Purple Haze

Experience the sonic revolution of Jimi Hendrix's iconic 1967 masterpiece, "Purple Haze." Often cited as a precursor to hard rock, its legendary opening riff and groundbreaking psychedelic sound changed music forever. This Hendrix classic remains one of rock's most influential and instantly recognizable tracks.

Released as a single in 1967 and included on the US version of Are You Experienced, "Purple Haze" stormed the charts and announced Jimi Hendrix's arrival as a major force. Its innovative use of guitar effects like heavy distortion and the Octavia pedal, combined with its raw energy, laid groundwork for future hard rock sounds while defining psychedelic rock.

Built around one of rock's most famous guitar riffs and featuring Hendrix's signature E7#9 "Hendrix chord," this 1967 track perfectly encapsulates the era's experimental spirit. Its disorienting lyrics and pioneering hard rock/psychedelic soundscape cemented "Purple Haze" as a landmark recording and an essential piece of music history.

SONG MEANING: Jimi Hendrix primarily attributed the song's inspiration to a dream where he was walking underwater, lost in a purple mist. The lyrics ("Purple haze all in my brain / Lately things just don't seem the same") evoke feelings of confusion, disorientation, and an altered state of consciousness, reflecting this dreamlike experience rather than explicitly detailing drug use, though its psychedelic nature invites such interpretations.