Mar 02 2004
100 “greatest” guitarists of all time
Rolling Stone magazine published their 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. The top 10:
- Jimi Hendrix
- Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers Band
- B.B. King
- Eric Clapton
- Robert Johnson
- Chuck Berry
- Stevie Ray Vaughan
- Ry Cooder
- Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin ["of Led Zeppelin"?! duh]
- Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones [double duh]
Duane Allman?! Chuck Berry?!! If you’re a guitarist, don’t bother looking at the complete list; you’ll want to punch your monitor.
i really want to know if this listing is based on personal choice because accoding to me every guitarist has his own way of playing the guitare for example there are things that can’t be done those listed up guitarists i mean that every lead guitarist is specefied .therefore the best guitarist of all time has no sense to me
Rolling Stone magazine probably did a poll of their readers, asking them who they thought should be on the list. I agree though; there’s no way to judge this objectively due to technics, styles, and even genres. Yet, a lot of people find this page searching for “top guitarists”.
I saw Kurt Cobain at 12, Jack White at 17, and Eddie Van Halen at 70, and that was enough for me to close the window immediately.
page 9th what a fukin joke…. top 3 should be
Hendrix
Page
Clapton
dude wtf? jimmy page at number NINE? hes amazing. given i havn’t heard of like 3 people on the list but wtf jimmy page is amazing
this list looks like it’s for little kids who don’t know anything!!
rolling stone must be stupid to put together this list
cobain was not a good guitarist he was a great song writer but not a great guitarist and hes #12
did he get sympathy or what
the worst thing about this list is that slash from guns n roses who is responsible for 2 of the best solos ever( november rain & sweet child o mine) is not even on the damn list
I know, dude. Slash got totally robbed. WTF, huh? Stupid Rolling Stone.
most of the list is retarded but i think they based a lot of the top ten on influence, chuck berry and b.b. king influenced practically everyone that came after them and both are actually amazing guitarists. and robert johnson, c’mon he’s robert johnson, is he one of the best guitarists? probably not but he had a great sound and is the king of blues. we wouldnt have eric clapton without robert johnson. as for jimmy page being 9th i have no explanation and kurt cobain shouldn’t be twelfth…um and duane allman is a crazy guitarist, incredibly good, maybe listen to some live allman brothers or to “whipping post” or “ramblin man” that’ll explain it.
This list is so out of order, it’s actually sickening. Hendrix is so overrated, one can’t put it into words. Clapton owns that top spot, hands down, strictly off longevity, influence, and versatility. The first and the last, Hendrix lacked (yeah, I know he died of drugs early, but it’s his fault). Jimmy Page at number nine? What a joke, he’s better than Hendrix was (a much superior soloist, at that). Eddie Van Halen at 70? Angus Young at 96? What kind of idiots thought of this? Van Halen is top 10. Young is top 30. And then these idiots put Kurt Cobain, one of the worst ever, at 12. To make it even worse, they have Jack White at 17. I AM A BETTER GUITARIST THAN THESE PEOPLE. Put Cobain and White in a room with a bunch of beginner guitar players, and they fit right in, because they SUCK. Ike Turner? He’s more famous for beating up Tina than anything he ever did with that damned instrument. The Edge is terrible. I notice that there is no sign of Prince, or Slash. Both of them are amazing, and they just completely left them off. Carlos Santana and Jeff Beck being outside of the top ten is complete bull. Keith Richards is a great rhythm guitarist, not a great lead guitarist. Maybe he gets extra credit because he can smoke and play at the same time. John Fogerty? I’m a Creedence fan, but what the hell is wrong with these people? Fogerty is garbage, he’s a weak soloist. Pete Townshead is higher than Keith Richards, easily. David Gilmour is about as good as Angus Young, put him in the top thirty. I don’t see any of the guitarists from Steely Dan on the list, all of them could arguably be top fifty. I’d dare say two of them could arguably be top ten, maybe even as high as six. Steve Howe of Yes is higher as well.
Let’s do a revision here.
1. Eric Clapton
2. Jimmy Page
3. Jimi Hendrix
4. Carlos Santana
5. Jeff Beck
6. B.B. King
7. Eddie Van Halen
And I’m too lazy to make anymore.
I’m wondering why all this traffic on this subject has showed up recently. All you folks from one place?
Sharp: I think you typed wrong: it’s “Clapton is so overrated, one can’t put it into words”, not Hendrix. Haha. Clapton’s a great soloist, but “versatile” - puh-lease. After Cream he seemed to loose his originality, going the “pop” route, except for a few classics like “Cocaine”, which he didn’t even write.
And Jimmy Page above Hendrix?! Hendrix influenced EVERYONE in the top 10, except maybe B.B.
This could be debated forever; it’s too subjective.
What about the top 100 violin soloists? I suppose a lot of people would name Nigel Kennedy. Man, even he stole from Hendrix.
Are you crazy? CLAPTON INFLUENCED HENDRIX. Or did you forget which guitarist Hendrix idolized, and only agreed to come to England if he was able to play with him? That’s right, CLAPTON. CLAPTON INFLUENCED HENDRIX, NOT VICE VERSA. And versatility means the ability to change your style with the times. EC starts with the Yardbirds, doing relatively soft rock. Then he moves on to harder stuff with Cream and Derek and the Dominoes. His solo work has ranged from hard rock, to soft rock, to ballads, to jazz, to bluegrass for Christ sake. You think Jimi Hendrix could have ever come up with two songs as different as White Room and Tears In Heaven? Highly doubtful. I’ll give you Hendrix his due as one of the great rock guitarists (Page ahead of Hendrix is my opinion, by the way, not necessarily true, probably straight out wrong). And if you want to attack Clapton’s ability as a writer, let’s just not forget to remember who wrote Hendrix’s only top 20 hit. Even if Hendrix did write some great songs, I’ll take Clapton’s songwriting in recent years over it.
Whatever though, like you said, it’s too subjective. It all comes down to opinion.
i think top 10 should be
1. Jimi Hendrix
2. Jimmy Page
3. Eric Clapton
4. Alex Lifeson(of rush)
5. Duanne Allman
6. Ed Van Halen
7. Slash
8. Joe Perry(Aerosmith)
9. Angus Young
10. Stevie Ray Vaughan
I agree that Jimmy Hendrix Started everything off but, He was’nt the best. I think Angus Young is under rated because he is spinning around and jumping on one foot while playing. And his songs all have awesome solo’s. And AC/DC’s songs are the best songs but that does’nt mean he is the guitarist.
I think the top 10 should be:
1. Jimmy Page
2. Eric Clapton
3. Jimmy Hendrix
4. Steve Tyler
5. Angus Young
6. Eddie Van Halen
7. Slash
8. Carlos Santana
9. Kurt Cobain
10. Stevie Ray Vaughn
I don’t understand this tendency to have Jimmy Page ranked so high, and worse, having Slash in the top 10.
I wonder if the age of those coming up with a list has something to do with who’s on the list; but then, I was never a fan of Guns n’ Roses.
Slash and Jimmy Page are great guitarists — for people who still listen to the same shit they did in junior high, and still think it’s good. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
i understand that carlos santana is very good, but i don’t think that he is top ten material
i think that every one is forgetting about joe perry from aerosmith, and alex lifeson of rush. listen to any of there songs… they are awesome
first of all B.B King was not that great of a guitar player, he was an innovator man, his skill did not compare to other blues guitarists like SRV and jimi hendrix, and i think including a hack like jack white in the list at seventeen was a outrage. Personally i think Jack White should not be on that list. I also disagree with the placement of george harrison and david gilmor of PF. i looked at the list and they really should narrow down the list by putting guitarists into categorys based on the types of music those people played. Rolling Stone hasnt a clue.
I Also Have to add, one person said steve howe of yes and i completly agree, except he should be in the top fifteen. I recently saw them in concert and i have to say that steve howe is one of the best rock guitarists still alive today. He played a steel pedal guitar and his effects guitar and i was mesmorized and i think he should at least be 15 or 14. He and rick wakeman dueled for almost ten minutes and it was unfathomable.
I posted this related entry today: 50 “worst” guitar solos of all time.
I was disappointed Elizabeth Cotton didn’t make the list. Well, not disappointed. It’s a stupid list. But Elizabeth Cotton was an astonishing guitar player.
There were a lot of messed up things on that list. Joe Perry is very underrated, though I don’t think he hits top 10. Angus Young is an amazing guitarist. Steve Howe is also great.
And I don’t understand how you can rank Jimmy Page anything lower than three. The man is the best soloist I’ve ever heard, aside from Clapton. And BB King is as good as advertised, and probably better.
Slash is overrated, simply because he was a good guitarist, but came around when everyone else sucked. That doesn’t mean that he didn’t belong on that list.
And the ultimate measuring stick for a guitarist is their ability to improvise solos on stage, in concert. That’s what brings Jeff Beck and Hendrix down, in my eyes. If you’re better when you play live, you’re something. If you get worse (even if you’re stoned on stage, like Hendrix), it really takes away from your legend. I know somebody who saw Hendrix play the Star Spangled Banner, at Monterey, and he doesn’t look upon it with awe. More like in disgust, which is how a lot of people from the 60’s and 70’s generation of rock, view him. Hendrix and Beck’s solos are basically a bunch of random noises. With Clapton and Page, the speed and difficulty of their live solos just makes your jaw drop.
Seriously, pop culture has too much influence. Dead people are almost always overrated (except Tupac and Elvis). Kurt Cobain? Jimi Hendrix? Jim Morrison? Cobain was a shit guitarist. Even his song writing, while it spoke of desperation, all of Nirvana’s songs were about the same thing: DEPRESSION. Morrison was a hell of a poet, and a great frontman, but I still can’t understand what the hell he’s saying. Hendrix…still just a bunch of noise. Don’t get me wrong, I consider myself a Hendrix fan. But it gets to me when people rank him so high, and seemingly ignore the likes of Clapton, Page, Santana, BB King, etc.
The Edge of U2 is a top 10 contender for this list. NOT 24. he was such a versatile guitarist
The Edge? He’s overrated. As far as I’m concerned, if you can’t spit out a decent guitar solo, you don’t belong on the real list. The Edge could very well be a top 10 guitarist in Rolling Stone’s opinion. Of course, Keith Richards is the 10th best ever, Kurt Cobain is the 12th, and Jack White is the 17th best ever, in their eyes. In the meantime, Eddie Van Halen is at 70? Angus Young at 96? The Edge is definitely not ahead of those two, and I don’t even know if Young is a top 10 guy. The Edge, if anything, is WAY too high on the list, not too low.
i dont get why jack white and kurt cobain are in the top 20 cos they are shit . they cant play compared to people like SLASH and he aint even on the list.
I am very happy that JOHN FRUSCIANTE is at number 18 john is a great guitarist i would put john frusciante at number 10 if it was my list..
i am very suprised that Alex Lifeson of rush didn’t make the list( although that list is terrible) but i mean, alex lifeson is really good. practically all there songs have awesome solos. (unless he is on the list and i missed it but i don’t think he was on there)
Frusciante at number 10? You’re joking, right? Another notable absence. Where’s Robin Trower on that list? If his work with Procol Harum doesn’t get him on that list, then his solo work should. As far as playing style, he’s the only person who sounded exactly like Hendrix. Alex Lifeson, forgot about him. He belongs on there. Another horendous omission.
“first of all B.B King was not that great of a guitar player, he was an innovator man, his skill did not compare to other blues guitarists like SRV and jimi hendrix, and i think including a hack like jack white in the list at seventeen was a outrage. Personally i think Jack White should not be on that list. I also disagree with the placement of george harrison and david gilmor of PF. i looked at the list and they really should narrow down the list by putting guitarists into categorys based on the types of music those people played. Rolling Stone hasnt a clue.”
I’ll disagree with you about BB King. While he wasn’t quite on the skill level of a Page, Hendrix or Clapton, etc. as far as speed goes, but just listen to his stuff. The man is amazing, definitely worthy of a high spot on that list. After all, if you’re going to have Robert Johnson and Chuck Berry (neither of whom are top 10 talent wise either) so high, you can’t forget about the King.
And George Harrison was ranked way too high, definitely. He’s one of the most influential guitarists, no doubt, but on that list, he should be between 70 and 96. (MOVE YOUNG AND VAN HALEN UP ALREADY). Considering that Harrison didn’t even play his own guitar solos sometimes (Clapton fills in for him on While My Guitar Gently Weeps, McCartney does the solo on Taxman).
And another notable absence. John Densmore? Yeah, the dude from the Doors. Where is he? He’s probably not even top 30, but he should be there.
I need to see some Steely Dan guitarists in there as well.
KURT COBAIN IS THE BEST GUITARIST OF ALL TIME AND I FUCK ALL OF YOU
What was I saying. Densmore is a drummer. Ricky something, whatever the guy from the Doors’ name was. He belongs on though.
Screw Kurt Cobain.
Peoples opinion are all different.In my opiion Jimi Hendrix is the greatest guitarist.But to other people eddie van halen might be, but i for one can play eruption wich people say is his hardest song. but i dont think its hard,it sounds good but its not hard. And for the person who said that hendrix wasent good in consert, go fuck yourself. you find me any song that can even compare to machine gun Ill shut the hell up right now. but you wont find a song as hard as machine gun. learn how to play it, ill bet you cant.I dont care how cool the fast stuff sounds,play Little wing,bold as love,castles made of sand, and more. See you have to learn how to play the songs that arent very popular not like Purple haze or Fozy lady there great songs and all but learn how to play songs like house buring down,andmachine gun,and georgia blues now those are hard songs, what Hendrix played was beatiful. I will gladley talk to anyone who wants to talk about there farvorit guitarist. But in my opinion no one can touch Hendrx.
MY TOP TEN
1. JIMI HENDRIX
2. stevie ray vanghe
3.Tom morello
4.Chuch Berry
5.BB. king
6.eddie van halen
7.joe perry
8.jimmy page
9.carlose santanas
10.joan jett
Leaving Jimmy Page off until number eight, leaving Clapton off ENTIRELY, and placing Joan Jett, Joe Perry, Chuck Berry and Tom Morello all in the top 10, automatically made your opinion not count.
And I’m a Hendrix fan, believe me. He’s just overrated. I could listen to his music all day, he’s an amazing guitarist. But his solos were just a bunch of noise. He played some HARD riffs, but no more difficult than the stuff that Clapton or Page played. And once again, there’s no questioning that Hendrix, Page, and even Eddie Van Halen are all better solists than Hendrix. And once again. I know a person who saw Hendrix play the Star Spangled banner in Monterey, and he wasn’t impressed at all. Every person from the 60’s generation that I’ve spoken to about guitar has told me that Clapton is a superior guitarist to Hendrix.
eddie van halen….. no fucking way he is number 70.. he is way the hell better then alot of the people ahead of him. kirk hammett is most definitley worthy of top 5 in the world same with eddie.
I suggest you all LISTEN to Duane Allman before kicking him out of the Top 10. Clapton himself stood up and said Duane Allman was the best, and Clapton was in the Yardbirds, Derek and the Dominoes, AND the BLuesbreakers with Allman. Hendrix had style, but i agree with “Sharp”, his rifts were just noise. AND HOW THE HELL DO YOU LEAVE JERRY GARCIA OFF ALL OF YOUR LISTS?!?!? The Grateful Dead was the best jam band ever
MY TOP 10
1 Duane Allman
2 Eric Clapton
3 Jimmy Page
4 Stevie Ray Vaughn
5 Jimmy Hendrix
6 JERRY GARCIA
7 TREY ANASTASIO
8 B.B. King
9 Eddie Van Halen
10 Jeff Beck
AND ANOTHER THING…dont you think its a little odd “ROLLING STONE magazine” put a guitarist from the ROLLING STONES in the top ten!?!?! I mean…Keith was the man…but no where near as good as Jeff Beck or Jerry Garcia
1 hendrix is out amongst the planets flying high the one they all followed
2 neil young down on earth in all his ragged glory
3 jimmy page live…fantastic
4 clapton although he is a slacker….ask kief richards
5 assorted kings like bb,freddie and the late great albert they are all fantastic
6 richard thompson fluid licks both accustic and electric
7 stevie ray vaughn
8 duane allman
9 jerry garcia
10 pete townsend
all of these players were at their best live,where it counts……not in sterile studios wanking on with technology…
frankly after this you can raffle them…they dont count!
just my opinion but one that can be backed up by people with far more knowledge than myself
Hey Hammer…Neil Young was great, I left him off my list because i dont think he is as good of a guitarist as song writer, but thats just me…and thanks for putting Jerry Garcia in.
i know u guys are all like…yeah weres so an so….but one that is sourly missed….RANDY RHOADS!!! y the hell is he at like 80! thats bs…he could have blown van halen out of the water..and y is van halen at 76?!?!?!
I never imagined this post would receive the most comments, given its subjective matter. I’m thinking I should post a 100 “greatest” [fill in something subjective] of all time every week or so, just to see what kind of response they’d get.
That’s true, Mr. Cairns. And I read said about everyone trying to force their opinion on others, and show why they’re right. You put it off as immature, but that’s the whole point of a message board.
And after that tidbit, Randy Rhoads was great, an excellent soloist, but he’s not ahead of Van Halen, no way. Duane Allman is top 20, maybe even top 15, but not number two, or number one. Same deal for Jerry Garcia.
“Mr. Cairns”? I can’t remember the last time someone called me that (I’ve been called lots of other names though).
Not “immature”, but amusing. The comments are an interesting, funny read because, contrary to your point, there’s no WAY someone can prove they’re right on this topic; and that’s hilarious. I don’t want to deter anyone from adding their comments; it’s a great conversation, although you have to admit it has its absurdity (i.e. Joan Jett in the top ten?!).
just one more to add….. a bloke called harry manx,from canada via india …fantastic accoustic player,also great live
In response to
“And for the person who said that hendrix wasent good in consert, go fuck yourself. you find me any song that can even compare to machine gun Ill shut the hell up right now. but you wont find a song as hard as machine gun. learn how to play it, ill bet you cant.”
by Josh Carper
Just be cause a song is HARD doesnt mean its GOOD, and just because you cant do it doesnt mean its good, for example, i cant do a root canal, does that make that good?
oh yah and learn how to spell buddy
stevie ray vanghe???
carlose santanas???
I just can’t believe that prince was left out of the list. i mean the solos in computer blue and purple rain are just outstanding. i think they left prince out just because he was pretty weird. but the truth is, his songs were so amazing that they could bring goosebumps on your arms . he should at least be in the top 100
Why is’nt Chet Atkins on this list?!?! He is amazing he’s “guitar man”! I mean come on! Jack White shouldn’t be on this list, ESPECIALLY if he’s before John Frudsciante, one of my favorite guitarists in the world. There’s a guy who can improvise on stage. And he could play amazingly at the age of 16. Why isn’t he number 10?? This list is insane!
Ehh, wasn’t sure how to refer to you, so I felt a respectful tone would be best.
And Frusciante is one of the best around now. Of course, the best guitarists of today (i.e. Navarro, Frusciante) were average in the 60’s and 70’s.
In response to
“And for the person who said that hendrix wasent good in consert, go fuck yourself. you find me any song that can even compare to machine gun Ill shut the hell up right now. but you wont find a song as hard as machine gun. learn how to play it, ill bet you cant.”
by Josh Carper
Just be cause a song is HARD doesnt mean its GOOD, and just because you cant do it doesnt mean its good, for example, i cant do a root canal, does that make that good?
Two words: THANK YOU.
And for whoever gave Prince his well deserved due, thank you. Prince is an amazing guitarist. I’ve been told that he goes off on 30-45 minutes solos in live shows. He’s amazing, what you hear on the recordings is nothing but a taste of his ability. He deserves to bein the top 30, not just the top 100.
I found some interesting links about under-rated guitarists:
- thevoid99’s 10 Underrated Guitarists in Rock
- The Most Underrated Guitarists According to Jeffrey Hender
And here’s Guitar Magazine’s 100 Greatest Guitarists.
I like that list; nice to see Joe Pass and Chet Atkins there.
how did you know that this are the real and right statistics?did you made a contest of guitarist
mark knopfler is after hendrix.M.k was eric clapton guitar theacher,and e clapton admited that Mark knopfler is a master in guitar and it is better than clapton.And where is bob dylan and garry moore
SLASH OWNS KURT, WTF JUST BECAUSE SOMEBODY KILLS THEMSELVES AT THERE PRIME DOESNT MAKE THEM GREAT
Anyway, so you know that Clapton was around way before Knopfler, right?
And while those were interesting lists of underrated guitarists, they left off Terry Kath. He died of a self inflicted (accidental) gunshot to the head, after a night of drinking. He was Chicago (Transit Authority)’s original guitarist, the one who plays the solo on 25 or 6 to 4. Excellent, Hendrix even went out of his way to claim that Kath was better than he was. As a soloist, he was with ease. On the brighter side of things, I get to see Chicago (and Earth Wind & Fire) in concert tonight.
rolling stone is b/s the list is:
1. jimi hendrix
2.eddie van halen
3.jimmy page
4. angus young
5.duane allman
6.b.b. king
7.eric clapton
8.stevie ray vaughn
9.jeff beck
10.slash
Jimi Hendrix is definitly #1, but I think David Gilmour is way to under estimated. He deserves to be in the top five.
For the guy who said you have to like the same music you listened to in high school to think page and slash are good… damn dude, get a grip. Can you even play guitar, cause if you can, then go ahead and write me something that is as good or better than sweet child, paradise city, november rain, kashmir, black dog, immigrant song … I could go on and on. Those songs are imortalized in rock history for a reason. They are great rock guitar songs. And for the guy who implied that a great songwriter and great guitarist are different things… please, get a grip also my man. If we are going by pure technical skill then half the list should be classical and flamenco style guitarists who could run circles around half that list. I could sit in my basement for the next 10 years and play scales every day until I am technically amazing but that doesn’t mean I’ll make great MUSIC with my GUITAR. Eddie Van Halen is probably the greatest technical guitarist on that list based on his speed and precision, but quite frankly, if you were to create a list of the greatest rock riffs/solos he would be nowhere near the top of the list. Face it, pretty much everyone on this list is an absolutely amazing technical guitarist - granted, some may be slightly more talented than the next - but it is their ability to create great music using the guitar as an instrument that should dictate their position. That being said, that rolling stone list is a farce that is probably based just as much on musical politics than anything else.
out.
YOU guys (rolling stone) have to think WAY better, first of all RANDY RHOADS IS THE FUCKING GREATEST he can play better then anyone that ever roamed the earth, here IS the top 10
1. RHANDY RHOADS(from ozzy)
2. kirk hammit(from metallica)
3. eddy van halen(from van halen)
4. dave mustaine(from megadeth)
5. slash(from guns and roses/velvet revolver)
6. angus young(from AC/DC)
7. tony iommi(from black sabbath)
8. jimmy page(from led zepplin)
9. jimi hendrix(from jimi hendrix)
10. alex lifeson(from rush)
THERE THOSE ARE THE TOP 10
for all the people who are saying that hendrix’s solos are just a bunch of noise, listen to the solo of the wind cries mary. Its a flowing masterpiece.
Are you going for the longest running thread of all times? The initial post was back in March and you’ve still got people commenting on it…lol.
Ok, now for my opinion!
Don’t like Stones, don’t like Hendrix, never heard of Chet Atkins….I could go on, but you people really need to let sleeping dogs lie.
There….that comment should surely keep this post going on for another few months. I’ll be back at that time to make sure it’s still alive….haha!
Agnus Young should be number1 who ever made this chart has no taste in music Agnus young is a mouth f****n god
OK, here’s my rather uninformed opinion:
1. Jack White and Kurt Cobain, despite being average in terms of technical skill, did have vision and songwriting skill that bests most of the people on this list. If this is a technical-skill contest, just put Joe Satriani or Yngwie Malmsteen at the top and ignore the amazing contributions to rock that Hendrix and Page gave. I think White and Cobain deserve a place on the list, thought probably after #75 or so.
2. Hendrix is undisputedly at the top. Nobody can match the combination of skill, soul, innovation, and all around musicianship that he displayed. Jimmy Page is a very close second, though.
3. Throughout this ENTIRE thread, one contemporary name has yet to be mentioned: Josh Homme, lead guitarist of Kyuss (the best band of the 90’s and probably the most underrated band of all time) and Queens of the Stone Age. In a “modern rock” wasteland of uninspired solo-less work, Homme has kept rock alive. He’s not quite Hendrix, Page, or Van Halen, but he’s definitely up in the top 50. If you haven’t listened to Queens of the Stone Age yet, do so. Kyuss is a bit less friendly to newer listeners, but once it grows on you and you realize the genius of it, you never turn back. Another important thing to be noted about Homme: he plays EVERYTHING. In his first QOTSA album, he played both guitar and bass, and he’s playing the drums for a band called the Eagles of Death Metal. He’s also a great vocalist. Even if he doesn’t have the guitar skill of Satch or Malmsteen or some other scale-shredding maniac, he can do anything necessary to make great rock music. I don’t think there’s a rock instrument he hasn’t played and played well at some point. The man is a GOD.
You guys do, however, realize that most of the guys we are discussing about come from a pretty small part of our planet… we might be missing out a lot. I mean, how many countries are we countin’? Grab a calculator, an encyclopedia and start doin’ the math. Remember we are leavin’ out the most highly populated countries on the face of the earth….
I’d personally like to add a few: Skay Beilinson, Walter Giardino, Marcelo Roascio… and of course, one of the greatest ever… Norberto “Pappo” Napolitano.
Peace out.
PS: We can not beat ignorance, but we can at leat fight it…
YOU guys (rolling stone) have to think WAY better, first of all RANDY RHOADS IS THE FUCKING GREATEST he can play better then anyone that ever roamed the earth, here IS the top 10
1. RHANDY RHOADS(from ozzy)
2. kirk hammit(from metallica)
3. eddy van halen(from van halen)
4. dave mustaine(from megadeth)
5. slash(from guns and roses/velvet revolver)
6. angus young(from AC/DC)
7. tony iommi(from black sabbath)
8. jimmy page(from led zepplin)
9. jimi hendrix(from jimi hendrix)
10. alex lifeson(from rush)
THERE THOSE ARE THE TOP 10
This is why hardcore metal fans irritate me quite often. They have tunnel vision, they only see who they like, and say they’re the best. Randy Rhoades belonged WAY higher on the list, I’ll grant you that. But the list means more than that. Influence, longevity, talent, techinicality, fundamentals the ability to create riffs, the ability to solo, the quality of their live shows, etc., etc., all must be taken into account. I’ve always based my ranking on that…and I’ve always come up with Clapton. Most people really never think of this, but Hendrix’s fundamentals are TERRIBLE. He played with a fire and passion never seen before, and he was probably the most talented rock guitarist ever (for somebody who was as good as he was, he was really humble as well, he was constantly pointing out people he thought were better guitarists than him). The fact that Clapton can satisfy my criteria puts him at number one in my eyes. Hendrix and Page are neck and neck for the second spot. After that, it gets a little hazy for me. If you’re only doing rock guitar, then you’re going to see Jeff Beck, Santana, etc. in there somewhere. If you throw add blues to the mix, then you’re going to see BB King in the top five, hands down, and of course other big names. Stevie Ray Vaughn makes it in there as well. I’d be dissapointed not to see a couple of Steely Dan guitarists in the mix as well.
for all the people who are saying that hendrix’s solos are just a bunch of noise, listen to the solo of the wind cries mary. Its a flowing masterpiece.
I never said that all of Hendrix’s solos were fucked up, just most of them. And while The Wind Cries Mary is an EXCELLENT solo, and I mean that with every bit of honesty in my body, there are better ones out there, tons of them (the worst stuff was Hendrix live, he was so fucking high he couldn’t play. You know that legendary show in Monterey, the Star Spangled Banner one? He was so fucked up that night, he couldn’t play ANYTHING correctly. Everyone who hears that now thinks it was an amazing show, everyone who was there thought it was the worst shit they’d ever seen). Hendrix’s true mystique is his powerful (though fundamentally flawed) riffs. Aside from Robin Trower, there is nobody who carried the same kind of power to their playing that Hendrix did. But power isn’t everything, diversity means something. Page and Clapton are easily superior soloists to Hendrix. The fact that they can play different types of guitar music, should mean something here. Hendrix lacked it, and it would’ve prevented him from changing his style of play with the times, had he not have died.
for all the people who are saying that hendrix’s solos are just a bunch of noise, listen to the solo of the wind cries mary. Its a flowing masterpiece.
Amen.
All Along The Watchtower was a pretty damn amazing solo, too. He blew away Bob Dylan there. Hey Joe? The Wind Cries Mary? He could do more then just “noise”.
And even in his solos where he “just made noise”…what’s wrong with that? I’m a music major, so i love hearing a song that flows smoothly with well articulated notes, but some of the things Hendrix could do with a guitar give me goosebumps. And in a GOOD way.
alright heres mine
1. jimi hendrix (jimi hendrix experience)
2. jimmy page (led zeppelin)
3. slash (guns n roses velvet revolver)
4. kirk hammet (metallica)
5. eric clapton (cream)
6. eddy van halen (van halen)
7. joe satriani (joe satriani)
8. jerry cantril (alice in chains
9. mike mcready (pearl jam)
10. kurt cobain (nirvana)
for all the people who are saying that hendrix’s solos are just a bunch of noise, listen to the solo of the wind cries mary. Its a flowing masterpiece.
Amen.
All Along The Watchtower was a pretty damn amazing solo, too. He blew away Bob Dylan there. Hey Joe? The Wind Cries Mary? He could do more then just “noise”.
And even in his solos where he “just made noise”…what’s wrong with that? I’m a music major, so i love hearing a song that flows smoothly with well articulated notes, but some of the things Hendrix could do with a guitar give me goosebumps. And in a GOOD way.
Sure, he could put on a nice show, but noise is just noise. It’s not real playing. People overrate Hendrix, and I’m not sure why. He was a great guitarist, a sure fire two or three on the list, but number one? I play, and I still say that Clapton and Jimmy Page play harder songs.
And what’s so impressive about blowing away Bob Dylan on All Along the Watchtower? Dylan forte is songwriting, not guitar. Hey Joe, is alright. I like the song, but the solo doesn’t impress me. Hendrix had some great songs, he’s a great guitarist, but I see to many shortcomings to put him over a Clapton or Jimmy Page. He is without a doubt the most influential guitarist ever, but Clapton and Page are close to him in that areas. Considering that EC or Page are above him in most other areas (i.e. techincality, solos, difficulty of songs, large variety of riffs, diversity, versatality, etc.).
alright heres mine
1. jimi hendrix (jimi hendrix experience)
2. jimmy page (led zeppelin)
3. slash (guns n roses velvet revolver)
4. kirk hammet (metallica)
5. eric clapton (cream)
6. eddy van halen (van halen)
7. joe satriani (joe satriani)
8. jerry cantril (alice in chains
9. mike mcready (pearl jam)
10. kurt cobain (nirvana)
SICKENING.
First of all, I wouldn’t expect this list to be anything good coming from Rolling Stones.
I think that when 99% of the people looked at this list and saw Jack White at 17…most of them probably said WTF. And so did I. He might be a good guitarist, but i’ve never heard anything out of him that impressed me. Anyone know where I can hear something half decent out of Jack White??
Yngwie…wtf…not one of the top 100 guitarists of all time? sure…ok
Jimmy page needs to be higher than 9
1) Jimi Hendrix- if u think it is a bunch of noise listen closer and if you stilll think it is you no absolutly nuthin about guitar.
2) Jimmy Page- an absolutley amazing guitarist
3) Eric Clapton- awesome guitarist
those are the top 3 like it or not in that order 2. then u get guys like Alex Lifeson great guitarist but he is not in the top 10 he is amazin though. And Slash as much as i like him he aint in the top 10 he is great though. Eddie Van Halen is definetly in the top 10 same with Angus Young.Jeff Beck is also up there along with Keith Richards but we all know that deep down like him or not HENDRIX IS NUMBER 1.
tony iommi, stevie ray vaughn, guitarist from the darkness is quite goood but although he is not important, are some other good ones
1) Jimi Hendrix- if u think it is a bunch of noise listen closer and if you stilll think it is you no absolutly nuthin about guitar.
2) Jimmy Page- an absolutley amazing guitarist
3) Eric Clapton- awesome guitarist
those are the top 3 like it or not in that order 2. then u get guys like Alex Lifeson great guitarist but he is not in the top 10 he is amazin though. And Slash as much as i like him he aint in the top 10 he is great though. Eddie Van Halen is definetly in the top 10 same with Angus Young.Jeff Beck is also up there along with Keith Richards but we all know that deep down like him or not HENDRIX IS NUMBER 1.
So what makes Hendrix so great? I’ve gone through this over and over again. He only has two things on Clapton or Jimmy Page; soul, and power to his playing (always very hard, felt like you want to just rock out to them). But what to Page and Clapton have on him? Techincality, fundamentals, superior soloists, better live, more versatile, better at adaptiing to new styles. Hendrix couldn’t have produced songs as strikingly different as White Room tand Tears In Heaven, or Black Dog and Going To California. Hendrix has acknowledged two other guitarists that he felt were better than him: Terry Kath of Chicago, and Phil Keaggy. If anyone has ever heard the solo on 25 or 6 to 4, it’s obvious that Kath was great (although not quite HENDRIX great). Keaggy has some of the hardest songs I’ve ever seen, although I can’t say that I’ve heard him play.
And saying that Keith Richards is up there with Jeff Beck, makes me want to puke. Keith Richards is in the greatest rock and roll band of all time, that doesn’t mean he’s a top 10 guitarist of all time. He’s arguably the greatest rhythm guitarist ever, but not by any means in the top ten, or top, twenty, thirty, forty, or fifty. If you’re going to put a great rhythm guitarist in the top ten, where’s Malcom Young (Angus’ bro)? He’s just as good as Richards is.
Lifeson is excellent. But just because he’s in Rush, that takes away from him, because I really, can’t, stand Rush. The only cover of Summertime Blues that I can stand is the Who’s version. Geddy Lee’s voice just kills me.
Sharp: have you heard their instrumentals? YYZ from Moving Pictures (I used to play that (bass) in a band), La Villa Strangiato from Hemispheres. Brilliant tunes. 20 years ago it took me awhile to get used to Geddy’s vocals, but their musicianship surpasses any annoyance.
Oh, no doubt, the guys from Rush are great instrumentalists. But Geddy Lee’s voice, I’ll never really get used to it. I see them as a sort of less talented version of Cream, really, not that they can’t play, or anything.
this is the most retarted top ten… where the fuck is tony iomi? or eddie van halen, ace frehley, or even pete townsend. this list needs to be burned and never revived. a 100 greatest guitarits list will never be correct due to different peoples styles. plus, rush kicks ass. cream and rush are completely different, sharp. you have no idea wtf ur talking about.
1. Jimmy Page(led zeppelin)
2. Jimi Hendrix(jimi hendrix experience)
3. Tony Iomi(black sabbath)
4. Eddie Van Halen(van halen)
5. Eric clapton(yardbyrds, cream, eric clapton)
6. Angus Young(ac/dc)
7. Randy Rhodes(ozzy osbourne)
8. Pete Townsend(the who)
9. Brian May(queen)
10. Slash(guns n’ roses)
even though no list is right… thats wat i think
Rolling stones, what a complet load! jimmy hendrix would only just made it into the top ten, if he had aged and died instead of DIEING YOUNG .Good use of hermonics and destorion…but thats it he was just a master at sound affects. I’D give 10th place and what is up with kirk cobain BEING so high in the list, truly the greatest vocalist and song writer of all time, but noting exspetional in guitarist skills i’d give him twenty. The edge the master of the solo “the fly” “bullet the blue sky” (buston version 2001)8TH PLACE And where is james hetfield one of the greatest modern guitarist around.Kirk hammett for first place “BATTERY”. Rolling stones is’nt even a proper magazine!
kirk is the best guitarist in the world so fuck that and then comes james
1.KIRK HAMMETT 2.JAMES HETFIELD 3.JIMI HENDRIX 4.JIMMY PAIGE 5.SLASH 6.ME
jimmy page is one
I bet ur terrible at guitar, carlos. kurt cobain kicks ass but the list is just retarted.
“this is the most retarted top ten… where the fuck is tony iomi? or eddie van halen, ace frehley, or even pete townsend. this list needs to be burned and never revived. a 100 greatest guitarits list will never be correct due to different peoples styles. plus, rush kicks ass. cream and rush are completely different, sharp. you have no idea wtf ur talking about.”
Ignorant jackass, I’m referring to instrumental setup, fucker, not style of music. Geddy Lee is the lead vocalist/bassist for Rush. Cream had Jack Bruce doing the same thing. Lifeson supplies the guitar, for Rush, Clapton supplies it for Cream. And of course, Neil Peart on drums for Rush, Ginger Baker for Cream. So before you open your mouth, why don’t you read, bitch.
And you’re right, you can’t really make a list, because of subjective styles. But having Brian May (who is underrated, but not THAT underrated), Slash (once again, cheated by being left off, but he’s not that high, leaving off Slash isn’t like leaving off one of Clapton, Page or Hendrix). And Pete Townshead? Pete FUCKING TOWNSHEAD? PLEASE. I’ve seen the man play LIVE, and I’ll tell you, he’s nothing special, at least compared to the top ten guys. He’s somewhere betweeen 30 and 40, realistically. Tommy Iommi can claim membership to two of the more underrated bands of all time (Jethro Tull and Black Sabbath). But number three, AND ahead of the others on your list…HELL no. Randy Rhoades is Ozzy’s best guitarist, not Iommi. I’ll hand it to you, you give underrated guys their due, but just a tad much. I’ve seen a bunch of no name guitarists that could hand Iommi, Townshead or May their asses on a silver platter.
Once again, I repeat.
1. Clapton - One of the most influential guitarists ever, the greatest rock guitarist of all time, has had one of the longest and most successful careers of anyone in rock history. Regarded as the best soloist of all time by many, excellent live shows. Has the ability to play different styles of guitar (acoustic, hard rock, soft rock, blues, etc.), very versatile, and an excellent songwriter for the cherry on top.
2-tie. Hendrix - Most powerful guitarist of all time, and most influential ever. Not very versatile, or fundamentally sound, but his talent made up for it. His playing was often sloppy, which was especially evident in his solos, and his live concerts (more on the basis of drugs than lack of ability). The fact that he died so young, before he could even truly taste the full extent of his success, has given him a sort of aura, prompting many to place him at number one. Being dead gets you overrated (see Cobain Kurt, and Cartman, he’s not the greatest ever, just because he’s dead. Ever heard of John Lennon or Paul McCartney? Bob Dylan? Cobain can’t hold a candle to those guys).
2-tie. Jimmy Page - I’d like to put him above Hendrix, but, that would be giving in to my personal bias. The man was the greatest instrumentalist, in a band with some damned good musicians. Page is the only person whose ability as a soloist is on the same scale as Clapton. He is still the most versatile guitarist that I’ve ever heard. He could play folksy music in one song (see Bron-Y-Aur Stomp) in one song, soft rock after that (All My Love), hard rock in the next (Whole Lotta Love), semi-metal following that (Trampled Underfoot). He’d dabble in music tinged with cultural flavor (Kashmir). And to top it off, he did it all in one song (Stairway to Heaven). And plus, the double necked guitar is still the coolest thing I’ve ever seen).
4. BB King - No list of great guitarists would be complete without the King. On a list which should be stocked full of rock guitar gods, we see the consumate blues man. He wasn’t as fast as Clapton, as powerful as Hendrix, or as versatile Page. What he was, was just really, damned good, and he has been on a consistent basis, for decade, after decade, after decade. Longevity is not always something to be proud of, but in BB’s case, he makes the list.
After that, it’s a big messy ball of confusion, with Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Santana, etc. thrown in there.
And putting James Hetfield on the list would just be a crime. I’m not really feeling the presence of anything but leads on there (except with the case of Keith Richards, but he’s too high).
And what if Carlos is Carlos SANTANA?
I’m considering closing the comments for this thread (JUST this one - not the whole site) if the tone continues to be offensive to anyone, whether the author is being serious or not.
Here’s a rule I’ll be enforcing here, quoted from an erudite owner of a site I frequent:
Sorry, Mr. Cairns, but I’m not just going to allow my intelligence to be insulted by a guy who thinks he’s all that because it doesn’t make sense the way he thinks about it. That’s not right.
I know that Hendrix is a great guitarist, but some of the best solos such as Heartbreaker and Stairway to heaven are over any that Hendrix or anyone else has done on that list. Page should be first by a long shot.
1.Page
2.Clapton
3.Hendrix
4.B.B
5.Slash
6.Brian May(ka durf)
1. hendrix
2. santana
3. paige
4. van halen
5. clapton
6. rhoades
7. cobain
“1.Page
2.Clapton
3.Hendrix
4.B.B
5.Slash
6.Brian May(ka durf)”
Honestly man, if you’re oging to talk about great guitar solos by Page, then why Heartbreaker? Why not Black Dog? Over The Hills and Far Away?
I don’t agree with your placing of Slash or May so high. I definitely feel you on the love for the King. That man is underrated. People need to realize theres more to guitar than just rock. There aren’t any classical guys that I can recall listed on there, same deal for the acoustic-only guys. No Phil Keaggy at all, and Hendrix considered him to be the greatest ever.
At least you gave Clapton his due, even if I think he’s number one.
But man, people just really have a tendency to place Slash and May high for some reason. Underrated doesn’t mean that they’re really top 10, but forgotten (although that would be the case for Keaggy).
“1. hendrix
2. santana
3. paige
4. van halen
5. clapton
6. rhoades
7. cobain ”
Not really feeling this list, for some obvious reasons. Santana at number two? COBAIN?!
It comes down to how do you define ‘great guitarist’. IS a great guitarist the guy who can move his fingers across the frets faster than anyone else without making a mistake? That sounds rather robotic and a pretty limiting definition. Is the ‘great guitarist’ the guy who developed an innovative technique that influnced hundreds following behind him? If so, then it biases the analysis towards those who were around for the birth of the guitar. I agree that the R.S. list is B.S. because they throw mediocre talents like Jack White on it. But if we also accept the premise that a kick-ass rocker gets on just because he’s a kick-ass rocker then it devolves into an argument over our favorite guitarists.
Personally, I favor the argument that a ‘great guitarist’ is defined by his contributions to the art because fast, accurate guitarists will come and go and a couple decades later be forgotten. I don’t think we will ever forget people like Hendrix or B.B. King.
OK Jimmy Hendrix deserves number one, but Jimmy Page at number 9? wtf and Eddie van Halen that far down on the list is ridiculous.
1. Jimmy Hendrix
2. Jimmy Page
3. Eric Clapton
4. Eddie Van Halen
5. Stevie Ray Vaughn
Continuing the previous post, I think bluesmen like Elmore James and Son House stand with Robert Johnson. I’ve seen Hubert Sumlin a couple times and I wasn’t blown away. But, that is because the techniques he innovated have been used by hundreds of guitarists and so we ignore his contributions. I agree that Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King deserve to be in the top 10. I saw Jeff Beck with B.B. King last year and I thought he was spectacular. It compelled me to go out and buy his Blow by Blow and Wired CDs, which I had about 25 years ago in album form. There were a couple names that were not on the list that probably belong on there (not in the top 10 of course). Walter Trout is frequently listed as a great guitarist and the guitar magazines rank him much higher than a mass market mag like R.S. Also, one of the most gifted guitarists in his 20s is Joe Bonamassa. He picked up the guitar when he was 3 and opened for B.B. King when he was 12. He’s got some spectacular stuff out there and he’s only 27 years old.
It comes down to how do you define ‘great guitarist’. IS a great guitarist the guy who can move his fingers across the frets faster than anyone else without making a mistake? That sounds rather robotic and a pretty limiting definition. Is the ‘great guitarist’ the guy who developed an innovative technique that influnced hundreds following behind him? If so, then it biases the analysis towards those who were around for the birth of the guitar. I agree that the R.S. list is B.S. because they throw mediocre talents like Jack White on it. But if we also accept the premise that a kick-ass rocker gets on just because he’s a kick-ass rocker then it devolves into an argument over our favorite guitarists.
Personally, I favor the argument that a ‘great guitarist’ is defined by his contributions to the art because fast, accurate guitarists will come and go and a couple decades later be forgotten. I don’t think we will ever forget people like Hendrix or B.B. King.
While your statement is true, no doubt. You can say the same thing for a Page or a Clapton. Just as influential, and more fundamentally sound.
I think Rolling Stones are on crack! ANGUS YOUNG IS AMAZING.. ok his stuff might be straight foward but face it. he can play way faster the Eddie Van Halen and he using 1 hand! also he walks around doing the DUCKWALK WHILE SPAZZING ON THE GROUND STILL MAKING HIS SOLO”S SOUND AMAZING! Young should easily be in the top 10! another thing KURT COBAIN.. WHAT THE HELL!.. ok good song writer but his music didnt take any talent! there just catchy… ALSO JACK WHITE… WHAT THE HELL!!! hes like “do do do do do” hes pethatic! Rolling stones are retated!
I agree Angus Young is way to Underatted!!!…. AC/DC ROCKS!!!
Angus is awesome but not top 10 man maybe close to it but not top 10 like are u idiots forgetting about jimi hendrix, jimmy paige, eric clapton, bb king, stevie ray vaughn, jeff beck, THE ROOTS MY FRIENDS, THEY MAY NOT BE THE BEST NOW BUT THEY WERE THE CREATORS AND THATS WHAT MAKES THEM TOP 10 KEY WORD CREATORS MEANING THEY ARE IMPORTANT FOR INVENTIN THAT STUFF, THEY WERE THE FIRST TO DO IT THEN THERE WERE FOLLOWERS AND THEY CAN DO IT AND MAYBE SOME CAN DO IT BETTER THAN THE ORIGINALS AND U PEOPLE ARE RATING THEM ON THAT, SURE THEY MAY BE ABLE TO DO IT AS GOOD , OR BETTER BUT JUS THINK HOW HARD IT WOULD BE TO CREATE IT AND BE THE FIRST TO DO IT SO THERFORE THEY ARE THE GREATEST FOR THAT VERY REASON…..AND THAT IS WHY HENDRIX IS NUMBER 1!!!”
Personally, I do agree with Hendrix’s placement at 1, simply because he ignored all of the boundaries that guitar players faced in that era and was a truly masterful player. I must also express my utmost outrage about Kobain and White, putting emphasis on the fact that this list is at most a popularity contest and barely assesses actual ability. People like Steve Howe (anyone who has listened to songs like “the clap” and “Mood for a Day” know what I am talking about) and Jimmy Page are technically amazing and should both be higher. Also, I dont know who else actually plays guitar here, but those who refer to clapton as such a God are not analyzing his actual playing. Throughout his Bluesbreaker and Cream years he played nothing but the blues scale (try it out), and barely wrote any of the material. And, furthermore, there is no mention of many of the great jazz players like Charlie Byrd and Wes Montgomery. Oh, and Frank Zappa at 45!?!?! Not only was he a ridiculous guitarist, but an incredible musical genious as well. And, one more thing, Chuck Berry deserves his spot, every rock guitarist on that list was influenced by him, don’t argue it, you’re wrong.
No one has mentioned Alan Holdsworth. A guitarist many of the greatest guitarist look up to.
“Personally, I do agree with Hendrix’s placement at 1, simply because he ignored all of the boundaries that guitar players faced in that era and was a truly masterful player. I must also express my utmost outrage about Kobain and White, putting emphasis on the fact that this list is at most a popularity contest and barely assesses actual ability. People like Steve Howe (anyone who has listened to songs like “the clap” and “Mood for a Day” know what I am talking about) and Jimmy Page are technically amazing and should both be higher. Also, I dont know who else actually plays guitar here, but those who refer to clapton as such a God are not analyzing his actual playing. Throughout his Bluesbreaker and Cream years he played nothing but the blues scale (try it out), and barely wrote any of the material. And, furthermore, there is no mention of many of the great jazz players like Charlie Byrd and Wes Montgomery. Oh, and Frank Zappa at 45!?!?! Not only was he a ridiculous guitarist, but an incredible musical genious as well. And, one more thing, Chuck Berry deserves his spot, every rock guitarist on that list was influenced by him, don’t argue it, you’re wrong.”
I disagree with your assessment of Clapton. He played nothing but blues scales? Clapton in his Cream years was the best rock guitar has ever seen. His riffs are still more difficult than Hendrix’s, and any players I’ve come across besides maybe Phil Keaggy (who couldn’t solo nearly as well). I’ll definitely agree with you about Chuck Berry though. The founding father’s need representation. Also, did I not see Dave Navarro on there? If you’re going to have some of the bullshit guys on there, you have to have Navarro.
Stephen Stills ahead of Roy Buchanan? Yeesh. Ok, here’s my list:
1) Clapton
2) Page
3) Hendrix
4) Stevie Ray Vaughn
5) Eddie Van Halen
6) Chuck Berry (mainly for his influence)
7) Peter Green
8) Dick Dale
9) Duane Allman
10) Frank Zappa
11) Roy Buchanan
12) Albert King
13) Justin Haywood
14) Pete Townshend
15) Jeff Beck
16) Paul Kossoff
17) John McGlaughlin
18) Steve Marriott
19) BB King
20) Ry Cooder
All guitarists suck and you are all morons for putting stupid entertainers ahead of your families. For shame.
Everything is subjective when it comes to music, that is the whole point of genres, different people like different genres or styles (for those of you who dont know what ‘genre’ means). Also it is impossible for anyone to decide who is their favourite guitarist because if for example you like slash - (not one of my personal favourites), you cannot say, “Slash is better than Carlos Santana - (great guitarist) for they have two completely differnt stlyes of play…Therefore it makes no sense. Also Kurt Cobain and Slash should at least be out of the top ten, if you are making lists of the top ten. Joe Satriani (Joe Satriani), David Gilmour (Pink FLoyd), Steve Hackett (Genesis), Jeff (Skunk) Baxter (Steely Dan and Doobie Brothers), Larry Carlton (Steely Dan) and Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits). If you disagree then that is what music is for as I have said, you like what you like.
^^Finally, somebody gives some credit to the Steely Dan guitarists.
hey i am just starting to play guitar i have jus ordered a Fender Standard series arctic whye guitAR is that a good guitar to start on it is my very first guitar and im gonna get lessons and stuff i hav neva played be4 is that a good guitar?
Dear “Sharp”,
First off I’d like to say Bowie, I think your’e in the wrong place, and yes, thats pretty good for a very first, although there are some quality issues with the Mexicans, However, I would recommend an acoustic for the first. As a follow-up to my last statement, I must say that you are quite mistaken there “Sharp”. Clapton’s riffs with Cream are all quite acheivable even to the intermediate guitarist, with Strange Brew being quite possibly the most difficult, yet still nowhere near something like Hendrix’s Little Wing or Castles Made of Sand. I would like to make it clear that this is not an issue of bias (I own all 4 Cream albums and the DVD - “Strange Brew”), I am quite the Clapton fan. It is just that in his solo’s that you all refer to as being so amazing, he always played by the books. Nothing revolutionary there. I personally know this because I have taken the time to figure out damn near every one of them. I have been playing for over 15 years and am currently part of a 6-piece jazz ensemble, I am classically trained and do know what I am talking about. Clapton may have been great at phrasing, but is that worth the top ten?
I agree, as I am a big Clapton fan, I do tend to overstate his achievements a bit. But then again, the tabs you see on the internet of his stuff are rarely correct. White Room is not as hard as I make it out to be, I’m aware of that, but it’s on par with any of Hendrix’s solos. Hendrix once again, is a great guitarist, but VERY overrated. He was all power, nothing else. Talented like nothing we’d ever seen before, but did he honestly do enough in his brief reign of superstardom to put him up as the greatest ever? No, I’ll take Jimmy Page or Clapton’s versatility, speed, etc. over Hendrix’s talent released in brtue force, any day.
And Bowie…why are you starting out with an electric? Start learning on an acoustic, then as you gradually improve, work your way onto the electric.
And Frank…what’s with the quotes?
thanx guys :)
I agree with Sharp, also the acoustic is harder than the electric in a sense that on an electric you dont get the annoying little hums and vibrations that you get on an acoustic or classical if you slightly off hit a fret. So once you master the acoustic it should give you enough grounding to play an electric with more fluency than if you started out by playing the electric first. Hope this makes sense as I was in a rush when writing this!
Top 10 :-
1.Jimmy Page
2.Jimmy Hendrix
3.Frank Zappa
4.Slash
5.Jeff Beck
6.Ritchie Blackmore
7.Carlos Santana
8.B.B King
9.Dave Gilmour
10.Eric Clapton
Another thing I just thought of. Where the hell is Andres Segovia? Without that man, there’d be no such thing as rock guitar, or guitar music in general. That man made the guitar a respected instrument. Fuck Clapton, Hendrix and Page, Segovia is number one now.
hey i am just starting to play guitar i have jus ordered a Fender Standard series arctic whye guitAR is that a good guitar to start on it is my very first guitar and im gonna get lessons and stuff i hav neva played be4 is that a good guitar?
Another thing about that list is that Kirk Hammet and Kurt Cobain are both above Dave Gilmour who playd comfortably numb, one of the best guitar solos ever. Infact Kurt Cobain is 70 places above Dave gilmour, Kurt in 12th and obviously Dave in 82nd, Kirk Hammet although he may be a very good guitarist is in my opinion (and hopefully in most other peoples) not as good a guitarist as Dave Gilmour yet he is in 11th place, it makes a mockery of accomplished and great guitar players. This may sound hypocritical as to my earlier statement of music being subjective but you can distinguish who is better out of Dave Gilmour and Kurt Cobain as they do in some cases have similar styles of play. I also noticed that Yngwie Malmsteen isn’t on the list, he may have been a bit of a weirdo but still played the guitar brilliantly.
Sorry if I kind of came off as an asshole there Sharp, it is noble to you to bring attention to the part that biases play in things like this. It is correct in bringing Segovia in (I actually studied Classical guitar under a man who studied under him), he introduced nearly all of modern technique. Django Rheinhart could also use a mention. Back to Clapton, however. Your comments on his speed are incorrect, calpton was known as “Slowhand” because of his slow approach to his phrasing, if you really want some speed and downright technical difficulty try some Zappa, his solos are always lightngin speed and musically complex. Songs like “Zomby Woof” and “St. Alfonzo’s Pancake Breakfast” are staggeringly difficult, and I recomend you check them out (try the albums; Apostrophe and Over-nite sensation and Hot Rats). If I could just lend you some technique for Claptons Cream work; to cover nearly all of clapton’s solos try whole-step forward extentions on the high E, B, and G strings and whole-step downward regressions on the low E and A strings in the Blues scale. You might also find some work into the Pentatonic forms of the scales as well. For instance in Strange Brew, the first 2 noodles start as a hammer on to the forward extension of the B string and then fall back in to the standard blues scale, followed by slide-in turnaround. Hope that helps.
hey i am just starting to play guitar i have jus ordered a Fender Standard series arctic white guitAR is that a good guitar to start on it is my very first guitar and im gonna get lessons and stuff i hav neva played be4 is that a good guitar?
Bowie,
We read you the first time. Please refrain from posting the same comment more than once. Your original inquiry did receive useful responses. Thanks.
No problem Frank, the more people on here that no what they’re talking about, the better.
I know EC is referred to as slowhand, when I refer to speed, I’m referring to his concert solos. I saw him live in Philadelphia on June 26, and it was simply awe inspiring. He went off on at least seven improvised solos that were all in excess of five minutes long, each harder than the next. I’ve heard tons of live recordings of many great guitarists…Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Stevie Ray Vaughn, BB King, Kirk Hammet, etc. Just watching that performance, at least for the solos, was amazing. After that show, my mind was set, I was sold. But then again, I completely forgot about Segovia. People talk about Hendrix’s influence, shit, Hendrix isn’t even 1/8 as influential as Segovia, and people don’t even realize it.
I’ll have to check out Zappa and the other guy you recommended.
hey guys, you all forget that Ritchie Blackmore of deep purple is placed 50!!!!.I don’t think he should be in the top 10, but surelly is 1000 times better than kobain or richards, and he should be aroud the 15-20 place. Instead a man called Frank Zappa is 45!!!!!!!!!.he MUST MUST MUST be in the top 10 cause he’s author of great music, not simple to understand but surelly great.
Yes, I seem to have forgotten the increase in speed that Clapton has shown in many of his recent blues efforts, however I do not own any documetnation of these. Do you have any reccomendations? By the way, that concert must have been fantastic.
how do I find out the top 100 anyway lads?
WTF???? WHERE THE HELL IS KIRK HAMMETT???? ill give u a top 3
1. jimi hendrix
2. kirk hammett
3. slash
AND WHOI THE HELL WOULD EVER SAY THAT KURT COBAIN IS A GOOD GUITARIST???? SCREW HIM AND NIRVANA THEY DESTROYED METAL WITH THEIR GAY LITTLE GRUNGE SONGS!!!! KURT COBAIN IS 1 HORRIBLE ASS GUITARIST!!!
“Yes, I seem to have forgotten the increase in speed that Clapton has shown in many of his recent blues efforts, however I do not own any documetnation of these. Do you have any reccomendations? By the way, that concert must have been fantastic.”
Well, I’m not too familiar with most of his more recent solo work with the blues, outside of his most recent CD, Me and Mr. Johnson (or something like that). Me and Mr. Johnson would probably be the best one to go for, it’s all Clapton covering Robert Johnson material. Good stuff. The concert was really good, but, as it was a tour to promote Me and Mr. Johnson, he didn’t do much of his old stuff. He spent a whole straight 45 minutes of a two hour concert performing the songs of the CD. Which was nice, but most were looking forward to hearing some of his old hits. First song he played was Let It Rain…after that it gets a little fuzzy. I know he did do I Shot The Sherrif, Layla, Cocaine, and Wonderful Tonight. He stayed away from perfomring the classic Cream songs, aside from Sunshine of Your Love (which would have caused a riot had he not done it). He peaked off with a guitar duel with Robert Randolph from Robert Randolph and The Family Band, the opening act. Randolph was on the steel pedal guitar, it was really amazing. If those guys don’t make it big within the next few years, I’ll be surprised.
“WTF???? WHERE THE HELL IS KIRK HAMMETT???? ill give u a top 3
1. jimi hendrix
2. kirk hammett
3. slash
AND WHOI THE HELL WOULD EVER SAY THAT KURT COBAIN IS A GOOD GUITARIST???? SCREW HIM AND NIRVANA THEY DESTROYED METAL WITH THEIR GAY LITTLE GRUNGE SONGS!!!! KURT COBAIN IS 1 HORRIBLE ASS GUITARIST!!!”
Tell us what you REALLY feel, Damir.
I love over biased people, try and squash your blind love for metal, will you? Neither Slash nor Hammet are top ten.
Kurt Cobain? Jack White? What the hell were you thinking? And where’s Brian May?
1.Jimmy Hendrix
2.Jimmy Page
3.Brian May
4.Kirk Hammett
5.Slash
Who’s this carlos guy?
Brian May, Hammet and Slash in your top five…I know people have their opinions and such…but come on people, can’t you just ignore your bias for some common sense?
hey i am just starting to play guitar i have jus ordered a Fender Standard series arctic white guitAR is that a good guitar to start on it is my very first guitar and im gonna get lessons and stuff i hav neva played be4 is that a good guitar? ………..lookin for more responces
Well lets get one thing straight here 85-95% of people here agree that Jimi Hendrix is number one, though he may not have been the most influential guitarist ever, he was undoubtedly the best. Also “brow” and “damir”, you obviously do not have a musical ear for Slash, (most people will disagree with me on this I suppose, but hey) was not in the top 5, also if you are going to include Kirk Hammet in your list then surely his tutor - one of the best guitarists ever should be in the list - Joe Satriani, another of Satch’s pupils was Steve Vai, maybe not as good as Hammet but still a great player. The List should comprise of (not in this order):
Jimi Hendrix
Dave Gilmour
Joe Satriani
Kirk Hammet
Jimmy Page
Andres Segovia
Mark Knopfler
Jeff “Skunk” Baxter
BB King - THE blues guitarist of our time
Eric Clapton
Yngwie Malmsteen
Carlos Santana
Chuck Berry - you may disagree
Steve Hackett
Robbie Krieger
Larry Carlton
And Andrew Latimer - not as good as some of the others but still a very good guitarist.
Anyone with any knowledge about music should know which groups/bands most of these people belong to, If not then piss off; you have no right to be taking part in this discussion.
John, (post 127)
At the top of this page where it says:
100 “greatest” guitarists of all time
Rolling Stone magazine published their 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.
click where it says “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.”
/-or-\
go here: http://www.rollingstone.com/fe.....p?pid=1917
Flibbery Gibbet,
The reason people tend to list Hendrix as number IS INFLUENCE. Besides Andres Segovia, nobody has had quite as profound an influence on guitar than Jimi Hendrix. I still don’t see what makes Jimi that great outside of power and influence, but he’s top three at least, regardless of opinion.
I definitely feel your list of guitarists, but I’m puzzled by Robby Krieger’s presence. You mean as in, the same Robby Krieger of the Doors, I assume. Krieger is underrated, definitely. The fact that the Door’s music were totally dominated by Morrison’s loud vocals, and Mazanerak’s (spelling anyone?) keyboard. Krieger would provide some great improv solos in concert, but was he honestly good enough to be amongst the people you listed…especially ahead of Eddie Van Halen or Steve Vai (give him credit for the whole seven string guitar deal). Van Halen is probably the most original guitarist since Hendrix. He’s top ten, no questions asked. I also don’t understand why you leave Randy Rhoads off.
I saw some guy on PBS yesterday playing a fretless 6 string electric, hitting all the right notes! A great guitarist, too. Sheesh, I’d be lost without the little dots on the 5th, 7th, and 12th frets, let alone the frets gone altogether.
What’s wrong with brian may? he should at least be ahead of jack white and kurt cobain. Also november rain and sweet child o mine are in the top 100 guitar solos of all time, theres nothing wrong with slash. and ONE by metallica is no.5, kirk hammett deserves to be in the top 10 at least, and so should hetfield as he makes up mosy of the riffs.
dont forget paul gilbert
Sharp,
I would agree with you there people put him there because of his influence but he wasn’t the most influential. Also he is the most famous guitarist, if they had have put up segovia, alot of people wouldn’t know who he was so they put one of the most famous guitarists of all time there. Moving on to the Krieger thing, I put him there because in my opinion, the song, “the end” was a great piece of music and the guitaring was good, that was the main reason why I put him in the list. As for Randy Rhoads in honesty I forgot, looking back there are a few people missing that should be there, that list was more a basis of a list of people you could include.
I was surprised to see that the editors and writers even knew who Greg Ginn and Johnny Winter are, let alone put them on the top 100. Rolling Stone blows!
Rolling Stone is just a bunch ignorant beurocrat writers that couldn’t decide talent if it smacked them in the ass. Jack White? Kurt Cobain? And in the positions that they were at? Eddie at 70. I like to see some of these morons who write this sit down and try and do what he did on the guitar. Also how about Joe Walsh I mean he might not be a pheonominon but he practically revolutionized the talk box and is a pretty damn accurate guitarist. RS definatley is an insult.
o hear you go my top ten
1.Jimi Hendrix
2.Eddie Van Halen
3.Stevie Ray Vaughn
4.Jimmy Page
5.Randy Rhodes
6.Kirk Hammet
7.Joe Perry
8.David Gilmour
9.Slash
10.Jeff Beck
My head hurts after slamming into the wall while reading this list.
Everyone seems to have a real tendency to rank guys like Slash and Kirk Hammet real high here.
And just because Duane Allman was ranked too high by Rolling Stone, doesn’t mean he should be off completely. A top ten spot would be more than deserved for him.
don’t forget paul gilbert
The Fact that Angus Young is that low amazed me he is good…here is the top 10.
1. Jimi Hendrix
2. Eddie Van Halen
3. Eric Clapton
4. Angus Young
5. Jimmy Page
6. Slash
7. Randy Rhodes
8. Kirt Hammet
9. David Gilmour
10. Frank Zappa
jimmy page should be near the fukin top of the list. LED ZEPPLIN KICKS ASS
Personally I’ve read most of this list and come to the conclusion that even though the rolling stone list is a waste of fucking paper, alot of everything else listed here is a bunch of personal favorites. People have to realize that it’s nearly impossible to come up with a list of top 100 guitarist much less a top 10 because just as mentioned before near the beggining of the posts, each guitar great that ever existed had there own seperate-semi-seperate style of playing and was the best at something they could call there own. For instance Jimi hendrix is without a doubt the most amazing innovator of all time (ive never seen somone make a better solo out of the basic pentatonic scale) but that doesnt mean hes even close to being the best. It’s people like Steve vai, John Petrucci and Yngwie Malmsteen that honorably deserve top spots(Vai first for his talent, pretrucci 2nd for his amazing all around playing ability and Malmsteen 3rd for his amazing speed…those are just the main three that stick out in my mind). Of course it’s impossible to forget other guitarists like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Steve Howe, Joe Satriani, Eddie Van Halen, Eric Jhonson, Steve Morse (all in no particular order) and of course the many other legends of guitar listed on previous posts INCLUDING Jimi Hendrix. In no way could we ever rank this seemingly endless list of guitarists from there indvidual talents (except for the very top few).
I honestly don’t get it…WHY IS EVERYONE RANKING KIRK HAMMET SO HIGH?
R U people stupid? ACE FREHLEY
ACE FREHLEY and MICK MARS should be in the top ten
Sharp-
BECAUSE HE’S A BRILLIANT GUITARIST!
wtf is up wit Jack white at 17, that isa the biggest BS, that I have ever seen Angus it 100 times better than him and he is 97, Rolling Stone is a bunch of crap
I don’t doubt Hammet’s brilliance on the guitar. I just don’t understand why people can’t get it through their heads that he’s not “arguably number one ever” material. He’s not better than Hendrix, Segovia, Clapton, Page, Santana, Beck, Angus Young, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Steve Howe, Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, etc. There are more to add to that list as well (i.e. the blues guys, BB King, the guitar pioneers, Chucky Berry, etc.).
Jimi hendrix as number 1 hell yes he is the best guitarist ever and that ever will be and jimmy paige everybody thinks he is so special bc he played with a violin bow i think its alot harder to play with ur teeth and behind ur head then with a fuckin violin bow eric clapton number 4 understandable he was great ok where the hell is slash and zack wylde and ted nugent and jerry cantrell they wasnt in the top 100 thats fuckin pathetic but i do agree with henrix number 1 all the way
Let me get this straight…you think Hendrix is number one, bec