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  • Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Guitarists (2011)

We assembled a panel of top guitarists and other experts to rank their favorites and explain what separates the legends from everyone else. Featuring Keith Richards on Chuck Berry, Carlos Santana on Jerry Garcia, Tom Petty on George Harrison and more.

Voters included : Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple), James Burton, Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains), Billy Corgan, Melissa Etheridge, Don Felder (The Eagles), Kirk Hammett (Metallica), Warren Haynes (The Allman Brothers Band), Lenny Kravitz, Robby Krieger (The Doors), Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), Dave Mustaine (Megadeth), Carlos Santana, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Eddie Van Halen, Joe Walsh and a whole bunch more.

Did I go mad or did they leave out...the two elephants in any 'best guitarist' debate, Joe Satriani AND Steve Vai?

It's Rolling Stone so expect a lot of love for classic rock and it's influences and offshoots. Many are predictable and certainly the top 5 are predictable given the voting audience. Give them credit, within the 'boundaries' of where they're looking, there's a lot of diversity (rhythm, lead, solo, songwriters) and one or two surprises.

Read the full Rolling Stone article with 100-1 listed here

Curtis Mayfield at 34 was a pleasant surprise - he wrote some great tunes and the guitar playing somehow never sounds like cheesy 70's car chases - really tasteful wah playing..

Derek Trucks at 16 was great to see. I was already a fan. He's a real talent (youngest player on the list) - his ease of playing is so easy on the eye's (and ears). Well worth a dig into his career so far (Allman Bros, Trucks Band and Tedeschi Trucks Band)

Any surprises, or disappointments? Comment!

    Same old thinking , and it's not a critical list of best players. There is no way Hendrix is the best player ever nor is Clapton anywhere in any top 100 or top 1000

    Seems to me they are going on influence rather than ability, then the top 4 make sense!

    Derek Trucks is a great player and worthy of being on the list! (I still cant get my head around slide)

    A bit harsh on the younger players as there are so many but as you say they seem to be drawing this list from Classic Rock and Blues.

    Interesting for me is Nels Cline at 82, Guitarist for Wilco and many other rather strange musical collaborations

    Squonk Seems to me they are going on influence rather than ability, then the top 4 make sense!

    Agreed - there's a bit of nostalgia going down here...?

    But in a "best ever" (or GOAT = greatest of all time) list, I'd have issues listing them in any kinda order. I doubt I'd be able to nominate more than a handful. Maybe a "right now I dig these guys" would be more interesting. Doesn't mean the the more classic players wouldn't make into the list - I'm firm Jimi, SRV, James Hetfield, Chet Atkins and Niles Rodgers fan. But added in Derek Trucks, Marcus King and Emily Remler last year.

    Squonk Interesting for me is Nels Cline at 82, Guitarist for Wilco and many other rather strange musical collaborations

    He was 1/4 I didn't recognize! Cool that someone here gets the less recognizable ones! ?

          I suppose there is an argument that greatest =/= best.

          • V8 replied to this.

            V8?
            I work in erlang a lot, which uses =/=. I've always liked it because it is the same as the written symbol.

            • V8 replied to this.

                Yeti From your wiring on the stormsquatch...I guessed there was more than a streak of some flavour of engineering in your blood. I've a few elec & software engineers in the fam - not that it rubbed off on me any

                P.s. <> makes far more sense in text than =/=. ?

                • Yeti replied to this.

                    Haha, guilty as charged. I actually studied electronic engineering but have never worked with it. Nice to pick it up now as a hobby

                    V8 P.s. <> makes far more sense in text than =/=.

                    FIGHT ME! ?

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