ROLLING STONE 250 GREATEST GUITARISTS | My Thoughts + My 50 Greatest Guitarists
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- Опубликовано: 4 окт 2024
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Do not forget the classical guitarists like Andres Segovia who has a huge impact on many guitarists of jazz and rock.
he puts people off playing guitar lol. He had sausage fingers and had no right to be as amazing as he was. The best guitarist of all-time in my opinion. I can't play anything he plays, I'd like to say I haven't tried but I have many times.
Plus the flamenco guitarists, particularly Paco de Lucia, who was admired by scores of jazz and metal players.
And Julian Bream, who was responsible for a number of important modernist standards coming into the repertoire. And there’s flamenco. It’s more harmonically limited than classical, by far, but it’s about the most technically advanced music for the instrument ever. The Montoyas, Juan Serrano, Manitas de Plata, and, of course, Paco. Supremely, Paco.
@@danielschaeffer1294 yes, of course. He is one of my favorites. John Abercrombie mentioned his 21st century guitar album as a great influence.
first one I thought of
I would put Jeff Beck way ahead of the other Yardbirds alumni because he never stopped growing as a musician.
Agreed....his only peer back then was Ritchie Blackmore.
totally agree
I agree. I'm a big fan of Beck who always had something to say through his playing.
Well said Johnsilver.
I know this conversation is about "guitar playing," and yes, Beck has always done amazing things and continued to coax new and sublime sounds from his axe right up till the end. HOWEVER: In addition to being a terrific soloist, Page produced every Led Zeppelin album, essentially crafting the sound of the band, and came up with loads of iconic riffs to boot. Neither Clapton nor Beck contributed anything on that scale to rock music. On any given tune, they basically sat round waiting for their turns to solo. Neither of them achieved anything approaching the scope of what Page did.
davey graham for uk acoustic folkies,also one of the first to explore open tunings,indian music, met him,and played support once,fascinating guy
I was going to say Davey Graham too, but you beat me to it ;) An amazing guitar player, and very influential. Like you say, he influenced the whole of the 60's folk guitarists like Jansch, who in turn influenced loads of rock players (Page, Marr etc). He also invented DADGAD tuning (and like you say open tunings generally). I know loads of players in the Irish guitar world who use DADGAD.
Thank you for mentioning Davey Graham. I'm going back and adding him to the ones I had forgotten right now.
No Allan Holdsworth, no list! ❌
Just saw Steve Howe two weeks ago and he is a very serious precise guitarist. Luv his pedal steel Fender prowess.
Under appreciated city!
Steve, Eric J, and Steve M (not on RS List) are the only 3 in Guitar Player Mags Hall of Fame.
Don’t like what he is doing with Yes now. But he is in my top 10 of all time. Ultra versatile.
@@markoliver630 good point…because it’s not really YES any longer.
For them not to have Holdsworth on the list devalues their list. BTW you missed Roy Buchanan Andy
Given that he's only one of the most dynamic and most important electric guitar soloist, that inspired a large chunk of the list to get where they got as lead players and never mind Holdsworth had his own vocabulary in some sense... what it does is reinforce that it's a Rolling Stone list. They've made it their brand to do this type of thing.
Some others not mentioned that I love - Jan Akkerman, Gary Green, Graham Coxon, Kim Thayil, Jon Pool, GE Smith
Props on mentioning Gary Green.
Tommy Bolin should be on the list for his work on Billy Cobhams spectrum album alone. Jeff Beck was so blown away by him that it changed his whole musical direction after hearing spectrum.
100%. Bolin is still under-rated. He belongs on the list for Spectrum as well as his mastery of the tape loop echoplex.
Jeff Beck was a far more creative and interesting guitarist than Clapton. His playing throughout his career compared to Clapton's makes him a much more important player to my mind. As you said - "snooze-fest".
I agree and same goes with Page being better. Clapton kind of got what he deserved for hitting autopilot in the '70s, which very much intertwines with his stature as the first "guitar god" and all the acclaim that's been thrown on him for a length of time that about equals the recording history of the Beatles. He made a personal preference to not evolve out of blues/r&b and play songs like J.J. Cale while Jimmy Page was not only blazing trails that led to the stylings of Van Halen and beyond, but also innovating studio mic placement for guitar recording. Then, there's Jeff Beck, who immediately took guitar to a new height that Jimi Hendrix would later carry on pretty much immediately after Clapton left the Yardbirds and started to get his God bestowment with the Bluesbreakers, so with just that in itself, how groundbreaking was Eric Clapton really? Still quite a bit, I can't lie because Cream laid so much groundwork, but still, he plays great blues, but he walked out of a jam with Jorge Ben and Gilberto Gil in the '70s because he couldn't keep up with them. Speaking of which, I'd have Gil on my personal list. I even found it fitting that Jerry Garcia was #34 to Clapton's #35
I was surprised to learn the iconic acoustic guitar part on Eric Clapton's Change the World was played by Dean Parks. 🤯
@@sixter4157Dean Parks only played rhythm guitar.
@@sixter4157Sometimes, a really good guitarist is called for!
@@SWLABR1967 Yes, I know. The intricate rhythm part is the iconic part of that song. When the song came out I was sure that it was Clapton. Then, I recently listened to an interview and he played it and I was shocked. He even said most people think Clapton played that. Here is a different video just on that part. ruclips.net/video/hD61T83e-vU/видео.html
I didn't see Ritchie Blackmore on Andy's top 50 list! An accidental oversight perhaps? If we look at Blackmore's epic solo on Child In Time (from In Rock); or his iconic riff from Smoke on the Water (the riff that launched a million or more budding guitarists); or his neo-classical arpeggiated solo on Highway Star which was an inspiration to future shredders such as Randy Rhoads, Yngwie Malmsteen, et al; or his monumental "Stargazer" on the masterpiece album that is Rainbow Rising; and numerous other examples of guitar composition, soloing and improvisational technique - he just has to be on the list! It's a complete travesty that he only scored #75 of the RS list.
did he make the 250? he should for sure
Only #75 which is such a crime in itself. He should be at least within the top 25. @@TimBucknall
Saw Ritchie at his peak with Purple in 72 and then on Rainbow’s first U.K. tour. No one could touch him for skill, excitement, presence and showmanship.
No one on Earth , at the time, could have pulled off the studio solo from child in time let alone all his classic work in the following years. I challenge anyone to listen to his improvised guitar cadenza on the recording of Concerto for group and orchestra 1969 to tell me they aren’t impressed.
I am exactly on the same wavelength as you are Seabud! Or how about a tune that gets absolutely no love whatsoever from anyone but us Blackmore aficionados......the guitar solo on the Burn album's track "A200". That is the darkest, most intense, technically-challenging solo all wrapped in a minute that Blackmore ever did....a signature piece, but nobody ever talks about it. @@seabud6408
@@garyh.238 Right On! Or, also the blues solo Richie jams on "Lazy" IMO. 🤘😜🤘 +Peace & Rock n' Roll 4 Your Soul My Friend+
Agree completely on Eric Clapton. Clearly a legend for that amazing 5-6 year run from Bluesbreakers thru Derek and the Dominos but very sedate ever since. But, no one should seriously doubt the superiority of Jeff Beck as a guitarist compared to Clapton. Someone might prefer listening to say, Jose Feliciano but no guitar player in their right mind would say Feliciano is a better guitarist than Paco de Lucia. And that is about the same gulf that exists between Beck and Clapton purely on instrumental grounds.
Agree…my attention was held by JB, lost enthusiasm for EC decades ago.
Being a great guitar player isn’t just about capability or growth. Music is a form of expression and most people choose music based on who makes them “feel” the most. Hendrix isn’t nearly as capable as many guitarists since then, but you feel Jimi more. Clapton has been able to reach an enormous amount of people over his career. Overplaying causes listener fatigue and Clapton is good at playing what’s needed and NOT playing what isn’t.
Sedate indeed.
It’s every time with those yo-yos. Michael Schenker is never on a list and it’s totally criminal. His sense of feel and Melody is almost unmatched. Uli is another maestro. I sometimes wonder if the people putting those lists together have ever picked up a guitar in the first place.
How many Guitarplayers from let‘s say Spain, Netherlands, Hungary or Scandinavia are on the List? Do not expect a lot of Guitarplayers not from English speaking Countries on a US American List. How many Great Guitarplayers from Brasil or Africa do we know of? I know I do not know enough of them. The „Omissions“ on Lists of a „Certain Importance“ are „Doing the Damage“ not the Ranking.
That is why I think it makes Sense that every Music Lover „counters“ such Lists with his own „Positive List“.
Agreed. Randy Rhodes clearly listened to a lot of Schenker !
Not having Michael Schenker on that list is just outrageous. The man is a rock guitar GOD.
You guys know what you are talking about. 👏
Agree! And the answer is no - these writers don’t play guitar and don’t really know how to listen to or follow guitar. All these indie rock hacks are on here glomming it up.
@@erikheddergott5514Alexi Laiho is on some lists. I agree that Michael and Uli Jon Roth influenced many, many American artists.
Joni Mitchell is ranked higher than Robert Fripp on the RS250. Now, I admire Joni greatly as a songwriter, but REALLY?
Same here, love Joni... but c’mon. I’ve already seen people on social media quote this list as universal law. LOL
Agreed. A fine singer-songwriter. But a guitarist? Yes, but only as an accompaniment to her music. @@allthingsclassicrock
Lot of 70s players including Jimmy Page and Steve Hackett were greatly influenced by Joni's chordal approach. btw, Steve Hackett should have been on that list.
Well, guitars can be used for things other than solos and Joni's approach to alternate tunings and chords was pretty unique, so considering that their ranking system from the outset before even looking at the list is a joke, its nice that they highlight her abilities.
Well, I see it like this: there are great guitarists (or whatever instrument you want to speak of), and there are great musicians (which encompasses composition). Mitchell is definitely in the latter category.
Leo Kottke is a virtuoso acoustic player from Minnesota. Major talent.
I'm not a Van Halen fan but every shredder guitarist talks about how Eruption inspired them .
Is no one here a Stevie Ray Vaughan fan? I'd have thought he was obvious.
Why would a derivative player be considered for a list of bests?
@@philipbennerWho sounded like SRV before him?
@@philipbennerBecause he was a great guitar player.
@@philipbenner derivative? What the fuck are all the jazz players people think are light years ahead of everyone else then? Or the rock guys, or the classical guy's? SRV is one of the absolute masters, with top shelf command of the instrument and it's not really a debate anymore and hasn't been for 40 years. (and it's not like he's my favorite either, but acting like he sucks is just f'n stupid)
@user-ud5qj7dj1q Agreed. Just listen to Albert King and it becomes pretty apparent.
Hi Andy! Thank you for this fun video! I'm not sure you should be quite as upset about Clapton coming in at 35 (though on my list he's even lower) when RS put Wes, Django, and Charlie Christian 70 and below! Of course, any list that leaves off Holdsworth, Lenny, Ted Greene, Scofield, Henderson, Dimeola and Lane entirely is just loaded up with fluff. And what about Paco De Lucia?? I prefer your list any day.
re: clapton vs Beck, I would still rate Beck higher because he kept experimenting , drum & bass , Indian , you name it. whereas as you rightly alluded to, what did Eric Clapton do since Layla? I don't own any Jeff Beck and his fusion stuff leaves me cold but I can see that he's a true artist who thinks about his sound. a surprisingly good list overall , some obvious crowd pleasers like McCartney & Robertson but great to see Marc Ribot, Adrian Belew (Yesss!), Bill Frisell gave me something as close to a religious experience as an atheist can have so great to see him on there. yes Andy Summers deserves better but I'm just glad he's on. i don't envy whoever had to rank such contrasting artists
Beck was much further advanced from a technical standpoint than Clapton. Clapton benefitted from the hype of "Clapton is God" back in the Bluesbreakers days. His work with Cream was very fine, but after that, it all began to sag for me....especially his later very commercial work.
Just because you stopped listening after Layla,that doesn't mean he stopped making great music.
Did he break any new ground?,
probably not. You can't argue with his succes over the years.
On the other hand,let's face it, outside of the "guitar-community" ", you'd be hard pressed finding someone familiar with any Jeff Beck material since maybe The yardbirds.
I would rank Beck way way higher than the way way overrated Clapton. BTW I love Beck's fusion stuff.
Agree totally.
Agree with your take on Eric Clapton...."bit of a snoozefest after Derek and the Dominos"........peaked the decade before and rode the acclaim train for decades. The Dave Grohl of the 70's.
Apt description.
I agree. He became more of a pop star but I don’t begrudge him that. His weakness really shows when he feebly attempts genres of a fusion style. Such as whenever he sits in with Santana. It is beyond his forte and it shows.
Dave Grohl of the 70s?? I get the criticisms of Clapton but that’s just low lol
I wish Dave Grohl was still raising hell on the drums with Kurt and Krist rocking out upfront, but it is what it is In guess
As soon as I saw Andy Summers at 250 and some pretty dim bulbs immediately before him, I realized that this had nothing to do w actual guitar prowess. Didn't bother w it further
I'm watching this and you have gotten past the 70s at this point and I still haven't heard you mention Steve Hackett that's a big oversight
Agreed; Hackett was and is an innovator. Still playing great (I saw him live last week!)
Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Richard Thompson. Excellent picks. But where is Jim Hall?
Hello Andy. Subbed your channel last night.. huge Zappa fan and I like your respect for him. And of course he made the list. I met Frank once when I was 16 (65 now). Saw him and various incarnations of the Mother’s 14 times from 74-88.
Have you listened to Derek Trucks from the Allman Brothers (Butch Trucks ABB drummer nephew)? There’s a video here on RUclips of him killing Layla at age 13. Slide guitar virtuoso.
One more that I have to mention is Trey Anastacio from Phish. If he’d have auditioned for FZ he would’ve probably slipped in when Vai left to start his solo career. Phish are the biggest jam band on the planet. They should play Europe. They’ve been twice. But Madison Square Garden being their home away from Vermont ( they’ve sold out MSG more times than any band ever in a row) . They owe Europe a visit.
And as Flo and Eddie say on FZ JAB F LA, ‘it’s in Rolling Stone, oh it’s gotta be true!’ LO f’nL. RS/RNR Hall of Shame has still never inducted Tull. And it’s 2023. I don’t read that rag anymore.
Thanks. Look forward to your work.
"1956tojo" I like and agree with all your comments. Very accurate and articulate. Great job . Your post was. Breath of fresh air. Have a great day
I’m 53 and growing up my favorite guitarist was Alex Lifeson. The best guitarist I have heard is Buckethead. He has about 700 Albums and at least 50 songs that are better than any other songs I have heard… EVER
To each his own, this is only my opinion but he is truly a savant. He is overlooked because of his appearance but if you’re lucky enough to get him then you will be blessed with over 3000 songs in all kinds of genres.
I adore Buckethead too! Andy also likes Bucket based on his best shred masters video
Great job mentioning the many names that didn’t, but should’ve made the list. What a ridiculous list. Appreciate you shouting out Michael Schenker. Truly one of the best imho. Another one not mentioned is John Sykes!!! :-). Also Eliot Easton of the Cars and Glenn Tipton of Judas Priest.
After 5min in I can say I agree with your list more than the Rolling Stone list.
I heard George Benson is not on the list. That’s crazy!
Indeed.
A couple of points here. 1) Thanks for putting Bert Jansch and John Renbourn on the list. I learned how to play in part by listening to their stuff. If you ever make a longer list, though, you might include Doc Watson, Leo Kottke, and /or the grandfather of all off-the-wall guitarists, John Fahey. His work as a musicologist and entrepreneur was at least as important as his massive influence on later players. 2) You also might want to include, in your electric lineup - Rory Gallagher, Ry Cooder, Roy Buchanan, and especially Danny Gatton, who could play in any genre as well as anyone ever recorded. Those of you who haven’t discovered him yet NEED some Gatton in your collection. He was so good that he’s nearly unlistenable!
Jerry Garcia (Cap'n Trips)
@@alanbrown2888gotta pass on that.
Don't forget Sandy Bull, Robbie Basho, and Michael Hedges.
@@3243_ God, yes! Sandy Bull! I discovered him in college in the 60s and he really was ahead of his time. His “Blends” antedated Shakti, his Bm Bouree was later covered by Renbourn, “Manha de Carnival” is still one of the most beautiful songs ever written, and “Memphis?” It was Metheny before Metheny. Every time I listened I took an imaginary trip down Route 66 with Martin Milner and George Maharis through an America that hadn’t been ruined by Nixon. Those were the days! And btw, a lot of Bull’s stuff can be found on RUclips if you don’t have it in your collection.
Basho was nuts, but he made the Bay Area vivid in spectacular sound paintings, and Hedges’ “Arial Boundaries” rewrote the book on what the acoustic could do.
You have great taste.
@@danielschaeffer1294 Wow, thanks! And you have exquisite taste as well. 🙂
Allan Holdsworth G.O.A.T.
Tommy Bolin, Kazumi Watanabe, Janne Schaffer, John Tropea, John Abercrombie, Chet Atkins, Phil Upchurch, Danny Gaton , Roy Buchanan, Pat Travers, Bjorn Thoddorson Ray Gomez, Buckethead, Akira Takasaki Freddie King, Eric Gales,
Great picks
Really missing Jan Akkerman and Steve Morse, but your video's are great to watch
Forgot about Akkerman, incredible player. The list is stupid. Lots of European guitarists like John Norum, Rolling Stone don’t know exists.
Akkerman still playing at 76, and still brilliant
You mentioned Di Meola & Macglaughin... what about PACO DE LUC IA?
Grady Martin is on my list. Country and rockabilly giant for 4 decades, incredible CV.
They like to push buttons to call attention to themselves and get people talking. Joni Mitchell was way up on their list (she was an innovator with harmony and alternate tuning). No Allan Holdsworth or Terry Kath from Chicago? Ridiculous. They were more influential than a lot of people on the list.
Terry Kath...fantastic mention. Yes indeed he should have been on the RS list. And how about Tommy Bolin, another fallen guitar hero.
Joni 💩 Mitchell was a protest artist
No Steve Hackett? Or did I blink?
Firth of Fifth solo is one of my favorites
A vote for Grady Martin, who played on "Train Keep A A-Rollin' " - Johnny Burnette Trio . Nylon string guitar on "Gunfighter Ballads - Marty Robbins - and thousands of Country music sessions.
Most importantly Rolling Stone have made a list that creates controversy, then everyone talks about it. Job done.
ROLLING STONE MAG. has become a parody of itself. I haven’t read it for DECADES!!!
Finally one mentioning Scott Henderson👍
Steve Hackett, Jan Akkerman and Graham Coxon missing.... from your list 😱
He has all the same complaints as all the other critics on RUclips, but in the end he says it's a pretty good list and gives it thumbs up. So surprising to see someone on the Internet who looks at the positives and is not filled with rage.
No Stevie Ray Vaughan???
Can someone please explain why Joan Jett is on this list?
Because she is female
I remember picking up the guitar in the mid ‘90s… playing along to Oasis and Nirvana! Around that time Mojo had a similar list. Top 10 was filled with the usual suspects… apart from number 2! Some bloke I’d never heard of called Steve Cropper! My curiosity opened up a whole world of music for me and transformed me as a musician… I hope some kid sees this list, thinks ‘Sister… who???’ and gets their musical world opened up far beyond anything they ever thought!
Rolling Stone lists are always a popularity contest and only loosely based on skill or influence. That Allan Holdsworth didn't make the list speaks volumes.
Exactly. It's not about musicianship nor proficiency on one's instrument. Instead, there are several other drivers at play on any RS list.....the critics' own "darlings"; sales (because money talks); HYPE; and identity politics.
As an Australian there are a number of Australian guitarists who should have been on the list (alphabetical):
Kevin Borich - Rock Guitarist
John & Rick Brewster - Lead and Rhythm Guitarists - The Angels (I personally think they are the equal of the Young Brothers)
Johnny Diesel - solo rock guitarist
Slava Grigoryan - Classical Guitarist
Lobby Loyde - Rock Guitarist Coloured Balls
Ian Moss - Rock guitarist - Cold Chisel
Billy Thorpe - Blues & Rock Guitarist - The Aztecs
John Williams - Classical Guitarist - Sky
There are others but that’ll do for now.
One aspect that complicates things is the difference between ”influential” and ”great”. E.g. Keef Richards would probably not deserve the title ”great guitarist” but is in the avsolute top of ”influential guitarists”.
Haven't read the whole Rolling Stone list, but I hope Mary Halvorsen is on it. She's one of the most innovative and unique guitarists out there at the moment.
Unfortunately, she isn't on their list.
She is not on the list. Pop songsters only are on the RS radar.
She only got a Mc Arthur Fellowship Grant, but never had a Gold or Platinum Record, so she only counts for Freaks like us.
@@erikheddergott5514One of us, one of us. YOU are one of us!
Hey, we freaks gotta stick together! 🙂
No Guthrie Govan or Allan Holdsworth? The list is a joke and I suspect intentionally so as click bait fodder.
So I was ranked 251st again.
Don't ignore the fact that you were already in 51st and 11th place on other lists
This is a brilliant commentary. It's so subjective but as long as Knopfler is in the list, I'm happy lol. Still amazed there's no Tommy Emmanuel.
Great list and video as usual, Andy! You articulated your thoughts well and I agree with your rankings and sentiments. I applaud your taking on this task. The RS list has become quite the can of worms online. I guess RS got what they were looking for with this one. I knew what I was in for when I saw Andy summers at #250 preceded by Brittney Howard next. That seemed to be the theme of the list, the traditional pick with the “equitable” pick a notch or two higher. Eg. Charlie Christian then Joan Jett ranked two notches higher.
I will say I’m glad to see Jerry Garcia get some love on the list, albeit higher than I would rank him. But I don’t mean to open the can of worms that is Grateful Dead by saying that. 😂
Andy that's great. So many people forget history.
You're spot on with your assessment of this (ridiculous) list. This isn't really about who's truly the best (by what criteria anyway?)
Robin Trower and Peter Frampton???????? & George Benson????
Django Reinhardt's low position were Rolling Stone sticking 2 fingers up to him
Bert Weedon famous for his "play in a day" book I bought it and the next day I still couldn't play the guitar.
No Gary Moore , incredible
Andy, I like your Top 50 grouping, and it helps clean up the mess RS made with overlooked players particularly. I don’t really like including too many obscure, very old time players in my top 50 though (but I’m going to check them out) and I just don’t get Morello at all as a melodic player. I’d make room for: Gary Moore, Alex Lifeson, Gilmour, Steve Morse, Frampton, Larry Carlton, Eric Johnson, Brian May, Blackmore (I just don’t see how you can overlook him since he came from same world as Page and is also so great and influential), Duane Allman, Govan, SRV, Billy Gibbons, Chet Atkins. Then there are tons of players people will mention, like Rory Gallagher, Glenn Campbell, Jerry Reed, Robert Johnson, Buck Dharma, Thin Lizzy dudes, Robben Ford, Zappa, other Kings, Roy Buchanan, Joe Walsh etc etc. Point is: RS glommed their list with garbage players.
Not everybody can be pleased and I'm no exception... Gary Moore, Jan Akkerman. Stanley Jordan and Paco de Lucia to name a few who should be on the list. The real problem is that people consider Rolling Stone to be capable of compiling a list and so buy the magazine...
It's relevance has long gone except for a few nostalgic heads.
Yes, Bill Haley's band was jump jive with country influences, or vice versa, but the solo by Danny Cedrone on Rock Around the Clock is shredding before shredding was invented. It comes out of nowhere and is so fast and so out of keeping with the rest of the song its gone before you even notice it. Not saying he should be on the list, but give the man his due.
My List: No Ranking, just a Stream of Thought:
B.B. King, Hubert Sumlin, Prince, James Blood Ulmer. Saw Pj Harvey just yesterday. St. Vincent. Jimy Hendrix, Chuck Berry, Link Wray, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Harald Haerter, Bo Diddley, Richard Thompson, Steve Cropper, Danny Adler, Jef Lee Johnson, Ronny Drayton, Vernon Reid, Jean Paul Bourelly, Barthelemy Attiso, Diblo Dibala, Pablo Lubadika and more and More and mucho Morer!
Ike Turner, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton for Sound, Pat Metheny for Skills and John Mc Laughlin for being the best Miles Guitar Player and Reggie Lucas for best Madonna Guitarplayer.
James Blood Ulmer, great call!
Nice to see Lonnie get a mention.
For fun, here's a few guitar players who are relatively 'under the radar' heroes of mine, off the top of my head. Ed Wynne, Rick Witkowski, Stephen Malkmus, Jose Feliciano.
Where are Jan Akkerman and Toninho Horta on the list?
I would have put Adam Ratner from Knower on the list and Matteo Mancuso
Spot on about Fripp & Toyah 😂
Im interested in what you think of Duane Allman, my all time favorite guitarist (well, maybe tied with Jimi). I dont know if The Allman Brothers Band ever became as popular in the UK as they did in the US, but i dont think theres any other guitarist in rock history that could display raw emotion as Duane (ok, except perhaps Jimi)…not to mention his supernatural musical telepathy with Dickey Betts was out of this world!
There aren't many acoustic players here, e.g. Merle Travis, Doc Watson, Davey Graham.... (someone else said Davey Graham, a big influence on Jansch and Renbourne), or Tony Rice.
Tony Rice is a top 10 all time if you really know your guitar
@@Andrew-q8k Indeed, a legend and true master of the flatpicked steel strung guitar, as well as being one of the top bluegrass vocalists of all time. RIP
The way you said " Tony Iommi......with his _No Fingertips_ " cracked me up !
I'm always stuck listening to Page, Holdsworth, Rhoads and Nick Drake. I'm getting old.
Shocked at how dismissive Andy was of E V H!
Easily the most influential guitarist of his generation.
On the "Rushmore" of impactful rock guitarist, EVH and Hendrix are the only shoe-ins. Another strong Rushmore candidate is Clapton.
Others could have brought the blues lick to the masses BUT Clapton was the one WHO DID IT!
Yes, there was a long period that was weak. But he went back to his roots and got back much his edge some time ago.
Whether playing with Wynton Marsalis or the Ravi Shankar memorial orchestra, he is always playing the right thing. Was brilliant on the Cream reunion.
Whether you care for his music or not, an amazing career of integrity and nary a wrong note.
Was I dismissive...I love Van Halen....
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer Maybe I should have said dismissive of his ranking. You may love him more than me. But you kind of lumped him in with Shenker and some others- You say it's ridiculous that he comes in at #4 and it's because he died recently.
just saw the video yesterday, I know no one will see this, but I wanted to get on the record. I really appreciate that you name-checked Jansch, Renbourn and Thompson. But given your bias (correctly) to foundational players, Davy Graham and John Fahey belong on the list. I'll mention a name I didn't see in the comments: John Jorgenson.
Trower should be on the list.
Thanks. I heard Derek Bailey for the first time just now. I am glad I heard it once; I am not sure I need more.
Gary Moore ? Jeff Healey ? Michael Schenker ? Too many old blues players and female players that nobody has ever heard of. Rolling Stone’s list that is. You can imagine the discussion around the table in the Rolling Stone office; we need a black, female, bisexual guitarist to slot in the top 10…
I wouldn't take the 'ranking' all that seriously. Personally I'd rather have seen, as has been mentioned, an alphabetical list or a time line, still It's better to think of this as a group rather than a countdown to 'the best'. However you view this exercise, and I enjoyed it, for Rolling Stone it's "mission accomplished." People are talking.
Great kickoff choices, Lonnie and Eddie
Larry Coryel?!
Bb, Hank, page, Hendrix, Howe, Hackett ,Serg, Jango, Iomi , Hackett …
Massive influence on Yngie and Via and Satch, Ritchie Blackmore, only came in at 75, Richard Thompson at 63 seems good although for pure technical ability he's miles ahead of about half the 62 players above him on the list!
Agreed - Blackmore should have come in much higher that 75. Blackmore was The Godfather of Shred.....and was at least as important as Al Di Meola on future shredders such as Randy Rhoads, Uli Jon Roth, and Yngwie Malmsteen. Guitarists such as Vai, Van Halen, Lukather et al have all cited him as one of their influences.
Saw Ritchie at his peak with Purple in 72 and then in Rainbow’s first U.K. tour. No one could touch him for skill, excitement, presence and showmanship.
Great concert experiences for sure....Ritchie at the pinnacle of his powers! Agreed! He was the complete package....untouchable back then. @@seabud6408
Your first pick, Eddie Lang & Lonnie Johnson, impressed me straight away. Some brought Blue Guitars into school over 50 years ago and Hot Fingers grabbed my attention straight away. That's so fresh, it could have been recorded yesterday. Charlie Christian is the greatest guitarist ever - a two year career that changed everything.
Here are some whom I would have included:
--Fred Frith
--Michael Gregory Jackson
--Derek Bailey
--Reggie Lucas
--Mary Halvorson
--Emily Remler
--Monette Sudler
--Jeff Parker
--Phil Miller
--Michael Hedges
--Steve Tibbetts
--Stephen Micus
--Terje Rypdal
--Ralph Towner
--Larry Coryell
--Egberto Gismonti
--Baden Powell
--Gary Duncan
--Bob Weir
--Jorma Kaukonen
--Barry Melton
--James Gurley
--Philip Catherine
--David Torn
--Pat Martino
--Bola Sete
--Yamandu Costa
--Paco DeLucia
--Al Dimeola
--George Benson
--David Crosby
--Randy California
--Johnny Echols
--John Abercrombie
--Manuel Gottsching
--Achim Reichel
--Phil Keaggy
--Robbie Basho
--Sandy Bull
--Janet Feder
And I can't believe I forgot Andres Segovia, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Davey Graham, Bruce Cockburn, Stephen Basho-Junghans, Gabor Szabo, and Calvin Keys.
Frank Marino, Jan Akkerman.
Picking up subtle signs that you don't like Queen can't quite put my finger on it but it's there.
It's very... fantastic and super! Freddies energy at times isn't for everyone.. I'm in the like and appreciate camp, but.. If Andy didn't adore them, I could take some guess's why.
I really like Queen...shall I do a video on them?
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer upto you old chap,it would be fun especially if you veered into rant mode"clogs and guitars NO! Call that drumming task tsk"
The difference between Clapton and Beck is simple. Clapton is immatative. Beck has soul and orignality. IMO.
Big Al H number one, plus 249 also-rans for me.
Eric really laid the foundation for the modern rock guitar virtuoso. Beck is a guitarist's guitarist, but Eric played in an unprecedented style. No Eric, no guitar hero culture. Beck certainly was innovative and kept exploring, but Clapton was the foundation. I truly didn't like him after Blind Faith, to be honest, but the guy is historically one of the most important and inspirational guitarists of the last 100 years.
I agree, I'm thinking of doing a video on Eric
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer That would be great. I think if we admire Gilmour (and many people do), Clapton's later career should be considered a sort of slowing down period I would look forward to it. Clapton said himself he was tired of the fastest guitar in the west, and consciously backed away from that. NOTE: I am not a Clapton fanboy; just very conscious that the demarcation point in electric guitar was pretty much initiated by Clapton. This doesn't diminish the importance of those who became after, but he was a supremely important player historically.
@@garygomesvedicastrologyBeautifully put.
It amused me last year with the charley in the whitehouse. I just thought "cocaine decisions" straight away. Good on ya Frank.
Great video some good choices Andy
Rolling Stone is making a list to appeal to the next generation of music lovers, and customers. Fair enough.
As you so rightly stated, no Alan Holdsworth on this speaks to pure ignorance or misguided dismissiveness of the Rolling Stone writers. It invalidates the entire list for me. They can enjoy Eddie Van Halen at 4 or whatever. Absolute trash.
RS is a useless rag
Andy I wS wondering what you think about Tisziji Munoz. Since you love guitarists like John McLaughlin, I think he's right your alley but I've never heard you mentioning him. Amazing guitarist. You know the expression "the Coltrane of guitar" used to describe certain musicians, he may be the closest to that thing.
I absolutely love him...I would mention him more but I don't know how to pronounce his name....
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer I'm not 100% sure but I think it's something like Tee-see-gee
I know people are going to avoid this because of all the hate it might draw, but I wish someone would do a list of the guitarists that shouldn't be on the list. I'll start it off with Joan Jett.
Thats a great idea
Kurt Cobain
Kerry King
Johnny Ramone
Rosetta Tharp yes! Amazing, ahead of her time!
Steve Hillage should be on the list !
Why anyone would give a shit about what Rolling Stone had to say about ANYTHING is beyond me. They were a joke in the 70’s and it’s only gotten worse.
Any of these 'greatest ever' lists should hold off on including the most recent decade. Revisit those after they've earned their place.
"Can I have the closing words from Alan Holdsworths Defence Council please", "Yes Your Honour, Rolling Stone Rag ! sorry Mag have not included Alan Holdsworth on their list of the top 250 Guitarist of all time, this could never happen based on any Parameter they may have concocted. Therefore I am asking for List to be inadmissible to educated people, I rest my case Ma Lord"
Hold on now - Al DiMeola is not on the list? Schenker not on the list? No Lane or freaking Allan Holdsworth???
😂😂😂
The list is utter rubbish, plain and simple
Agreed! Not worth the paper it is written on, or the bytes it takes up online.
Did you leave out the inventor of the mandocaster? (Ricky Skaggs)
There are clearly not many jazz fans on the Rolling Stone staff. Jim Hall is a major omission. Puzzling also that Roy Buchanan missing. Derek Bailey may not always be a comforting listen, but he must be one of the most iconoclastic musicians of all time. Lots of people I've never heard on the list so I have some exploring to do.
Roy Buchanan made the list at #183.
They seem to like punk rock.
To paraphrase Derek Bailey, ' The quality of music is inversely proportional to the size of its audience'@@jimsteinmanfan80
Django-Top Ten-Rosetta Thorpe-I was better at 18...Les Paul 20-Have always loved Beck-But dare I say overrated. He peaked in "68-check out Fillmore -Peter Green-1967- John Mayall Blues Breakers Marquee.