Jimi Hendrix didn't always sell a ton of records during his short life. 'Purple Haze' didn't even make the Top 60! But that's now how we measure genius.

After all, his guitar pyrotechnics changed how the instrument was viewed by peers and fans around the world almost instantly. His influence can still being heard in almost every single mind-warping solo or killer riff committed to wax ever since.

Since his death in 1970 at the age of 27, Hendrix's popularity has only skyrocketed. He left quite a legacy -- and apparently lots of music in the can, since new albums featuring previously unreleased recordings seem to surface every couple of years.

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