did Jimi Hendrix event Heavy Metal?

I don't think there was any guitarist that played like he did during the 60s


Kirk Hammet (Metalica's guitarist) admitted he was inspired by Hendrix's style. Does that mean Jimi Henrix evented Heavy metal?

The conventional wisdom is that heavy metal had its roots with bands like Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and their ilk back in the 1960s.

Short answer: No.

Longer answer: Nobody invented metal, it was a step in a progression that began with gospel and folk music, moved through jazz, bluegrass, country, swing and the blues, filtered through early rock, surf rock, proto punk, psychedelic rock and electric blues and began to manifest.

Metal is as much a product of Ray Charles, Johnny Cash and Robert Johnson as it is an invention of MC5 or Black Sabbath.

It's iterative.

Hendrix would have said he was just riffing on Johnson, Howling Wolf and Muddy waters.

a reply to: HouseMusic4Life

Jimi was part of the Psychedelia movement. Listen to Jimi on said substance and you will see and hear.

Igor Stravinsky invented thrash with 'The Rite of Spring.'

a reply to: HouseMusic4Life

The roots of heavy metal began here.

I don't think of Hendrix as heavy metal at all. He really defied genres. His roots were in the blues, but then he took it to new levels. Even at his wildest, rawest, grungiest stuff,there was always a melody!

A couple great tracks:






This one is interesting. He was playing sloppy. He was tired, burned out, and possibly depressed. This is shortly before he passed away. It's still cool.

a reply to: HouseMusic4Life
Jimi was way ahead of his time with his instrument and influenced many a great guitar player.

a reply to: HouseMusic4Life

Even though Hendrix's guitar playing was years ahead of it's time, I believe the first true metal riffs were written in the late 60's by guitarist Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath. He tuned his guitar low because of the loss of several fingers on his fretting hand, which made his riffs sound so dark and ominous.

IMO, the group Blue Cheer was the first heavy metal band and the band members actually looked the part. They formed in 1966 and hit it big with their version of "Summertime Blues," playing it on American Bandstand in 1968.

Sabbath's 1970 basement demo of the song "Black Sabbath" which was written back in 1969:


Blue Cheer on American Bandstand in 1968:

a reply to: shawmanfromny

IMO, the group Blue Cheer was the first heavy metal band

The Pretty Things are a better example of being possibly the first metal band. They where formed in 1963.

This from 1967.

a reply to: alldaylong

Pretty Things were more British Beat Music.

Jimmy was Psychedelic Blues/Rock.

This was probably the first Real "Heavy" hit....from 1968.

originally posted by: gort51
a reply to: alldaylong


This was probably the first Real "Heavy" hit....from 1968.

I would have thought this was heavier. From the same album.

a reply to: Hefficide

I could place a bet on Blue Cheer. Full stage structure of speakers behind the band turned up to 11. Full bore blast and an unending screech, beat, and cacophony.

a reply to: shawmanfromny


Yep. I had just not read far enough down the thread to your post. I would take the odds on that the first band was Blue Cheer. Saw em you know. 68 I think it was. Filmore, maybe the Avalon. Maybe Winterland. Hard to tell. Much of that time I didn't really know WHERE I was.

a reply to: alldaylong

Agreed.....but Revolution was a Hit record......they use to play it all the time on the radio back then.

Of course, the Yardbirds were considered to be "Heavy" back then too......

a reply to: HouseMusic4Life

My vote is with Jimmy Page:

a reply to: HouseMusic4Life

For me, Black Sabbath are the fathers of Heavy Metal. I can't define Hendrix, but of course I like his music.

a reply to: TerryMcGuire

Full stage structure of speakers behind the band turned up to 11. Full bore blast and an unending screech, beat, and cacophony.

That sounds like they where copying what " The Who " did 2 years earlier.

www.thewho.net...

1959
The Kingsmen
1960
The Beatles
Neil Young
1961
Bob Seger
1962
? and the Mysterians
David Bowie
The Rolling Stones
1963
The Animals
The Pretty Things
The Yardbirds[1][2]
1964
Lynyrd Skynyrd
MC5[3][4]
The Amboy Dukes
The Kinks
The Mothers of Invention
Donovan
The Troggs
The Velvet Underground
The Who[5]
1965
13th Floor Elevators
Big Brother and the Holding Company
The Doors
Jefferson Airplane
Pink Floyd
Scorpions[6]
The Guess Who
The Grateful Dead
1966
The Jeff Beck Group[1]
Black Widow
Blue Cheer[2]
Buffalo Springfield
Cream[1][2]
The Jimi Hendrix Experience[1][2]
Iron Butterfly[7]
The Move
Slade
Stray
1967
Blue Öyster Cult[6] (as Soft White Underbelly)
Budgie[8]
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Crow
The Deviants
Elf
Genesis
The Gun
Sammy Hagar
Jethro Tull
Status Quo
Steppenwolf[2]
The Stooges
T. Rex
Vanilla Fudge[2]
Santana
1968
Accept
Alice Cooper[9]
Black Sabbath[10]
Deep Purple[10]
Free
Grand Funk Railroad[11]
Humble Pie[12]
Led Zeppelin[10]
Nazareth[6]
Rush[6]
Sir Lord Baltimore
Meat Loaf
Sweet
Warpig
Breakout
Yes
1969
Aguaturbia
April Wine
Argent
Atomic Rooster
Blackfoot
Bloodrock
Coven
Crushed Butler
Dust
Gary Moore
Gypsy Sun and Rainbows
Hawkwind[13]
High Tide
Iron Claw
Josefus
Judas Priest[6]
King Crimson
Leaf Hound
May Blitz
Mott the Hoople
Mountain[14]
Steeleye Span
Thin Lizzy[15]
Tucky Buzzard
UFO[16]
Uriah Heep[12]
Wishbone Ash
ZZ Top
Songs
pre-1960
"How Many More Years" by Howlin' Wolf
"I Put a Spell On You" by Screamin' Jay Hawkins
“Jailhouse Rock” by Elvis Presley
"Rumble" by Link Wray
1960
"Shakin' All Over" by Johnny Kidd & the Pirates
1961
"Jack the Ripper" by Screaming Lord Sutch
1962
"Miserlou" by Dick Dale
1963
"Louie Louie" by The Kingsmen
1964
"You Really Got Me" and "All Day and All of the Night" by The Kinks
1965
"My Generation" by The Who[5]
1966
"96 Tears" by ? and the Mysterians
"Talk Talk" by The Music Machine
"Wild Thing" by The Troggs
1967
"Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf
"Purple Haze" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience[17]
"Sunshine of Your Love" by Cream
"Tomorrow Never Knows" by The Beatles
1968
"Fire" by The Crazy World of Arthur Brown
"Helter Skelter" by The Beatles
"The House at Pooneil Corners" by Jefferson Airplane
’’Hurdy Gurdy Man’’ by Donovan
"In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" by Iron Butterfly[18]
"Race With the Devil" by The Gun
" Summertime Blues" by Blue Cheer
1969
"The Nile Song" by Pink Floyd
"21st Century Schizoid Man" by King Crimson[19][20]
"Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
"Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin
Albums
1964
The Kinks - Kinks
1965
The Kinks - Kinda Kinks
The Kinks - Kinks-Size
The Kinks - The Kink Kontroversy
The Pretty Things - The Pretty Things
The Pretty Things - Get the Picture?
The Sonics - Here Are The Sonics
The Who - My Generation
The Yardbirds - For Your Love
The Yardbirds - Having a Rave Up
1966
Cream - Fresh Cream
The Kinks - Face to Face
The Who - A Quick One
The Yardbirds - Roger the Engineer
1967
Cream - Disraeli Gears
The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced
The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Axis: Bold as Love
The Kinks - Something Else by The Kinks
The Pretty Things - Emotions
Vanilla Fudge - Vanilla Fudge
The Who - The Who Sell Out
The Yardbirds - Little Games
1968
The Jeff Beck Group - Truth
The Crazy World of Arthur Brown - The Crazy World of Arthur Brown
Blue Cheer - Vincebus Eruptum
Blue Cheer - Outsideinside
Cream - Wheels of Fire
Deep Purple - Shades of Deep Purple
The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland
Iron Butterfly - Heavy
Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
The Kinks - The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society
The Pretty Things - SF Sorrow
Steppenwolf - Steppenwolf
Steppenwolf - Steppenwolf the Second
Vanilla Fudge - The Beat Goes On
Vanilla Fudge - Renaissance
1969
The Jeff Beck Group - Beck-Ola
Blue Cheer - New! Improved! Blue Cheer
Blue Cheer - Blue Cheer
Alice Cooper - Pretties for You
Coven - Witchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls
Cream - Goodbye
Deep Purple - Deep Purple
Deep Purple - The Book of Taliesyn
Edgar Broughton Band - Wasa Wasa
Grand Funk Railroad - On Time
Grand Funk Railroad - Grand Funk
High Tide - Sea Shanties
Humble Pie - As Safe As Yesterday Is
Humble Pie - Town and Country
Iron Butterfly - Ball
King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King
The Kinks - Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II
MC5 - Kick Out the Jams
Mott the Hoople - Mott the Hoople
Slade - Beginnings
Steppenwolf - At Your Birthday Party
Steppenwolf - Monster
The Stooges - The Stooges
Vanilla Fudge - Near the Beginning
Vanilla Fudge - Rock & Roll
The Who - Tommy

1968: