10 Greatest Guitar Players

[R. Richard]

The list is from Rolling Stone. It's obvously a more or less contemporary list, omitting such as Django Reinhardt, Nick Lucas, Robert Johnson, ect. Read 'em and peep.

Legendary musician Jimi Hendrix was named the greatest guitar player in history on Wednesday by Rolling Stone magazine in a list compiled by a panel of music experts and top guitar players.

"Jimi Hendrix exploded our idea of what rock music could be: He manipulated the guitar, the whammy bar, the studio and the stage," said Grammy-winning guitarist Tom Morello in the magazine, citing Hendrix's "Purple Haze" and "The Star-Spangled Banner" as key tracks.

Hendrix is joined by the likes of Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Keith Richards, Jimmy Page and Pete Townshend among the top 10, in a list laden with rock 'n' roll icons spanning decades.

The panel of experts recruited to vote for their favorite guitar players included musicians such as Lenny Kravitz, Eddie Van Halen (who was voted No. 8), Brian May and Dan Auerbach from The Black Keys, along with a selection of Rolling Stone's senior writers and editors.

The experts also weighed in on their favorites, with Pearl Jam's Mike McCready calling Eddie Van Halen "a master of riffs" and Joe Perry praising Jimmy Page's "vision of how to transcend the stereotypes of what the guitar can do."

The full list will be featured in a special issue with four special covers of Van Halen, Clapton, Hendrix and Page, and will be on newsstands and online at www.rollingstone.com on Friday. Rolling Stone's top 10 greatest guitarists follow:

1. Jimi Hendrix
2. Eric Clapton
3. Jimmy Page
4. Keith Richards
5. Jeff Beck
6. B.B. King
7. Chuck Berry
8. Eddie Van Halen
9. Duane Allman
10. Pete Townshend

 

[TE999]

Mark Knopfler of 'Dire Straits' and Chris Stein of 'Blondie' belong on that list!

I know it's those folks (subjective) opinion, but IMO blues (B.B. King) and Rock (Page) guitarists need to be considered separately ... they're two different styles of playing.

I've never really understood all the hoopla about Hendrix either.

My $0.02.

 

[trysail]

It's nice to see Jeff Beck recognized.

 

[jason28053]

Keith Richards is the King of the "riffs" but not a great guitar player. You should also add
Stevie Ray Vaughn

 

[nakdsub]

Absolutely wrong!

They're all good, no doubt, but when it comes to raw talent and mastery of the instrument...
here is the best there is;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQhECkexmSI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S33tWZqXhnk&feature=related

 

[PayDay]

Rolling Stone is lame and forced to work with what their readers want, so purposely skipping the majority of their results (except for Beck and Hendrix whom are awesome):

1. Robin Trower
2. Zach Wylde
3. Tom Morrello
4. Satriani
5. y Gabriella
6. Wes Borland (yeah i said it)
7. Paul Simon
8. Wyclef (yeah i said it)
9. That guy from the Doors
10. Everyone else I forgot.

 

[sr71plt]

They really should have specified what kind of the guitarist they were talking about. All of these are butchers compared to such classical guitarist surgeons as Andres Segovia and Jose Tomas; jazz guitarists Charlie Byrd and Wes Montgomery; and the legendary guitar world genius Les Paul. It's really the different between noise and heaven.

 

[PayDay]

They really should have specified what kind of the guitarist they were talking about. All of these are butchers compared to such classical guitarist surgeons as Andres Segovia and Jose Tomas; jazz guitarists Charlie Byrd and Wes Montgomery; and the legendary guitar world genius Les Paul. It's really the different between noise and heaven.

Seems like an uptight response. Mozart's a great piano player, but I doubt his fans would have like Jerry Lee Lewis. If they can turn noise into heaven, they should be on the list. Anyone can play beautifully to the masses, few can play epically to none.

 

[sr71plt]

Sorry, didn't understand a word of the response, PayDay. My point, though, is that this list is being constructed by those with their heads planted in only one small segment of the category claimed. Small world minds.

 

[Dual_Triode]

Too Hard!

I won't quibble with Rolling Stone's top ten list even though mine would be different. My own personal heros include (in no particular order):

Electric
Jimi Hendrix
Jimmy Page
Eric Clapton
Mark Knopfler
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Joe Bonamassa
Albert King
Duane Allman
Billy Gibbons
Jeff Beck
David Gilmour
Eric Johnson
Lindsey Buckingham
Slash
Lowell George
Angus Young
Kirk Hammett
Keith Richards
Shannon Curfman
The Edge
Jack White
Joe Satriani
Nigel Tufnel
Yngwie Malmsteen Uh, not so much.

Acoustic
Tommy Emmanuel
Leo Kottke
Nancy Wilson
Norman Blake
Doc Watson
Ani DiFranco
Clarence White
Jerry Douglas
Chris Thile (mandolin - close enough )

Enjoy!

 

[oggbashan]

Seems like an uptight response. Mozart's a great piano player, but I doubt his fans would have like Jerry Lee Lewis. If they can turn noise into heaven, they should be on the list. Anyone can play beautifully to the masses, few can play epically to none.

I have heard, live, several of the names on Rolling Stone's list.

I have also heard, live, Andres Segovia.

I have no doubt that Segovia was a far better guitarist, technically and musically, than any of those mentioned by Rolling Stone, and he played to large sold-out audiences around the world.

But I wouldn't refuse a ticket to hear any of the names mentioned.

 

[PayDay]

Awesome.

sr71plt = sarcasm is funny, mean sarcasm is not. I guess no one ever told you before. Truth.

Dt, your list is great, way to pull out Jack White.

Now to the one I saw that I really agree with.

The Edge is wonderful. I would love U2 if Bono would stop singing. Excellent choice.

 

[sr71plt]

sr71plt = sarcasm is funny, mean sarcasm is not. I guess no one ever told you before. Truth.

Dt, your list is great, way to pull out Jack White.

Now to the one I saw that I really agree with.

The Edge is wonderful. I would love U2 if Bono would stop singing. Excellent choice.

So, are you saying you were attempting mean sarcasm? Because I certainly wasn't. (And if you were, your post still didn't mean a lick of sense to me.) I was giving a straight-up objection to the small world premise given by this thread.

This is like a similar thread a couple of days ago that was slugged something like "Who are your top 5 artists?" The OP then listed five current-day musicians. "Musicians" isn't expansive enough by far to cover "artists" let alone all of time.

 

[Stella_Omega]

That list is the same as it's been for the past thirty years. I've heard breathtaking music since then. Someone mentioned Mark Knopfler. Paul Simon.

There are people out there who seem to be completely unknown. James Mercer, of the Shins, for instance-- clean and delicate, better than Jeff Beck.

Jack White IMO, is the true son of Page et al, a fabulous original player-- which is difficult to be in this day and age.

And Ike Turner was a better guitar player than Chuck Berry.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

Lists like these are always shit. I never pay much attention to them.

 

[Dual_Triode]

They really should have specified what kind of the guitarist they were talking about. All of these are butchers compared to such classical guitarist surgeons as Andres Segovia and Jose Tomas; jazz guitarists Charlie Byrd and Wes Montgomery; and the legendary guitar world genius Les Paul. It's really the different between noise and heaven.

No disagreement here. Since you mentioned heaven, we should probably include Chet Atkins.

 

[lovecraft68]

Sorry, didn't understand a word of the response, PayDay. My point, though, is that this list is being constructed by those with their heads planted in only one small segment of the category claimed. Small world minds.

It's Rolling Stone magazine, they are only really looking at Rock.

And as always you prove yourself a high class snot, by using the expression "Small world minds"

To each their own. You like classical? Well I don't but I won't insult you over it.

Once again, in your quest to prove to be better than, you show yourself as petty, "small minded" and classless.

 

[lovecraft68]

Personally I would like to have seen Ritchie Blackmoore recognized, but there isn't room for anyone.

On the other side of the coin, glad to see Ace Freeley's name not mentioned, along with that idiot "The Edge" from U2 both vastly over rated.

 

[sr71plt]

No disagreement here. Since you mentioned heaven, we should probably include Chet Atkins.

Right, absolutely.

 

[The_Fool]

No Buddy Guy?

 

[AllardChardon]

I vote for God, aka Eric Clapton, as the number one Guitar Player in the world and Stephen Stills as second.

 

[oggbashan]

I have said it before, but one of the musical experiences of my 20s was when a group of us hired The Yardbirds for a private party, and Eric Clapton came too.

The event turned into a jam session for all the performers present and the music was incredible. Our party turned into 'Let's all sit down, watch, listen and marvel...'.

 

[PayDay]

That list is the same as it's been for the past thirty years. I've heard breathtaking music since then. Someone mentioned Mark Knopfler. Paul Simon.

And Ike Turner was a better guitar player than Chuck Berry.

I always skipped this stuff, thinking Tina was hot and that was that. After some YouTube'ing my mind has been changed. Good suggestion. Ritchie Blackmoore always fell the same way for me, but not anymore.

This is good stuff, but the criticism of other people's taste is not neccessary in the least. I think it's obvious that we all like different things.

Buddy guy is good. As far as bluesish only, I vote Keb Mo.

to sr71plt = Neat, you are smarter than me, and better at Grammar, good for you. Tell us more about it, I'm sure we'd all enjoy it. My idea of an unedited story, for flavor, must make your blood boil. I bet it looks hilarious when you freak out at your monitor.

 

[sr71plt]

I bet it looks hilarious when you freak out at your monitor.

I'll take that bet. You probably wouldn't believe some of the stuff I've been given to edit--and then do so with a straight face.

I agree with that paragraph about screwing around with other people's tastes. If you'll actually read what I posted, you'll see that that exactly was my point to this thread.

 

[PayDay]

I'll take that bet. You probably wouldn't believe some of the stuff I've been given to edit--and then do so with a straight face.

I agree with that paragraph about screwing around with other people's tastes. If you'll actually read what I posted, you'll see that that exactly was my point to this thread.

And then what happened? (I wasn't talking about you)

Also, no one mentioned Billy Howerdel, I'm throwing his hat into the ring.