With all due respect This list omits the modern rock guitar players. It is a complete list of outstanding classic rock guitar players. Where is Dimebag Darrell, Synyster Gates, Zakk Wylde, Tom Morello and I can't remember if I saw Slash? Now those players will melt your face. IMHO
Frankly, I find these lists a complete and utter waste of time. I've played guitar for close to 30 years and I can play rock, blues, bluegrass, folk, blues, and jazz. Deciding who is the greatest guitar player is a matter of taste and there are too many great guitarists out there that get no recognition. For example, how many studio players are there that play on records for various artists that get next to no credit for the work that they do...and some of those cats can play anything in any style and sound great doing it! As a case in point: I think SRV is way overrated. He was a good white-boy blues/rock player. NOT as good or as original as Hendrix, most of SRV's licks were copped note-for-note from Albert King. Does he deserve to be on a list of great guitar players, sure...but a ranking would only be valid if you compared his playing to other guitar players in his genre because he could really only play bues, rock, and some jazz. He couldn't play country, bluegrass, or folk....so IMHO he was an incomplete guitarist. Roy Clark, on the other hand, can play just about every kind of popular music (and do it better than many on the list) but he's not on the list because he's not that famous! This just shows that lists like these are essentially a matter of opinion and a popularity contest.
I'm a Nirvana fan and I agree with you. Considering Cobain's sarcasm and disdain for everything, I think he would agree with you as well. And they get Robert Fripp but leave out Adrian Belew. +1000. It just isn't right to have the Minutemen, Black Flag and Nirvana on the list. I like that music, but for the most part those guys prided themselves on sounding bad.
I really want to say something here, but most of what I want to say has already been said...And hey...I'm a Jazz musician, and you'd think out of a 100 cats they would have gotten at least 1 Jazz guitarist even if by accident...But who cares, its big business journalism...It's easy for this kind of thing to go too far....So lets all shake hands and come out shaving... PS sorry they did get 1 Jazz player on the list...no 49 John McLauglin...But thats it...No one else in the history of Jazz had enough chops to make it...LMAO....Come on guys....you've got to laugh at this...You can't buy intertainment like this....And this isnt best 100 best for the last 10 years...this is the best all-time....Maybe they meant the best "All over the time"...LOL....Just Kiddin'
Missing is one of the most underated guys. Pat Benetars guitarist and husband Neal Giraldo. Also to leave off Joe Walsh is inexplicable.
You've got that right, man. And what exactly defines "great"? There are players like Yngwie Malmsteen that are amazing "technical" players. There are "soulful and emotional" players that make the guitar a part of them like Steve Vai and Jimi Hendrix. here are amazingly fast and awesome soloists like Eddie Van Halen and Angus Young. There are slow and sorrowful electrics like B.B. King and Matt "Guitar" Murphy. Even acoustic guitarists like Rodrigo y Gabriela (yeah, technically they are a duet). My point is that there are so many different ways to play the instrument and in so many different genres that it is impossible to try and group them all together into one single list. It doesn't do anyone justice. Just my $0.02
A Texan, bad mouthing SRV!!!?? Hopefully, this is a secure internet connection and the Texas Pride Gustapo has not seen these subversive remarks otherwise you'll undoubtedly be brought in for questioning and exiled to Oklahoma until you've completed the proper "re-education" Although I'm a huge fan of SRV, your argument is not entirely without merit. No doubt he was amazing but by and large, he was parroting riffs and styles from Albert King et. al. and brought very little that was new to the ball game. From this angle, guys like Hendrix, Santana and certainly Stanley Jordan would seem a bit more deserving of the "Greatest of all Time". They were not only great guitarists but they brought something new to the game, unique contributions of style and/or technique that were theirs, daring experiments, not simple imitation. I never really thought about it but that makes sense. And for the record, Roy Clark should absolutely be in the top five in my humble opinion. And speaking of being able to cross genres, have you heard Slash's jazz stuff, it's outstanding!
I was just looking over the list again and they missed two more and although not my style of music I can appreciate her playing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7LRVHZboz4 and the shred master Michael Batio http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMIfa_G6BQ0&feature=related
I'm exempt because I'm a transplant from Kansas! I'm more of a Deadhead (though I realize Garcia's playing isn't for everyone, even though I would consider him a great guitarist as well) than anything else. There have been better guitarists from Texas than SRV: Billy Gibbons springs to mind, as do Albert Collins, Eric Johnson, Freddie King, and the great T-Bone Walker who was a pioneer in electric blues) My point exactly. He was a very good guitar player, but there are others who were much better and much more original. I haven't heard Slash's jazz stuff, now I have more music to look for...THANKS!
OMG! OMG! If you're going to bring up Alvin, you may as well include everyone else from the "Night of the Guitar's" tour as well.... R.I.P. Randy California http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luOBN4Xl-Rk
I looked at that list. With Exception of the top spot, EFF THAT LIST!!!!! Not only did it omit many (as pointed out) it way screwed up the order. Jimmy Page was wayyyy down the list and that dude should be in the top 10 ever. Also, I can't believe they didn't put Dimebag on there; Pantera is one of the hardest, heaviest, and most technical guitar heavy bands in history. Eff that list. *spits*
no elmore james "king of the slide guitar"? one of the big influences on duane allman, peter green, and probably countles other rock slide guitarists.
How can you not have Al Di Meola, Paco De Lucia and John Mclaughlin. If you have never listened to the album Friday Night in San Francisco do yourself a favor and buy it.
List A Little Surprising. I am saddened that Kurt Cobain ended up that high up on that list, and Leslie West from Mountain, is not even mentioned. Everyone knows Mississippi Queen, but take a listen to "Theme For An Imaginary Western", or "Alison", or "Long Red". IMO, he's at least on par with Clapton and Page, yet so underrated. Cobain over Jeff Beck? HMMMMM.....
Did I miss Doyle Dykes? I just saw him on Monday night. If he isn't THE best he is close to it. Will N.
Okay I guess I missed John McLaughlin, but 49th.... Don't get me wrong I love the Ramone's and the Red hot Chili Peppers, but......
