was brilliant, thrilling and revolutionary in just about every way you can imagine. Beyond that, there was his stunning ability to compose, record and produce music that has truly stood the test of time..."


MORE: Joe Satriani's top 10 Jimi Hendrix songs of all time

Page 3 of 20
Page 3 of 20
Steve Vai: what Jimi Hendrix means to me
Guitar icon blogs exclusively for MusicRadar
(Image credit: Francisco Bonilla /Reuters/Corbis)

Steve Vai: what Jimi Hendrix means to me

"I grew up in a house where my parents were listening to show tunes, and as a kid I liked listening to that kind of thing, too - whatever music was playing, I enjoyed it. But my sister was into all of the great rock music from the late '60 and early '70s, and I started sneaking into her room and listening to it on the headphones. She had the eight-track tape of Woodstock, and one day I went in and put that on… and it was the first time I heard Jimi Hendrix."


MORE:
Steve Vai: what Jimi Hendrix means to me

Page 4 of 20
Page 4 of 20
Eric Johnson: What Jimi Hendrix means to me
Guitar virtuoso blogs exclusively for MusicRadar
(Image credit: Brian Hineline /Retna Ltd./Corbis)

Eric Johnson: What Jimi Hendrix means to me

"Back in the '60s, music and movies were kind of the same: things would happen in the big cities and then they would spread across the country. Austin isn't a small city, of course, but it isn't like New York or LA or Chicago - we were behind the times by a week or a month or so in those days. A lot of the times, it took a while for us to get albums in our local record stores, even big hit records..."


MORE:
Eric Johnson: What Jimi Hendrix means to me

Page 5 of 20
Page 5 of 20
Kenny Wayne Shepherd's top 10 Jimi Hendrix songs of all time
The ultimate Jimi playlist, Kenny Wayne style
(Image credit: Tim Mosenfelder/Corbis)

Kenny Wayne Shepherd's top 10 Jimi Hendrix songs of all time

"Jimi Hendrix was instrumental in making me refuse to see any boundaries in my music. He gave me permission to try anything I wanted to try. Because that's what he did: there was no limit to his inventiveness. His canvas stretched across the sky."


MORE: Kenny Wayne Shepherd's top 10 Jimi Hendrix songs of all time

Page 6 of 20
Page 6 of 20
Janie Hendrix: what Jimi Hendrix means to me
Jimi's sister remembers her iconic big brother

Janie Hendrix: what Jimi Hendrix means to me

"Jimi was an icon, of course, but to me he was always just Jimi, my older brother. He was a special kind of brother, though. Even before I realized how incredibly talented he was and that he had become a star, I knew there was always something a little magical about him..."


MORE:
Janie Hendrix: what Jimi Hendrix means to me

Page 7 of 20
Page 7 of 20
What Jimi Hendrix means to you
Your tributes to a legendary musician
(Image credit: EDUARDO MIRANDA/epa/Corbis)

What Jimi Hendrix means to you

"For me Hendrix is the source, he defined the electric guitar as an art form, in terms of it as an instrument for expression, rhythm, lead, performance, and the blurring of the lines between those."


MORE: What Jimi Hendrix means to you

Page 8 of 20
Page 8 of 20
How to play blues guitar like Jimi Hendrix
Red House-style video guitar lesson with free tab
(Image credit: Reuters/CORBIS)

How to play blues guitar like Jimi Hendrix

"For all his blazing live pyrotechnics and psychedelic studio voyages, Jimi Hendrix is still regarded as one of the very best blues players of all time. To get close to Jimi's sound you'll need a gritty Fender Stratocaster neck pickup tone like the one on Red House..."


MORE:
How to play blues guitar like Jimi Hendrix

Page 9 of 20
Page 9 of 20
Valleys Of Neptune review: track-by-track
Experience Hendrix's new 2010 album release here

Valleys Of Neptune review: track-by-track

"One of the best albums of 2010 was recorded 40 years ago.Painstakingly curated and produced by engineer/producer Eddie Kramer, John McDermott and Janie Hendrix, Valleys Of Neptune includes more than 60 minutes of music never commercially available on a Jimi Hendrix album, and it's a vital addition to the artist's astonishing catalogue."


MORE:
Valleys Of Neptune reviewed track-by-track

Page 10 of 20
Page 10 of 20
How to sound like Jimi Hendrix
We reveal and review the gear you need

How to sound like Jimi Hendrix

"Jimi Hendrix was almost certainly the coolest man ever to walk the earth. Unfortunately, cool is something that's not available in any shops. However, if you want to try to emulate the man's extraordinary guitar sounds, we can point you in the direction of plenty of products that will get you in the right ballpark."


MORE: How to sound like Jimi Hendrix

Page 11 of 20
Page 11 of 20
Sound like Jimi Hendrix using free plug-ins
Get his tone in three easy steps

Sound like Jimi Hendrix using free plug-ins

"It goes without saying that sounding like Jimi Hendrix requires you to become a seriously good guitar player (sorry), but if you want to emulate his tone, it's possible to get pretty close using just a small selection of free plug-ins. In this tutorial, we're going to show you how."


MORE: Sound like Jimi Hendrix using free plug-ins

Page 12 of 20
Page 12 of 20
How to sound like Hendrix, by a top impersonator
John Campbell from Are You Experienced? interviewed

How to sound like Hendrix, by a top impersonator

"Many guitar players want to sound like Jimi Hendrix. John Campbell actually gets to 'be' Jimi Hendrix every time he takes to a stage. Campbell has been fronting tribute act Are You Experienced? for well over a decade, playing shows across the UK and mainland Europe. There's possibly no-one better alive to talk through what it takes to become Jimi onstage..."


MORE: How to sound like Hendrix, by a top impersonator

Page 13 of 20
Page 13 of 20
Hendrix's 11 greatest tracks
The songs you must hear

Hendrix's 11 greatest tracks

Back in 2008, the MusicRadar team and representatives of our sister magazine titles compiled this killer 11-song must-hear Jimi playlist. Did we get it right? What did we leave out? Let us know...


MORE:
Hendrix's 11 greatest tracks

Page 14 of 20
Page 14 of 20
"I played Jimi's Woodstock Strat"
An encounter with the world's most valuable guitar

"I played Jimi's Woodstock Strat"

"Mitch Mitchell brought in a guitar case and nonchalantly opened it. The Stratocaster had been in the drummer's possession since Jimi's death in 1970 and this was the first time it had seen the light of day. Just glimpsing the thing was a Spinal Tap moment of epic proportions. Mitch said it needed looking at because the frets had tarnished, the strings were rusty and he had decided to put it up for auction."


MORE: "I played Jimi's Woodstock Strat"

Page 15 of 20
Page 15 of 20
Interview: Joe Bonamassa on Jimi's influence
"He invented the blues-rock genre"

Interview: Joe Bonamassa on Jimi's influence

Since the age of 12, Joe Bonamassa has been playing the blues alongside such greats as BB King, Buddy Guy, just to name a few. Obviously, he knows a thing or two about a thing or two. During a recent interview, Bonamassa discussed the impact that Jimi Hendrix had on the music world as a whole and himself. "I don't think there's any music that you hear on the radio today that would be possible without Jimi Hendrix..."


MORE: Joe Bonamassa on Jimi's influence

Page 16 of 20
Page 16 of 20
Interview: Eddie Kramer remembers
Jimi's producer gives insight on working with a guitar legend

Interview: Eddie Kramer remembers

"The relationship with Chas changed during the recording of Electric Ladyland. Jimi became very much in charge. This was Jimi's album. This was Jimi's session. And from that point on it was Jimi in charge. He had a very clear vision of what he wanted."


MORE:
Eddie Kramer remembers

Page 17 of 20
Page 17 of 20
Jimi Hendrix: a history in photos and videos
See the first film clip, hear his last recording
(Image credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Corbis)

Jimi Hendrix: a history in photos and videos

Why is Hendrix, a man who made only three studio albums, still so revered? To The Who's Pete Townshend, "When he started to play, something changed: colours changed, everything changed." In a visual tribute to an enduring guitar and songwriting talent, here is MusicRadar's succinct timeline of the life of Jimi Hendrix - via classic photos and rare videos.


MORE:
Jimi Hendrix: a history in photos and videos

Page 18 of 20
Page 18 of 20
Joe Satriani: how Jimi Hendrix changed my life
Guitar virtuoso writes exclusively for MusicRadar
(Image credit: JEAN-CHRISTOPHE BOTT/epa/Corbis)

Joe Satriani: how Jimi Hendrix changed my life

"I'm pretty sure I was about the only kid in school who knew who Jimi Hendrix even was. Through my older siblings, I was getting turned on to all the great music that was happening at the time, and I really loved Hendrix."


MORE: Joe Satriani: how Jimi Hendrix changed my life

Page 19 of 20
Page 19 of 20
Interview: Aerosmith's Brad Whitford
"Hendrix has been an important influence on me"
(Image credit: www.firstact.com)

Interview: Aerosmith's Brad Whitford

"I got to see Hendrix play in '68 at the Boston Garden with Mitch and Noel Redding and it was like, 'Wow!' I bought a Fender guitar the very next day."


MORE: Aerosmith's Brad Whitford on Jimi

Page 20 of 20
Page 20 of 20
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
The MusicRadar team
The MusicRadar team
Social Links Navigation

MusicRadar is the number 1 website for music makers of all kinds, be they guitarists, drummers, keyboard players, djs or producers...

GEAR: We help musicians find the best gear with top-ranking gear round-ups and high- quality, authoritative reviews by a wide team of highly experienced experts. TIPS: We also provide tuition, from bite-sized tips to advanced work-outs and guidance from recognised musicians and stars. STARS: We talk to musicians and stars about their creative processes, and the nuts and bolts of their gear and technique. We give fans an insight into the actual craft of music making that no other music website can.
  1. Behringer BMX drum machine
    1
    The Oberheim DMX drum machine is set to ride again as Behringer wheels out its BMX “homage”
  2. 2
    A firmware update for the cut-price Yamaha DX9 synth makes it more like a DX7
  3. 3
    Fender and session ace Michael Landau team up for the Coma Stratocaster – a bespoke electric guitar for all occasions
  4. 4
    Bruce Foxton of The Jam's 11 career-defining songs: "Start isn’t exactly the same as Taxman... otherwise I’m sure Paul McCartney would have thought about suing us!"
  5. 5
    Peter Gabriel on music and AI: “I think you do better if you work with a powerful new tool than just grumble or pretend it doesn’t exist”
  1. Behringer BMX drum machine
    1
    The Oberheim DMX drum machine is set to ride again as Behringer wheels out its BMX “homage”
  2. 2
    Bad Bunny sued by ex-girlfriend for $40m after sampling voice memo in 2022's most successful album
  3. 3
    A firmware update for the cut-price Yamaha DX9 synth makes it more like a DX7
  4. 4
    Fender and session ace Michael Landau team up for the Coma Stratocaster – a bespoke electric guitar for all occasions
  5. 5
    Bruce Foxton of The Jam's 11 career-defining songs: "Start isn’t exactly the same as Taxman... otherwise I’m sure Paul McCartney would have thought about suing us!"

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab).

  • About Us (opens in new tab)
  • Terms and conditions (opens in new tab)
  • Privacy policy (opens in new tab)
  • Cookies policy (opens in new tab)
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers (opens in new tab)

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.