News Article: Rolling Stone Releases New Top 100 Guitarist List

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Every so often Rolling Stone Magazine puts out a “Top X” Listing. They have included countdowns of the top albums ,songs, singers, etc.

 

They updated their top guitarist listings and here are the top 10 from their updated Top 100. I believe 2004 was the last time they released one of these.

2011 Rolling Stone Guitarist Rankings Top 10

• 1) Jimi Hendrix
  
• 2) Eric Clapton
  
• 3) Jimmy Page
  
• 4) Keith Richards
  
• 5) Jeff Beck
  
• 6) B.B. King
  
• 7) Chuck Berry
  
• 8) Eddie Van Halen
  
• 9) Duane Allman
  
• 10) Pete Townsend
   
  

 

Personally I don’t understand Eddie Van Halen being higher than Allman and being put in over Stevie Ray Vaughan. I also don’t see why Keith Richards is so high but that is just my opinion. Allman died young but he is arguably the greatest slide guitar player ever.

 

Feel free to peruse the rest of the list and debate at your leisure.

 

:thumbs:

 

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-guitarists-20111123

Rolling Stone rankings for anything are pants-on-head retarded. In their drummer rankings Ringo Star was #10 LOLOOLOL

I'm like Ringo when I play RockBand - fucking terrible, even when on easy.

Its the best list they've come out with yet regarding guitarists, but it is nowhere near accurate. You can't group guitarists of different sub-genres into the same ranking system, it just doesn't do them any justice.

Its the best list they've come out with yet regarding guitarists, but it is nowhere near accurate. You can't group guitarists of different sub-genres into the same ranking system, it just doesn't do them any justice.

 

Agreed. Who would you move up or down?

I hate these lists. They are always based on what they know their readers want to see, minus a couple of purposeful "controversial" picks.

 

They also never factor in things like innovation across the board, just with certain picks. I'd put a guy like Tom Morello in my top ten just because of how he reinvented playing the guitar. Jimmy page also was a great studio guitarist, but his live shows left a lot to be desired. I would probably not rank him top 10.

Agreed. Who would you move up or down?

 

I just personally cant group, B.B. King and Chuck Berry with Frank Zappa and Angus Young. Its like arguing who is the greatest baseball player of all time. Can't say Ruth because Aaron came along etc. Now if you tried to group it by sub-genre that would be different, or decade even.

I just personally cant group, B.B. King and Chuck Berry with Frank Zappa and Angus Young. Its like arguing who is the greatest baseball player of all time. Can't say Ruth because Aaron came along etc. Now if you tried to group it by sub-genre that would be different, or decade even.

 

 

I agree. Its tough for B.B. and Berry. Looking at the top five they all are stylistically similar give or take. I mean Hendrix will always be number one because he was Hendrix but out of living guitarists, Clapton is number one to me. Its amazing how great he still sounds despite battling through drug abuse and overcoming the loss of his first son.

 

I have seen him twice and hope to see him next time he is in NY/NJ area

If we are strictly talking innovation, I'd have to put Zappa and Malmsteen in the top 10, but that's just me. There are a lot of overrated guitarists in these lists.

I saw this list when it first came out and thought it was dog shit, and I still do. Rolling Stone always puts out the shittiest lists.

Id put Robby Kreiger way higher too. He was never the focal point of the doors, but he had licks that were seamless and he was one of the first guys to blend flamenco and rock guitar styles (see Spanish Caravan).

Slash should be lower than 65 on the list, and the Edge shouldnt be listed at 38th.

Slash should be lower than 65 on the list, and the Edge shouldnt be listed at 38th.

 

Im down with The Edge. He has a unique sound

Im down with The Edge. He has a unique sound

 

But he is not good enough to be ranked 38th overall.

Im down with The Edge. He has a unique sound

 

He has a unique sound, but he isn't very technically talented. Solo's are far and few between. Its the riffs that get him on the list.

Im down with The Edge. He has a unique sound

 

Creating sound, especially in his age, isn't tough. It'd be one thing if he was making Moby-like electronica with his guitar, but really he just blended delays, reverbs and chorus' very well. He never has never really had any kind of "statement" pieces that solidify him as a great player. He's a perfect example of putting a guy on a list you know a majority of your readers will want to see. Same with Dimebag Darrell.

 

In a perfect world, Robert Johnson, Albert Collins, T-Bone Walker and Muddy Waters all deserve to be up by John Lee Hooker (they all were great blues players who pioneered the music we listen to now from a rock standpoint) and they may deserve to be a bit higher. The fact that Morello is 40th is just atrocious.

Creating sound, especially in his age, isn't tough. It'd be one thing if he was making Moby-like electronica with his guitar, but really he just blended delays, reverbs and chorus' very well. He never has never really had any kind of "statement" pieces that solidify him as a great player. He's a perfect example of putting a guy on a list you know a majority of your readers will want to see. Same with Dimebag Darrell.

 

In a perfect world, Robert Johnson, Albert Collins, T-Bone Walker and Muddy Waters all deserve to be up by John Lee Hooker (they all were great blues players who pioneered the music we listen to now from a rock standpoint) and they may deserve to be a bit higher. The fact that Morello is 40th is just atrocious.

 

Im quite familiar with those gentleman. Im a big fan of blues music and most of the 60s/70s stuff. Im not into most of the music from this generation

There's good music now, it's just a lot harder to find. I'm a lover of the old blues however, and the only two guitars I own now are a strat and a parlor acoustic. the strat is meh, I really miss having a guitar with humbuckers but I also don't play that much anymore, so it is what it is. The parlor, however, is awesome. It's the style of guitar that Johnson recorded primarily with and was huge in the 20's and 30's for blues. Has a great sound that's perfect for soloing and slide. I want to get another and set the action high and use it as my exclusive slide guitar but again - don't play that much right now.

Rest in Peace Hubert Sumlin