On September 2, 1968, Jimi Hendrix released his version of “All Along the Watchtower.” The song quickly climbed to number 20 on Billboard’s Hot 100, making it his only Top 40 hit in the U.S. Hendrix took Bob Dylan’s simple folk tune and turned it into a powerful electric anthem. His rendition, filled with intense guitar riffs and energy, was featured on the album Electric Ladyland. This fresh take had a huge impact on rock music.
Bob Dylan praised Hendrix’s talent, saying, “He could find things inside a song and vigorously develop them.” Dylan admitted that he borrowed elements from Hendrix’s version in his own performances. The remake influenced Dylan so much that it changed how he approached his live shows, incorporating aspects of Hendrix’s style.
Before his untimely death in 1970, Hendrix expressed his admiration for Dylan’s songwriting. The original song appeared on Dylan’s album John Wesley Harding in late 1967. Just months later, Hendrix turned it into his biggest hit in the U.S., showcasing his incredible guitar skills.
At the 2015 MusiCares event, Dylan highlighted Hendrix’s vision, saying, “He took some small songs of mine that nobody paid any attention to and pumped them up into the outer limits of the stratosphere and turned them all into classics.”
The song transcended its creators, becoming an anthem at civil rights marches and anti-war protests in the late ’60s. Today, it continues to appear in films and shows about that era, proving its lasting power.
