Who Is The Greatest Guitar Player Of All Time?
67Jimi Hendrix
Jimmy Page
Eddie Van Halen
Lenny Breau
Paco de Lucia
Tommy Emmanuel
The Best Guitarist
Who is the greatest guitar player of all time? Who is the greatest guitar player that ever lived in any genre?
I have seen many lists before on the greatest of greatest. Some of the lists, I just shake my head and wonder how they arrived at those choices. I am sure some of you will shake your head at my choices.
It's a daunting task to determine who is the best guitarist. First of all I have played guitar most of my life, so that helps. I also enjoy just about every type of music there is, from country to jazz, metal to rock. I am very well aware of shredders and metal guitar players. While creating this list I decided to throw speed almost entirely out of the mix. If I had kept speed of play, as a determining factor, it seemed that the list just became more and more subjective and would have to include many more guitar players.
I found that, what would be easiest to do, knock on wood, is to come up with a shorter list of all time greatest guitar players, as opposed to the top 100 guitarists or top 50 guitarists of all time. When trying to figure out who is the best, you can come up with some lengthy lists, trying to include as many as possible. However I noticed that the more guitar players I listed, the more subjective it became.
To be able to choose from all the types of music, that the best guitar players specialize in, I came up with a personal criteria. What I looked for was overall ability to express original melody. In the words of someone that had written or commented recently on a video about Jimi Hendrix, I looked for top guitarists that could, quote or paraphrased: "channel their music." I also considered their command of their guitar, their skill, technique and innovative additions or contributions to guitar playing overall.
Method To My Guitar Madness
It was very difficult to remain objective. I enjoy some guitar players more than others. Some of all my all time favorite guitar players are not on this list. However, I was influenced by the consensus of best guitar player lists. For instance I once heard that Alex Lifeson from Rush liked to hear Eric Johnson play. My personal favorite is Alex Lifeson from Rush who I believe has great skill and masterful melodies that he can express at will. Conversely, Eric Johnson is probably the most clinical guitar player I have ever heard. Neither one made this list. I am a big fan of Robin Trower, so I threw him and Stevie Ray Vaughn out. No rhyme or reason. Because I am ruthless. I am looking more, for someone to exclude, not include. If all you can do is play one style, you will more than likely get tossed. I know who Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Joe Satriani are, by the way. I have heard of a guy named Eric Clapton before and all the guys he has claimed were the best guitar players. Let me remind you that I did not take this challenge of finding the best guitarist that has ever lived, lightly.
I welcome anyone to challenge this list of the greatest guitar players that have ever lived in any time period or genre. If you can convince me with a recording of some kind, I will consider replacing someone on this list or adding them. Just leave a comment below, with the name of the guitar player, a song and where I could see or hear it. I will be putting together a poll and will probably update it, change it or flat out throw it away and start all over as time goes by.
Challenges: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly.
The Good: I think that guitarist X is better than at least two or three of your choices. The reason I believe that is because of this reason and that reason. Here is a reference to, or a ink to a video or audio recording, that I think prove my statements. I will respectfully consider your rebuttal (more than likely I will give rebuttal to challenges) or graciously accept that you included my artist instead of one of your choices. - will be accepted and appreciated
The Bad: I was at a Grateful Dead concert one time dude, where I actually saw the notes coming out of Garcia's amp and they were all rainbow colored treble clef notes dude that spilled out all over the stage and I even got a t-shirt with some of the rainbow colored residue, still on it. Or, I was snortin whiskey and drinking cocaine down in Texas once long ago and I saw Duane Allman, nuff said. And: I was conceived during Alvin Lee's performance with Ten Years After at Woodstock, I am an expert! - will not be accepted
The Ugly: You're an idiot! My grandmother could pick better guitarists! Slash (Saul Hudson) is gonna shred your face! - will not be accepted
footnotes:
1. The videos I choose are just examples nothing more.
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I like the thought that you put into your answer Michael. I like how you considered Alexi Laiho and Chet Atkins. They couldn't be any further apart in a spectrum.
Based on your answer alone I might consider adding a category on speed players/thrash/metal etc. If you notice(it just naturally came out that way)I wound up with three electric guitarist and three acoustic guitar players.
How do you compare a Leo Kottke to a Jeff Beck? Or like your excellent comparison of Alexi Liaho to Chet Atkins? Its monumental if not impossible.
I don't know a whole lot about Leo Kottke except that I'm familiar with his name. Never too into Jeff Beck. I think I missed the boat on players like Beck, Page and Clapton by just a couple of years, so I never really came to appreciate them as much as I could have. By the time I picked up a guitar it was all about Randy Rhoads, EVH, George Lynch, etc. Took me a while to get into Hendrix, too.
I usually played a lot of electric guitar but was playing a lot of acoustic in my 20's and my older brother turned me on to Kottke. A song called White Ape is a good example of Leo Kottke. I grew up listening to CCR, ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Boston, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young and Steppenwolf. Then started getting into Pat Travers, Robin Trower, Hendrix and sort of going back in time with my tastes. But at that same time bands like Van Halen were getting hot and I was listening to Dio and just a variety. It sounds like I am just a few years older. My brother, who was older and my older sister started me out on those first bands, along with the Beatles and Doors and all those. They both had a really diverse or wide tastes in music, so I heard quite a range of stuff. I was a teen at the perfect time. We listened to the huge bands from the late 60's to the newest stuff coming out in the 80's. Even though, I am sure I've missed the boat too, on some songs, artists and albums. I can't wait to see what develops here, I might find some video or recording of a guitarist that I didnt give the recognition they are due.
In regards to part of your first comment: "Michael J Rapp" wrote:(I'd bump Jimmy Page; I've always thought he was overrated)
When you say that, my objectivity winces. I openly admit I am biased towards or in favor of Jimmy Page and is one of the reasons I wrote: "I was influenced by the consensus of best guitar player lists". Jimmy Page invariably is in 90% of the top 3 guitar players lists and comment lists (just a guesstimate). Definitely in most top 10's. Usually I saw him #2. If you notice I didn't actually number my list. So I would inquire: could you personally see him justified as at least #6, in a list of top 6 and disregard his placement here? I have seen Jimmy Page in concert and he excelled (not always been the case it is rumored) He played his bow.(not the only guitarist that has, but still). What I can say about Page is this: Pretty much 9 minute riffs bluesy or rock riffs in many of his songs. In Dazed In Confused live versions he seems to be able to play an endless litany of riffs and combination of riffs. He is versatile on electric and acoustic and double neck. Led Zeppelin had 4 huge albums out before 1971 and the point is that they were sort of pioneers and very influential. Later guitarists had Page to learn from, if they chose to if you know what I mean?
Gotta go with Jimi H.,thank you for sharing, voted up, marked interesting
I thought I'd throw these names in, not because I want to throw any of your choices out, but just in case you hadn't considered them: Jerry Garcia, Django Reinhart and Richard Thompson. Richard Thompson because he's both a great acoustic player, and an amazing soloist, and because he seems to use some unusual scales in his playing, the others, well because they are both seminal in their fields. Jerry Garcia is just the most melodic of soloists, and Django played faster with two fingers than most men play with four. I'm surprised you haven't had more responses to this hub. It's a great idea.
Thanks CJStone for your comment. I too figured I would get more comments saying I was crazy for not having some guitarist over another but this article is still new lol. I have been listening to some Richard Thomas very recently and have heard Reinhart. Reinhart is one that immediately came to mind when starting this believe it or not, but I chose the other three acoustic players instead. I knew or figured I would get lots of Garcia and Allman fans when doing this article. If you would or could find a video or recording by Garcia that I could look at as a challenge to these six, I will check it out.
There's probably too many Garcia recordings out there: they recorded virtually everything they ever played, but I'll look out a youtube clip for you. Here's a Richard Thompson solo though, just out of interest:
Thanks CJStone. I was just checking out Steve Morse video too. Lots of great guitarists out there.
OK, here's a Garcia track: Eyes of the World. There are millions and I've just picked it at random. Great lyrics too. And to add my defence of Garcia as a guitarist, it's not only about the quality of musicianship, it's about the spirit that he imparts through the music: something playful, and spiritual, and yearning, and optimistic all at the same time. You never sense that he going through the motions. He was a great man, a great soul, as well as a great guitarist.
Well Mr Stone, I admit and preface-that Touch of Grey is one of my all time favorite songs. I personally consider Garcia to be better and in league with Zappa as far as you say quality, spiritual etc. Not that Zappa is really like Garcia's style at all. For some reason I would mention here that I think that Billy Gibbons from ZZTop is someone I would like to add to this list but I won't.
When creating this list I knew beforehand that I would get Allman and Garcia fans or votes or suggestions.( I expect Clapton too) I cannot add Garcia based on the video you provided although I appreciate all the reasons you provide above and I can assure you that those particular reasons would be determining reasons.
Let me ask you this though, which guitar player or even two guitar players from the six I provided would you personally replace with Garcia?
Michael J Rapp Level 4 Commenter 3 months ago
Well, Eddie Van Halen and Jimi Hendrix are IMO interchangably #1 and #2 on any list, so I can't fault your conclusions too much. And, you know, as I think of someone to add to your list (I'd bump Jimmy Page; I've always thought he was overrated) I'm just coming up with too many names to make a valid arguement for any one guy. From Alexi Liaho to Chet Atkins there a lot of guys who could be on that list. Nice work, though. It's a hard thing to decide.