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Who is the best guitarist that has ever lived?
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As I’ve already stated my own ideas of whom the best guitarists are according to my own preferences /of said opinion…
I’d like to say that I think it’s a matter of individualism of guitarist musical taste preferences… To each one’s own, really… Not what RS Mag considers, or any other publications, etc… What matters is what One/Yourself considers to be, not to be influenced, dictated to upon from a source, etc.
If a particular guitarist enthralls, moves, speaks your kinda guitar language, well by all means, that’s what tea flows outta the guitar teapot and you can suit your taste there afterwards… Just a thought of 2 cents worth from me??
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I think you need to define what constitutes a great or best guitarist. If it’s all about technical and who can play the most difficult riffs the best you will have the likes of Hendricks and Page near the top. If musical impact and feeling is a factor, then you will have the likes of Harrison and Santana at the top. For me it’s the latter that constitutes a great musician more so than just technical capability. While My Guitar Gently Weeps moves me more than anything Hendricks has done, but that’s me.
Every few years they have these big piano competitions like the International Tchaikovsky Piano competiton, and the top winners of these competitions all have great technical prowess, blistering through the hardest and fastest piano compositions by modern composers. They could miss a whole bunch of notes, and hardly anyone would notice. But I’d rather sit through a performance by a master like Claudio Arrau who can do a slow Moonlight Sonata with so much feeling, where you can feel every note, and nuance of emotion, better than anyone else.
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Thank you Tomás. I have responded in detail but my post is being held up awaiting moderation, probably because it includes a couple of web links. However, following is my first paragraph.
Thank you Tomas, you didn’t disappoint. However, this isn’t just a list composed by magazine editors or journalists. Many people took part in the survey, mainly well known musicians, so even if we added your name and a couple of your Beatles fans friends to the survey, it would not make much difference to the final result. Also, Rolling Stone magazine is a rock heavy publication, hence the proliferation of rock and blues guitarists.
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There are a lot of great guitar players through the years, I will list my top five have loved them all Duane Allman, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, and Stevie Ray Vaughn. I will say that I think Duane is the greatest slide player ever in a league of his own. So tragic he died so young in a motor cycle accident.
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I forgot to include Stevie Ray in my choices… Thanks for reminder…. Chet Atkins, Mark Knopfler, Jeff Beck, BB King, basically what I was exposed to growing up as one of my older bros is into Blues and other guitarists, thus my appreciation for guitarists was Postively influenced. His music tastes and mine are similar minded…. My other older bro, is ciuntry/southern rock moreso, with hint of Boston thrown in there… Lol✌️??
As I’ve said in my previous posting here…. It’s the guitarists that I love/enjoy their music that works for me personally, not what a magazine states, etc…. I like a variety in different genres, if the music they pkay moves me, their work is done.
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You’ve picked excellent guitarists there Paul. Eric Clapton’s band, Derek and the Dominoes, created an extraordinary album with “Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs“, in 1970. Their hit single from the album featured duelling guitars with Eric on lead and Duane Allman on slide guitar and some brilliant keyboards from the drummer, Jim Gordon. The following comment is from the web.
“Derek and the Dominos were an English–American blues-rock band formed in the spring of 1970 by guitarist and singer Eric Clapton, keyboardist and singer Bobby Whitlock, bassist Carl Radle and drummer Jim Gordon. All four members had previously played together in Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, during and after Clapton’s brief tenure with Blind Faith. Dave Mason supplied additional lead guitar on early studio sessions and played at their first live gig. Another participant at their first session as a band was George Harrison, the recording for whose album All Things Must Pass marked the formation of Derek and the Dominos.
The band released only one studio album, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, produced by Tom Dowd, which also featured extensive contributions on slide guitar from Duane Allman. A double album, Layla did not immediately enjoy strong sales or receive widespread radio airplay, but went on to earn critical acclaim. Although released in 1970 it was not until March 1972 that the album’s single “Layla” (a tale of unrequited love inspired by Clapton’s infatuation with his friend Harrison’s wife, Pattie Boyd) made the top ten in both the United States and the United Kingdom. The album is often considered to be the defining achievement of Clapton’s career.” -
Was Stevie Ray Vaughan a master guitarist or “just a string bender” as some say?
The following answer is from Dave Chu, Flamenco and Jazz Professional Guitarist.
“Some knucklehead called him “just a string bender”?! Hilarious! It’s just more support for the oldest guitarist joke:
‘How many guitarists does it take to screw in a lightbulb? 100. One to do the screwing, and 99 to say, “I can do it better”.’
Stevie Ray was a truly masterful guitarist. One of the best blues players to ever pick up a guitar.
By the way, his big brother, Jimmy, is a very fine blues guitarist, whom I got to see live. He picks with his fingers, whereas Stevie used a pick. What’s also fun is that when he sings, I can hear the family resemblance to Stevie’s voice.
‘Actually, it only takes one lead guitarist to screw in a light bulb. He just holds the bulb against the socket while the world revolves around him!’
’I’m outstanding in my field… but I don’t get wifi out here…’”
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Oh well……my two cents: 1) Jimi; 2) Clapton; 3) SRV; 4) Page; 5) Beck; 6) Santana as the top five or so. Now some surprising ones not necessarily in the top 10 but ones who were better than I thought: George, Prince, Glen Campbell…….I’m sure there are others. The surprising thing about Glen Campbell is that he was a member of the Wrecking Crew before his involvement with the Beach Boys and his solo career. To be in the Wrecking Crew meant he had to have some serious talent. I saw some video clips of him playing and it really changed my opinion of him. Also…….though different styles, I always liked Feliciano and Leo Kottke. Mike.
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Vince Gill has my vote too, if I didn’t already include him in my other previous reply on here, Dave Mason, Eddie Van Halen, etc?
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That’s an excellent top ten Mike. As for Glen Campbell, I too was surprised by how good he actually was.
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Hi Howard;
I know…..who would have thought Glen was that good. I left one off…….somewhere Stephen Stills has to be included. Mike.
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Agreed! In that case I’d also like to include Neil Young. Not everyone’s cup of tea but his lead guitar work is special in some of his solo work and with CSN&Y.
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Thank you Tomas, you didn’t disappoint. However this isn’t just a list composed by magazine editors or journalists. Many people took part in the survey, mainly well known musicians, so even if we added your name and a couple of your Beatles fans friends to the survey, it would not make much difference to the final result. Also, Rolling Stone magazine is a rock heavy publication, hence the proliferation of rock and blues guitarists.
THE VOTERS: Trey Anastasio, Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys), Brian Bell (Weezer), Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple), Carl Broemel (My Morning Jacket), James Burton, Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains), Gary Clark Jr., Billy Corgan, Steve Cropper, Dave Davies (The Kinks), Anthony DeCurtis (Contributing editor, Rolling Stone), Tom DeLonge (Blink-182), Rick Derringer, Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars), Elliot Easton (The Cars), Melissa Etheridge, Don Felder (The Eagles), David Fricke (Senior writer, Rolling Stone), Peter Guralnick (Author), Kirk Hammett (Metallica), Albert Hammond Jr. (The Strokes), Warren Haynes (The Allman Brothers Band), Brian Hiatt (Senior writer, Rolling Stone), David Hidalgo (Los Lobos), Jim James (My Morning Jacket), Lenny Kravitz, Robby Krieger (The Doors), Jon Landau (Manager), Alex Lifeson (Rush), Nils Lofgren (The E Street Band), Mick Mars (Mötley Crüe), Doug Martsch (Built to Spill), J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.), Brian May, Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), Roger McGuinn (The Byrds), Scotty Moore, Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), Tom Morello, Dave Mustaine (Megadeth), Brendan O’Brien (Producer), Joe Perry, Vernon Reid (Living Colour), Robbie Robertson, Rich Robinson (The Black Crowes), Carlos Santana, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Marnie Stern, Stephen Stills, Andy Summers, Mick Taylor, Susan Tedeschi, Vieux Farka Touré, Derek Trucks, Eddie Van Halen, Joe Walsh, Nancy Wilson (Heart)
In one way I was surprised to see Keith Richards at number four, but on reflection, I can understand where the voters are coming from. During the sixties, Keith and Brian Jones shared lead and rhythm guitar, often weaving between the two throughout their songs. By the mid sixties, Brian Jones was beginning to reduce his guitar playing contributions and eventually became a multi-instrumentalist, while Keith Richards perfected his guitar playing. Consequently they didn’t need to rely on studio musicians as other groups had to (much like Mona and Lisa today).
I’ve heard it put that when comparing good guitarists, if the decision came down to having only one guitarist in your band, the preference would be for someone like Keith Richards over a more virtuoso guitarist. The reason is the ease with which Keith Richards can weave between rhythm and lead guitar. He has been instrumental in creating the Rolling Stones sound and has also come up with some of the best rock riffs of all time. Not too many guitarists could compare with his output.
And Thomas, Richards over Roy Buchanan? Richards over Mark Knopfler? For me, yes. I found Mark Knopfler to be a revelation when he first burst onto the scene, much like everyone else did, but it wasn’t long before I found his work to be repetitive, and eventually boring. Compare his work to Keith’s “Sympathy For The Devil”, “Street Fighting Man”, Honky Tonk Women”, ”Midnight Rambler”, Gimme Shelter”, “Brown Sugar”,…. the list goes on.
Jung, for criteria, re read my initial post and my quote from Andrew Ryder.
IS ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE RATINGS A BAD ONE?
Following are a couple of responses to this question.
“In their list of top 100 guitarists the thing that outraged me was seeing John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers at 18 and eddie van halen at 70 and kirk and kurt in top 20’s and gilmour and pete after 50’s??? r they trying to fool us ? then they released their crappy 100 immortals which had eminem and jay z but no QUEEN , CREEDANCE , and PINK FLOYD?? then came the most foolish ever list I’ve seen 500 greatest songs 9) smells like teen spirit 33) STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN?? and u hav pink floyd songs starting from 300??”
And,
“Rolling Stone changes their lists constantly to reflect what’s “hip” at the time. I’ve read their magazine since the late ’80s and have the complete back issues on CD-ROM, and I’ve noticed that every time they do one of their so-called “essential” lists they always feature whoever’s current near the top, but if they don’t stay “hip,” they’ll be demoted next time they do the list or kicked off the list altogether. For example, when they did their “best albums of the 1980s” list at the end of 1989, they put a lot of deserving albums like Def Leppard’s Pyromania and Don Henley’s Building the Perfect Beast on it, but those albums never made any future Rolling Stone lists because they aren’t as “hip” to the magazine’s writers as Nirvana or Pearl Jam.”
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-guitarists-153675/thurston-moore-39681/
By the way, it’s not just Rolling Stone magazine that includes these guitarists. The following publications have similar results:
10 Greatest Guitarists
https://heightline.com/10-greatest-guitarists/TIME and others. Following the death of Les Paul, TIME website presented their list of 10 greatest artists in electric guitar. As in Rolling Stone magazine’s list, Jimi Hendrix was chosen as the greatest guitarist followed by Slash from Guns ‘N’ Roses, B.B. King, Keith Richards, Jimmy Page, and Eric Clapton. Gigwise.com, an online music magazine, also ranks Jimi Hendrix as the greatest guitarist ever, followed by Jimmy Page, B.B. King, Keith Richards and Kirk Hammett.
Finally Tomás, regarding your “Like a Rolling Stone.” I think they are poking fun at themselves and “best of” lists.”
I tend to agree with them on this one. I’m old enough to remember the impact this song had when it first burst onto our radios in the mid sixties. It divided people into those who thought Dylan was a rock god and those who thought it was the worst music ever. Most of us would have been somewhere in between. I know I was for a while. However, in retrospect, I can see what an incredible impact it had on the world of pop music, with Dylan ditching folk and acoustic guitars to go full on electric. At the same time, the Beatles were heading in the opposite direction by the time of “Rubber Soul”.
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