200 greatest guitarists in rock (electronic, blues, funk, metal, single)

boo boo · 07-04-2008, 10:27 AM

So I've been bored as crap, and after reading that awful Rolling Stone list from last month I came up with an idea for my blog.

So heres this list I've been working on for like a week, which is a list of what I consider the greatest guitarists of all time, tried to be objective as much as possible (though it's still biased) by representing every genre and era. You can tell me what you think of it, though I dont intent on changing it much. Criteria: Impact, Influence, Skill, Popularity, Creativity, Originality.

The 200 greatest guitarists in rock

1. Jimi Hendrix (Jimi Hendrix Experience, Band of Gypsys)
2. Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen)
3. Jeff Beck ( The Yardbirds, The Jeff Beck Group, session work, solo)
4. Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin, The Yardbirds, The Firm, session work, solo)
5. Eric Clapton (Cream, Derek & The Dominos, The Yardbirds, John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, solo)
6. Chuck Berry (solo)
7. Pete Townshend (The Who, solo)
8. Scotty Moore (Elvis Presley)
9. Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple, Rainbow, Blackmores Night)
10. Duane Allman (Allman Brothers Band, Derek & The Dominos, session work)
11. Bo Diddley (solo)
12. Robert Fripp (King Crimson, Fripp & Eno, Giles Giles & Fripp, session work)
13. Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath)
14. Carlos Santana (Santana)
15. Steve Cropper (Booker T & The MGs)
16. David Gilmour (Pink Floyd, solo, session work)
17. Brian May (Queen, solo)
18. Steve Vai (Frank Zappa, Alcatrazz, David Lee Roth, Whitesnake, solo)
19. Stevie Ray Vaughan (Double Trouble, session work)
20. Yngwie Malmsteen (Steeler, Alcatrazz, solo)
21. George Harrison (The Beatles, Traveling Wilburys, solo)
22. Steve Howe (Yes, Asia, Tomorrow, solo)
23. Link Wray (solo)
24. Jerry Garcia (The Grateful Dead, solo)
25. Dick Dale (solo)
26. Frank Zappa (Mothers of Invention, solo)
27. Ry Cooder (Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band, solo, session work)
28. John Mclaughlan (The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Miles Davis, Shakti)
29. Keith Richards (Rolling Stones, solo)
30. Roy Buchanan (solo)
31. James Burton (Rick Nelson, Elvis Presley)
32. Joe Satriani (solo)
33. Carl Perkins (solo)
34. Steve Hackett (Genesis, solo)
35. Jimmy Nolen (The J.B.'s)
36. Randy Rhoads (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne)
37. Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits, solo)
38. Eddie Cochran (solo)
39. Phil Keaggy (Glass Harp, solo)
40. John Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival, solo)
41. Allan Holdsworth (Gong, Soft Machine, UK, solo)
42. Duane Eddy (solo)
43. Eric Johnson (The Electromagnets, solo)
44. Eddie Hazel (Funkadelic, solo)
45. Danny Gatton (solo)
46. Slash (Guns N Roses, Slash's Snakepit, Velvet Revolver)
47. Mick Ronson (David Bowie, solo)
48. Shawn Lane (Black Oak Arkansas, The Willys, HLS, solo)
49. Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, The Nightwatchman)
50. Johnny Marr (The Smiths, Modest Mouse, The Cribs, Electronic, The The)
51, 52, & 53. Joe Messina/Robert White/Eddie Willis (The Funk Brothers)
54. Steve Morse (Dixie Dregs, Deep Purple, Kansas, solo, session work)
55. Mike Bloomfield (Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Electric Flag, Bob Dylan, solo, session work)
56. Johnny Ramone (Ramones)
57. Alex Lifeson (Rush)
58. Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna, solo)
59 & 60. Dave Murray/Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden)
61. Jan Akkerman (Focus, solo)
62 & 63. Thurston Moore/Lee Renaldo (Sonic Youth, Glenn Branca, solo)
64 & 65. Angus Young/Malcolm Young (AC/DC)
66. Tom Verlaine (Television, solo)
67. Dave Davies (The Kinks, solo)
68. Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine, Primal Scream, solo)
69. Cliff Gallup (Gene Vincent's Blue Caps)
70. Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top)
71. Johnny Winter (solo)
72 & 73. Jonny Greenwood/Ed O'Brien (Radiohead)
74. Neal Schon (Journey, Santana, Bad English, solo)
75. Andy Summers (The Police, The Animals, solo)
76. Marty Friedman (Cacophony, Megadeth, solo)
77. Roger McGuinn (The Byrds, solo)
78. D. Boon (Minutemen)
79. John Cipollina (Quicksilver Messenger Service, The Dinosaurs)
80. Lonnie Mack (solo, session work)
81 & 81. Glenn Tipton/K.K. Downing (Judas Priest)
82. Mick Taylor (The Rolling Stones, John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, solo, session work)
83. The Edge (U2, solo)
84. Terry Kath (Chicago)
85. John Squire (The Stone Roses, The Seahorses, solo)
86. Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, Peter Green Splinter Group, solo, session work)
87. Greg Ginn (Black Flag, solo)
88. Neil Young (Buffalo Springfield, CSNY, Crazy Horse, solo)
89. Paul Gilbert (Mr. Big, Racer X, solo)
90. Trey Anastasio (Phish, Oysterhead, solo)
91. Fred Frith (Henry Cow, Art Bears, Massacre, Skeleton Crew, solo)
92. Joe Walsh (The Eagles, James Gang, solo)
93. Robin Trower (Procol Harum, solo)
94. Billy Zoom (X, solo)
95. Dickey Betts (Allman Brothers Band, solo)
96. Paul Kossoff (Free, Back Street Crawler, solo)
97. Robbie Robertson (The Band, Bob Dylan, solo)
98. John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Mars Volta, solo)
99. Syd Barrett (Pink Floyd, solo)
100. Michael Schenker (UFO, Scorpions, solo)
101. Brian Setzer (The Stay Cats, Brian Setzer Orchestra, solo)
102. Alvin Lee (Ten Years After, solo)
103. J. Mascis (Dinosaur Jr, J. Mascis and The Fog, solo)
104. Buckethead (Guns N Roses, solo)
105. Stephen Stills (Bufallo Springfield, Crosby Stills and Nash, solo)
106. Phil Manzanera (Roxy Music, David Gilmour, solo, session work)
107. Uli Jon Roth (Scorpions, solo)
108. John Petrucci (Dream Theater, Liquid Tension Experiment, solo)
109 & 110. Allen Collins/Gary Rossington (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
111. Mickey Baker (Mickey & Sylvia, solo, session work)
112. Hank Marvin (The Shadows)
113. Rory Gallagher (Taste, solo)
114. Bon Quine (Richard Hell & The Voidoids, Lou Reed, session work)
115. Tony Macalpine (M.A.R.S., Planet X, Ring of Fire, CAB, solo)
116. Ron Asheton (The Stooges)
117 & 118. James Hetfield/Kirk Hammett (Metallica)
119. Andy Latimer (Camel)
120. Curtis Mayfield (Impressions, solo)
121. Warren Haynes (Allman Brothers Band, Govt Mule)
122. Robbie Krieger (The Doors)
123. Steve Rothery (Marillion)
124. Clarence White (The Byrds)
125. Derek Trucks (The Allman Brothers Band, Frogwings, solo)
126. Adrian Belew (King Crimson, session work, solo)
127. Jack White (The White Stripes, The Raconteurs)
128. Gary Moore (Thin Lizzy, Colosseum II)
129. Leigh Stephens (Blue Cheer)
130. Dimebag Darrell (Pantera, Damage Plan)
131. Joe Santiago (Pixies, Frank Black)
132 & 133. Joe Perry/Brad Whitfield (Aerosmith)
134. Vinnie Moore (UFO, Alice Cooper, solo)
135. Johnny Thunders (The New York Dolls, the Heart Breakers)
136. Ike Turner (Ike and Tina Turner Revie, solo, session work)
137 & 138. Lou Reed/Sterling Morrison (Velvet Underground, solo)
139. Lindsey Buckingham (Fleetwood Mac, solo)
140. Chuck Schuldiner (Death)
141. East Bay Ray (Dead Kennedys)
142. Tommy Bolin (Deep Purple, solo)
143. Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (The Mars Volta, At The Drive In, solo)
144. Steve Lukather (Toto, solo, session work)
145. Glen Buxton (Alice Cooper)
146. Wayne Kramer (The MC5)
147 & 148. Ted Turner/Andy Powell (Wishbone Ash)
149. Jason Becker (Cacophony, solo)
150. Vernon Reid (Living Colour, solo)
151. Bruce Springsteen (E Street Band, solo)
152. Leslie West (Mountain)
153. Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme)
154. Mick Jones (The Clash, Big Audio Dynamite)
155. Peter Frampton (Humble Pie, The Herd, solo)
156. Nels Cline (Wilco, solo)
157. Dr. Know (Bad Brains)
158. Marc Bolan (T Rex)
159. Steve Hillage (Gong, Khan, System 7, solo)
160. Buddy Holly (Buddy Holly & The Crickets)
161. Ted Nugent (Amboy Dukes, Damn Yankees, solo)
162. Rick Derringer (The Edgar Winter Group, solo)
163. Bernard Butler (Suede, The Tears, solo)
164. Adam Jones (Tool)
165. Ronnie Wood (The Faces, Rolling Stones)
166. Catfish Collins (The JB's, Parliament, Funkadelic, Bootsy's Rubber Band)
167. Dave Navarro (Janes Addiction, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Panic Channel, solo)
168 & 169. Kerry King/Jeff Hanneman (Slayer)
170. Bob Mould (Husker Du, Sugar, solo)
171. Prince (solo)
172. Mike Mccready (Pearl Jam, Temple of the Dog, Mad Season)
173. Bill Nelson (Be Bop Deluxe)
174. Don Felder (The Eagles, solo)
175. Randy Bachman (The Guess Who, Bachman Turner Overdrive)
176. Marc Ribot (Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, solo)
177. Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins, Zwan, solo)
178. Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (Steely Dan, The Doobie Brothers)
179. Snakefinger (The Residents, solo)
180. Jerry Miller (Moby Grape)
181. Ace Frehley (KISS, solo)
182. Robert Randolph (Robert Randolph and the Family Band)
183. Matt Bellamy (Muse)
184. Ron Thal (Guns N Roses, solo)
185. Peter Buck (R.E.M.)
186. Buzz Osborne (The Melvins, Fantomas)
187. Martin Barre (Jethro Tull, solo)
188. Bernard Sumner (Joy Division, New Order)
189. Zoot Horn Rollo (Captain Beefeart and his Magic Band)
190. Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains, solo)
191. Kaki King (solo)
192. Steve Jones (The Sex Pistols, solo)
193. Alex Skolnick (Testament, Savatage, solo)
194. Michael Karoli (Can)
195. Nancy Wilson (Heart)
196. Kurt Cobain (Nirvana)
197. Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society, solo)
198 & 199. Scott Gorham/Brian Robertson (Thin Lizzy)
200. Keith Levene (Public Image Ltd)
201. Rik Emmett (Triumph, solo)
202. Dave Mustaine (Megadeth, Metallica)
203. Larrry LaLonde (Primus, Possessed)
204. Jón Þór Birgisson (Sigur Ros)
205. Wata (Boris)
206. Mick Box (Uriah Heep)
207. Vivian Campbell (Dio, Whitesnake, Def Leppard)
208 & 209. Rudolph Schenker/Matthias Jabs (Scorpions)
210. Josh Homme (Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age, Eagles of Death Metal)
211. Dave Brock (Hawkwind)
212. Ty Tabor (Kings X)
213. Ira Kaplan (Yo La Tengo)
214. George Lynch (Dokken, Lynch Mob, solo)
215. Tony Bourge (Budgie)

Urban Hat€monger ? · 07-04-2008, 11:30 AM

No Michael Karoli or Graham Coxon or did I miss them ?

I have to say i'm surprised by the inclusion of Glen Buxton. Did you know he didn't record anything with Alice Cooper after Schools Out?
All his guitar parts were either recorded by Dick Wagner or Mick Mashbir. In fact they added Mashbir as a third guitarist on the Billion Dollar Babies tour because Buxton couldn't play any of the new material.

TheBig3 · 07-04-2008, 12:52 PM

Well its certainly a Boo boo list but its not bad. The only thing I find overtly suspicious (and this would depend on your criteria) is that 2 of three bands guitarists were next to each other on the list.

Other than that its not so bad, although I don't know what you have against Rolling Stone.

Son of JayJamJah · 07-04-2008, 01:27 PM

I'll just focus on the top 10

Very similar to mine.

Currently my list goes

Hendrix
Beck
Clapton
SRV
Page
Allman
Van Halen
Barry
Diddley
Townshend

I'm sure you're missing some, but then again there are 20+ I don't even know who they are so overall pretty solid job. Be interested to know who you have ranked highest that RS excluded and who you did not include from RS' list.

Loser · 07-04-2008, 01:29 PM

I like the list, but Steve Vai and **** Dale is a bit low for me.
Maybe top 10 or 15 for him but than again i'm biased

~~The Unfan~~ · 07-04-2008, 02:03 PM

Nuno Bettencourt really? Are Extreme better than their singles would lead me to believe?

jackhammer · 07-04-2008, 02:18 PM

Rudy Schenker
Alex Rudi Pell
Ty Tabor
Dave Mustaine
Dave Thompson
John Martyn

are guitarists I would have in there and omit others but lists are always subjective.

lucifer_sam · 07-04-2008, 02:23 PM

I noticed you completely removed B. B. King. Wasn't he in the top six of the RS list? You still kept Kurt Cobain on there, why not B. B. King?

Sodacake · 07-04-2008, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucifer_sam

I noticed you completely removed B. B. King. Wasn't he in the top six of the RS list? You still kept Kurt Cobain on there, why not B. B. King?

Might have something to do with the fact that BB Kind is a blues guitarist and this is a rock list.

Son of JayJamJah · 07-04-2008, 02:26 PM

I missed that, yeah B.B's top 50 at worst.

07-04-2008, 11:30 AM	#2 (permalink)
Urban Hat€monger ? The Sexual Intellectual Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Somewhere cooler than you Posts: 18,605	No Michael Karoli or Graham Coxon or did I miss them ? I have to say i'm surprised by the inclusion of Glen Buxton. Did you know he didn't record anything with Alice Cooper after Schools Out? All his guitar parts were either recorded by Dick Wagner or Mick Mashbir. In fact they added Mashbir as a third guitarist on the Billion Dollar Babies tour because Buxton couldn't play any of the new material. __________________ Urb's RYM Stuff Most people sell their soul to the devil, but the devil sells his soul to Nick Cave.

07-04-2008, 12:52 PM	#3 (permalink)
TheBig3 killedmyraindog Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Boston, Massachusetts Posts: 11,172	Well its certainly a Boo boo list but its not bad. The only thing I find overtly suspicious (and this would depend on your criteria) is that 2 of three bands guitarists were next to each other on the list. Other than that its not so bad, although I don't know what you have against Rolling Stone. __________________ I've moved to a new address

07-04-2008, 02:18 PM	#7 (permalink)
jackhammer Ba and Be. Join Date: May 2007 Location: This Is England Posts: 17,331	Rudy Schenker Alex Rudi Pell Ty Tabor Dave Mustaine Dave Thompson John Martyn are guitarists I would have in there and omit others but lists are always subjective. __________________ It be my music and film collection. “A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”

07-04-2008, 02:23 PM	#8 (permalink)
lucifer_sam Unrepentant Ass-Mod Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 3,921	I noticed you completely removed B. B. King. Wasn't he in the top six of the RS list? You still kept Kurt Cobain on there, why not B. B. King? __________________ first.am

07-04-2008, 01:27 PM	#4 (permalink)
Son of JayJamJah Occams Razor Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: End of the Earth Posts: 2,472	I'll just focus on the top 10 Very similar to mine. Currently my list goes Hendrix Beck Clapton SRV Page Allman Van Halen Barry Diddley Townshend I'm sure you're missing some, but then again there are 20+ I don't even know who they are so overall pretty solid job. Be interested to know who you have ranked highest that RS excluded and who you did not include from RS' list.

07-04-2008, 01:29 PM	#5 (permalink)
Loser The Professor Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: New York City Posts: 1,113	I like the list, but Steve Vai and **** Dale is a bit low for me. Maybe top 10 or 15 for him but than again i'm biased

07-04-2008, 02:03 PM	#6 (permalink)
~~The Unfan~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Methville Posts: 2,116	Nuno Bettencourt really? Are Extreme better than their singles would lead me to believe?

07-04-2008, 02:26 PM	#10 (permalink)
Son of JayJamJah Occams Razor Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: End of the Earth Posts: 2,472	I missed that, yeah B.B's top 50 at worst.