Rollin Stones Top 10 “greatest” guitarists of all time

[g-smooth2k]

The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time

Top 10:

1. Jimi Hendrix
2. Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers Band
3. B.B. King
4. Eric Clapton
5. Robert Johnson
6. Chuck Berry
7. Stevie Ray Vaughan
8. Ry Cooder
9. Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin
10. Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones

The Rest (Bottom 90)

11Kirk Hammett of Metallica
12 Kurt Cobain of Nirvana
13 Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead
14 Jeff Beck
15 Carlos Santana
16 Johnny Ramone of the Ramones
17 Jack White of the White Stripes
18 John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
19 Richard Thompson
20 James Burton
21 George Harrison
22 Mike Bloomfield
23 Warren Haynes
24 The Edge of U2
25 Freddy King
26 Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave
27 Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits
28 Stephen Stills
29 Ron Asheton of the Stooges
30 Buddy Guy
31 Dick Dale
32 John Cipollina of Quicksilver Messenger Service
33 Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth
34 Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth
35 John Fahey
36 Steve Cropper of Booker T. and the MG's
37 Bo Diddley
38 Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac
39 Brian May of Queen
40 John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival
41 Clarence White of the Byrds
42 Robert Fripp of King Crimson
43 Eddie Hazel of Funkadelic
44 Scotty Moore
45 Frank Zappa
46 Les Paul
47 T-Bone Walker
48 Joe Perry of Aerosmith
49 John McLaughlin
50 Pete Townshend
51 Paul Kossoff of Free
52 Lou Reed
53 Mickey Baker
54 Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane
55 Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple
56 Tom Verlaine of Television
57 Roy Buchanan
58 Dickey Betts
59 Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead
60 Ed O'Brien
61 Ike Turner
62 Zoot Horn Rollo of the Magic Band
63 Danny Gatton
64 Mick Ronson
65 Hubert Sumlin
66 Vernon Reid of Living Colour
67 Link Wray
68 Jerry Miller of Moby Grape
69 Steve Howe of Yes
70 Eddie Van Halen
71 Lightnin' Hopkins
72 Joni Mitchell
73 Trey Anastasio of Phish
74 Johnny Winter
75 Adam Jones of Tool
76 Ali Farka Toure
77 Henry Vestine of Canned Heat
78 Robbie Robertson of the Band
79 Cliff Gallup of the Blue Caps (1997)
80 Robert Quine of the Voidoids
81 Derek Trucks
82 David Gilmour of Pink Floyd
83 Neil Young
84 Eddie Cochran
85 Randy Rhoads
86 Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath
87 Joan Jett
88 Dave Davies of the Kinks
89 D. Boon of the Minutemen
90 Glen Buxton of Alice Cooper
91 Robby Krieger of the Doors
92 Fred "Sonic" Smith of the MC5
93 Wayne Kramer of the MC5
94 Bert Jansch
95 Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine
96 Angus Young of AC/DC
97 Robert Randolph
98 Leigh Stephens of Blue Cheer
99 Greg Ginn of Black Flag
100 Kim Thayil of Soundgarden

100 “greatest” guitarists of all time (http://www.rollingstone.com/features/coverstory/featuregen.asp?pid=1917) (Posted Aug 27, 2003)

Note: This published article from Rolling Stones is about a year old.

[MikeHunt]

well... Hubert Sumlin made the list..seems pretty accurate to me.

[Psilaxs]

Jimi hendrix is so fucking over rated it makes me sick

[nukehella]

Keith Richards # 10?Guess the editors party with him.

[knowitall]

How can anyone take this seriously? I mean really, Ike Turner was a better player than Eddie Van Halen? Frank Zappa is better than Dickie Betts? Nuno Bettencourt is not on the list at all? Jesus christ! Listen to him do "Flight of the Bumblebee" at the beginning of "He Man Woman Hater" from Extreme's 2nd album and tell me how he was left off. This is B.S.

[lil_amb]

I agree...that list sucks ass!

[Monty Burnz]

2003?...so so list

[Metalseeker 79]

The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time

17 Jack White of the White Stripes

ahead of
26 Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave
27 Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits
39 Brian May of Queen
55 Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple
70 Eddie Van Halen
85 Randy Rhoads
86 Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath


Whoever's responsible for that should be shot.

[rainbowdemon]

Brian May deserves to be rated higher than 39, But it's an interesting coincidence!!







'39
Words and music by Brian May

'In the year of thirty-nine'
Assembled here the volunteers
In the days when lands were few
Here the ship sailed out into the blue and sunny morn
The sweetest sight ever seen
And the night followed day
And the story tellers say
That the score brave souls inside
For many a lonely day
Sailed across the milky seas
Never looked back never feared never cried

Don't you hear my call
Though you're many years away
Don't you hear me calling you
Write your letters in the sand
For the day I'll take your hand
In the land that our grand-children knew

'In the year of thirty-nine'
Came a ship from the blue
The volunteers came home that day
And they bring good news
Of a world so newly born
Though their hearts so heavily weigh
For the earth is old and grey
Little darlin' we'll away
But my love this cannot be
Oh so many years have gone
Though I'm older than a year
Your mothers eyes from your eyes cry to me

Don't you hear my call
Though you're many years away
Don't you hear me calling you
Write your letters in the sand
For the day I'll take your hand
In the land that our grand-children knew

Don't you hear my call
Though you're many years away
Don't you hear me calling you
All your letters in the sand
Cannot heal me like your hand
For my life still ahead pity me

[nasrules]

Whoever's responsible for that should be shot.

Totally agree with you, particularly in the case of Blackmore, Van Halen, Randy Rhoads and Tony Iommi. They really are crazy.

Jimi hendrix is so fucking over rated it makes me sick

Hendrix was (and is) an inspiration to millions of guitarists all over the world. The value of that cannot be measured.

[Psilaxs]

Totally agree with you, particularly in the case of Blackmore, Van Halen, Randy Rhoads and Tony Iommi. They really are crazy.



Hendrix was (and is) an inspiration to millions of guitarists all over the world. The value of that cannot be measured.


He still sucks :devil

[John W. Lindh]

Carlos Santana is no 15? BEHIND KURT COBAIN?

Well, at least Jimi Hendrix is no one, he deserves it. - And people who think he's overrated don't know crap about rock music.

[Psilaxs]

Carlos Santana is no 15? BEHIND KURT COBAIN?

Well, at least Jimi Hendrix is no one, he deserves it. - And people who think he's overrated don't know crap about rock music.

No, I know a lot about music, and i know what is pleasant sounding. I do not think Hendrix is bad. I he is very good, and he was very original (which is the biggest factor here) But i do not think he is that great of a guitarist. He was creative and original yes. But Satriani Steve Vai, Steve Stevens, eddy Van Halen, Erno Vuorinen of Nightwish etc. Even James Hetfield from metalica,........... ad-nauseum

[jon138]

Frank Zappa is better than Dickie Betts?.

FZ WAS a far better player than Dickie Betts. He should have been in the top ten.

[mountain_rage]

Where am I. Sure I dont know how to play guitar yet or even have one but when I learn il be so good that history books should of been anticipating it. Now that im done being a cocky jerkoff.

Um rolling stones, who cares what they think. Its like the martha stewart magazine for music. Bunch of bull for people who dont know anything about the subject in question.

[kidmidnight]

I don't think finger dextarity and how fast/complicated had anything to do with this list. That said wtf are people like the white stripes guy doing above Van Halen and Toni Iommi? Since they are factoring influential into the category of things that makes great guitarists where is Joey Ramone? Without him there would be no Kurt Cobain, or for that matter punk rock as we know it today.

[backmann]

Brian May deserves to be rated higher than 39, But it's an interesting coincidence!!

'39
Words and music by Brian May

'In the year of thirty-nine'
Assembled here the volunteers
In the days when lands were few
Here the ship sailed out into the blue and sunny morn
The sweetest sight ever seen
And the night followed day
And the story tellers say
That the score brave souls inside
For many a lonely day
Sailed across the milky seas
Never looked back never feared never cried

Don't you hear my call
Though you're many years away
Don't you hear me calling you
Write your letters in the sand
For the day I'll take your hand
In the land that our grand-children knew

'In the year of thirty-nine'
Came a ship from the blue
The volunteers came home that day
And they bring good news
Of a world so newly born
Though their hearts so heavily weigh
For the earth is old and grey
Little darlin' we'll away
But my love this cannot be
Oh so many years have gone
Though I'm older than a year
Your mothers eyes from your eyes cry to me

Don't you hear my call
Though you're many years away
Don't you hear me calling you
Write your letters in the sand
For the day I'll take your hand
In the land that our grand-children knew

Don't you hear my call
Though you're many years away
Don't you hear me calling you
All your letters in the sand
Cannot heal me like your hand
For my life still ahead pity me

It really is. This songs actually talks about the future, when the Earthe becomes overpopulated and the people starts looking for home in another planet.

Ivan
In the dark we make a brighter light

[alexmontrose]

Please BB King? It takes him ten minutes to play a couple notes and could the music be a little more boring? But i'm not into the blues so seeing all these blues guys just makes me roll my eyes. But that's Rolling Stone for ya. The "experts" who are responsible for this drivel are old hippies who worship Woodstock and that era, not that theres anything wrong with that but Rolling Stone has always had this we are cooler than you and we like artists that you don't like but since we know more you'll just have to accept it.

Ry Cooder huh? Robert Johnson. MMMM okay. Technically great i'm sure but how about a good song? Not well were Rolling Stone, were in here smoking a joint and making this list reminiscing about the Woodstock days and we refuse to put guitarists that are so obviously and overwhelmingly better because well were Rolling Stone whos taste in music has always sucked.

For my money it's:
1. Richie Blackmore
2. Joe Satriani
3. Jeff Beck
4. Ronnie Montrose

Ofcourse there are a ton of others that I love and they usually all have one thing in common. They are technically great ofcourse but they give you goosebumps. They are EXCITING. Exciting Rolling Stone. Have you EVER understood that? No, never have, never will.

[d3ft0n3s]

i dont see why kurt was so high up on the list. i learned to play guitar by his albums cause their so easy. and im a huge fan but i admit he shouldnt be over van halen or all the other guys. and i dont even like van halen.

rolling stone sucks.

[MushroomheadXIII]

1.Jimi Henderix,
2.BB king
3.stev ray vaughn in my opinion, curt cobain? No way. He's not that special, only because hes dead do people respect him.

[TheJackal]

Any one every heard of Gary Moore?
He's solo artist that's been going since the 60's. He's played with all the greats.
In my opinion he is one hell of an underrated guitar player.
He can play any style from blues to metal
He Rocks!!!

[8cire8]

Do you honestly believe thhat JACK WHITE is bettr than Eddie Van Halen and Angus? You're crazy! Eddies the man!!! :ass

[Arch Stanton]

seems to me they tried to weight in the overall impact of the band the guitarist was in along with his own musical abilities

end result seems to be a hodge-podge list that doesn't really make alot of sense

only thing worse someone could do is take it seriously

[mfgbypooter]

FZ WAS a far better player than Dickie Betts. He should have been in the top ten.You got that right.

[SanDiegoKid]

... just one guy mouthin' off here, but 59 and 60 are very underrated.

[DwarfBaby]

WTF?
12 Kurt Cobain of Nirvana
13 Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead
14 Jeff Beck

Don't get me wrong I like all those guys, alot. They just wouldn't be in my top 500. And I'd put David Gilmour Higher then 82 out of Originality alone.

[notbob]

i think the order is irrelevant

how could you possibly rank people who played an evolving instrument? comparing eddie van halen to jimi hendrix or robert johnson is idiotic

each one used the guitar and related technology to the best of their ability in the time period they were in. each made innovations that led to further developments, and other styles and sounds

the only thing any of these (mostly) guys have in common is a guitar, and even there they all had different guitars--leadbelly started with a string attached to his front porch as a guitar--how do you compare that to a stratocaster and a bank of midi processors, then rank it?

these were a lot of good guitarists. (and a lot of pretensious assholes)
the end

[8cire8]

Where the hell is Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top? And why are Eddie and Angus in the freaken bottom 50? And i didnt see Slash either. Kind of a shitty magazine if u ask me

[mfgbypooter]

It's always been a shitty magazine.

[infringer]

Van Halen
Randy Rhaods
ummm... definately underrated...

The white stripes gutairist is not that bad but how could you compare them to legends...

I kinda skimmed the list cause I thought it was crap from the top 10 ...

I didnt notice dime bag on there at all I mean at least the guy should have a slot the cowboys from hell Pantera were fuggin a big live band and you dont get that big live without having good musicians. I downloaded like a monsters of rock from the 90's video they were playing in moscow holy shit I have never saw a crowd that even came close to amounting to there preformance there...

Hedrix is good but overrated...
He should be under stevey ray IMHO... I've talked to a few guitarists and only one could play stevey rays music even close to what it sounds like...

They also underestimate Staind's guitarist...

Rolling Stones Mag has went downhill anyways screw em...

Edit:

Oh hell how could I have forgotten about Angus from ACDC he just plain kicks ass you can tell the guy not only plays the music but feels and is the music.

For those about to rock we salute you!


-infringer-

[Lord_of_the_Dense]

This is definitely a poorly weighed list. Guess you have to be biased towards the newer stuff to create a top ten like that. But then again, look who this is coming from. An ancient magazine named after an ancient band ( or vice versa, it's irrelevant, who the hell cares.).