On September 18, 1970, the world lost Jimi Hendrix at just 27 years old. His death in London brought an abrupt end to a recording career that had lasted only about four years, yet in that astonishingly short span Hendrix completely transformed what musicians believed the electric guitar could do.

With The Jimi Hendrix Experience, he unleashed Are You Experienced, Axis: Bold as Love, and Electric Ladyland, giving rock "Purple Haze", "The Wind Cries Mary", "Foxy Lady", "Little Wing", "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)", and his breathtaking interpretation of "All Along the Watchtower". Hendrix turned feedback, distortion, sustain, and the recording studio itself into instruments, while his performances at Monterey and Woodstock became permanent images of rock's most revolutionary era. He never reached 30, but he didn't need decades to change music. In four explosive years, Jimi Hendrix changed the language of the electric guitar forever.

Born on September 18, 1949, Kerry Livgren became the guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, and one of the principal creative forces behind Kansas. His writing helped forge a distinctly American form of progressive rock, combining hard rock guitars, intricate arrangements, violin, keyboards, and deeply philosophical lyrics. Livgren wrote many of Kansas' most enduring songs, including "Carry On Wayward Son", "Point of Know Return", and "Dust in the Wind". His compositions were central to landmark albums like Leftoverture and Point of Know Return, helping transform Kansas from a hardworking Midwestern progressive rock band into an international success. His combination of musical complexity and accessible songwriting remains a defining part of the band's legacy.

On September 18, 1970, Black Sabbath released Paranoid in the UK, their second studio album and one of the foundational records of heavy metal. Tony Iommi's colossal riffs, Geezer Butler's ominous lyrics and bass lines, Bill Ward's thunderous drumming, and Ozzy Osbourne's haunting voice created a sound darker and heavier than almost anything else being recorded at the time. Featuring "War Pigs", "Paranoid", "Iron Man", "Electric Funeral", "Hand of Doom", and "Fairies Wear Boots", the album became a blueprint for generations of metal bands. The title track was famously written quickly when the band needed another short song, yet became one of their signature anthems. Paranoid reached No. 1 in the UK and remains one of the records upon which the entire heavy metal genre was built. Produced by Rodger Bain.