The guitar smash… it’s one of the greatest feats to be witnessed live, unless you’re a musician yourself. In that case, you bow your head in respect for a fine instrument we lost too soon.

There are some truly historic incidents of guitar destruction in rock history. Of course, Jimi Hendrix’s name comes up immediately. Hendrix’s historic performance at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival ended with the legend pouring lighter fluid on his axe and smashing it while the guitar was still aflame. Thank technology this concert was captured in color, so we can experience the guitar sacrifice at its fullest.

A few years later, Deep Purple rocked California Jam ’74 and left us with some of the best guitar destruction footage in history. Ritchie Blackmore didn’t just obliterate his guitar, he destroyed a massive camera filming the performance. The footage gives way slightly with each hit with Ritchie’s guitar, making the viewer feel like Blackmore is trying to break through their television.

One of the most infamous destruction moments came from Green Day’s 2012 set at the iHeartRadio Festival. Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong was in the midst of a substance abuse relapse and he certainly didn’t hide it well. After some lengthy rants, Armstrong had enough with the festival’s time constraints, ending “Basket Case” early and smashing his guitar in protest. The video went viral and still remains a talking point for Green Day five years later.

Check out these 10 Awesome Guitar Destruction Moments in the Loud List above!

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