Who's Your Favorite Guitarist?
From Alex Lifeson to Jimi Hendrix, these are 48 of the most iconic guitarists of all time. Do you agree with our ranking? Or did we get it all wrong...
48. Hubert Sumlin
Major Songs: “Smokestack Lightning,” “Killing Floor," “Spoonful”
“I love Hubert Sumlin. He always played the right thing at the right time.” —Jimmy Page
Eatonland, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
47. Ritchie Blackmore
Major Songs: “Speed King," “Smoke on the Water,” “Highway Star”
“Blackmore epitomized this fascination I had with the bare essence of rock & roll, this element of danger." —Lars Ulrich
Gladstone~dewiki, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
46. Joan Jett
Major Songs: “Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)," “Cherry Bomb”
“When I was 11 or 12, I finally got the balls to say, ‘Mom, Dad, I want a guitar for Christmas, and I don’t want no folk guitar.” —Joan Jett
Jessie Pearl, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
45. T-Bone Walker
Major Songs: "Call It Stormy Monday,” “Mean Old World," “T-Bone Shuffle"
"I thought Jesus himself had returned to Earth playing electric guitar.” —B.B. King
Heinrich Klaffs, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
44. Robbie Robertson
Major Songs: “Like a Rolling Stone (Live 1966)," “The Shape I’m In”
“I wanted to go in the opposite direction, to do things that were so tasteful and discreet and subtle, like Curtis Mayfield and Steve Cropper … where it was all about the song.” —Robbie Robertson
Heinrich Klaffs, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
43. Carrie Brownstein
Major Songs: “Entertain," “Call The Doctor,” “Get Up”
“I wanted the guitar to feel weaponized. It could tell stories or sing on my behalf. I wanted it to be trenchant, also a little scary.” —Carrie Brownstein
Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0 Wikimedia Commons
42. John Mayer
Major Songs: “In Your Atmosphere," “Gravity”
“I had this vision, sitting by a window on a rainy afternoon, just playing guitar. I said to myself, ‘If I have enough strings and electricity, I can play guitar forever. I don’t need anything else.’” —John Mayer
SolarScott, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
41. Peter Green
Major Songs: “Rattlesnake Shake," “Albatross,”
“It doesn’t mean a thing, playing fast. I like to play slowly, and feel every note—it comes from every part of my body and my heart and into my fingers. I have to really feel it. I make the guitar sing the blues.” —Peter Green
Nick contador, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
40. Mick Taylor
Major Songs: “All Down the Line," “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking”
“I was in awe sometimes listening to Mick Taylor. Everything was there in his playing—the melodic touch, a beautiful sustain and a way of reading a song.” —Keith Richards
Larry Rogers, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
39. John Lee Hooker
Major Songs: “Boogie Chillen,” “I’m in the Mood," “Boom Boom”
“I don’t play a lot of fancy guitar. I don’t want to play it. The kind of guitar I want to play is mean, mean licks.” —John Lee Hooker
I, Sumori, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
38. Elmore James
Major Songs: “The Sky Is Crying," “Dust My Broom"
“I practiced 12 hours a day, every day, until my fingers were bleeding, trying to get the same sound as Elmore James got. Then somebody told me that he plays with a slide.” —Robbie Robertson
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
37. PJ Harvey
Major Songs: “Autumn Term," "Missed”
“I often think back to that time when I first got a guitar, when I was 16 or 17. Prior to that, I’d written lots of words. When I saw that I could put words together with music, I remember it feeling like gates opening, this joy.” —Polly Jean Harvey
Raph_PH, CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
36. Curtis Mayfield
Major Songs: “Move on Up,” “Gypsy Woman,” “Freddie’s Dead”
“Being self-taught, I never changed it. It used to make me proud because no matter how good a guitarist was, when he grabbed my ax, he couldn’t play it.” —Curtis Mayfield on playing the guitar with an open F-sharp tuning.
35. Alex Lifeson
Major Songs: “The Spirit of Radio," “La Villa Strangiato”
“Playing in a three-piece band always seemed a little empty to me, and the guitar just had to make a broader statement.” —Alex Lifeson
Vtpeters, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
34. Johnny Ramone
Major Songs: “Blitzkrieg Bop,” “Rockaway Beach,” “Judy Is a Punk”
“Johnny was the first guitar player I ever saw play like he was really mad. And I was like, ‘Damn. That’s cool.'” —Henry Rollins
Masao Nakagami, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
33. John Fahey
Major Songs: “The Yellow Princess," “Poor Boy"
“His music speaks of a boundless freedom". —Gary Lucas
Pascal P Chassin, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
32. Bo Diddley
Major Songs: “Who Do You Love?" “Bo Diddley,” “Road Runner”
“Anybody who picked up the guitar could do it. If you could keep a beat, you could play Bo Diddley.” —Dan Auerbach
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
31. Eric Clapton
Major Songs: “Bell Bottom Blues,” “White Room," “Crossroads”
“My original interests and intentions in guitar playing were primarily created on quality of tone, for instance, the way the instrument could be made to echo or simulate the human voice.” —Eric Clapton
Chris Hakkens, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
30. Chet Atkins
Major Songs: “Wake Up Little Susie," “Your Cheatin’ Heart”
“I think he influenced everybody who picked up a guitar." —Duane Eddy
Gretsch Guitar News, Wikimedia Commons
29. Pete Townshend
Major Songs: “Summertime Blues," “My Generation,” “I Can See for Miles”
There are different kinds of guitar players. There are those who want to play the songs exactly like the record, and then they're happy. And there's others like me who want to know how the songs are made, the structure, the chords. —Pete Townshend
28. Brian May
Major Songs: “Brighton Rock," “Keep Yourself Alive”
“I can listen to any player and pantomime their sound, but I can’t do Brian May. He’s just walking on higher ground.” —Steve Vai
Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
27. Jack White
Major Songs: “Ball and Biscuit," “Seven Nation Army"
“When I play a solo, it’s an attack—this is a fight, this is a struggle. I don’t care about virtuoso notes. If you stop me in the middle of a solo, I can’t say, ‘That’s an F-sharp, that’s a C.’” —Jack White
Teresa Sedó, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
26. George Harrison
Major Songs: “Give Me Love," “Something,” “Let It Be”
“It really sounded like a voice, like a very distinct, signature voice that came out of him.” —Tom Petty
25. Eddie Hazel
Major Songs: “Funky Dollar Bill," “Maggot Brain"
“I could see the guitar notes stretching out like a silver web. When he played the solo back, I knew that it was good beyond good, not only a virtuoso display of musicianship but also an almost unprecedented moment of emotion in pop music.” —George Clinton
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
24. Neil Young
Major Songs: “Powderfinger,” “Rockin’ in the Free World," “Cowgirl in the Sand”
"Nobody cares if you know how to play scales... It’s whether you have feelings that you want to express with music, that’s what counts, really.” —Neil Young
Warner/Reprise, Wikimedia Commons
23. Buddy Guy
Major Songs: “First Time I Met the Blues," “Stone Crazy”
“He was for me what Elvis was probably like for other people. My course was set, and he was my pilot.” —Eric Clapton
Tom Beetz, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
22. St. Vincent
Major Songs: “Rattlesnake,” “Masseduction," “Cruel”
“I don’t approach guitar like an ego thing—like, ‘I’m going to play faster than somebody else. I’m not that interested in that athletic aspect. That’s the difference between being an athlete and being an artist, and it’s great when those things can combine. That’s the ideal—to make something that’s musically viable also emotionally compelling. That’s the happy medium.” —St. Vincent
Moses, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
21. David Gilmour
Major Songs: “Shine on You Crazy Diamond," “Comfortably Numb”
“I wanted a bright, powerful lead guitar tone that would basically rip your face off." —David Gilmour
Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
20. John Frusciante
Major Songs: “Dani California,” “Under the Bridge”
"And this whole period of time of gradually working at being a better guitar player and songwriter have gradually led me to the point where I feel I'm doing a clearer representation of the thing that I've been feeling inside me since I was four years old." —John Frusciante
Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
19. James Burton
Major Songs: “Believe What You Say," “Hello Mary Lou,” ”Susie Q”
“He was just a mysterious guy: ‘Who is this guy and why is he on all these records I like?' His technique was all important.” —Joe Walsh
18. Albert King
Major Songs: “As the Years Go Passing By," “Born Under a Bad Sign”
“I taught [Hendrix] a lesson about the blues. I could have easily played his songs, but he couldn’t play mine.” —Albert King
Grant Gouldon, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
17. Stevie Ray Vaughan
Major Songs: “Cold Shot,” “Love Struck Baby”
"Stevie was one of the reasons I wanted a Stratocaster—his tone, which I’ve never been able to get down, was just so big and bold and bright at the same time. If you listen to his records and watch his videos, you can tell he’s just giving you everything he had. His passion is overwhelming.” —Gary Clark Jr.
Bbadventure, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
16. Freddy King
Major Songs: “The Stumble,” “Hide Away”
“Steel on steel is an unforgettable sound. But it’s gotta be in the right hands. The way he used it—man, you were going to hear that guitar.” —Derek Trucks
Lionel Decoster, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
15. Robert Johnson
Major Songs: “Ramblin’ on My Mind,” “Traveling Riverside Blues”
"Robert Johnson to me is the most important blues musician who ever lived." —Eric Clapton
14. Prince
Major Songs: “Purple Rain,” “When Doves Cry”
“Playing electric guitar your whole life does something to you. I’m convinced all that electricity racing through my body made me keep my hair.” —Prince
Allen Beaulieu, Wikimedia Commons
13. Jimmy Nolen
Major Songs: “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag," “Cold Sweat”
“I used to just try to play and keep my rhythm going as much like a drum as I possibly could. It kind of keeps the drummer straight.” —Jimmy Nolen
12. Keith Richards
Major Songs: “Gimme Shelter,” “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”
“[A great riff] just appears at your fingertips and is coming out of the instrument. And that is a great riff, totally unthought about, unstructured, no rules, no nothing. It’s just, one minute it ain’t there, and the next minute, there it is." —Keith Richards
Machocarioca, Wikimedia Commons
11. Jeff Beck
Major Songs: “Freeway Jam,” “Beck’s Bolero,” “‘Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers”
“I’ve never made the big time, mercifully probably. When you look around and see who has made it huge, it’s a really rotten place to be when you think about it. Maybe I’m blessed with not having had that.” —Beck
ceedub13, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
10. Carlos Santana
Major Songs: “Black Magic Woman,” “Soul Sacrifice,” “Oye Como Va”
“His music was something new, but it was intertwined with everything else that was out there at the time. He incorporated his culture into the music.” —Henry Garza
Heinrich Klaffs, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
9. Joni Mitchell
Major Songs: “Coyote,” “Refuge of the Roads," “For the Roses”
“I wanted to play the guitar like an orchestra. I know I have a unique way of playing, but nobody seemed to notice. I found it kinda silly that they kept describing it as folk guitar when it was more like Duke Ellington.” —Joni Mitchell
Capannelle, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
8. Duane Allman
Major Songs: “Statesboro Blues,” “Whipping Post," “You Don’t Love Me”
“Develop your talent, man, and leave the world something. Records are really gifts from people. To think that an artist would love you enough to share his music with anyone is a beautiful thing.” —Duane Allman
Ed Berman, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
7. Nile Rodgers
Major Songs: “Le Freak,” “I’m Coming Out,” “Good Times”
"There's 'influential,' then there's 'massively influential', then there's Nile Rodgers... a true innovator who never slows down, still making history with his guitar." —Rolling Stone
Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
6. B.B. King
Major Songs: “Sweet Sixteen,” “The Thrill Is Gone," “Every Day I Have The Blues”
"Every electric guitarist you listen to, there’s a little bit of B.B. in there. He was the father of squeezing the string on the electric guitar.” —Buddy Guy
Gorupdebesanez, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
5. Eddie Van Halen
Major Songs: “Hot for Teacher," “Eruption,” “Ain’t Talking ‘Bout Love”
“With Eddie Van Halen, everyone was riveted. Because everyone knew we were in the presence of our generation’s Mozart.” —Tom Morello
Carl Lender, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
4. Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Major Songs: “Strange Things Happening Every Day”
"[Tharpe] was a gospel singer at heart who became a celebrity by forging a new path musically... Through her unforgettable voice and gospel swing crossover style, Tharpe influenced a generation of musicians including Aretha Franklin, Chuck Berry and countless others... She was, and is, an unmatched artist." —National Public Radio
James J. Kriegsmann, Wikimedia Commons
3. Chuck Berry
Major Songs: “Johnny B. Goode,” “Maybellene,” “Brown Eyed Handsome Man”
"Chuck is the grandaddy of us all." —Keith Richards
Pickwick Records, Wikimedia Commons
2. Jimmy Page
Major Songs: “Achilles Last Stand,” “No Quarter,” “Kashmir”
“He had this vision to transcend the stereotypes of what the guitar can do. If you follow the guitar on ‘The Song Remains the Same’ all the way through, it evolves through so many different changes—louder, quieter, softer, louder again. He was writing the songs, playing them, producing them—I can’t think of any other guitar player since Les Paul that can claim that.” —Joe Perry
Andrew Smith, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
1. Jimi Hendrix
Major Songs: “Voodoo Child,” “Purple Haze,” “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “Little Wing”
“Jimi Hendrix exploded our idea of what rock music could be. It’s impossible to think of what Jimi would be doing now; he seemed like a pretty mercurial character. Would he be an elder statesman of rock? Would he be Sir Jimi Hendrix? Or would he be doing some residency off the Vegas Strip? The good news is his legacy is assured as the greatest guitar player of all time.” —Tom Morello
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