100 greatest Rock guitarists of all time

Hey, the folks over at Digital Dreamdoor compiled their list of the top 100 greatest rock guitarists a while back. They based their Criteria on this:

"Guitarists are ranked for their impact, influence, creativity, versatility,
originality, technical skill and lasting popularity in the genre of Rock guitar"

Here is the list: (*=R.I.P.)
1. Jimi Hendrix* - Jimi Hendrix Experience
2. Eric Clapton - Yardbirds, Cream, Derek & The Dominos, Solo
3. Jimmy Page - Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin, The Firm
4. Jeff Beck - Yardbirds, Jeff Beck Group, Solo
5. Eddie Van Halen - Van Halen
6. Stevie Ray Vaughan* - Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble
7. Joe Satriani - Solo
8. Ritchie Blackmore - Deep Purple, Rainbow, Blackmores Night
9. Steve Vai - David Lee Roth, Whitesnake, Solo
10. David Gilmour - Pink Floyd, Solo
11. John Petrucci - Dream Theater, Liquid Tension Experiment
12. Randy Rhoads* - Quiet Riot, Ozzy
13. Allan Holdsworth - Solo
14. Paul Gilbert - Mr. Big, Racer X, Solo
15. Yngwie Malmsteen - Rising Force, Solo
16. Phil Keaggy - Glass Harp, Solo
17. Jason Becker - Cacophony, David Lee Roth Band, Solo
18. John Mclaughlin- Mahavishnu Orchestra
19. Duane Allman* - Allman Brothers Band, Derek & the Dominos
20. Chuck Berry - Solo
21. Eric Johnson - Solo
22. Steve Howe - Yes, Solo
23. Neal Schon - Santana, Journey, Solo
24. Brian May - Queen
25. Gary Moore - Thin Lizzy, Colosseum II, Skid Row, Solo
26. Bo Diddley - Solo
27. Steve Morse - Deep Purple, Dixie Dregs, Steve Morse Band, Solo
28. Carlos Santana - Santana
29. Tony Iommi - Black Sabbath
30. Buckethead - Guns N' Roses, Solo
31. Mark Knopfler - Dire Straits, Solo
32. Marty Friedman - Cacophony, Megadeth, Solo
33. Nuno Bettencourt - Extreme, Mourning Widows
34. Shawn Lane* - Willy, Solo
35. Kirk Hammett - Metallica
36. Uli Jon Roth - Scorpions
37. Terry Kath* - Chicago Transit Authority
38. Alex Lifeson - Rush
39. Frank Zappa* - Mothers of Invention, Solo
40. Rory Gallagher* - Solo
41. Dimebag Darrell* - Pantera
42. Peter Green - Fleetwood Mac, Solo
43. Robin Trower - Procal Harum, Solo
44. Slash - Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver
45. Mick Taylor - John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Rolling Stones
46. Robert Fripp - King Crimson
47. Tom Morello - Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave
48. Michael Schenker - Scorpions, UFO, MSG, Contraband
49. Ry Cooder - Captain Beefheart's Magic Band, Solo
50. Angus Young - AC/DC
51. Keith Richards - Rolling Stones, Solo
52. Michael Angelo Batio - Nitro, Solo
53. John Squire - Stone Roses
54. Pete Townshend - The Who
55. Steve Hackett - Genisis
56. Zakk Wylde - Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society
57. George Harrison* - Beatles, Traveling Wilberys, Solo
58. Alvin Lee - Ten Years After
59. Dave Davies - Kinks
60. Jerry Cantrell - Alice In Chains, Solo
61. Steve Stevens - Billy Idol
62. Johnny Winter - Solo
63. Dickie Betts - Allman Brothers Band, Dickey Betts & Great Southern
64. John Cipollina* - Quicksilver Messenger Service
65. Kenny Wayne Shepherd - Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band
66. Steve Cropper - Booker T. & MG's/Stax sessions
67. Adrian Belew - King Crimson
68. Joe Bonamassa - Solo
69. Steve Lukather - Toto, Solo
70. Jerry Garcia* - Grateful Dead
71. Joe Perry - Aerosmith
72. Prince - Prince & The Revolution
73. Kim Mitchell - Max Webster, Solo
74. Adrian Smith - Iron Maiden
75. Dave Murray - Iron Maiden
76. Neil Young - Buffalo Springfield, CSNY, Solo
77. Billy Gibbons - ZZ Top
78. Tony MacAlpine - Solo
79. Mike McCready - Pearl Jam
80. Adam Jones - Tool
81. Gary Hoey - Solo
82. Leslie West - Mountain, Solo
83. Peter Frampton - Humble Pie, Frampton's Camel, Solo
84. Dick Dale - Del-Tones
85. Vito Bratta - White Lion
86. Mickey "Guitar" Baker - 50's sessions/ Mickey & Sylvia
87. John Frusciante - Red Hot Chili Peppers
88. Ronnie Montrose - Montrose, Edgar Winter Group
89. Mick Ronson* - David Bowie, Solo
90. Roy Buchanan* - Solo
91. Warren Haynes - Allman Brothers Band, Gov't Mule
92. Vinnie Moore - Alice Cooper, Solo
93. Robbie Krieger - Doors, Solo
94. Chris DeGarmo - Queensryche
95. Jake E. Lee - Cutting Crew, Ozzy, Badlands, Solo
96. Glen Tipton - Judas Priest
97. Joe Walsh - James Gang, Eagles, Solo
98. K.K. Downing - Judas Priest
99. Eddie Hazel* - Funkadelic
100. Alex Skolnick - Testament

It is one list I actually agree with, Based on their Criteria.
What do you guys think?

Absolute Absurdity :eek:

eeeh.. A list is a list is a list. Who to say who's right and who's wrong.

yeah Randy Rhoads is up there and I see Joe Walsh. Though I thought the Eagles guitarists for their time were better than these lists let on. It's all opinion and everyones is different.

I don't understand estimation criterion :confused: :confused:
and think that this is absurdity

Buckethead is up on list higher than Nuno :o haha

I know my eyes must be mistaken, beacuse i didnt see Slash in the top 10.
and i could have sworn that angus young was #50.. tell me he is AT LEAST in the top 15... :mad:

lol other than that nice list :)

I never really understood lists. They always seem to exercise a fine blend of biased stereotypes with biased opinions. In my personal opinion, Steve Vai could wipe the floor with Hendrix any day. I'm not ragging on Jimi or what he's done for the world of music. By all means I appreciate his contributions, but music is just forever growing more and more diverse and to continuously hold him as the greatest when song writing and technique has become so advanced and elaborate just seems questionable to me. Let alone the genres that get skipped in the process of narrowing things down. As for influence, I personally think that goes to Les Paul since the business wouldn't even exist without him. As far as my opinion goes we'd need a top 1000 greatest guitarists list to cover all the genres involving guitars in a mildly accurate format and be able to include plenty more guitarists that failed to make the list that have far more right to be there than Tom Morrello. And of course, there's just too much opinion involved for anyone to ever say. That being said, this list is still a hell of a lot better than Rolling Stones'.

Compare this to Rolling Stones list.

Digital Dreamdoor's list

1. Jimi Hendrix* - Jimi Hendrix Experience
2. Eric Clapton - Yardbirds, Cream, Derek & The Dominos, Solo
3. Jimmy Page - Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin, The Firm
4. Jeff Beck - Yardbirds, Jeff Beck Group, Solo
5. Eddie Van Halen - Van Halen
6. Stevie Ray Vaughan* - Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble
7. Joe Satriani - Solo
8. Ritchie Blackmore - Deep Purple, Rainbow, Blackmores Night
9. Steve Vai - David Lee Roth, Whitesnake, Solo
10. David Gilmour - Pink Floyd, Solo
11. John Petrucci - Dream Theater, Liquid Tension Experiment
12. Randy Rhoads* - Quiet Riot, Ozzy
13. Allan Holdsworth - Solo
14. Paul Gilbert - Mr. Big, Racer X, Solo
15. Yngwie Malmsteen - Rising Force, Solo
16. Phil Keaggy - Glass Harp, Solo
17. Jason Becker - Cacophony, David Lee Roth Band, Solo
18. John Mclaughlin- Mahavishnu Orchestra
19. Duane Allman* - Allman Brothers Band, Derek & the Dominos
20. Chuck Berry - Solo
21. Eric Johnson - Solo
22. Steve Howe - Yes, Solo
23. Neal Schon - Santana, Journey, Solo
24. Brian May - Queen
25. Gary Moore - Thin Lizzy, Colosseum II, Skid Row, Solo
26. Bo Diddley - Solo
27. Steve Morse - Deep Purple, Dixie Dregs, Steve Morse Band, Solo
28. Carlos Santana - Santana
29. Tony Iommi - Black Sabbath
30. Buckethead - Guns N' Roses, Solo
31. Mark Knopfler - Dire Straits, Solo
32. Marty Friedman - Cacophony, Megadeth, Solo
33. Nuno Bettencourt - Extreme, Mourning Widows
34. Shawn Lane* - Willy, Solo
35. Kirk Hammett - Metallica
36. Uli Jon Roth - Scorpions
37. Terry Kath* - Chicago Transit Authority
38. Alex Lifeson - Rush
39. Frank Zappa* - Mothers of Invention, Solo
40. Rory Gallagher* - Solo
41. Dimebag Darrell* - Pantera
42. Peter Green - Fleetwood Mac, Solo
43. Robin Trower - Procal Harum, Solo
44. Slash - Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver
45. Mick Taylor - John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Rolling Stones
46. Robert Fripp - King Crimson
47. Tom Morello - Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave
48. Michael Schenker - Scorpions, UFO, MSG, Contraband
49. Ry Cooder - Captain Beefheart's Magic Band, Solo
50. Angus Young - AC/DC
51. Keith Richards - Rolling Stones, Solo
52. Michael Angelo Batio - Nitro, Solo
53. John Squire - Stone Roses
54. Pete Townshend - The Who
55. Steve Hackett - Genisis
56. Zakk Wylde - Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society
57. George Harrison* - Beatles, Traveling Wilberys, Solo
58. Alvin Lee - Ten Years After
59. Dave Davies - Kinks
60. Jerry Cantrell - Alice In Chains, Solo
61. Steve Stevens - Billy Idol
62. Johnny Winter - Solo
63. Dickie Betts - Allman Brothers Band, Dickey Betts & Great Southern
64. John Cipollina* - Quicksilver Messenger Service
65. Kenny Wayne Shepherd - Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band
66. Steve Cropper - Booker T. & MG's/Stax sessions
67. Adrian Belew - King Crimson
68. Joe Bonamassa - Solo
69. Steve Lukather - Toto, Solo
70. Jerry Garcia* - Grateful Dead
71. Joe Perry - Aerosmith
72. Prince - Prince & The Revolution
73. Kim Mitchell - Max Webster, Solo
74. Adrian Smith - Iron Maiden
75. Dave Murray - Iron Maiden
76. Neil Young - Buffalo Springfield, CSNY, Solo
77. Billy Gibbons - ZZ Top
78. Tony MacAlpine - Solo
79. Mike McCready - Pearl Jam
80. Adam Jones - Tool
81. Gary Hoey - Solo
82. Leslie West - Mountain, Solo
83. Peter Frampton - Humble Pie, Frampton's Camel, Solo
84. Dick Dale - Del-Tones
85. Vito Bratta - White Lion
86. Mickey "Guitar" Baker - 50's sessions/ Mickey & Sylvia
87. John Frusciante - Red Hot Chili Peppers
88. Ronnie Montrose - Montrose, Edgar Winter Group
89. Mick Ronson* - David Bowie, Solo
90. Roy Buchanan* - Solo
91. Warren Haynes - Allman Brothers Band, Gov't Mule
92. Vinnie Moore - Alice Cooper, Solo
93. Robbie Krieger - Doors, Solo
94. Chris DeGarmo - Queensryche
95. Jake E. Lee - Cutting Crew, Ozzy, Badlands, Solo
96. Glen Tipton - Judas Priest
97. Joe Walsh - James Gang, Eagles, Solo
98. K.K. Downing - Judas Priest
99. Eddie Hazel* - Funkadelic
100. Alex Skolnick - Testament

Rolling Stone's list

1Jimi Hendrix
2 Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers Band
3 B.B. King
4 Eric Clapton
5 Robert Johnson
6 Chuck Berry
7 Stevie Ray Vaughan
8 Ry Cooder
9 Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin
10 Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones
11Kirk Hammett of Metallica
12 Kurt Cobain of Nirvana
13 Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead
14 Jeff Beck
15 Carlos Santana
16 Johnny Ramone of the Ramones
17 Jack White of the White Stripes
18 John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
19 Richard Thompson
20 James Burton
21 George Harrison
22 Mike Bloomfield
23 Warren Haynes
24 The Edge of U2
25 Freddy King
26 Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave
27 Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits
28 Stephen Stills
29 Ron Asheton of the Stooges
30 Buddy Guy
31 Dick Dale
32 John Cipollina of Quicksilver Messenger Service
33 & 34 Lee Ranaldo, Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth
35 John Fahey
36 Steve Cropper of Booker T. and the MG's
37 Bo Diddley
38 Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac
39 Brian May of Queen
40 John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival
41 Clarence White of the Byrds
42 Robert Fripp of King Crimson
43 Eddie Hazel of Funkadelic
44 Scotty Moore
45 Frank Zappa
46 Les Paul
47 T-Bone Walker
48 Joe Perry of Aerosmith
49 John McLaughlin
50 Pete Townshend
51 Paul Kossoff of Free
52 Lou Reed
53 Mickey Baker
54 Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane
55 Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple
56 Tom Verlaine of Television
57 Roy Buchanan
58 Dickey Betts
59 & 60 Jonny Greenwood, Ed O'Brien of Radiohead
61 Ike Turner
62 Zoot Horn Rollo of the Magic Band
63 Danny Gatton
64 Mick Ronson
65 Hubert Sumlin
66 Vernon Reid of Living Colour
67 Link Wray
68 Jerry Miller of Moby Grape
69 Steve Howe of Yes
70 Eddie Van Halen
71 Lightnin' Hopkins
72 Joni Mitchell
73 Trey Anastasio of Phish
74 Johnny Winter
75 Adam Jones of Tool
76 Ali Farka Toure
77 Henry Vestine of Canned Heat
78 Robbie Robertson of the Band
79 Cliff Gallup of the Blue Caps (1997)
80 Robert Quine of the Voidoids
81 Derek Trucks
82 David Gilmour of Pink Floyd
83 Neil Young
84 Eddie Cochran
85 Randy Rhoads
86 Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath
87 Joan Jett
88 Dave Davies of the Kinks
89 D. Boon of the Minutemen
90 Glen Buxton of Alice Cooper
91 Robby Krieger of the Doors
92 & 93 Fred "Sonic" Smith, Wayne Kramer of the MC5
94 Bert Jansch
95 Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine
96 Angus Young of AC/DC
97 Robert Randolph
98 Leigh Stephens of Blue Cheer
99 Greg Ginn of Black Flag
100 Kim Thayil of Soundgarden

The first list makes about TEN times more sence.

This list beats the shiznit out of Rolling Stone's! Rolling Stone Magazine is RETARDED!!!

I really don't understand why Joe Walsh doesn't get more respect. I'm not saying that he should neccesarily be in the top ten, but he should definitely be a lot higher.

Hey where's eric johnson?

Originally Posted by: sott@cox.netHey where's eric johnson?

He's number 21.

Originally Posted by: sott@cox.netHey where's eric johnson?

Same place as all the other guitarists that deserve a high five while Jack White is at number 17 and Joan Jett some how ended up on the list as well. I guess you've got to give Joan Jett credit since Rolling Stones needs to be politically correct since the entire rest of the list is men and women are inferior on the guitar even though Bonnie Raitt (one of more than I can think of off the top of my head) could kick her ass as well as most of the people on that list with her guitar any day. It seems like a magazine with such a musical reputation as Rolling Stones should know that. Seriously, I can't help but wonder what's going through their minds. Can they possibly really believe that Joan Jett could out do Satriani, Eric Johnson, Vai, Raitt, Slash, Zakk Wylde, Michael Hedges, Leo Kottke, or any other great guitarist? I find it absolutely disgusting. And it's bad enough they take the time to compile this list of nothing, they smear it all over the place as though they stumbled upon a stone tablet dating 3,000 bc that officially declares that these people are the best and that's all there is to it as though real musicians should even give a ****. Really... broken down, who cares? There are plenty of guitarists that can do way better finger picking than I can, but you know what? I can sweep their asses away, then someone will out sweep me. After that another guy will come in and make a jazzy piece that the last guy would've never thought up. Does it accomplish anything? No. Not a single thing. Why's that? Because we're all playing things completely different. And after th is, I'd like to apoligize because I didn't expect this to get so... big. Crap like this just gets me riled up.

i personally like angus young and think he shulde be atleast top 20
and jimi is 1 then stevie ray vaughn then the guy from van halen then eric clapton

Originally Posted by: guitardude99...then the guy from van halen...

Hmm.... I wonder who on earth that could be?????????? :confused:
You wouldn't happen to know his name would you?

Originally Posted by: Rsam16Hmm.... I wonder who on earth that could be?????????? :confused:
You wouldn't happen to know his name would you?

Lmao, hmm, EDDIE Van Halen perhaps? :D

I agree with this list, except for Angus being down at #50, booo. . .

Yeah I agree with that, To name whos better than the other is really subjective and it depends on personal taste.

BTW..the DigitalDreamdoors list is more forgivable than that of Rolling Stones.
Because DDD list is based more on talent while Rolling Stones list served as a tribute or a homage to the mainstream greats.

I can somewhat say Rolling Stones list is a bit biased coz it failed to acknowledge the vast talent of the unknown yet technically better guitarists.
The underground scene is sometimes more talented than the mainstream.

Keith Richards? and Carlos Santana? over Hammett, John McLaughlin, Brian May, David Gilmore, Eddie Van Halen and Angus Young, WTF? :confused:

NO!....I disagree with that! We can't trying to mix guitarists from different guitar epohs!!! Let's trying to write some different lists(per 10-20 in list).
for example:
1 Guitar Legends: Jimi Hendrix, Les Paul, Harrison, BB King, SRV, Chuck Berry etc...
2 Best in band: Young Bro, Eddie VH, Harrison+McCartney+Lennon, R. Blackmoure....
3 Best instrumental: Vai, Satrian, Greg Howe,...
4 Best Jazz
Best Shred
Best riffs
Best....
of course some guitarists can take plases more than one list...

Will someone please explain to me what's so wonderful about Zakk Wylde that he deserves to place high? I mean, okay, he can play so fast it's scary, but is the guy actually a decent composer? Are his solos more memorable than going to the toilet in your own house? Not in my opinion.

Each to his own, but what is it that everyone likes about him - other than speed? :confused: