Watch a Jimi Hendrix Classic Set an Otherworldly Mood in ‘The Martian’ Trailer

In the new trailer for the upcoming movie The Martian, the eternally haunting sounds of Jimi Hendrix's "All Along the Watchtower" set a perfect mood as the song's opening riff is repeated while tensions build onscreen. The tune ends up merging with a more modern sonic loop complete with dramatic accents, but that doesn't take anything away from the power of Hendrix's 1968 classic.

The film, which opens Friday, tells the story of a manned mission to Mars that leaves an astronaut stranded and alone on the planet. He tries to find a way to communicate with NASA as they, in turn, try to figure out a way to get him back to Earth. You can watch the trailer for The Martian -- which stars Matt Damon, Kristen Wiig and Jeff Daniels -- above.

"All Along the Watchtower" has remained one of the Jimi Hendrix Experience's most popular tracks. The song was written by Bob Dylan and made its first appearance on his 1967 album John Wesley Harding.

Hendrix, a Dylan obsessive, recorded the song during the sessions for the Electric Ladyland album. The track was issued as a single in the fall of 1968, and hit the U.S. Top 20 not long after. The album itself would later top the chart in the States.

See Jimi Hendrix and Other Rockers in the Top 100 Albums of the '60s

This Day in Rock History: September 28