18. The Jimi Hendrix experience – areyouexperienced
Released in 1967, this album contains more of Hendrix’s most recognizable material than perhaps any other in his too-limited catalogue. The cover also presaged perception shifts that were to shake up both pop music and the wider culture in years to come.
In 1971 there wasn’t really anything quite like The Who and, coming on the heels of Pete Towshend’s operatic efforts with Tommy, Who’s Next forever sealed the band’s reputation as one of the great hard rock outfits of all time. The cover shot was a serendipitous echo of the groundbreaking film 2001: A Space Oddity, which had been released just a few years before, and even though the piss on the piling was faked to get the shot, many agree this is quintessential imagery of the spirit of rock music.
