#22 Are You Experienced by The Jimi Hendrix Experience

The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

2025 Album Rank

22

2011 Album Rank

20

Total Points

1991

Year Released

1967

Billboard 200 Chart Peak

5

Weeks at #1

N/A

RIAA Sales Certification

5,000,000 (Multi-Platinum)

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Are You Experienced Album Details

Released in 1967, Are You Experienced is the groundbreaking debut album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience and a seismic event in the history of rock music. Blending psychedelic rock, blues, R&B, and innovative guitar techniques, the album introduced Hendrix as a revolutionary force, an artist who didn't just play guitar but reinvented it. With his virtuosic fretwork, wild sonic experimentation, and explosive stage presence, Hendrix pushed the boundaries of what rock music could be.

Tracks like "Purple Haze", "Manic Depression", "Foxey Lady", and "The Wind Cries Mary" combine electrifying energy with poetic lyrics and mind-bending textures. Produced by Chas Chandler and recorded with drummer Mitch Mitchell and bassist Noel Redding, the album was a revelation both technically and artistically. Whether through feedback, wah-wah pedals, or studio wizardry, Hendrix created a sonic universe unlike anything before it. Are You Experienced remains one of the most influential debuts in music history and a cornerstone of the psychedelic era.

Other albums by Jimi Hendrix on the chart: Electric Ladyland.

Interesting Facts about Are You Experienced

• The album was released first in the UK (May 1967) and then in the U.S. (August 1967) with a slightly different track listing
• Hendrix was relatively unknown in the U.S. before the album's release. He had found early success in England after being discovered by Animals bassist Chas Chandler.
• "Purple Haze" was not included on the original UK release, but it was featured on the U.S. version, which helped propel the album to legendary status stateside.
• The album's iconic backward guitar solo in "Are You Experienced?" was a result of tape manipulation.
• "Third Stone from the Sun" combines jazz phrasing, sci-fi themes, and spoken-word segments. It even includes slowed-down speech that sounds like an alien transmission.
• Paul McCartney was an early champion of Hendrix and recommended him for the Monterey Pop Festival, where Hendrix famously lit his guitar on fire.
• The album stayed on the U.K. charts for 33 weeks and peaked at No. 2. It was blocked from the top spot by The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
• The Are You Experienced album cover art differs between regions. The U.S. version features the iconic fisheye-lens photo with psychedelic typeface, while the UK version had a more straightforward black-and-white shot.
• Hendrix recorded the album with the Experience just months after forming the band, making its cohesion and innovation even more remarkable.
• The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 for its cultural and historical significance.

Are You Experienced Tracklist

1. Purple Haze
2. Manic Depression
3. Hey Joe
4. Love or Confusion
5. May This Be Love
6. I Don't Live Today
7. The Wind Cries Mary
8. Fire
9. 3rd Stone from the Sun
10. Foxey Lady
11. Are You Experienced?

• Next Album: #21 The Joshua Tree by U2
• Previous Album: #23 The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars by David Bowie