Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitarists

[revolver]

.. of all time ..

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








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[james t kirk]

Bogus dude

Ike Turner is better than Angus Young of AC DC??

I don't think so.

Oh yeah, did i hear correct that Eric Clapton is dying of Cancer????????

 

[Takeda Shingen]

Why is Santana so far down the list at 15?

 

[1bigguy]

hmmmm, didn't see the names of Steve Vai, Randy Rhodes, Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, Brian May or Johnny Ramone (my own Fav) on that list.

Must have been an oversight while the guys at Rolling Stone where busy trying to insert a few names of guitarists (who have yet to do anything impressive) from trendy bands into this list.

 

[bobistheowl]

The list seems to be based more on their influence on rock than on technical ability. Much as I love Nirvana's music, there's no way that Kurt Cobain rates ahead of Jeff Beck! Of course, Rolling Stone Jumped the Shark about thirty years ago...

 

[Don]

That's why I don't trust "Best of..." list from a mag like Rolling Stone.

It's better to go to a magazine like Guitar World or something.

 

[Don]

hmmmm, didn't see the names of Steve Vai, Randy Rhodes, Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, Brian May or Johnny Ramone (my own Fav) on that list.

Brain May is #39.

on another note... how the heck is EVH #70???

 

[scubadoo]

Jack White #17 and Pete Townshend #50...... I don't think so!!!


Sorry....but this list sucks!!!

 

[ohioguy]

That list is awful. The dipshit(s) that put this list together should be fired. By far the worst "Greatest Ever" list I've ever seen.

 

[stang]

Joan Jett????!!!!!! Oh please.

I'd put Slash of GNR in that top 25.

 

[1bigguy]

Brain May is #39.

My appologies...didn't see Brian's name on the list...too busy ranting I guess.

 

[train]

Thre is absolutely no way that Keith Richards belongs on this list . He is barely competent . Not saying the music isn't great but not exactly challenging from an axe standpoint .

 

[JohnDoe]

Rolling Stone is a crap ass magazine.

 

[Don]

'Cause guys like Kurt Cobain and Jack White of the White Stripes are better.

I can kinda understand Cobain being in this list (though I wouldn't put him there) simply from an influence standpoint....

But there is NO QUESTION that Eddie Van Halen has been more influential as a guitarist than Cobain so to have Cobain that much higher is a joke.

 

[Romeo]

Johnny Marr and Alex Liefson are other oversights

 

[REnchilada]

This list is painful. Joni Mitchell? Joan Jett? Lou Reed? Ike Turner? I could go on and on. Where's Andres Segovia? Django Reinhardt? Awful, just awful.

 

[jimmybond]

Mark Knopfler at #27
When he wasnt in the top 3 the list lost all credibility

 

[TonyMontana]

Worst list of the "100 Greatest Guitaists" ever.

WELL SAID!!

Randy Rhoads (Ozzy's ex guitarist) #85????
But Jack White from the White Stripes in the top 20??? Hes like 23 yrs old!
And SLASH??????? SHould have been in the top 10 !!!
iS HE EVEN ON THE f&^%$ LIST????

HORRIBLE HORRIBLE LIST!

 

[ShizzleMaNizzle]

Yeah, the Jack White thing was a little stupid.

Definitely not a skill-based list, Kurt Cobain wouldn't even have been on there. (Not to say he wasn't a GREAT musician... just not a great guitarist).

Slash mos def shoulda been on the list in terms of influence... it was because of Slash and Kirk Hammet (11), and STONE GOSSARD/MIKE MCREADY of Pearl Jam that I picked up a guitar. Can't believe Stone isn't on there.... is he?

 

[shack]

I believe some of the younger crowd here can only comment on the artists they grew up listening to without having experienced the effect many of the older names had on music and other artists. To even mention Eddie van Halen so high up on the list indicates a lack of knowledge regarding the history of rock guitarists. I guess you're going to be influenced by who you listened to during your formative years. If you're too young, then it's impossible to properly assess this category over a 40 year span.