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Total guitar 'greatest guitar players ever'

idssdi

Sold-out Crowd Surfer
Nov 11, 2019
5,336
6,754
Groningen
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I just got my issue of Total guitar in the 100 greatest guitar players all time. I'll label the lists in here so discuss away 😅

Rock:
  1. Brian May
  2. Jimi Hendrix
  3. Jimmy Page
  4. Eddie Van Halen
  5. Eric Clapton
  6. David Gilmour
  7. Ritchie Blackmore
  8. Alex Lifeson
  9. Jeff Beck
  10. Slash
  11. Carlos Santana
  12. Mark Knopfler
  13. Angus Young
  14. Gary Moore
  15. Billy Gibbons
  16. Duane Allman
  17. Joe Walsh
  18. Keith Richards
  19. Frank Zappa
  20. George Harrison
  21. Peter Townshend
  22. Lindsay Buckingham
  23. Steve Howe
  24. Peter Frampton
  25. Joe Perry
Blues
  1. Stevie Ray Vaughan
  2. BB King
  3. Buddy Guy
  4. Albert King
  5. Joe Bonamassa
  6. Robert Johnson
  7. Rory Gallagher
  8. Muddy Waters
  9. Johnny Winter
  10. Freddie King
Top 5 innovators
  1. Chuck Berry
  2. Hank Marvin
  3. Les Paul
  4. Scotty Moore
  5. Buddy Holly
Metal
  1. Tony iommi
  2. Dimebag Darrell
  3. Randy Rhoads
  4. James Hetfield
  5. Mark Tremonti
  6. Dave Mustaine
  7. Zakk Wylde
  8. Dave Murray & Adrian Smith
  9. Synyster Gates
  10. Glenn Tipton & KK downing
Shredders:
  1. Steve Vai
  2. Yngwie Malmsteen
  3. Joe Satriani
  4. Paul gilbert
  5. John Petrucci
  6. Buckethead
  7. Guthrie Govan
  8. Jason Becker
  9. Eric Johnson
  10. Michael Angelo Batio
Trailblazers
  1. Prince
Punk
  1. Johnny Ramone
  2. Steve Jones
  3. Mick Jones
  4. Ian MacKaye & Guy Picciotto
  5. Billie Joe Armstrong
Acoustic
  1. Bert Jansch
  2. Richard Thompson
  3. Joni Mitchell
  4. Nick Drake
Jazz & Fusion
  1. Django Reinhardt
  2. Allan Holdsworth
  3. Wes Montgomery
  4. John McLaughlin
  5. Larry Carlton
Alt & indie
  1. Johnny Marr
  2. John Frusciante
  3. Jack White
  4. Tom Morello
  5. Johnny Greenwood
  6. J. Mascis
  7. Kurt Cobain
  8. Matt Bellamy
  9. Graham Coxon
  10. Josh Homme
  11. Jerry Cantrell
  12. Billy Corgan
  13. Thurston Moore & Lee Ranaldo
  14. Kevin Shields
  15. Nick Valensi & Albert Hammond jr.
Guitarists right now
  1. Nita Strauss
  2. Erja Lyytinen
  3. Mateys Asato
  4. Plini
  5. Christine kingfish Ingram
  6. Tim Henson & Scott LePage
  7. Jason Richardson
  8. Ichika Nito
  9. Nick Johnston
  10. Yvette Young
I miss John Mayer(he just gets an honorable mention) and Marty Friedman(he isn't even mentioned) but 3 out of my 4 favourite guitar players of all time got a spot so I can't really complain about it.

The only thing I can complain about is the guitarist right now thing because that's just rubbish
 
Last edited:

idssdi

Sold-out Crowd Surfer
Nov 11, 2019
5,336
6,754
Groningen
11
I don't like actually ranking them and some of dem "shredders" might be offended by that label but other than that the ones on there deserve their spot at the first glance. I think John Mayer should definetly make it on the list but it would be hard to categorize him
They could have put John Mayer after Prince 😂

I mean Prince is such a badass he has a category for his own. On the shredders thing I don't know, weirdly enough that has been made in a genre even though lots of metal and jazz players for example do it too
 
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idssdi

Sold-out Crowd Surfer
Nov 11, 2019
5,336
6,754
Groningen
11
Okay, think this is some sort of transcription issue, and they mean Tony Iommi? I still wouldn't put him at the top.
Me neither but I mean I'm way past the point of worrying about the order they put people in. I care more about whether people make the list than the order 😅

Ok that though I think any best guitar player thing should be a combined thing of how influential they are combined with their playing ability. I think Tony Iommi scores very high for the influential bit but all the other people in this list are probably actual better guitar players combined with being influencal (I don't know whether that is an actual word but my brain feels like it has been put in a deep frying pan so I can't be bothered looking it up)
 
Last edited:
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Christian Schulze

Hot Topic Tourer
Rockstar Student
Nov 11, 2019
715
1
2,356
29
Spain
5
I just got my issue of Total guitar in the 100 greatest guitar players all time. I'll label the lists in here so discuss away 😅

Rock:
  1. Brian May
  2. Jimi Hendrix
  3. Jimmy Page
  4. Eddie Van Halen
  5. Eric Clapton
  6. David Gilmour
  7. Ritchie Blackmore
  8. Alex Lifeson
  9. Jeff Beck
  10. Slash
  11. Carlos Santana
  12. Mark Knopfler
  13. Angus Young
  14. Gary Moore
  15. Billy Gibbons
  16. Duane Allman
  17. Joe Walsh
  18. Keith Richards
  19. Frank Zappa
  20. George Harrison
  21. Peter Townshend
  22. Lindsay Buckingham
  23. Steve Howe
  24. Peter Frampton
  25. Joe Perry
Blues
  1. Stevie Ray Vaughan
  2. BB King
  3. Buddy Guy
  4. Albert King
  5. Joe Bonamassa
  6. Robert Johnson
  7. Rory Gallagher
  8. Muddy Waters
  9. Johnny Winter
  10. Freddie King
Top 5 innovators
  1. Chuck Berry
  2. Hank Marvin
  3. Les Paul
  4. Scotty Moore
  5. Buddy Holly
Metal
  1. Tony iommi
  2. Dimebag Darrell
  3. Randy Rhoads
  4. James Hetfield
  5. Mark Tremonti
  6. Dave Mustaine
  7. Zakk Wylde
  8. Dave Murray & Adrian Smith
  9. Synyster Gates
  10. Glenn Tipton & KK downing
Shredders:
  1. Steve Vai
  2. Yngwie Malmsteen
  3. Joe Satriani
  4. Paul gilbert
  5. John Petrucci
  6. Buckethead
  7. Guthrie Govan
  8. Jason Becker
  9. Eric Johnson
  10. Michael Angelo Batio
Trailblazers
  1. Prince
Punk
  1. Johnny Ramone
  2. Steve Jones
  3. Mick Jones
  4. Ian MacKaye & Guy Picciotto
  5. Billie Joe Armstrong
Acoustic
  1. Bert Jansch
  2. Richard Thompson
  3. Joni Mitchell
  4. Nick Drake
Jazz & Fusion
  1. Django Reinhardt
  2. Allan Holdsworth
  3. Wes Montgomery
  4. John McLaughlin
  5. Larry Carlton
Alt & indie
  1. Johnny Marr
  2. John Frusciante
  3. Jack White
  4. Tom Morello
  5. Johnny Greenwood
  6. J. Mascis
  7. Kurt Cobain
  8. Matt Bellamy
  9. Graham Coxon
  10. Josh Homme
  11. Jerry Cantrell
  12. Billy Corgan
  13. Thurston Moore & Lee Ranaldo
  14. Kevin Shields
  15. Nick Valensi & Albert Hammond jr.
Guitarists right now
  1. Nita Strauss
  2. Erja Lyytinen
  3. Mateys Asato
  4. Plini
  5. Christine kingfish Ingram
  6. Tim Henson & Scott LePage
  7. Jason Richardson
  8. Ichika Nito
  9. Nick Johnston
  10. Yvette Young
I miss John Mayer(he just gets an honorable mention) and Marty Friedman(he isn't even mentioned) but 3 out of my 4 favourite guitar players of all time got a spot so I can't really complain about it.

The only thing I can complain about is the guitarist right now thing because that's just rubbish
Johnny Marr being Nr.1 in Indie is well deserved..he is like one of the founders....also Jimi wasnt an innovator with guitar? FOH!!

HE is the greatest rock guitarrist XD!
 
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idssdi

Sold-out Crowd Surfer
Nov 11, 2019
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I am not usually one to pay much attention to 'best ever' lists, but not having Tommy Emmanuel in the acoustic list is sacrilege.
He got an honorable mention. Tbh sometimes it almost felt like they went like 'hey guys you can vote' while afterwards not entirely agreeing with the list so point out some people who they think should be in there.
 
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DrewJamz

Free Bird Player
Jun 13, 2020
3
16
Can't take these lists too seriously if Michael Schenker of UFO, Scorpions and M.S.G. legend isn't on it.

His work was a bridge from the early 70s space rock of his predecessors to modern heavy rock in the mid 70s which helped pave the way to neo-classical metal. He's been quoted by Kirk Hammett, Paul Gilbert, Randy Rhoads, Marty Friedman and others as an influence. Even Yngwie's ex-girl Tallee Savage once said that he "studied" Schenker for "years" (you know Yng rarely admits other guitar influences).
 
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