Maybe some of you professional type musicians can help me out here: http://www.theinsider.com/news/316579_Rolling_Stone_s_The_100_Greatest_Guitarists_of_All_Time_Do_you_agree The first 10 look pretty good, all of those guys are (or were) beasts! Nirvana lovers please don't be offended (I'm a fan of some of their stuff too) but really!? Kurt Cobain at #12 all time? Ahead of the likes of Carlos Santana, Mark Knopfler, and Eddie Van Halen? I think NOT! Come to think of it, there are several absolutely amazing guitarists that don't even appear on this list. Notably, Andres Segovia, Chet Atkins, Stanley Jordan, Julian Bream, and Al Dimeola. I say "Shenanigans! to Rolling Stone and this list!" PS: Dear Moderators, Please don't banish me for life, this is NOT a political discussion (or is it?)
Neil Young is listed at #83. I guess they have to stick with guitarits their younger readers will know. I'm of a mind that many of our young folks could do with some exposure to good music (don't lynch me just yet youngins, I know many of you actually enjoy good music). A twenty something at work today asked "Who the hell is Mark Knopfler? :mad:" Sultans of Swing is probably some of the sickest lead guitar work ever (Freebird notwithstanding of course)
Missed it, still way to far down IMHO. After taking a 2 hour drive with my 17 y/o son and 3 of his friends I endured rap for for first 30 minutes. When I told them it was my turn to pick the music they actually impressed me with how eclectic they were. They actually asked for Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Lynyrd Skynyrd-all of which happily live on my ipod.
A whole half hour worth of rap? Really? You Sir are a far better man than I, I would have chewed through my wrist veins half way through the second song My son listens to rap too but his tastes are eclectic. Needless to say, he's been extensively exposed to classic rock and large doses of old school redneck music in his lifetime and listens to both on a fairly regular basis. In fact, the last time I rode in his car, when he started up the car it was tuned to the country station.
mmmmmm....interesting list. It seems to make more sense if you look at it as just being 100 great guitarists in no particular order. I mean I'm not a Van Halen head by any means but really...#70? I mean as great as Tom Morello, Jack White, Cobain, John Frusciante etc are (and they really are), I don't know that they stack up with a guy like Eddie Van Halen. It looks like someone took made a list of their favorite guitarists, erased some of the ones that didn't sell enough records (but kept a few so he could have a couple obscure names and look cool), and hit "random." And where's Albert King? Slash? Django? Joe Pass? Wes Montgomery? Paco De Lucia? Andy Summers? I mean if you're going to have guys like Greg Ginn and Johnny Ramone, then where are the guys like East Bay Ray of the Dead Kennedys and Dr. Know of Bad Brains. Guys who were just as influential (if not quite as commercially popular) but were also MONSTER players. And if you do have guys like Cobain, then where's Billie Joe Armstrong? I am glad they got Vernon Reid and the MC5 guys though. But the bottom line is that this is the kind of list that's not realistic, and not really even possible. Is Chuck Berry better Brian May better than Derek Trucks worse than Pete Townshend better than Lightning Hopkins? No. Yes? Maybe. It's far too subjective, other than the obvious ones. Is The Edge better than Brian May? Hell no. Would John McLaughlin and Les Paul demolish Steve Cropper? Yes. Does that make them better? well, no. Is that why he's higher on the list? Who the !@#$ knows. John Lee Hooker? George Thorogood? Billy Gibbons??? Just the list of people he missed could go on forever... John Mayer? Prince? Satriani? Vai? (and I don't even really like those last two guys) Zappa? Dave Grohl? ok I'm done. Josh Homme? Chris Cheney? Muddy Waters? No seriously, I'm finished. ROBERT DUVALL??? CLINT EASTWOOD? NATALIE PORTMAN? those are all actors. AUNT JEMIMA? UNCLE BEN? ORVILLE REDENBACHER? brands of food... RUG? CHAIR? BOOK? things in your room maybe it's time you go to bed.
A pretty typical list. All the big names are there, yet if they are going with virtuousity many names have been left off. If they are going for major influence, many names have been left off. If they are tying to imitate every other arbitrary Great Guitarists list ever made, they hit the nail on the head. A few names that should be there: Leadbelly, Django Reinhardt, Doc Watson, Robert Johnson, Nels Cline
Amazingly two of those listed in the top 100 (Tom Morello and Adam Jones) went to my high school and were three years ahead of me. :shocked031
I know I'm a oddball at times... but where is Yngwie Johann Malmsteen, Steve Vai? And how is Kurt Cobain higher than Randy Rhoades
I would have placed Stevie Ray Vaughan and Mark Knopfler #1 & #2, Hendrix #3. Dont get me wrong, I love Hendrix, but SRV's Hendrix covers were better than the originals. Obviously, any list like this is opinion based, And the list would change every time, polling the same people. Definitely a lot of fantastic Axe men listed here. One name missing is Roy Clark...A genius with the guitar, a genius with any instrument...IMHO.
Great point! I couldn't stand to listen to those guys, but I recognize that they are virtuosos. Where are the guys from DragonForce? That's why this list (and these types of lists) seem so scatterbrained.
Do yourselves a favor and Google the name: Tommy Emmanuel. . . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lbvSBNLLoo
I agree SRV was a cleaner player when he was sober, but at the same time even though Hendrix was and still is over rated due to the press and his money grubbing family, he did start a trend and made pentatonic scales what is today's modern guitar "Solo". Hendrix wasn't the first, however he was the first one to play stoned to all hell and do things tonally in his era that were never thought of. As far as the list, its hard to rate talent and considering they have guitarists who shouldn't be on there period, I wouldn't take it serious. I remember when that article first came out some years ago, even then nobody believed it.
This is an old list. What has always shocked me is EVH being Number 70. He was my generation's Jimi Hendrix, and after Jimi, possibly the most influential rock guitarist. But he has a major flaw... he is the WORLD'S BIGGEST JERK ('jerk' is used, but there are more appropriate words). The writers remembered what a jerk he is, and punished him appropriated. He should be in the top 10, and arguably in the top 5. Also, I love punk, and have for 25+ years. I listen to 80's, 90's, 00's, and 10's punk. Most of my ipod is punk. I'm not stuck in the past. With that said, no punk guitarist deserves to be on this list. And Kurt Cobain certainly doesn't, even though I believe "Nevermind" is the most influential rock record of all-time. A problem lies with guitarists like Buckethead. He is technically one of the best of all time, but his records don't sell, and he really isn't influencing music. Watch one of his videos and tell me the guys doesn't have some of the greatest chops ever. (search "Buckethead Soothsayer Italian Social Club" on youtube for a great video) But for 99.999% of America, Buckethead isn't on their ipod favorite list like Jimmy, Jimi, or Eric. And who knows if we'll be listening to him in 20-50 years like Jimmy, Jimi, and Eric.
Missing a lot of greats plus I do not agree on the order. Kirk of Metallica before Eddie Van Halen. Hmmmm Both greats but Hmmmm. What about Dave Murry of Iron Maiden.
IMHO any list of great guitarists that omits Alex Lifeson and Joe Walsh loses all credibility. It is simply becomes a list of guitarists.
