100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time - RollingStone.com
In 2003, Rolling Stone selected and ranked the one hundred greatest guitarists of all time. Here is the top ten:
- 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
- Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones
It’s hard to argue with number one on that list — Hendrix’s playing still sounds fresh, passionate, and vibrant today. He’s the prototypical guitar legend.
I was a little bit surprised to see Duane Allman at number two, but I haven’t listened to very many Allman Brothers recordings. I’ll reserve judgment until I do so.
BB King, a great blues guitarist since the 1950’s, is highly renowned and highly influential. I think he’s a great pick at number three.
At number four is Eric Clapton, my favorite guitarist. I’ve always loved the energy Clapton brings to the table. Mostly though, it’s the songs that Clapton plays, and the amount the guitar contributes to them, that I love. Number four is a very solid spot but if I were to make any change, I’d move him even higher on the list.
Robert Johnson is considered one of the most influential musicians of all time. His twenty-nine career recordings, all from the first half of the twentieth century, are worshiped and constantly covered by blues and rock musicians. Also highly influential was rock and roll pioneer Chuck Berry. Even his early recordings, like “Maybellene,” still sound good. I like them both at numbers five and six.
At number eight is Ry Cooder, an American roots musician known for his skill on the slide guitar. He’s perhaps the least celebrated of the guitarists in the top ten. I know very little about him and have never heard his music before.
At nine and ten we have two fantastic guitarists from two of the most beloved rock bands ever, Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones. Jimmy Page’s solo from Stairway to Heaven is widely acclaimed as one of the best — if not the best — guitar solo of the modern era. His band’s guitar-heavy sound and freewheeling guitar solos have become the template for heavy rock bands. Keith Richards, too, has been highly influential to heavy rock. Some of his guitar riffs, including the one from “Satisfaction,” are perennially stuck in my head.
Overall, it’s hard to have too many objections with that top ten. From what I know and what I’ve heard, every pick is solid.
The rest of the list is as good as the top ten. Looking closely, you see some odd picks, like Eddie Van Halen all the way down at #70 with far more tame and less beloved guitarists filling higher ranks.
One interesting pick is Les Paul at #46. Les Paul is often accredited as inventing the electric guitar. You could argue that without him, this list wouldn’t be possible.
The list is now a few years old. If the list had been made now, I wonder who else would have been included. The only person who comes to mind at having a very good shot at placing well is John Mayer. Though his first album was brushed off as Dave Matthews-wannabe, his recent recordings have impressed critics with their excellent guitar and blues-heavy songwriting and sound.
One complaint I have with the list is that I would have loved to have seen Jim Croce on the list. He only played acoustic guitar, and only released a few albums, but his guitar-work entertains and bedazzles me more than most of the guitarists on this list.
It’s hard to argue with most of the picks on this list, though. Rolling Stone has done an excellent job assembling a thorough and diverse lists of some of the many so-called “Guitar gods.” If you’re interested, check out the complete list.
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ok first of all there is no number 1 guitarist of all time, there are just too many greats for that. Second of all Rolling Stone has always been know to put their own opinions before anything else, and no one likes their opinions. What do they know about music anyway.
Here are my top 15 in no real order:
Jimmy Page: Led Zeppelin, The Firm, Solo
Tony Iommi: Black Sabbath, Solo
Eddie Van Halen: Van Halen
Randy Rhoads: Quiet Riot, Ozzy
Yngwie Malmsteen: Rising Force, Solo
Adrian Smith: Iron Maiden, Bruce Dickinson
Dave Murrey: Iron Maiden
Glen Tipton: Judas Priest
KK Downing: Judas Priest
Jimi Hendrix: Jimi Hendrix Experience, Solo
Angus Young: AC/DC
Stive Ray Vaughan: Stive Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
Zakk Wylde: Ozzy, Black Lable Society
Richie Blackmore: Deep Purple,Rainbow, Blackmore’s night
Joe Satriani: Solo
Now take a good look at this list, every guitarist on here is better then Kurt Colbane, Jack White, and most of the top 20. I’m not saying that you have to agree with my list, which prooves my point that there is no best.
I agree with almost all of that every one knows that rolling stones knows what there talking about when it comes to music but heres my tops order
1. Zakk Wylde- Ozzy Ozbourne, Black label society
2. Jimi Hendrix-solo
3. Joe Satriani solo
4. Dimbag Darrell - pantera, Damage plan
5. Eddie Van Halen - Van Halen
6. Nick Catnese - Black label society
7. Kurt Cobain - Nirvana
8. Eric Clapton
9. Tony Iomy
10. Randy Rhodes
11. Slash
12. Glen Tipton
13.Richie Blackmore
14. Steve Ray Von
15. BB. King
Zakk Wylde Most Definatly Because he is the only Guitarist that I know of and I could be wrong but he is the only one that i Know of that has a solo in almost if not all songs and he is hard working works two bhaands at once and re wrote a little bit of the guitar rif of the Star Spangled banner.
And Iagree with you in a sense that there is
know better guitarist than another when it comes to first but i also disagree because there are better guitarist then others b/c if not me and you would not have been able to come up with this list Zakk Wylde is A better guitarist then any other b/c he does things any other guitarist does not and when you look at him as a person him self hes a great guy b/c its hard to find metal musicians that are as respectful as he is I admire him and he is the reason I play Guitar.
And thats a h
eck of a top 15 you got there.
This list is just as worthless. Music is too subjective to be ‘ranked.’ With that said, my top players are (in no particular order):
Jimi
Jimmy
Eddie
Randy Rhoads
Yngwie Malmsteen
Buddy Guy
Muddy
BB
Richie Blackmore
Edge
Tony Iommi
Keef
Satch
SRV
All these guitarist had an emotional impact on me as a young child. I can feel and connect with the happiness, sadness, pain and joy. That’s why I would consider them the best.
I think that Angus Young deserves to be higher up than 96th i think that the rolling stones made a mistake at his ranking he is definitly better than about 80 to 90 percent of the people in front of him
1 Jimi Hendrix
2 Joe Satriani
3 Steve Vai
4 Stevie Ray Vaughn
5 Eric Clapton
6 Eddie Van Halen
7 Carlos Santana
8 Jimmy Page
im so sick of not seeing
joe satriani, steve vai, and even michael angelo batio on any lists, jimi hendrix is sick, but michael angelo batio plays ‘upsidedown, a double guitar, and just kills everything he plays’, buckethead is also not on there has anyone ever heard of these guys or even seen them play, damn, it makes me sick to my stomach not seeing any of them
What about Angus Young of AC/DC? Slash from Guns n’ Roses? Angus at 96?! and Slash not even in the first 100?! Bullshit
what about Slash, Buckethead, and steve vai…this list sux