Photo of Jimi Hendrix
Photo: Warner/Reprise Records Uploaded by We hope at en.wikipedia · Public domain

Solo Artist

Jimi Hendrix

Active1966-1970
DiedSeptember 18, 1970
OriginSeattle, Washington
Albums3
Tracks40

Most frequent collaborator: Chas Chandler  ·  24 tracks

Psychedelic RockHard RockBlues RockR&B
93%
Authorship
Artist

Holds writing credit on 37 of 40 tracks

Did Jimi Hendrix write his own songs?

Yes, almost all of them. Jimi Hendrix wrote around 92% of his short catalogue himself, including classics like 'Purple Haze,' 'The Wind Cries Mary,' and 'Voodoo Child.' The main exceptions are two famous covers: Bob Dylan's 'All Along the Watchtower' and 'Hey Joe,' written by Billy Roberts.

By the Numbers

3
Studio Albums
40
Tracks Credited
93%
Self-Written
4
Years Active
4
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 37 / 40 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 40 tracks: how many Jimi Hendrix wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

Jimi Hendrix has a writing credit93%
93%
8%
Sole author37tracks93%
Co-written0tracks0%
Outside writers3tracks8%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
Jimi Hendrix's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 40 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)93%
Composer (music)93%
Producer100%
Performer100%

Member Credit Breakdown share of tracks each member is credited on

Percentage of all 40 tracks, across every album, where each member holds a credit - split by role.

MemberPeriodLyricsMusicProductionPerformance
Jimi Hendrix Died September 18, 1970 1966-1970
88%
88%
100%
100%
Noel Redding Died May 11, 2003 1966-1969
5%
5%
0%
100%
Mitch Mitchell Died November 12, 2008 1966-1970
0%
0%
0%
100%
Billy Cox Former 1969-1970
0%
0%
0%
0%
Buddy Miles Died February 26, 2008 1969-1970
0%
0%
0%
0%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

Jimi Hendrix's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 93%
91%
100%
88%
1967Are You Experienced
1967Axis: Bold as Love
1968Electric Ladyland
Early · 96% written
Late · 88% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

93%
1960s
Are You Experienced, Axis: Bold as Love +1 more

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Jimi Hendrix sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

Jimi Hendrix
Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

Celine Dion2%
Diana Ross10%
The Jacksons24%
Eric Clapton40%
Michael Jackson51%
Santana59%
The Rolling Stones75%
93%Jimi Hendrix
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Hey Joe
Are You Experienced
Written by Billy Roberts
Outside writers
Purple Haze
Are You Experienced
Written by Jimi Hendrix
Wrote it
The Wind Cries Mary
Are You Experienced
Written by Jimi Hendrix
Wrote it
Up from the Skies
Axis: Bold as Love
Written by Jimi Hendrix
Wrote it
All Along the Watchtower
Electric Ladyland
Written by Bob Dylan
Outside writers
Crosstown Traffic
Electric Ladyland
Written by Jimi Hendrix
Wrote it

Discography 3 albums

This page covers Jimi Hendrix's complete 3-album studio discography released during his lifetime. Posthumous compilations and assemblies such as First Rays of the New Rising Sun (1997) are not included.

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Jimi Hendrix40 tracks
CC24 BR1 EK1 BD1

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. CC Chas Chandler · BR Billy Roberts · EK Earl King · BD Bob Dylan

The Writers & Producers Behind Jimi Hendrix 4 key collaborators

CC
Chas Chandler
Producer
Are You Experienced / Axis: Bold as Love24 tracks
BR
Billy Roberts
Songwriter
Are You Experienced1 tracks
EK
Earl King
Songwriter
Electric Ladyland1 tracks
BD
Bob Dylan
Songwriter
Electric Ladyland1 tracks

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

Jimi Hendrix wrote almost all of his own material, lyrics and music both, making him an unusually complete artist whose reputation rests equally on performance and composition. Across three studio albums, the non-Hendrix exceptions are narrow: 'Hey Joe' (Billy Roberts), 'She's So Fine' and 'Little Miss Strange' (both Noel Redding), 'All Along the Watchtower' (Bob Dylan), and 'Come On (Part 1)' (Earl King). Everything else, 'Purple Haze,' 'The Wind Cries Mary,' 'Little Wing,' 'Castles Made of Sand,' 'Voodoo Child (Slight Return)', is entirely his own. The credit table confirms what listeners intuit: this was an artist who expressed himself as fully on the page as on the fretboard.

Quick Facts

  • Rock HallInducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 with the Jimi Hendrix Experience
  • Greatest guitaristWidely ranked as the greatest electric guitarist in rock history
  • 27 ClubDied at 27, joining the group of musicians who died at that age
  • Short careerRecorded only three studio albums in his lifetime, all in a four-year span
  • Are You ExperiencedHis 1967 debut is ranked among the greatest albums of all time

Creative Fingerprint

A self-writing guitar visionary: Jimi Hendrix wrote almost all of his small catalogue himself, from 'Purple Haze' to 'Voodoo Child,' with only two famous covers, Bob Dylan's 'All Along the Watchtower' and 'Hey Joe.'

The Story

Jimi Hendrix is widely regarded as the most influential electric guitarist in the history of popular music, an American musician whose four-year recording career redefined what the instrument could express. Born in Seattle in 1942, Hendrix worked as a session musician and touring sideman before being discovered by ex-Animals bassist Chas Chandler in 1966 and brought to London, where The Jimi Hendrix Experience was formed with drummer Mitch Mitchell and bassist Noel Redding. In the space of two years the trio released three studio albums (Are You Experienced, Axis: Bold as Love, and Electric Ladyland), recordings so dense with invention that they remain foundational texts for nearly every corner of rock music. Hendrix was an almost complete artist: more than a performer, he wrote virtually all of his own material, handling both lyrics and music, and by Electric Ladyland had become his own producer, treating the studio as a compositional tool as sophisticated as his guitar. He died in London on September 18, 1970, at the age of 27, leaving behind a body of work whose influence has never diminished.

Awards & Recognition

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 with the Jimi Hendrix Experience
Widely regarded as the greatest electric guitarist in the history of rock
His debut Are You Experienced (1967) is ranked among the greatest albums of all time
Reshaped rock guitar in only four years and three studio albums
A defining figure of 1960s psychedelic and hard rock

Frequently Asked Questions Jimi Hendrix

Did Jimi Hendrix write his own songs?
Yes, almost all of them. Jimi Hendrix wrote around 92% of his short catalogue himself, including classics like 'Purple Haze,' 'The Wind Cries Mary,' and 'Voodoo Child.' The main exceptions are two famous covers: Bob Dylan's 'All Along the Watchtower' and 'Hey Joe,' written by Billy Roberts.
Who wrote 'All Along the Watchtower'?
'All Along the Watchtower' was written by Bob Dylan. Jimi Hendrix's 1968 cover, from Electric Ladyland, became far more famous than the original, and even Dylan later performed it in Hendrix's style.
Did Jimi Hendrix write 'Hey Joe'?
No. 'Hey Joe' was written by Billy Roberts, though it had many earlier versions. Hendrix's 1966 recording was his debut single and helped launch his career, but it is a cover.
Who wrote 'Purple Haze'?
'Purple Haze' (1967) was written entirely by Jimi Hendrix. It is one of his signature songs and one of the most influential rock recordings of the 1960s.
When did Jimi Hendrix die?
Jimi Hendrix died on September 18, 1970, in London, at the age of 27, from barbiturate-related asphyxia. He is one of the most famous members of the '27 Club.'
How many albums did Jimi Hendrix release?
Only three studio albums in his lifetime: Are You Experienced (1967), Axis: Bold as Love (1967), and Electric Ladyland (1968), all with the Jimi Hendrix Experience.
Is Jimi Hendrix in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Yes. The Jimi Hendrix Experience was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
Why is Jimi Hendrix considered the greatest guitarist?
He redefined what the electric guitar could do, pioneering feedback, distortion, and studio techniques, and writing songs like 'Voodoo Child' and 'Little Wing' that guitarists still study today, all in just four years.
Who was in the Jimi Hendrix Experience?
The Jimi Hendrix Experience was a trio of Hendrix on guitar and vocals, Noel Redding on bass, and Mitch Mitchell on drums. Hendrix wrote the songs and led the band.
What genre is Jimi Hendrix?
He is a psychedelic rock, hard rock, and blues rock artist, drawing on R&B and blues roots while pushing rock guitar into entirely new territory.

Sources

Wikipedia: Jimi Hendrix Wikipedia: The Jimi Hendrix Experience