Here, we’re gonna have a look at what is considered across the board as the Top 10 Rock Guitarists of all time. A lot of research both on and offline has gone into putting together this top 10 list.
I’ll warn you.. not everyone will agree with this list (and I don’t agree 100% either), but it’s what the masses have said. Feel free to add your comments into the area below this article 
Either way, it would be hard to argue the fact that all of the guys on this list have proved their ability as masters of the fretboard and are some of the very best guitarists to have ever walked the planet.
#10 – Kirk Hammet
Kirk Hammet has been impressing fans with his awesome speed, aggression and mesmerising guitar solos for the heavy metal band “Metallica” since 1983. Kirk first picked up a guitar when he was 15 years of age, and was heavily influenced by the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppellin.
Hammett was initially brought into Metallica after lead guitarist Dave Mustaine was sacked from the band in 1983, at the time, Kirk was getting guitar lessons from the now famous Joe Satriani. Hammett is well known for his use of the “Wah-Wah” pedal in his solos, and is quoted as saying “They’ll have to cut off my leg if they want me to stop using the wah-wah pedal.”
#9 – Keith Richards
Keith Richards is considered by many people, to be the greatest rhythm guitarist of all time. Richards is the founding member of one of the greatest rock bands in history – The Rolling Stones.
Richards sometimes gets overlooked as one of the guitar greats, as he predominantly plays rhythm guitar and not so much lead, but his rhythm guitar work has been a major influence to the songwriting, style and live performances of the Stones throughout their star studded career.
#8 – Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana became famous in the late 60′s after forming his band “Santana”. Carlos Santana is known for mixing many styles of music into one….namely blues, jazz & rock, combined with a wide array of percussion instruments that made his style one of a kind in the music world.
Later in his career, Carlos teamed up as lead guitarist with some of the era’s big music names such as, Eric Clapton, Rob Thomas, Everlast and Dave Matthews to record his 1999 album – “Supernatural” of which one song that featured Matchbox 20′s Rob Thomas – “Smooth” went on to spend 12 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was also the last #1 hit of the 1990′s. Supernatural went on to win 9 grammy awards, including, album, song and record of the year.
#7 – Stevie Ray Vaughan
Number 7 on our list of Top 10 Rock Guitarists of all time is Stevie Ray Vaughan. Stevie learned the guitar and started playing in rock bands when he was 12 years of age. Vaughan was known for his warm blues rock tones, and used very heavy strings on his guitar ranging from 13-58 gauge. He named one of his Fender guitars “Lenny” after his wife Lenora, this guitar was later sold in 2004 to Guitar Centre for $629,500.
Stevie Ray Vaughan was killed in a helicopter crash in 1990 while on tour with Eric Clapton. Thousands of people attended Stevie’s funeral including ZZ Top, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Wonder, and Jackson Browne. His music has become more & more popular since his death, and many upcoming guitarists worldwide, look at Stevie Ray Vaughan as an influencial figure. He was inducted into the Blues Hall Of Fame in 2000, and more recently – the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2008.
#6 – Jeff Beck
Geoffrey Arnold Beck is one of 3 guitarists who started out with the band “The Yardbirds”…the other 2 guys were Jimmy Page & Eric Clapton. Beck has won 4 grammy awards for Best Rock Instrumental Performance and was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April 2009.
Beck has a wide range of guitar styles such as blues rock, heavy metal and jazz fusion. Although Jeff Beck is regarded as one of the great guitarists of all time, he has not been able to establish the commercial success of some of his bandmates.
#5 – Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page started out in the guitar world as a highly talented session guitarist, before he joined a band called the Yardbirds. After his Yardbirds gig, he co-founded English supergroup – Led Zeppellin.
Page has been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame twice…once for his stint in the Yardbirds and once as a member of Led Zeppellin. Jimmy Page has been described as “unquestionably one of the all-time most influential, important, and versatile guitarists and songwriters in rock history”.
#4 – Duane Allman
Duane Allman a.k.a “Skydog” was one of the most influential rock guitarists of his generation. He started playing guitar when he was 13 and immediately became infatuated with it.
Duane is best known for his awesome guitar licks & slide guitar while playing in his family band – The Allman Brothers. Duane passed away just before his 25th birthday in a horrific motorcycle accident.
#3 – Eddie Van Halen
In the 70′s when Eddie Van Halen took to the stage, he used to play guitar solos with his back to the audience so that budding guitarists could not steal his trademark fretwork.
There are few guitarists in history who can even come close to the lighting speed, raw power and flawless fretwork of the Van Halen lead guitarist. He was named by the all music guide as “undoubtedly one of the most influential, original, and talented rock guitarists of the 20th century”.
#2 – Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton is known for his “bluesy” slowhand style of guitaring and has played for many supergroups, such as: Yardbirds, Cream, Derrick & The Dominos and Blind Faith. Clapton established himself as a well known guitarist in the 60′s by entwining the blues with hard rock.
Clapton is the only person in rock and roll history that has been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 3 times.
#1 Guitarist Of All Time – Jimi Hendrix
Topping the list of Top 10 Rock Guitarists is the flamboyant showman Jimi Hendrix. There is no doubt that Jimi has been the major influence for many of todays top guitarists. Hendrix was a left handed guitarist who mostly played a right handed Fender Stratocaster upside down.
Jimi was also known to woo crowds by playing lead breaks behind his back, with his teeth, and while his guitar was on fire! Jimi Hendrix died when he was a young 27 years old, but his music will always be alive in the world of rock.
Until next time…Rock On
Scotty Smith ©2008-2011
radomir m. tocak is the bast hes AMAZING and mu number one xD
If you are wondering who Micki Free is check this out! http://www.realrocknews.com/micki-free-keeps-the-classic-in-rock-and-roll/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heaFNuvwNag
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_gN-bKEl4k&feature=related
I think the list is good but the question ” Who is the greatest guitarist of all time ” lets face it is a question that will never be answered. Everyone has there favorite depending on their type of music, hard or soft rock, metal, blues, funk, classic, etc. I think there are a lot of guys who didn’t make the list that should and a couple that made the list that shouldn’t be ranked as high as they are. I grew up on rock and metal ( 80′s metal ) and have always been a huge fan of AC/DC and Angus Young and think he should be in the top 10 ( not saying #1 I completely agree with Hendrix being in that spot ). But as new artist and groups come on the seen it’s just a impossible question to answer cause everyone will always have a reason why their favorite band or guitarist is the best. But I will say to who created the above list good job there are some greats in that list and thanks for taking your time to look all them up with videos and post them for all of us to enjoy.
I agree, AC/DC should be up there, and so should Neal Schon, Slash, and Simon Townshend. Jeremy, there was a mistake in your comment, it would pe “an impossible question” just a btw.
Hey moron, what about Steve Howe? Did you know he won Guitar Players best overall category five years in a row? Not just a certain style of music like bluegrass or classical but overall? That he is also in thier hall of fame? Its obvious you no nothing about the art of guitar playing.
Hi Carl,
You sound like a really nice guy.. NOT
Please read the first 3 paragraphs of this article before you go using the MORON word.
I don’t know a lot about Steve Howe but Wikipedia states the following:
Rolling Stone ranked him number sixty-nine on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of all Time in 2003
Have a nice day!
Your right I am opinionated. I am also passionate. I apologize for my outburst. I think if this had been done in the 70′s & 80′s your results would have been a whole lot different. Yes Page,Hendrix,Clapton,Stevie Ray are in the top ten, but so is Steve Howe. This is not an all time best list. This is a who is most popular at this time list. If youve never heard the phenominal Yes & Asia guitarist listen to him. Especially his acoustic guitar solos. Thanx, Carl.
This is why rappers don’t have lists like this one…it would start a gang war.
I’m hearing you there DeadGirl
Everyone has their own tastes and opinions and there’s no way to please ‘em all.
ALVIN LEE!!!!..enough said!!!
Anybody… find me… a guitarist who… plays!?
Let’s not forget Brian May. It’s not often a guitarist establishes a signature sound. Brian’s playing immediately defines a Queen song… without it, they would be just an ordinary band. For evidence, I refer you to his amazing rendition of the “Wedding March” he supplied for the “Flash Gordon” soundtrack. Truly innovative.
RANDY RHOADS is the one and only GOD of guitar!!!!!!!!
IMO, and as a former semi-pro guitarist (wedding bands/disco/and R&R bands for 27 years), you cannot exclude guitarists like Jan Akkerman (Focus), Martin Barre (Jethro tull), Mark Knopler (Dire Straits), and most importantly, David Glimour (Pink floyd) . These guys do not get the respect they rightfully deserve. I’d take at least 5 out of this top 10 and replace them with the aforementiened. Unfortunately, I am only just one opinon. And, if you think about it, since I can go back to the 50′s, there are a number of other spectacular guitarists who fly under the radar screen- Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, Elliot Randall (Steely Dan), Ted Nugent (Amboy Dukes), Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson airplane), Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath) and a number of others (Gregg Lake, ELP, Justin Haywood, Moody Blues, etc. etc. It’s a very subjective and opinionated subject to rank the top 10. And what about Jerry Garcia? Alvin Lee (10 Years After)? There is no real top 10, unless you put it to a national vote, and then, it’s still a popularity contest. Actually, the best two guitarists I ever heard based on complication were Andre Segovia (Classical) and Stanley Jordan (with his unique hammering technique).
Just an opinion to consider.
Andy Summers is way under rated, also Terry Kath and Prince. And the best after Jini is Jaco P……I know is plays base.
I forgot how good Terry Kath was. I saw Chicago when they first came to RI back in the early 70′s, and was mesmerized by his speed, and fluidity. Unfortunately, an untiley death pushed his fame down the list. And being a big Police fan, I also appreciated Summers’ use of the flanger, in which he literally popularized as a sound effect that took off in the early to mid 80′s. and then there is Mark Farner, from Grand Funk, who was an innovative player in his own right, in the days when trios’s were popular.
Again, a top 10 is an unfair category, without taking into consideration theera, and complication of the music played. Amos Garett, who played the licks on the song “Midnight at the Oasis” by Maria Muldaur, is another who gets little fame, but was a phenomenal musician.
this is actually one of the better lists i have seen certainly better than rolling stones top 100
puting people in order is almost impossible so the top 10 names i think should be in the list in no particular order would be
david gilmour
jimmy hendrix
stevie ray vaughan
mark knopfler
eric clapton
jimmy page
jeff beck
santana
van hallen
chuck berry
i am sure many will disagree and think others should be in that list but tbh i dont give a fuck! everyone in that list is a true inspiration and amazing at what they do! it annoys me that people say claptons over rated because he is phenomenal theres a reason why people say clapton is god he hits every not perfect every time like no other guitarist out there he is technically one of the best .
as for Randy Rhoads dont get me wrong he was great but he is not top 10 stuff he would be top 50 definitely maybe even top 25 but there are many more skillful and innovative players out there
Clapton Has no range and has done nothing inovative to further the evolution of the electric guitar,he hits every chord every time because he’s been playing the same boring songs for years,his nick name is “slow hand”for a reason.Randy Rhoads intergraded classical chords into his music most players before him didn’t know existed much less thought of using.he was a true prodigy and grew up in one of the most elite music schools this country has to offer,his riffs are some of the most noteable and recognized riffs on this planet and he only had the chance to appear on two american released albums(5 all together with the two Quiet Riot japan releases and the tribute album) had he not been killed almost thirty years ago he would undeniably be the greatest player alive today!!! So therefore Randy Rhoads was,is,and always will be the GREATEST guitar player in history.
Glad you put Gilmour and Knopler in your list, as I advocated them also. I wouldn’t include Berry, only because as a guitarist, he was so-so. BB King would be there before him, IMO.
I agree theres no way to please everybody on a top 10 list. I think all these guitarists are very good and unique plus Im glad he looks at facts and not who he thinks should be number one.
Every time a “greatest” list appears there will controversy. Unfortunately most of the abuse gets shot at the creator of the list and those that do the shooting usually shoot from the hip instead of just taking the list for what it is, One person’s opinion. There is nothing to get upset about this list. I am 64 years old and have lived through a helluva lot more music than most who have commented on here. A few have commented on Chuck Berry but many others have been missed that have influenced these outstanding guitarist. I am talking of Duane Eddy from the late 50′s and B.B. King, who is mostly known for his blues. But B.B. King was invited to play on tour with The Rolling Stones. In fact several of the guitarist on the list tribute both of these guitarist as playing a major influence on “how and why” the play a guitar even. Now, I am not saying these two should be on the “Top 10 List” necessarily, but instead of demanding “your” man is the best, open your ears and enjoy all of them.
Couldn’t have said it better myself ChuckG … appreciate your input mate
Joe Satriani IS Great
Now you are dating yourself. Duayne Eddy and another from the late 50′s and early 60′s was Dickie Dale (surf guitarist). I agree, the former is not remembered by many who posted here, and the latter is another who , and not to be redundant, but “flies under the radar screen”.
Has NOBODY heard of David Gilmour of the Pink Floyd ?
Listen to his superb Comfortably Numb and Breathe solos
( only two examples out of many amazing performances )
and you will see (hear) what I mean.
I have only heard this kind of expressive style and quality very rarely
and I have heard most of what’s out there.
Guys that can shred very fast are clever I agree but honestly they
don’t really sound that good. The metallica vid is mediocre at best.
Satriani is another who should probably be considered.
I have heard a lot of Claptons’ stuff and he is just overrated, sorry.
ALSO do some research into the playing of one Angus Young of AC/DC.
I think it was one of their Doncaster gigs ( a DVD I have) but some of the
Wild spontaneous Hendrix like solos just blew me away.
Angus Young is a Rock legend/lead guitarist and he doesn’t rate a mention.
Hendrix produced some wild stuff BUT how much of that was done when he was blasted
on whatever ( your drug of choice) [yeah and and I mknow that goes for many musos] ?
Some musos don’t need performance enhanceing substances to produce
outstanding music. Hendrix produced some amazing stuff and he also produced
stuff that ain’t worth the time of day.
Some of the guitarists on your list don’t deserve to be there.
Thanks for your input mate.. much appreciated
It sure would be nice to be able to please everyone, unfortunately with any type of TOP 10 list, this is just not possible.
also Aliex Lifeson should be in there aswell as floyd and angus
Gilmour would probably be in my top 3. Good observation and I totally agree. Another who I’ve not seen mentioned, is Edge, from U2. Granted he’s not flamboyant, nor known for outstanding leads, but rhtyhmically, he’s one of the best, and also aomong my top 10. Of course, I’m biased, as I own one of his guitars, that he took on tour for 2 years. but, then, I bought it long after I was a U2 fan, and that was one reason why I spent a small fortune to buy it. I think many are throwing Clapton under the bus, but given the time he became famous (and think of the Yardbirds, who had he, Page and Beck start their careers in a band, way ahead of it’s time), Clapton has to be among the top 10.
As soon as I saw Van Halen ahead of Stevie Ray Vaughan I laughed and stopped reading. What a joke putting Van Halen in #3
Randy Rhoads was,is,and always will be the GREATEST guitar player on this earth…and that’s a fact!
Many would disagree. It’s a FACT in your own mind
what about Joe Satriany
FRU—-SCIAN—-TE
FRU—-SCIAN—-TE
JOHN ANTHONY MUTH@#**%ING FRU—-SCIAN—TEEEEEEEEEEEEE
WHOOOOooooOOOOooooOOOO YEEEEEAH HA HA
WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP
This guy has the funk people, what is with everyone ignoring this whole genre? Where are the Eddie Hazel’s or the Leo Nocentelli’s? Far too often bands disregard what funk brought to music and they are lacking because of it.
Eddie Van Halen is always and always will be number 1 to me.
Your right Kurt have you heard Eruption! I mean come on he deserves to be number 1. He plays the IMPOSSIBLE!
AGREED!!!! Where is Slash though on this list??
How can you ever decide who’s better than the other? Every single one of them is/was unique and different. Is it about technique? Or is it about the style? About the influence? Well, then everyone has their own influences! Even Hendrix was infuenced by someone. So, how come a guitarist who was infuenced by someone greater doesn’t have a chance just because he’s second?
Oh, well, I don’t care about the numbers, the lists and stuff….
Slash is still my favourite, even if he’s not the best.
The fact that Randall William Rhodes was not number 1 on your list proves you should not be allowed to live.and yes like jimmy I could list a thousand great players but only one greatest…Randy Rhodes!!!
Hi Joe Joe,
If you’re going to be throwing shit like that around.. you might like to spell his name right. Here’s a little lesson for you:
RHOADS
Hey dipshit if you’ll read all my earlier posts you’ll see I made a mistake unlike you who wouldn’t know a great guitar player if they jumped out of a speaker and kicked you in the nuts you no taste dumbass!!!
Yo… Joe Joe.. Why do you keep coming back to my site if you hate it so much my friend?
Go and make your own website and then everyone can tell you how good your taste is. Let’s see how you go with trying to please everyone
If you think the above list of guitarists suck and don’t deserve to be on the list.. you obviously are missing something. Have a nice day!
No Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Eddie VanHalen belong on the list not in the order you placed them though.and I’m not dumb enough to make a site like this because I know you can’t please evreyone .that’s why I visit sites made by yahoos like you with bad taste because evry now and then a person with good taste posts a coment,and puts you no taste morons in your place! Have a nice day.
What can I say.. you’re a legend Joe Joe!
It’s nice to have someone around that knows everything.
Duhhh… How is Randy Rhoads not even on this list?? So Chuck Berry WASNT the godfather of rock guitar then?? I am a HUGE 80′s metal fan where so many guitar gods flaunted the goods. I can think of 10 guys from that era that would shred Keith Richards. Yngvie, Tony Iommi, Zakk Wylde, Viv Campell, George Lynch, John Sykes, Jake E Lee, Vinny Vincent ( wasteoid, but good shredder) , Angus Young, Reb Beech, Doug Aldrich, and on and on……
Your “opinion” has been noted RoCkMaN
3 words… Can’t Please Everyone
Sorry man!
Im just happy that i have a chance to give my view. Thanks for the ear Scott !! No doubt that all of those 10 are superior player/ songwriters. I agree with almost all of the list above. My brother and I decided to jot down our lists just for fun, and some guys i work with are doin the same. I cant wait to read them to see who i forgot.
WHERE IS JOHN FRUSCIANTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dunno.. the Chili Peppers are looking for him too
I got halfway down the list and started to freak out because I hadn’t seen Van Halen and then there he was and I was like “OK, you can live.”
Oh… thank you so much Mr Apple Repair Store Man.. I would really hate it if you decided not to let me live
By the way, this is a NoFollow blog.. so no linkjuice for you… LOL
No soup for you either!!
He can have one spoonful… only cause he let me live
what about brian may or angus young or slash ,janick gers , dave murray ,adrian smith ok ill admit ive put a lot of goodens to the table but lets all come to one big conclusion there are to many amazing guitarists out there that u cant make a top ten table its immposible because when u find a no1 u find someone as equal or some one even better even ill admit there isnt a guitarist out there thats better than hendrix but there is certainly equal
there is no number 1 or 2 or 3 etc.etc. there are approx. 60 fantastic rock guitarists some very well known some not so,, that have some similar skills as well as some dissimilar skills , but all in all on any given day and on a particular song hundreds maybe even thousands of people could easily say ‘HE,S NUMBER 1′
Despite what any of you say, Angus Young was, and is, the greatest showman of all time. Who cares about the talent, its about the show. Its about having a good time and putting on an awesome show.
Angus Young.
1.slash
2.jimi hendrix
3.kirk hammet
4.zakk wylde
werz slash….shud be no 1
Yngwie johann Malmsteen is Number 1,It’s Obvious……
I think this rating is out of date. Erik Johnson should be # 1 !!!
What about Slash?!?!?!? He should atlest be number 4 or 5
at least you didn’t put slash ….but what about david gilmour?
David Gilmour’s pretty good, and to be honest, Slash just doesn’t strike me as a great guitar player…
Although Jimi Hendrix deserves be on the top ten, I don’t believe he was the best. I believe Eddie Van Halen should’ve been #1.
Clapton is SO overrated!!!!!!! He`s Never furthered the guitar!
Are you serious? Slash should be into the top 10 and at least at #3. Can’t believe my eyes…
why is everything about jimi hendrix he is very good but eddie van halen is my favorite that solo was awesome and flawless for ten minutes who can do that
O.K., here we go again…I’ve said before & I’ll still stand on my opinion about ‘Jimmy Hendrix’ being the best guitarist ever…anyone who believes this whether fan or not must have several screws loose. Just because the guy played his ax upside down & backwards does not make him anywhere near the best guitarist today, yesterday or any other time. Sure, the guy was good, no doubt..however, there were & are guitarist’s today & back then who smoke Jimmy Hendrix off the fret board, literally!!! Being a guitarist myself for 40+ years I believe I certainly know what I’m talking about and am qualified to a large degree to assess the belief that Hendrix was or is the best in any era…To determine who was or is the best ever in any music catagory is absolutley insane…I’ve met up with guitarist’s here in NYS that make Jimmy Hendrix sound sick..when people voice this ridiculousness about Hendrix being the best have obviously not done their homework & taken a good look at the thousands of guitarist’s who came before & after Hendrix…the list is overwhelming with guitarist’s who not only sound & play better but who also have styles & techniques that are unsurpassed far of that of Jimmy Hendrix. So, please folks, do those of us who know music & guitar playing a favor & get off this bullshit band wagon about Hendrix being the best….he don’t even come close to the title…………
Dude, seriously. Give Jimi some respect and spell his name right! And just because he didn’t shred mindlessly like some of the Satan-worshipping, death metal guitarists today doesn’t mean that he was not good at guitar. I agree that there are countless other guitarists out there who are more technically correct and skilled than Hendrix, but nobody influenced the world of guitar more than him. The passion, soul, and maybe some of the drugs that went into his music are simply amazing, and I’m not sure if anyone else has shown as much of a connection with their music than Hendrix did. I am not saying that Jimi Hendrix is, without a shadow of a doubt, the greatest guitar player of all time, but I think he is certainly on the list and he certainly deserves more respect from people like you. If Hendrix was alive today, I would like to see who would put on a better show: You and your friends from NYS, or Jimi Hendrix. One last comment: Let’s set our opinions aside and let the facts do the talking. Jimi Hendrix has one thing you and your buddies will never have: a spot in the rock and roll hall of fame. So maybe you should do your homework and take a good look at Hendrix before you call yourself a better guitar player than one of the best guitar players to ever live.
that was a good one for such a sick person well done dude thats the best answer for such people
Hendrix, and Page are the GREATEST guitarists in Rock History!
Jimi isn’t the best because he played his guitar upside down or behind his head… Jimi is the best because he was soul. He just was. He had a god given talent, a talent to the point that it was beautiful when he fucked up, because it was so real. He was constantly trilling and filling like no guitarist before or after him. He never took a lesson, he just played. It’s easy to say who has the fastest picking rate, who has the best equipment and effects, who knows the most music theory etc. but that stuff comes and goes, anyone can pay and learn how to “shred”, but what Jimi had he was born with, it wasn’t money, equipment, or lessons… it was Hendrix.
jimi is not on my top10 list but he is on my top25. Without players like randy rhoads,jimmy page,and jimi hendrix the players of today like you and your wanna be buddies from NYS wouldn’t know the things they do.jimi was constantly experimenting and creating new sounds,like plugging his guitar into an organ instead of an amp.at the end of the day jimi is and always will be a legend and one of the worlds greatest players and you will always be a dumbass nobody!!!
does any other guitar in the world sound like his? He tuned it in his own way and no one has ever figured out how he did it. Hendrix should be above a top ten list in his own section by himself.
Brian decker you suck how dare you put down jimi hendrix like that if he was a white guy you would give him the thumbs up but don’t disrespect him cause he was black i know thats why you are jealous of jimi besides he taught himself to play the guitar he didn’t take no lessons from no one as far as i am concerned jimi hendrix was in a class by himself and there will never ever be anyone else that can play a guitar like him maybe thats why he was murdered cause he was a black man dominating the white man’s music and if he was white he probably would still be alive today and everyone would agree he is the best guitar player ever
dude wtf gary moore ?!?! jimmy page?!?! im fine with eric and jimi but wat the hell if kirk doin there when people like gary moore has lived???!!!
i agree with you friend he was a true genious most people dont know about music i have been playing guitar since childhood
where is Lemmy klimister from motohead
joe satriani should be next to jimi hendrix..
Wow… Lemmy is a bass player dumb ass
Nick like I said first everybody has their own taste.but to call kirk hammet a scholar proves your taste is crap and you’re as much a scholar as a pimple on the popes ass.dave mustaine can play circles around kirk and dave doesn’t even belong on a top 10 list.Randall William Rhoads was a scholar and the father of music theory when it comes to electick guitar,the only talent metallica had died in 1986 and his name is cliff burton,and once again its not abou who is a scholar and who isn’t anyway its like phil wilson typed its about who gives you goose bumps its about which guitar player makes you have to pull your car to the side of the road so you don’t wreck (Randy Rhoads) kirk sucks so like you said nick why don’t you shut the f*#k up
no doubt bout jimmi hendrix,,,,,,,his solo,,,,,blues licks is the only one medicine which makes my anger cool,,,n make me feeks like im in heaven,,,,his solo like vodoo child,foxy lady,,,,,,neptune vally……r the ever green songs ever made in rock history,,
I searched through half the list and did not see anyone mention JIMMY HERRING
and YES, David Gilmore
Think about the plaayer who has given you the most chills, goosebumps, tears, and any other variety of emotions which great music should do. For me it’s simple DAVID GILMOUR greatest rock guitarist ever.
For all you people who are calling this list bullshit and such, making a list like this is almost impossible. Everyone has different tastes and ideas. To me, this list is as close to what a guitar and music theory scholar would choose. Because I am both I think that, musically, these are great choices. So shut the f**k up!!!!
Couldn’t have said it better myself Nick, thanks mate!
Hendrix again…how goddamn predictable. Stop parroting what others write and use your own ears. If you want to have a non-white in there so you can feel good about yourself, make it Vernon Reid.
And your list is useless anyway. You don’t have Satriani, Zappa, Rhoads, MacAlpine, Vai, or (as someone else mentioned) Brian May.
You know about as much about guitar as you probably know about nuclear physics, and my guess is that you’re about 15.
Great to have a “know it all” here! If anyone’s got any questions, just ask the guy above.. Mr Guitarist
Brian May is in fact one of my personal favourite guitarists of all time, he’s also my 6 year old son’s favourite guitarist.
As I’ve mentioned many times within these comments, there’s no way of pleasing everyone when it comes to top 10 lists, nor has this list been compiled of “my favourites”… it’s been compiled from what’s been said by the masses.
PS: I also reckon Slash rocks.
Now go and crawl back into your hole Mr Guitarist.
Well said Scotty. Brian May is great and I reckon around 11th. But this, on my opinion, is one of the better lists on the web.
This list is so stupid where is bucket head micheal angelo batio and jeff loomis and what about pat o’brein and chuck schuldiner this list makes no sense.
I’ve never heard of any of them… By the way, it is O’Brien. i don’t mean to be a know it all. That is my name and I don’t like people misspelling it.
OK who the hell is Slash. Decent list but Kieth Richards really way over rated. My two favorite’s are Duanne Allman and Dickie Bett’s. I had the privalage to see them live a few time’s and they would do aqoustic version’s of there song’s.
Bet Richards or this slash guy could not play a Dobro like Bett’s. Best song of all time ” Blue Sky”
You forgot possibly one of the greatest guitarists ever! ….. BRIAN MAY. The guitarist from Queen. He influenced the likes of Slash and Eddie van Halen not on his own obviously :L His guitar tone makes all Queen songs instantly identifiable. His guitar tone in general is literally fucking unbelievable. It’s easy to recreate Jimi Hendrix’s sound or Eric Clapton’s (I idolize Clapton like non other so Im not ripping him!) They use standard Fender’s and Gibson’s plugged through Marshall’s. But Brian May made his own guitar out of scrap lying about the house with his dad. He made an amp. He had custom effects made. Brian May in my eyes. Is a fucking ROCK GOD!
Where’s David Gilmour? Without him, this list sucks big time.
An o.k. list.Randy Rhoads is and always will be the greatest player to ever touch a guitar he belongs on number 1,friggin Slash,Kirk Hammet,Jerry Garcia,and the yahoo from avenged 7 fold are just average players swimming in a sea of other average players,they don’t belong on this list.we all have our own taste in music though.here’s mine-1.Randy Rhoads 2.Stevie Ray Vaughn 3.Gary Richrath 4.Eddie VanHalen 5.Vivian Campbell 6.Joe Satriani 7.Craig Goldy 8.George Lynch 9.Dime Bag Darrel 10.Mick Mars
Kirk Hammet is the most knowledgable guitar theory scholar of any of them. If anything he deserves higher!
Joe Joe, you know what you’re talking about, Rhoads and Stevie Ray are my two favourite. Nick, Kirk Hammett plays at a teen level using wah to cover his average playing, Randy Rhoads on the other hand learned to play by reading Violin music, and of all the guitarists I know, Randy’s scales, practical theory use, techniques and speed are the hardest to emulate, Stevie was just a boss. Enough said
The feelings mutual Robin,glad there’s Someone else out there rating players on talent and technique instead of hype and popularity.
To me my ears love Jimmy Page the most the guy drips with charisma and talent when he plays. All of Jimi Hendrix songs sound the same , no variety. I believe he is overated. When someone dies people always remember them better than they really were.
Hey weavermomo,
I agree with you. I have been listening to Jimmy Page almost every day for the past 30 years, and I never get tired of Zep’s music.
My ears also love and appreciate the tremendous talent of Michael Schenker….he is totally underated.
You’ve got it backwards weavermomo. Every Page song sounds the same. Not to mention almost all of Led Zeppelin I and II are plagiarized from other artists. Look it up. Yeah because All Along the Watchtower sounds like Little Wing, which sounds like Machine Gun, which sounds like Red House. Moron.
Lmfao, seriously? They missed Angus Young, Toni Iommi, David Gilmour, Eric Johnson, Jerry garcia, and of course, Tommy Chong!
Ritchie Blackmore anybody???????
Yep; when he was in the mood Ritchie ( The Man in Black ) Blackmore was stupendous
Unpredictable yes, but when ‘ switched on’, was fast, furious and could produce some awesome sounds like few others could…
How Mark Knopfler escaped all you dudes is beyond me. For shame.
WTF WHERE IS THE GUITARIST FROM CHICAGO (the band) AND WHERE IS JOE SATRIANI?
The late Terry Kath of the band Chicago belongs on any such list, way ahead of the likes of Keith Richard George Harrison and their ilk. Jimi Hendrix once told a member of Chicago that he felt he (Hendrix) wasn’t as good a player as Kath. I wonder if people who put these lists together are too young to have heard Kath or rejected the band because it was considered a horn band. But anyone unfamiliar with Terry Kath should sit down and listen to the band’s early albums. Listen to “25 or 6 to 4″ or any number of their songs. Kath was incredible. Check their film clips, too, especially when they played in Houston, their last show before Kath’s accidental death.
Where’s Slash??? Where Angus young??? This list sucks!!!
Maybe mot mainstream rock, but how ’bout Alex Lifeson?
1. Jimi Hendrix
2. Robert Johnson
The rest nowhere really
1.Hendrix
2.Eddie Van Halen
and so on and so fort
BTW: steve stevens of Billy IDOL is A HELL OF A PLAYER! He’s guitar solo at atomic playboys is a spine chilling ass whooping solo
How bout top 5 blues Guitarists
1. Buddy Guy
2. B.B. King
3. Gary Moore
4. Robert Johnson
5. Eric Clapton (better in rock context then blues context)
WTF, Carlos Santana should be the number 1 spot.
I like this list, i am looking for people to create lists on my site, create a list about anything you like
http://www.thetop10center.com/
check it out
cheers
HEY………………..have u listened to shawn lane…………KIRK & SLASH………………………….forget it !!!!!!!!!!!!I can’t even think of comparing wid shawn……………………………….
Eric or Jimi ? I really don’t know which one of them is no. 1 ? I like Jimi’s playing , but Eric is the master of solos ! nobody can play guitar , as beautiful as Eric !!!
so , mine is :
1- Eric Clapton
2- Jimi Hendrix
… – whoever !!! *
* : after Eric & Jimi , you can name whoever you want ! ’cause there isn’t any guitar player like them !!!
justi hear the Radomir Mihailović Točak,and i am sure that he will be on your first place…he is unntouchable
D
You people are kinda silly see Slash in comparison to all of these other guitarists is not very good at all, he does not belong in this list because he is not an influential guitarist. He uses the same old petatonic riffs which have been played for the last 50 years or so. …. Kirk Hammet? Why is he there? There is nothing great about his guitar playing, if it is the speed or aggression someone like malmsteen would be much better steve vai or joe satriani would mop the floor with him… I don’t think I could make a top ten because i would still be leaving names out but to name a few that should defs be there Uli Roth, Jimi Hendrix, Al di Meola, Jimmy page, Ritchie Blackmore, Rory Gallagher, Steve Howe (versatility),
MARK KNOPFLER NEEDS TO BE ON THAT LIST!
Decent list, here’s mine
1. Hendrix
2. Jimmy Page
3. Eddie Van Halen
4. Eric Clapton
5. Stevie Ray Vaughan
6. Chuck Berry
7. Pete Townshend
8. Slash
9. Keith Richards
10. George Harrison
Has anyone ever heard of Alvin Lee from Ten Years After??????
Just listen to his solo work on “I’d Love to Change the World”
Also, someone should mention Lindsey Buckingham. I don’t think Hendrix, Clapton or Page could play without a pick, using all his fingers. Maybe not top ten but, what he does on a guitar basically only classical guitar players do.
WTF, Carlos Santana should be at number 1, Keith Richards was good but not that good.
For ages I just didn’t get what was so great about Hendrix. That was really because I didn’t know enough about his life and to appreciate really how far ahead of his time he was. Since then I’ve listened to more of his work with a more appreciative ear.
I would have put Page higher though
What happen no Angus Young
Agree!!!
Angus plays basically the same thing every song- has got the market cornered for clangy riff-oriented songs but lacks versatility compared to others ( ps I like ACDC but it is all the same with them )….they have not progressed in thirty years musically speaking….
You can have who ever you want in top 3 of all time i dont care, but Jeff Beck has to be top 3 – he’s the most talented, ORIGINAL (in terms of the sounds he can create) and coolest. END OF.
WTF keith Richards and Kirk hammet are soooo in my opinion
1. Jimmy page
2.Alvin lee
3.Jeff beck
4.jimi hendrix
5. Eric Clapton
6.George Harrison
7. David gilmoure
8.Duane allman
9. Jonny greenwood
10. Jack white
dan says is about the best list ive seen.maybe the order could be changed a bit but with the people there one spot or another dosent change the fact he did get the players right good job
Okay. This list is very subjective. I agree with most of these people and all are good but not the best. Hendrix obviously deserves his spot on number one. Van Halen deserves to be on there. There is one guy missing though and we all know him. There are some serious Slash haters but far fewer than lovers. Obviously if a website can be spamed with people wanting Slash then he obviously doesn’t suck and he deserves to be on it so I ask… Where is he?
I am not a guitarist so can’t claim ‘superior knowledge’ over anyone here, but it was tedious for me to watch Van Halens solo, yeah it was probably flawless and wildly creative in terms of techical proficiency but man it just didnt have the soul that other guitarists profess effortlessly.
But seriously fuck Slash
I liked the list, surely its the role of a guitarist to complement the band (whichever it may be) a one man show is never as good as a collective, and if you we’re to look at Keith Richard’s massive catalogue of songs you can’t deny he’s a masterful songwriter and exquisite guitar player.
Jimi and Jimmy are the masters for truly making their guitars sing (before them a whole host of jazz and blues guitarists did this, but they’ll go unnotticed because of their time and lack of commercial acclaim) just shredding the fretboard away is boring and will only turn on other guitarists, not the masses
WHERE’S SLASH??? THIS IS THE GAYEST LIST EVER.
I am not very familiar to history of music but just by listening all the majors artist are mentioned above i would say that JOE SATRIANI is a unique master talent and grant expert!I would agree as well that Hendrix had a unique melodic sound rythm and talent.Steve Vai is a great talent as well.As far as Slash and others are mentioned i think they are great guitarists but they have pretty much the same style and can’t compare to so huge artists like the others above..they just got famous through the success of their band!I would for sure add though David Gilmour for the unique crystal sound and brilliance in his plays!
Finaly i think a top 10 list is too short, it should be at least a top 20 or more because is really hard to determine who is better..there are so many different aspects someone has to take in mind that some aren’t equal for all, like the different decades they took action and as a result the influence and initiatives they made in music..so i think the greatest guitarist has to be considered as how talented and capable is in performance with the guitar such as Satriani is, that can perform in many different styles, in a great rythm and as someone mentioned before it has to be considered many aspects as:
“How long? How melodious? How encompassing? How inimitable? How emotional? How does it match the pitch of the singer? Does it take me on a winding melodious journey of sheer wonderment and awe? How could such a limited instrument make such a sound? How much of the fretboard is being used? How many of the fingers are being used? How much bending of individual and/ multiple strings is being made? How much of speed, endurance, and effortlessness is being used. Alvin Lee’s hand would just be a blur in his hey days. Then of course you consider the gadgetry and other effects. How close to the studio version can the guitarist get out of his instrument? These are some of the questions one has to ask themselves.”
So according to all these maybe is really hard to determine who is the best of all time, that so i would suggest to make a list of mabe 50 top guitarists and group them in 10ths or if this is hard then groups of 20s up to 100 but without telling who are better than the others as individuals.That so we could great 5 such groups but trying to avoid popularity but take in mind skills!Who is gonna start the research?
Oh god, you guys and your slash this and slash that. He’s very, very good. Maybe great. But, in no freakin’ way is he top 10 of all time. Maybe top 25.
He’s a product of being influenced by many great guitarists.
One of the better lists I’ve seen. No one will every 100% agree with anyones list, but yours sir, is about as ood as they come. There’s a few guys on it i wasn’t so sure about, but did some of my own research, and they are suitable.
I do have two issues.
As with all ists, this is very subjective. There are so many things to compare.. skill, shredding, technique, innovation, influence, longevity, solos, etc, etc, etc.
Hammett is no top 10. His early stuff is great, if he kicked it after the black album I could see it, but he’s tailed off. You need constant excellence to make my top 10.
For the life of me, i can’t see how keith flippin’ richard’s makes this list. Ok, longevity and member of an epic band. Side-by-side against George Harrison… tough to have richards come on top in ant guitarist attribute. Ballsy call having him, though.
The surveys are very interesting indeed. The lists however leave the majority of blues guitarists out. Nearly all supergroups of the 60s borrowed heavily from blues: Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Jimmy Page from the Yardbirds played a lot of blues songs (Rock My Plimsoul, Spoonful, You Shook Me respectively). Alvin Lee of Ten Years After and Johnny Winter did “Good Morning Little School Girl.” Rock guitarists Jimi Hendrix, Rory Gallagher, Roy Buchanan, Robin Trower, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Johnny Winter, and to a large extent Eric Clapton are more “bluesy ” than “rocky.” Blues guitarists BB King, Buddy Guy, Elmore James, T-Bone Walker , Willie Dixon, Freddy King, Guitar Shorty, John Lee Hooker, Joe Bonamassa, Sy Klopps, (to name a few,) should be thrown into the mix.
The other consideration we have to make is the complexity or level of difficulty of playing. Jimi Hendrix, Roy Buchanan, Rory Gallagher, Frank Zappa, John McLoughlin, Carlos Santana, Jan Akkerman, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Harvey Mandel, and of course renowned blues and jazz guitarists should be included. How long? How melodious? How encompassing? How inimitable? How emotional? How does it match the pitch of the singer? Does it take me on a winding melodious journey of sheer wonderment and awe? How could such a limited instrument make such a sound? How much of the fretboard is being used? How many of the fingers are being used? How much bending of individual and/ multiple strings is being made? How much of speed, endurance, and effortlessness is being used. Alvin Lee’s hand would just be a blur in his hey days. Then of course you consider the gadgetry and other effects. How close to the studio version can the guitarist get out of his instrument? These are some of the questions one has to ask themselves.
I feel like the top 100s are based on popularity as opposed to extraordinary skill. Pete Townsend said that the Beatles popularized rock, and Jimi Hendrix made the guitar a formidable instrument. Put simply, he made the guitar do things it was never meant to do. Do not forget that he was the closing act at all three legendary festivals of all time: Monterey (1967), Woodstock (1969), and Isle of Wight (1970).
The most amazing guitar solo of all time is “Star Spangled Banner” Hendrix played at Woodstock. Voodoo Chile’s solo is the most scintillating more so because it duets so well with Steve Winwood’s organ. Listen to the solo Catfish Blue (Live). Other solos to consider are:
Hey Joe – Roy Buchanan
Messing With The Kid, Million Miles Away – Rory Gallagher
Going Down – Freddi King
Let My Guitar Do The Talking – Guitar Shorty
I’m So Glad – Eric Clapton (with Cream)
We Used To Know – Jethro Tull
Little Bit Of Sympathy – Robin Trower
uhhh where is tom morrello. u know he did a solo for bullet in the head by tapping his amp chord to his guitar right?
THAT IS A FKIN JOKE..EVERY PERSON WITH A FKIN BRAIN KNOWS THAT SLASH SHOULD BE THERE
HE IS THE FKIN BEST!!!!!!!!
this is joke list !!
reallity list:
1.gilmour
2.clapton
3.jeff beck
4.hendrix
5.jimmy page
.
.
.
10000. kirk hammet …
amen!!! Kirk fu**ing who??
miss u hendrix…………………..
Snake Sabo from Skid Row blows them all away except Eddie VH !!!!!!!!!!!
OK ONE QUESTION
WHERE THE F**K IS SLASH??????????????? HE SHOULD AT LEAST SECOND
No Slash??!! What’s wrong with some people.. deary me!!
No Satriani either is a bit of a shocker.
I know a lot wil disagree, but I would place Knopfler in a top 10 guitarists for his unique style, and technical ability, but that’s just me.
I saw that giutar player from Skid Row live in concert years ago, he was F’n amazing !!!!!!!!!!! way underated = everyones going by what the critics say
I wholly agree with you……. I mean there’s no mention of David Gilmour or Slash or Satriani or even Knopfler………. that’s f*******g sad …….. !!!
This list is terrible……………..
Four picks I didn’t get. You know who you are. I agree about Slash. He should be in everybodies top ten. But just for considerstion, Johnny Winter in the early 70′s was groundbreaking. And how many metalheads vote for Glen Tipton. And Alvin Lee was mentioned. Fun to groove on but he’s a little sloppy for this list. This is all very cool!
The top 10 list is what the makers of the list thinks but there not facts…..but this list does have a fact…………Jimi Hendrix is #1
Good point. Also, if anyone has beef with this list, take a look at Rolling Stone mag’s top 100 – Slash doesnt even make that, and Van Halen is 70 something!!!! lol
not sure if that was in order, just named
How made up all this bullshit ? To start off, to include Kirk Hammet in the list is just to realize that the person who made this list has his head full of shit… My God, where the f**k is Joe Satriani, Steve Vay, Yngwie Malmsteen? So we should say Kirk Hammet, Joe’s worst student of all times is in this list and these other masters are off. F**k off this “full of shit” list and go learn play some guitar yourself. Idiot.
Ha ha ha…… thats really nice ………
I love Joe Satriani, Steve Vay & Yngwie Malmsteen for their talent and art of playing guitar but it doesn’t mean that Joe’s statement about Kirk Hammet is true.I mean go and “learn play some guitar yourself” till you understand how hard is it to play like Kirk do.
And His Majesty Les Paul, RIP, for sure.
What about the sound wizards as Brian May and Gary Moore (RIP)
rhoads?
hey………sucked….wheres marty friedman….jayson beker???hey,what the hell are you doing guys????
Great list for sure, Jimi always seems to make it to the top.
Maybe add Tim Reynolds though? Also Steve Vai and John Petrucci. Tim Reynolds – “Betrayal” should persuade you to put him on this list, even though he might not have the history of these other guitarists.
Guys and girls Matt belamy of muse is the greatest singer to ever live and one of the best guitarist
Wat no Synyster Gates!!! & No Slash also!!! I AM SHOCKED!!! O.o
Their both amazing guitairst!!!
SPEACIALLY SYN!!!
i agree with you Bianca, Both of them are one of my favorite guitarist EVER!!!!
Slash is good but not good enough for the top ten
Dumb list, no Buckethead or Steve Vai oO.
Where is Joe Satriani on your list?
Alex Lifeson….???
Great list> I would definetely have Randy up there. I always heard Page was sloppy but one of my favorites. How about doing a list od greatest lead singers of Rock. Here’s mine
Greatest lead singers:
1. Robert Plant
2.Freddie Mercury
3. Ronnie James Dio
4. Steve Perry
5. Steven Tyler
6.Roger Daltrey
7.Jim Morrison
8.David Lee Roth
9. Lou Graham
10. Ozzy Osborne
What do you think?
Paul rodgers?
John Lennon?
dude what about , joey tempest???axel rose???
You mean AXL right?
Why is Gilmour not on this list?! That pisses me off like no other! He needs to be #3! (Chet Atkins should be #2)
Amen brother!
The guy from Metallica couldn’t string Gilmore’s guitar!
are you kidding kirk would tear his shit up with one hand he has an advantange too have to seen how long his fingers are he could cut his to the second kuckle and still shred more then gilmore!
Ya, I see your point……….. maybe you should do a bit of ground work on Gilmour before you start comparing him with the others (Specially with shit loads like Kirk)……….
Keith Richards is great, but not the top ten. I would rank Santana higher, and would definitely make room for Les Paul!
Satriani and Vai are not on this list? Are you completely stoned? This list is a complete fail. Moron.
Thanks for the lovely comment Jack
No Top 10 list is going to please everyone buddy, this is my list and if you don’t like it, you can take off your pants and Jack-it!
NO WAY! Synyster Gates should be on this list.
he’s really good. i love him, sean morrow greatest fan…………. whoooooo i love him sooooooooooo much.
where is slash??? he deserve in rank # 1
Slash is not #1. He is not close to #1. He is technically a “good” guitarist but he is far from a legend or a great. Jimi is #1. He is an immortal and untouched by the rest.
theres no doubt about hendrix possition,cuz his the best of all the best no one har better than him…,nd i hope someday tom morelo of “rage against the machine” could place in your top ten,i know that you know that he has the guts of what all time top ten are looking for.He has the originality.i thank you bwahahaha****keep rock’n son of prince of darkness*** yhun iris
Slash is only 2nd to eddie van halen.. jimmy is a God. Eddie is a Demi God and Slash has more year’s to come
ALVIN LEE!!!!!!!!!
where is the best guitarist slash??????????????????????
Were is Angus Young, Slash and Joe Satriani?
satriani must have done something wrong if he taught kirk and kirk passed him up
I have a Drum kit and play…….. and use to play guitar but i found it a bit hard.
Amyway i am 7years old. I have 1 Brother and mum & Dad. I like playing sports, games and TV.
anyway Reply soon………………………………………
keep going jimmy!!!!!!! and Eddie Van Halen……..
where’s Mike Mccready and Tomerello
Also, not a whole lot to do with this particular list, but if any serious guitarists want to check out some amazing guitar playing, check out Django Reinhardt on youtube. Holy Shit can that guy play! Him and Angelo DeBarre just make me go nuts.
Great .. and they are the top 10 in my opinion. All the others that came after them copied these people and nobody would ever have heard of them if it wasn’t for these top ten to show them how its done.
Couldn’t agree more.
Where is synyster gates from a7x….dude is a beast on the guitar
Slash, Angues Young, George Harrison.
And Nobody has mentioned Brian May?
Where is the guitarist from dragonforce, herman li, he is one of the fastest in the world and jimi hendrix cant even play compared to eddie van halen or herman li or even kirk hammet.
yeah that’s right, and ive’d even wondering if he might be the top one of all…..
just take a look at this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jgrCKhxE1s…... you wil not refrain from choosing this…
I agree with u jack, Herman Li is the fastest ever. and also i think Kirk Hammett deserves a rank below #5. he is going to be first very soon.
herman li might be fast but in his real concerts he sloppy as hell i wouldnt say fastest ever
OMG WHERE IS DAVID GILMOUR??????
First off, Jimmy Page is the best guitarist ever. He should be number one. And WHERE THE HELL IS RANDY RHOADS IN ALL OF THIS?
#5??? With all due respect to Mr. Clapton and the rest, Jimmy Page was, is, and always will be the absolute best! Flamboyance has nothing to do with playing a guitar so Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page should trade numbers on this list!
we have so many guitarists around the world.some of them are great,among those greats,some are super great! but they are much more than 10! and all the lists about “greatest guitarist of all time” are just the writer/s opinion and music taste. jimi hendrix is always at the top? why? because he died young when he was a star. just that. if he was alive untill now,he surely wouldn’t make it to the top. To me,it’s not important who is topper in the list and who is way down. who is in and who’s not important. your list is kinda weired. e.g: kirk hammet is in the list, but joe satriani, his teacher is not. also yngwie malmsteen, my fav. steve vai should never be in any lists! he really sucks! the most stupidest thing I saw in the list was eric clapton at 2#! Top 10 ROCK guitarists?? right? clapton’s bluesy style has made him infamous, not rock….nobody rock and rolls with his rock music. Many are missed.concludingly, i say yngwie malmsteen must be in the list, but that’s just my opinion and i’m not the writer. that’s it!
I agree with that first part, but I would make a case that although Jimi shouldn’t be ranked number one as often as he is, he stills scores high in the innovation aspect- an area largely used to determine the greatest in anything. What he did concerning electronics and distortions, the experimenting he went through, has changed the guitar in more ways than almost any other guitarist. I would say he is ranked that high consistently not solely based on skill, which would lower his ranking in my opinion, but by sheer influence; he is not just placed there because he died at the peak of his career. As for Eric Clapton, understand this, rock and roll was formed from the blues. Guitarists have modernized rock by omitting many of the blues elements, but the reality still stands that when rock was formed in the 50′s it was based largely on the blues. Clapton’s prime in the 60′s was not too far off from the original roots of rock. Also take a look at the other top guitarists; Hendrix- Blues based psychedelic rock, Allman- southern blues/rock, Paige- Led Zeppelin was a blues based rock band, Beck- another guitarist with blues elements in his rock songs, Ray Vaughan- southern blues, Santana- found playing the blues often, Richards- The Stones were another blues based rock band. To discredit Clapton because of his heavy blues style is to discredit the essence of rock and many of its leaders.
John Frusciante!!!!
Good call Brian, John Frusciante is one of my personal favourites. Love the Peppers and John rocks, was most upset to hear he had left the band a while back. I really wish there was room for him in this Top 10 Guitarists list!
John Frusciante is the best
What about Paul Gilbert, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, John Petrucci, Yngwie Malmsteen?
God help you all if you don’t think Kurt Cobain belongs on tis list.
You think Kurt Cobain was one of the top 10 rock guitarists of all time? I think you’re dreaming, he was a great muso, but certainly not a GREAT guitarist.
Kurt Cobain is the GREATEST guitarist. Done.
Kurt Cobain’s use of the grunge guitar style is the only reason someone could consider him one of the great guitarist of all time. For rock as a whole, grunge has had very little major significance, and compared to some of the greats mentioned above and by people commenting, he lacks drastically in overall skill. Since the greatest guitarists are based on both influence and technique, Kurt Cobain falls short of the top 10.
he can write good but cant shred like everyone on this list
ONE OF THE BEST SINGER/SONGWRITERS EVER, BUT HE WAS A TERRIBLE GUITARIST.
I love Nirvana and that whole early/mid 90s scene, but truth be told, Cobain wasn’t even the best guitarist in his band, and it was a three-piece!
Great songwriter, it’s a shame about his murder.
where’s black sabbath Tony Iommoi
Slash is obviously missing in this compilation of the Ten Greatest Guitarists of All Time,that’s for sure!
TWO NAMES MARK KNOPFLER AND RORY GALLAGHER – THIS LIST IS A JOKE WITHOUT THEM – SERIOUSLY HAMMETT.. WTF????? YOUTUBE GALLAGHER… YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THIS LIST!! DIDNT STICK YOUR NECK OUT ANYWHERE – KNOPFLER IS ONE OF THE GREATEST GUITARISTS AND MUSICAL BRAINS OF ALL TIMES…. CHECK SULTANS OF SWING MANDELA CONCERT IF YOU NEED TO BE CONVINCED
yeah hammet give it about a year or two hell be under number 5
I think that this is a very good list and of course this is all a matter of opinion, there is no way that what this guy puts is going to make everybody happy. Having said that, here is my two cents: Hammet, Richards and Van Halen are all good, but I would not put them on my list (I know that Van Halen is amazing, but he and his brother are the only people with talent in their band so I have less respect for them). My list would be something like this:
1. Clapton
2. Hendrix
3. Page
4. Beck
5. Knopfler
6. BB King
7. Stevie Ray Vaughan
8.Gilmore
9.Santana
10. Duane Allman
With honourable mentions to Steve Howe (Yes), Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), Randy Rhoads (Ozzy Osborne), Pete Townshend (The Who), George Harrison (duh) and many others.
I can definitely respect this list. Obviously, everyone will have differing opinions, but I can say that this is well reasoned list with great honorable mentions as well.
Rockin’ list out of all of them – Honorable Mention: Robbie Robertson, he could hold his own.
slash….?
Wow. You are a wild lunatic! Eric Clapton gave me a laugh though.
All of these greats should be on a list of the top 50 or 100 , but not in the order they are in this list…. so many really greats are not here, who should be… Tom Morello, Stevie Vai, ritchie blackmore, kenny wayne shepperd, ok clapton, and hendrix great stars, and muscians, but they are on this top ten for who they are, and one being deceased because he was great in his heyday… but come on, you cant be a great musician because you were famous 40 years ago, there have been many new comers, who have prefected their art, way way better than some of the older ones on this top ten list…. I agree Santana needs to be here, but Beck, Hendrix, and clapton while they need to be in the top 50 maybe, but not the top 10… nobody plays like vanhalen… if the dude played with his back away form audiance to keep people from steeling his frts. they guy is onto something.. he deserves to share the number one spot with many… at least a dozen should have the number one slot… some play equally as well, only with a dif style.
you cant be determined to be great only because you are or were a great showman….. I like eye candy as much as the next person, but what I like better is the guitarist who is not all about show but about originallity and technic, and lives it breathes it, … actually Edge from U2 is a great guitarist, he has a technic all his own as well… too many to name 1 thru 10.. so many need to share those numbers
TYPE IN GREATEST GUITARISTS in your search engine, you will find the lists to be different…. least we forget Joe Walsh also… there are so many….
hammet is still always 5 or lower on all the other list ive seen
I’m pretty sure Slash should be on the list. Along with John Fogerty
Joe Satriani Should Be on This List
Did you ever hear about a guy named George…exactly George Harrison? He played in a band named The Beatles…you’re ridiculous without his name here.
right on bro! The beatles are my favorite band.
GREAT BUT COME ON YA MISSED SOME, ERIC CLAPTON AND EDDIE VAN HALEN TRADE SPOTS, HENDRIX STAYS FIRST. JIMMY PAIGE HAS GOTTA BE FOURTH THEN SLASH AND NIKKI SIX. BUT I GOTTA ADMIT THE POPULARITY OF THE BAND HELPS. THATS MY INPUT. IM A FANATIC.
SERIOUSLY
SORRY FORGOT ANGUS YOUNG. AC/DC
YALL R CRAZY…… SATRIANI ** NO
I agree with several of you that Gilmour and Slash are desperately missing. I think this top ten is as close to perfect as it comes. With that being said, Prince?
where is slash???? the list is incomplete without him…
List is great, Only one missing is Randy Rhodes. Love Clapton!
Steve Howe has to be there, Gilmour too, and Satriani.
Richards, Santana, Hammett, Vaughn? Not a chance!
I agree Im watching an Asia show on TV right now, and Steve Howe is definetly one of the top ten guitarists… way more creative than Santana, Richards, Hammett.
AGREED EXCEPT FOR SANTANA
are you joking hammet vaughn and santana your crazy to say not a hance to them im just about positive steve howe doesnt have a statue just for being able to shred like vaugh and ill bet the hammet and santana will too!
David Gilmour
Frank Zappa…. i mean holy freak c’mon seriously…… does anyone here know anything…?
Why dont we put on the list Paco de Lucia instead of Santana? I guess he is able to play
smoke on the water or stairway to heaven.
where in hell is Slash
um…where the F**K is synyster gates?
are you kidding?!?! don’t be sacrilegious, we talk about guitar legends and you talk about this “nothing” guitarist?!
I would have rather seen Pete Townshend than Keith Richards or Eric Clapton. What about Dimebag instead of Kirk Hammett? At least they have Hendrix where he rightfully belongs at the top.
because hammet isnt near as sloppy as dime bag
Dave Mustaine is a lot better than Kirk Hammett! Also David Gilmour should be on it.
There are the few who take an instrument to places not heard before… that’s Eddie and Jimi. The rest are also-rans, imo. A fine list tho, nice work.
Satriani.
Mick Mars??? Damn these guys are dumb.
I think you did a really great job, especially compared to that joke list Rolling Stone put out. I hate to see grown men act like they are in highs school though! He only had 10 spots so of course certain great players are going to be left off. I personally would of put the two most innovative players in history 1 and two so that would of meant moving Vanhalen to the 2 spot. I am also bewildered about this solo crap as Ed like Hendrix is one of the greatest rhythm players ever ,and no he is not my favorite player. To be honest Danny Gatton would be in my top ten and Jerry Garcia had no chops at all and played out of tune half the time, so lets get real.
c’mon give me a break all u fools that wanna put slash and cobain up there pleeeeeease…i think beck is a good choice but lacks the starpower that the others have..
…randy rhoads…malmsteen…knopfler should also be considered
Good list but stopped taking it seriously when I saw David Gilmour was omitted.
Keith richards, Stevie ray vaughn, kirk hammet, not in the class A, they belong to class B.
Ritchie Blackmore, pete townshend, Frank Zappa, Robbie krieger, Steve vai, Joe satraini, Dave gilmour, jerry garcia, Frank Marinho and Steve Howe are in the same class A.
maybe richards not vaugh or hammett
david gilmour……end of story
This list is a Joke. Keith Richards and Jeff Beck? They are average players.
Ritchie Blackmore should be on ths list behind Jimi Hendrix (Overated but yeah inovative)
Ritchie Blackmore created 2 Greatest Rock Band in the History of Rock and Roll – Deep Purple and Rainbow. You will hear his influence everytime you listen to Yngwie Malmsteen, Joe Stump or any shred guitar music. He is not as fast as these new mucians but he is the founder of Neo Classical. His Guitar solo and riff are clear and solid, he is not a fan of heavy effects to impress his listeners. Now, when most of the players listed here slows down with age, Ritchie is still playing, its acoustic but still inspired to do it everyday.
where the hell is MR. Satriani the god of all also u r missing MR. Vai, Steve Howe etc etc..
Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmasteen, Steve Vai and Slash… Kirk Hammet was only the student, Satch is the master
the student surpassed the teacher look at chickenfoot and look a metallica whos further even the names let you know whos better
SLASH & ANGUS YOUNG THEY SHOULD BE ON DE LIST AND U FORGOT kurt cobain he is nirvanas guitarist
good list of guitarists but where is Gary Moore!
Pretty cool list, but I must say you forgot about Slash!!
one of the best guitarists of all time.
and also paul mccartney, steve vai, orianthi they are also good.
jimmy herring yo, enough said.
Does anybody know that a certain Mr. Joe Satriani is still called the God of Guitar? I’m disappointed not to see his name in the rankings and even nobody has mentioned it!!!!!
I sure think he deserves a place out there along with the others.
WHAT ABOUT ANGUS YOUNG AND SLASH
Good choices but I believe Allen Collins and Gary Rossington should be on that list.
Where’s Kevin Jonas?
get the f$#k out
Where is Alex Lifeson?
nobody has even mentioned MICHAEL PAGET lead guitarist of bullet for my valentine. i mean what he plays and the speed in which he does is something special
HEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
don’t forget Jerry Horton!!!
There are many great guitarist , it’s just like race car drivers who win contest, the maker or inventor of those cars couldn;t win a race, it’s the drivers, and I think just because someone like Hendrix,Clapton,Page,Santana invented a kind of rock style and sound, that does not make them the best guitarist of all time.
Keith Richards isn’t even top 100 quailty, Santana doesn’t have great hands and he makes a lot of mistakes and couldn’t take on the top 90 in the world if he tried,and even Hendrix couldn’t beat the top guitar guys today.
I don’t care for rock blues guitarist GW Williams who everyone is taking about his,Electric Rock Guitarist song or Acoustic Guitar Rock N Roll Blast Off, big deal he may be great but is he a real guitar hero?
I want to hear something new.
Guitarist are not inventive anymore and we live in the past with old guitar hero’s
J Mascis???
While I must admit that to try and pick the top 10 is going to be met with a great amount of opinions from fans, Randy Rhoads should have been on this list. Although his career did not span most on the list he was a brilliant composer and an incredible musician who’s solo’s would bring tears to ones eyes and riffs are timelessly memorable. Scotty….. Randy should have definitely made this list.
You missed many fine artists. Your top-ten are great, but not all THE greatest. If the list doesn’t include David Gilmour near the top, then you know you’ve made at least one glaring error, and probably several more. Consider those who are STILL with us, STILL making their own unique and quality music (and top sales), and have been doing so for many, many decades. Consider too, those who are continually becoming rediscovered by generation after generation. Yes, I’m certain Gilmour belongs near the top!
Great input Jimmy, we all have our opinions and I fully appreciate yours. Gilmore is certainly one of the greatest guitarists of all time and I wish there was more room on the list to include him!
I’d put Steve Howe at #1. His style is a mixture of rock, jazz, funk, rockabilly. just unimatatable. Hendrix # 2,. Jeff Beck #3. Van Halen #4. Jimmy Page # 5 . Carlos Santana #6. Duane Allman #7. Clapton #8. Frank Zappa #9. Dickey Betts #10. I’d drop Keith Richards off the list. Hell he can’t even tune his guitar, everything he did is in open G. Drop SRV off the list for being a glorified blues player,
bet stevie could shred what you play better than you
..where’s petrucci and paul gilbert both are awsome..
SLASH??!!
Slash doesn’t belong anywhere near the top 10 if you ask me. And EVH should be below Page and Allman, because they’re known for more than solos and they’re much more influential.
Hendrix basically defines the electric guitar and what you can do with it, so there’s no surprise he’s Number 1.
Other than that, awesome job!
Thanks for your input Chuckles, I like your style
Van Halen #3, better than Duane Allman??? Come-on you’ve got to be kidding.
Got to be happy they both made it onto the list haven’t you Sky
OK, Im just wondering who you people think is better overall: Eddie Van Halen or Slash?
Page and EVH should switch, because he’s known for more than just solos. Other than that, great list!
Where is SLASH???????????????
Not sure where Slash is mate, but wherever he is, I reckon he would be cranking out some great tunes and having a blast!!
Hey Scotty, great list! Being a guitar fanatic of all kinds…rock, blues, jazz, country, metal, my list would be as follows: #1) EVH #2) Jimi #3) SRV #4) clapton #5) Page #6) Yngwie #7) Hammett #8) Angelo #9) Satch #10) Allman…with so many greats, it’s tough to please everyone! But, I can’t see anyone touching EVH combining speed, technique, invention, musical talents, rythem, & kick-ass rifs! I can’t wait for your “top 50″!!!!!
Hey Chris
Sounds like you are into music as much as me, glad you liked the list mate. I know what you mean about Eddie, but it’s damn hard leaving Jimi off the #1 position for any type of top guitar list. The top 50 might take a while mate, but I will see what I can do.
Rock On – Scotty
Where the deep hell is mr Gilmour!?
Did ou ever know Comfortably Numb?
Some great responses and top guitarists everyone. Maybe we need to make a top 50 list of rock guitarists to get them all in there hey! Keep giving me your favourites and we will see what we can do with a top 50 list
Rock On!
Scotty
Just found your article and must agree Jimi is # 1 but kinda disappointed Angus Young didn’t make the top 10. In concert he certainly rocks his audiences with sheer energy, professionalism and showmanship. You can rock me anytime, Angus baby. Then Brian can lul me to sleep and Phil can rouse me in the morning. Yowwwww!!!
Great list Scotty,
Big fan of Rhoads, Vai and Satch but you can’t pick them all. Personally, i’d rate EVH (David Lee Roth days) ahead of Clapton, the man is an absolute genius, in ’77 he took rock guitar by the scruff of the neck and launched it into a whole new stratosphere, one which has often been imitated but never bettered in the 30 years since. As good as Brian May is (AND HE IS DAMN GOOD), EVH absolutely blew him away and made him sound second rate on the album “Star Fleet”. Jimi will always be No 1.
STEVE
WHAT ABOUT RANDY THOUGH. LISTEN TO HIS SOLOS!!!
where’s Yngwie malmsteen & Steve Vai
Hey Joe, (pardon the pun!)
they certainly both rock…but they are not on this list
Scotty
there to cocky
Here are two that no one mentioned that surely should at least be considered.
Theodore Anthony Nugent
Billy Gibbons
Where is Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Janick Gers? Up the irons!!
This list contains some incredible guitarists but you forgot to include arguably the best of them all…..Brian May who played with arguably the best band ever…..Queen!
Hi Mav,
I can’t disagree with you there mate, Brian May rocks and I love Queen. I put this list together from research I had done on and offline, so basically, I put all the stats together and made a list from that. I don’t totally agree with it, but as you say, there are some incredible guitarists there. There are probably 100 or more that would qualify for top 10 guitarists, but there’s just no way to get everyone in unfortunately.
Scotty
Good list but you missed 3 of the founders, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, and Scotty Moore. without these 3 your list is not complete, because without these guys there would be no Rock & Roll.
Hi Craig,
Believe me, I would have loved to include about 50 guitarists in that list including the 3 you mentioned. Unfortunately there was just not enough room!
I appreciate your input.
Scotty
got some great guitar players in there boss. but i would have put some guys like satch and vai in there. but cool list anyway!
unfortunately this list is flawed and cliched. While the artists are outstanding in their own right and any top-10 will receive criticism, kirk Hamlett and Kieth Richards shouldn’t even smell this list. Hendrix and were better writers than musicians (page was a rift writing fool) both were sloppy in concert, however I agree with Stevie and Duane, Those were great selections! Your missing Zappa, Harrison, Haynes, Gatton, Buchanan, Davies, Townshend, Wood, Lifeson, Garcia just to name a few.
What about Peter Frampton?
How come Kirk Hammett is on the list? He does not even belong to top 50 if you ask me.
be sure that no one will ask your idea bro.
)
hammet should be lower than 5th bet he can shred better than you metallica wouldnt have gotten near as far without hammet
Pretty cool post. I just found your blog and wanted to say
that I have really enjoyed browsing your posts. Any way
I’ll be subscribing to your blog and I hope you write again soon!
Mike Campbell
Ma and my dad were just looking at the ROLLING STONE top 100 and my dad was laughing the whole time…we came to your list and he says to me “now this is a guy that knows him music!” GOOD JOB!
My top 10 would have to include Hank Marvin & Mark Knopfler.
Where is Slash!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Hey – Where’s Slash?!!
Hey where da hell is Yngwie Malmsteen……if he ain’t there dis is Just bullshit………………..
@ Tom Hel….Thanks for the comment. I would definitely include Peter Green from Fleetwood Mac, if I was doing a story on the Top 50 guitarists:-)
Eddie crap van Halen and no Peter Green Have you listen to real guitarplayers?
eddie can shred you must be def to think he cant
Great comments guys….
@Mohib: I would have been happy to include Chuck Berry if I was writing about blues guitarists…but, as this post is not about blues guitarists..I fail to see where you are coming from:-)
@taktu: I agree, Kirk does look a bit girly, however he does rip on lead guitar:-)
LOL. EVH above Jimmy Page and Duane Allman. No Chuck Berry? You, sir, have a crappy list.
how did that hammet chick make the list?
cause HE is insane
Fantastic Scotty
When are you doing the top 100
Russel
Russel Gray’s last blog post..Mortgage
what a great trip down memory lane…love all the collection of top Rock Guitarists Of All Time. Thanks:)
Lisa
Randy Rhoads
Another great collection you have here Scotty, you sure are passionate about and know your music and guitar’s. Looking forward to the next story post.
Allen Sentance
Fisherman
Allen Sentance (FISHERMAN)’s last blog post..Create Empowering Habits
Warren Haynes should be on this list!
WTF Kirk Hemmett r u serious he’s not close to creative he suck you should have put Dave Mustaine he’s 1000x better than some sold out player
Joni is the best. Ashkan spoke blasphomy. If Hendrix lived longer he would have increased his
legacy. Gilmour should be up there also.
mustain sucks compared to hammet listen to the kill em all album then the master of puppets album master sounds about 1000x better
Robin Trower ????? Why hasn’t anyone mentioned him ?????
Every one has mentioned a lot awesome musicians and i agree with everyone on here that there are a lot of Guitarist that are awesome. Some one will always be better than the other especially as technology increases with each era. I like to listen to the ” American Horse” Album by Micki Free which he has Cindy Blackmon on the the Drums, and David Santos on the Bass. On this Cd he redid Jimi Hendrix song “Hey Baby / New Rising Sun” and “Voodoo Chile”. Now I’m not an music expert but this Cd sounds awesome Cranked up coming out of my tower 15″ Cerwin Vegas and my Cerwin Vega Subwoofer! Just saying!!! I grew up listening to Jazz fusion, smooth jazz, funk, R&B, Gospel and Hip Hop. Then I was introduced to Jimi Hendrix and I never heard so much feeling put in to rock/blues music. I new what the difference was from other music, You cant reproduce soul. This Brotha had a soul that is and was not in the the average rock songs that were played on the radio in the 80′s and 90′s. If you are looking or curious about that Micki Free Cd I order mine from Amazon .com. Here is also his new new blues rock song I found on you tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBGH9cY4ytQ&feature=g-all-fbc&context=G2dd1158FAAAAAAAAJAA
Enjoy!!!