It has been a while since I looked at this list. An odd list really. The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time includes Ike Turner? Lots of amazing players did not make the list.
Oh well, it is Rolling Stone magazine.
Sorry? Where was I on the list? 101st. I need a bit more practice to break the top 100.
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top 10
in my opinion
1.joe satriani
2.stevie ray vaughan
3.john petrucci
4.steve vai
5.paul gilbert
6.shawn lane
7.michael romeo
8.michael angelo batio
9.eddie van halen
10.joey tafolla
Slash should definitely be on this list and Eric Clapton should be number 1. The only reason anyone puts Hendrix up there is because he died too young and played with his teeth from time to time. Eric has much more soul, a better sound, and is a better human being.
they really messed this up, first of all Eddie Van Halen and Kurt Cobain should be switched, or just take Kurt off the list completly, not to mention Johnny Ramone is WAY to high on this list, he didnt even play most of his solos live, and also i really think Joe Perry, Angus Young, and David Gilmour should be moved up
and if you guys wanna see a better list go to http://www.rateitall.com/t-1785-best-guitarist-of-all-time.aspx
hahaha who wrote this dumb list?
WHAT IS WRONG?
-kurt cobain can only play about 3 chords
-slash isn’t even on this list
-jimmy page(my fave) should be AT LEAST number 1
-van halen-70?!
-rnady rhoads is much better than 85
-they must be drunk or really,really tired putting angus young (even if he IS gross) at 95!
RE-WRITE! (*clap,clap*) RE-WRITE! (*clap,clap*)…
by the way…don’t u luv my user name?!
complete idiots these are some real guitarist
1.john petrucci
2.joe satriani
3.steve vai
4.kirk hammett
5.randy rhoads
WHO THE HELL IS JIMI HENDRIX =] jk.
go johnny greenwood & ed o’brien for radiohead!! 59&60
This list is terrible. #1 is right and then the whole thing goes. slash is NOWHERE. still you can’t judge just on technical skill you have to judge on style. kurt is too high but that doesn’t make him a bad guitarist. nirvana was the greatest of the 90′s because of him.
Jack White is my pick for the best new(ish) guitarist today. he’s an awesome blues player. he also carries a 2 man band and makes them sound like an orchestra. he deserves to be on this list, just not as high.
As bad as not having Slash on the list, what about Rory Gallagher – Slash`s proclaimed idol! Turned down The Rolling Stones, was voted Worlds Top musician in 1972, one ahead of Clapton, and some say he was better than Hendrix!
Gallagher is easily a top 20 man. Kurt Cobain and The Edge up so high and EVH down in 70th. It`s a bad joke….
There were a lot of things on this list that made no sense. Eddie Van Halen at 70 is just stupid. Kurt Kobain is good but should not have been 12. And Frank Zappa should have been in the top 10.
Where’s Slash?! Out of all of the people on this list, I would of thought he would be near the top. He’s been rocking since the 80′s! November Rain, Sweet Child O’ Mine, Paradise City……
Then Again, I thing Kurt Cobain and Angus Young should switch places…Young at 96? Come on, people….Well, that’s my thought.
Zach
Listen Jimi Hendrix was the best, he was born in my time. You have to be born in that time to enjoy the music. Jeff Beck than Carlos Santana.
The fact that a bunch of commercial bands are on this list show Rollingstone’s intentions.
John Petrucci
Joe Satriani
Dragonforce
and wtf @
Kurt Cobain
Jack White
Johnny Ramone
all three have mastered three chords…maybe 2 1/2, well done.
i forgot to say that john petrucci, joe satriani and dragonforce need to be on there…i didnt call them commercial:P
No Britney Spears on RS list? She can also make the list, I mean, if Kurt can. OK let’s get serious.
Well, any ordered list of GREATEST GUITARISTS can’t reach general consensus but playing skills alone can’t be the only determining factor. As far as influence and innovation is concerned Jimi Hendrix was not only way ahead oh his time but also most influential ever. C’mon guys, stop ranting about his #1 spot. He deserved it better than ANYONE else.
Eddie Van Halen is surely in top 10.
Let’s burn RS lists, those fools still believe that they can COUNT and ENUMERATE abstract art-forms. They should have stuck with giving an issue with one page article on each one of the 100 guitarists which they think are worth, but UNRANKED, and a 101st page disclaimer saying “There are so many great guitarist that we can’t count them all. We will publish about more of them in some later issue.” And then they should have waited for feedbacks from users for another issue.
RS guys are not artists, they are corporate money bags. They are not promoting music as art-form when they publish lists like this. Just think of the possibilities, if they can’t write a one page article on contribution by guitarist to music world, that artist might not be deserving it. Check the next best suitable candidate.
Gosh! Why am I not RS editor-in-chief. I could have been next Lester Bangs.
HELLO?
LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM?
No Cat Stevens/ Bob Dylan?
strange that Lindsay Buckingham of FleetwoodMac does not make the list.
The best players today are:
1. John Petrucci
2. Joe Satriani
3. Paul Gilbert
4. Steve Vai
5. Michael Romeo
6. Michael Angelo Batio
7. Rusty Cooley
8. Shawl Lane (RIP)
9. Buckethead
10. Yngwie Malmsteen
Today is all that matters. And I’m sick of everyone saying that players today would be nothing without the Jimmy Page’s and Jimi Hendrix’s. The argument is who is the greatest, not who influenced who. The real question people should be asking is whether Page or Hendrix could play half of what the guitarists on my list can play. And don’t give me the whole, speed has no soul. Petrucci has about the most soul of any guitarist ever if you really listen to everything he’s done, but it’s his mastery of the instrument that allows him to play anything. That should be the basis for which a “greatest player” should be judged. Can they play it all with a masterful technique incorporating innovation, skill, soul, and technique? Cobain and most the other limited players have no right to be in consideration! Notice the guys who deserve it aren’t even on the list for the most part! Kirk Hammet would weep for the skills he might have had if he had to play “Stream of Consciousness” by John Petrucci of Dream Theater!
In my opinion, it is better not make a list coz a list cant cant and cant include everyone.And if you make a list also I think giving a rating is a bad idea.everyone has their own opinion and RS do has their own.If you make a list than thats ur list only not others.Everyone has their own list and own favs.Its worth making a list.
By the way, I am a huge fan of Kirk, Angus,Yngwee but it doesnt matter for me where they are what matters is they are on my top list.
The criteria for “best” of anything is subjective to personal tastes. That said, if you had a measurement of talent, like baseball player stats, you’d have to consider dexterity (call it speed if you want, but some of the solos I’ve listened to are exercises in cacophony, not music) , knowledge of their instruments, a sense of musicology (conveyance of their musical talents) and their ability to influence other people’s styles. I think that is really important because you can hear influences in their playing (like Mark Knopfler seriously channeling both Clapton and Richard Thompson from Fairport Convention).
That said, I’d list mine as such (note not all of them are rock guitarists):
10: Andres Segovia
9: Les Paul
8: McKinley Morganfield (Muddy Waters)
7: Jimi Hendrix
6: Jimmy Page
5: Steve Howe
4: Eddie Van Halen
3: Mark Knopfler
2: Saul Hudson (Slash)
1. Brian Carroll (Buckethead)
Is Buckethead actually the greatest or fastest guitarist of all time? Probably not. But as each generation learns from older styles and adapts to new styles, their ability to impress increases.
It becomes subjective to the time they are playing (substitute Robert Fripp for Steve Howe or Jeff Beck for Jimi Hendrix).
There is also another measurement we could use: Who has the greatest guitar solo of all time?
I remember reading Guitar Player magazine rate David Gilmour’s “Comfortably Numb” as the best solo ever done. I personally think Carlos Santana at the end of “Black Magic Woman” would be it.
We also tend to write off guitarists whose styles get lost in the fabric of the song. Listen to Lindsey Buckingham on “So Afraid”. Alvin Lee on “Religion”.
What about Jan Akkerman, guitarist for Focus? Hocus Pocus was considered a novelty song at the time of its 1972 release, but his guitar work is incredible.
I guess what I’m trying to say is this list will forever change as musical tastes do.
i think that jimi hendrix is overrated. he is good, but jimmy page is way better. my top 10 are:
1.jimmy page
2.jimi hendrix
3.eric clapton
4.slash
5.jeff beck
6.randy rhoads
7.duane allman
oops sorry i didnt finish
8.angus young
9.eric johnson
10.van halen
5,000,000.kurt cobain
o and jack white should NOT be up there
hey what about slash and billy duffy? angus young needs to be much higher. same with van halen and randy rhoads.
1. How could Terry Kath of Chicago be excluded from the list? Hendrix once stated that Kath was better then him.
2. Clapton Rules!!!!!! For generations he has proven why “Slowhand” is the best ever.
The Reason: Speed and Acuracy!!!!!!!!!!!
NO! everyone EXCEPT the people who put Jimmy Page as their no.1 are ALL wrong! Look closley, children, and you shall discover the TRUE top 10 greatest guitarists of all of history and all time to follow.
1. Jimmy Page (bet ya never would have guessed)
2. jimi hendrix
3. eric clapton
4. jeff beck
5. stevie ray vaughn
6. eddie van halen
7. slash
8. eric johnson
9. carlos santana
10.angus young
1. John Frusciante
Watch Red Hot Chili Peppers: Live at Slane castle and you will know why.
Nothing will change my opinion
Creative, original, beautiful
i just give my favorites:
J.Hendrix
D.Gilmore
C.Santana
E.Clapton
J.Page
J.Beck
J.Satriani
J.Petrucci
S.Vai
Y.Malmsteen
slash
M.Knopfler
A.Young
E.Johnson
E.V.Halen
and some others and of course the ones who lived in the era before the above-mentioned
ones(and may still living) like chet Atkins, Les Paul, BB King, …
but i wanna say that it’s really hard to rank properly.
but obviuosly Jimi Hendrix was/is amazing.
thanks
Theres no doubt that,as long as people like Joe Satriani,Eric Johnson and Yngwie Malmsteen live on earth,all musicians have to quit music…
1. Eddie Van Halen
2. Jimmy Page
3. Kirk Hammett
4. Jimi Hendrix
5. Robert Johnson
6. Stevie Ray Vaughan
7. Carlos Santana
8. Eric Clapton
9. Joe Satriani
10. Slash
To anyone that thinks eddie van halen is good, why don’t you listen to a real hammer on player like jordan stanely. he could easily be in the top 10 if he had any name recognition. for me the top 3 are interchangable but it would go
1. Eric Clapton 2. Duane Allman 3. Jimi Hendrix 4. Stevie Ray Vaugn 5. B.B. King 6. Buddy Guy 7. Dickey Betts 8. Stevie Gaines 9. Joe Pass 10. Chet Atkins.
It’s a wierd list but I can’t exclude joe and chet. also if Kurt Cobain saw where he was ranked he would’ve killed himself.
oops, I mean Stanely Jordan
What,no jazz guys on the list?They put Cobain on the list and left off George Benson IMO a living legend? Or even Wes Montgomery. This list is incomplete and pointless if it doesn’t include ALL genres.If you say of ALL time then include ALL music
It’s hard to leave a list of the best guitarists, because each of them have a unique style of their own. well, almost all of them. Not Kurt Cobain, though! In my opinion, Jimi Hendrix is overrated. If I had to make a list of my top 10, though, this would be it:
1. Jimmy Page
2. Eric Clapton
3. Eddie Van Halen
4. Jimi Hendrix
5. Jeff Beck
6. Carlos Santana
7. Stevie Ray Vaughn
8. Slash
9. Angus Young
10. Eric Johnson
I’m sorry if you don’t agree with my list, but it’s MY opinion, NOT yours! Make your own list!
I have one question. Where the HELL is BucketHead? If you haven’t heard of him you must listen to at least one of his songs. I prefer Soothsayer. He is one of the greatest guitarists EVER. He has to be TOP 5, if not #2 behind Jimmy Hendrix, of course. The only reason he is not up there is because not alot of people have ever heard of him before. I went to one of his concerts & it was absolutley amazing. You must listen to BucketHead.
o & P.S. If any1 thinks Herman Li from DragonForce is good, your retarded. He is terrible, they just speed everything up with technology & they are terrible live, just terrible.
I agree with a lot of the coments. But any list is so subjective, you know? My two favorite guitarists both made the list-Richard Thompson and Clarence White-neither of whom are straight out rockers. Some of the list is just total crap. I think if they had to put a girl on the list they might have thought of Susan Tedechi or a least the most influential woman guitar player of all time-Mother Maybelle Carter
I’ll end this now. There’s those who play fast and and those who play the blues. Remember the Les paul tribute about 8 yrs ago on vh1. Thats when steve vai made a fool of all the other players on stage that night, so much so that Les Paul was trying to reel in Vai. Trust me speed thrills, and when you have feel, its game over. 1- paul gilbert. 2-george lynch. 3- yngwie he is more talentd than the other two but not as fast. 4- Akira Takasaki of loudness 5-Steve Vai 6- Vinnie moore 7-eddie van probably more talented than all of the above except yngwie, but not as fast. And watch out for the kid from the band black tide. That band is tight, unfortunately nobody cares about metal any more, so sad bad timing for them. And you can’t leave out the duo’s like merciful fate, exodus, maiden, priest and other duo’s. Get real Clapton, Hendrix, Vaughn, knoppler these guys are weak like circus lemonade. And the king of mindless speed is michael angelo. And the king of sloppy metal/blues/rock is angus young. no mater how young or old you are ac/dc is known by all and these guys no matter how fried they are, are still very relevant. Thats my take. I win game over.
yngwie, satriani, vai should all be in the top 10
oh yeah, and where’s jason becker?
i know they left all the neo-classical speed demons out of the list (BIASED!)
that guy was amazing, truly talented. i suggest listening to the cacophony recordings.
the poor guy has lou gehrig’s disease now and hes confned to a wheelchair with paralyzed hands.
the least thing rolling stone could’ve done is put him on the damn list.
Hey where is Tommy Emmanual in this list?
Such a silly compilation from Rolling Stone.
Heres my TOP 25 list and my list is final!!
1.Django Reinhardt
2.Les Paul
3.Chet Atkins
4.Jimi Hendrix
5.Jimmy Page
6.Brian May
7.Eddie Van Halen
8.Larry Carlton
9.Tony Mottola
10.Barney Kessel
11.Steve Howe
12.Eric Clapton
13.Brian Setzer
14.Tony Iommi
15.BB King
16.Merle Travis
17.Angus Young
18.Tom Scholtz
19.Frank Zappa
20.Robin Trower
21.Tal Farlow
22.Jeff Beck
23.Roger Fisher
24.Chuck Berry
25.Myself
I think the bests guitarists are:
1- Jimi Hendrix; Joe Satriani; Django Reinhardt
2- Joe Pass; Carlos Santana; Eddie Van Halen
3- Steve Vai and Stevie Ray Vaughan
4- Jimmy Page
5- Eric Clapton; Eric Johnson; Slash
I know many people will think I’m weird when they will look at my choices but it’s really what I think!
Missing in Action:
Alex Liefson
Andrian Belew
Andy Summers
Earl Slick
Jerry Cantrell
… and many more.
Bizarro R.S. picks:
Joan Jett
Kurt Cobain
… and many more
Why Joe Bonamassa isn’t in the list I will never understand. But that out of all the above post his name has shown up 0 times is truly beyond comprehension.
If you don’t know him. Go download some of his stuff(especially live performances).
Rory gallagher doesn’t even make the top 100 and bert jansch is like 97 and neil young is way down!! wats going on
someone try explain to me how kurt cobain is a better guitarist than this guy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLnii8pKs3A
I understand that influence plays a huge part in this list, but there are some skills that are so great i don’t understand how you can pass them up.
Alex Lifeson!!! from RUSH!
RUSH!!!
you have got to be kidding me! this man is a guitar god! One needs only to listen to one song to understand his ability and subliminal arts.
“La Villa Strangiato”
I just can’t get over there being no Alex Lifeson ranked in the top 30 let alone not at all. clearly one of the greatest and talented guitarists of all time. lucky enough to play alongside one of the greatest and talented drummers of all time Neil Pert. surrounded a full 360 degrees by percussion instruments.
I easily could have put Alex Lifeson in the top 5 just because of his abilities. There were only 3 band members and Rush sounded like they had six! just shows how talented they all were.
“Working Man” , “Spirit of Radio” , “The Trees”
I don’t see how the Angel like Picking of Lifeson could ever be overlooked by so called experts. Its truly a shame there was no Alex Lifeson.
Also, Where Is Steve Vai and Joe Satriani… c’mon. Listen to
“Always with me, Always with you”
by Satriani This song speaks without the use of words.
Wheres SLASH !!!???
speaking of influential. Would he not rank in the top 10 of All Time recognized Guitarists? i think he must at least make the list.
I think some of the editors were quite bias towards a few guitarists.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA….what is this?
It doesnt take a retarded thunderbird to realize
that for one Angus Young should at least be in around 10th or 11th, and cmon…Keith Richards?…that smiling assasin is probably the worst thing that happened to guitar, he plays like 3 different chords throughout his whole career. Frusciante is in the right spot his technical creativiity live is unmatched by anyone else (except Hendrix of course) and The Edge and Cobain are of course predictably there because of popular culture, and as for Kurt i dont know how you can put him on when its impossible to even hear what he is playing(if he’s playing anything at all) over that growling and ear draining grunge distortion which is hardly music for a guitar list anyhow.
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