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- Brian May. Arise, Sir Brian Harold May, the greatest guitarist of all time, the player most regal, and the one whose pathway to the summit began in the most unorthodox fashion, with a father-and-son woodcraft project converting a fireplace into one of the most inventive electric guitars ever made, the Red Special.
- Jimi Hendrix. Jimi Hendrix was the supernova of creativity that the electric guitar had been waiting for. It’s tempting to say that Hendrix was ahead of his time, and yes, it’s true, he was.
- Jimmy Page. Years honing his chops as an on-call session musician had prepared Jimmy Page for what was to come, namely being guitarist and producer of the biggest rock band on the planet, a band whose creative ambition matched the scale of their success.
- Eddie Van Halen. We can argue over who is the greatest guitarist of all time but surely none have been more entertaining than Eddie Van Halen, whose hot-wiring of hard rock norms was like a power-up for electric guitar culture, making a spectacle of the instrument that could rival the Super Bowl, Hollywood, the aurora borealis… great herds of wildebeest migrating across the Serengeti.
Oct 13, 2023 · A comprehensive list of the best guitar players in various genres, from blues to metal, rock to jazz, compiled by the editors and writers of Rolling Stone. See photos, bios, and key tracks of legendary and contemporary six-string heroes.
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- Brett Milano
- Jimi Hendrix. Let’s face it, rock will never come up with a more visionary guitarist. Not only did Jimi Hendrix expand the sonic possibilities of what a guitar could do, but he also found uncharted places that a guitar could take you to.
- Chuck Berry. The blues had a baby, they called it rock’n’roll, and the guitar intro on Chuck Berry’s “Maybelline” was the moment of conception. Berry was a master of the short and tasty solo (though you can check out 60s albums like Concerto In B Goode if you want to hear his solos at length), and there’s been no worthy rock guitarist who hasn’t absorbed a little Chuck.
- Wes Montgomery. During his too-short career, this jazz great was rightly renowned for his octave technique (playing phrases on two strings an octave apart, giving a clear sweet tone), and his aggressive thumb strokes (something Jeff Beck and others emulated).
- BB King. You might say that BB King was half of the greatest vocal duo in blues history. The other half was his guitar, Lucille, whose elegant, pleading tone said everything that the words couldn’t completely express.
- Louder
- Michael Schenker. Mike McReady (Pearl Jam): "It’s really hard to pick just one guitarist. It would have to be… early on, I’d say Ace Frehley and Paul Stanley.
- George Harrison. Elliot Easton (The Cars): "To me, George Harrison is the one. A lot of the guys in my generation that saw Harrison play, that’s how we learned how to be a lead guitarist in a band.
- Malcolm Young. Scott Ian (Anthrax): "Malcolm Young has gotta be the most unsung, underrated guitar hero of all time. He was the backbone of AC/DC, the greatest rock band ever, and wrote some of the most amazing riffs you’ll hear.
- Paul Gilbert. Jim Davies (The Prodigy, Pitchshifter): "As a guitarist with The Prodigy and Pitchshifter, I guess I might be considered an unlikely fan of Paul Gilbert.
A list of the most influential and talented guitarists in rock history, ranked by Rolling Stone magazine. See the profiles, biographies and film credits of Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and more.
Jan 16, 2023 · The 100 greatest guitarists of all time. A comprehensive rundown of the best guitarists of all time, featuring the trailblazers, the early innovators, the best jazz, rock, indie, blues, metal and acoustic players – and the top guitarists around today...
Dec 3, 2010 · Rolling Stone critic David Fricke chooses the best and most influential guitarists in rock, from Jimi Hendrix to Kim Thayil, in this 2003 special issue. See the list, photos and commentary on each guitarist's style and impact.
