50: Greatest Guitarists Ever

Brian May!

The list is in alphabetical order!

No Buckethead.

Screw this list.

It's alphabetical, people... THAT is why Vaughn is ranked lower... because he comes later in the ALPHABET.

Wow.... just wow.

Prince is not in the Top 50? You've got to be kidding me. But LA news is a joke, I don't know why I even come to this site.

Serious omissions: The great gypsy guitarist Manitas de Plata; the Romeros of classical guitar fame and of course Jimi Hendrix should be near or at the top.

No one has mentioned Terry Kath, yet Hendrix himself said that Kath was better than him.

Where is my main man George Benson?

The Edge at 14 and Jimi Hendrix at 21?!!! You're kidding right? You even put him above SRV and not only that you have him listed at 41?!! What kind of list is this? I'm seriously confused by this.
Dwayne Allman was good; a really talented artist, but you can not classify him as having a bigger influence on guitar compared to other artists on this list. I don;t care who the panel was. This list is SERIOUSLY flawed.

I get it... this list was so people like me can raise a stink. Controversy sells. I understand the concept, I just figured trolling would at least be beneath the LA Times.

Scratch me off the list of subscribers. I'm done.

George Benson? The Brotha can burn!

I can't believe how many idiots have complained about rank... Hendrix at 21 etc... THE LIST IS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER FOR CHRISTS SAKE.

The Edge before Hendrix, Page and Stevie Ray? You have got to be kidding me. Since when does a pop music guitarist that uses electronic enhancements to make the most simplistic guitar riffs sound complex a better musician than real players? I would take Rory Gallagher over The Edge as top Irish guitarist any day.

Geese, people can be so stupid. THE LIST IS ALPHABETICAL. Stop complaining about the order these guys are named in.

This list is ALPHABETICAL guys. How else to explain Hendrix at #21?? No $%^&ing way!

1) Brian Setzer (no one else menioned yet)

2) George Lynch

3) Mark Knopfler

If you change it from an alphabetical listing you will make everyone happy :)

Frank Zappa #50? He is one of the best ever! No Al Dimeola?

Ugh..

go back and sit on the toilet. you were obviously absent that day.

BRIAN MAY!!!

You forgot one of the great session guys of all time... STEVE LUKATHER

Hello...What about Captain Fingers - Lee Ritenour

Queen's Brian May

Maybe the stupidest and worst list on guitarists I have ever seen. Jimi Hendrix should be 1 by a mile, but I understand some contention about that, but 21? Enough said.

Andy Summers?
Joe Satriani?
Mark Knoffler?

exactly.

(what a dumb list)

this obviously is NOT in order.
where's Alex Lifeson???

I know these lists are a joke, but EVH #44? That is a joke!

Glad someone near the bottom noticed that the list is alphabetical. I was thinking that not only do people in LA seem to have questionable taste in guitar music, but it is the land of illiterates.

Really, whining that Mark Knopfler isn't on the list?

Any list that includes Yngwie or Keith Richards among the top 50 guitarist was clearly meant to be provocative rather than definitive anyway.

C'mon guys get that malmsteen fella out of that list. And since you put Chet Atkins here, don't forget about Jerry Reed. Since you're doing "Better than the Rolling Stone's list", do it right.

Dave Davies of the KINKs! He perfected the 'short' 5-15 second guitar solo. Think 'No More Looking Back', not 'You Really Got Me'. His solos were seamless w/the songs whereas many of the aforementioned guitarists always leave me wondering....when are they going to get back to the song? And what did HENDRIX say to Dave Davies when they met on a plane from NY to LA? "Thanks for creating the sound that made me famous". NUFF said.

Ok the idiot that thought Eddie Hazel should be left off the list should stick to window licking. Rhoads was average and Keith Richards was not even that. Are a LOT of great guitarists left off the list and Robin Trower, Johnny Winter, Eric Johnson should be on it.

Where the hell is Billy Corgan? His guitar sound is instantly recognizable and his chops formidable. This and some other notable omissions (e.g., Knopfler, Frusciante) speak volumes about the limited utility and scope of this list. What a poor, poor showing, LA Times. May I also note that Dave Navarro's work with Jane's Addiction was absolutely definitive for an entire era?

No Holdsworth and no Belew?

But you have morello and jack white?

this list is a sham

No Brian May of Queen?? Crazy and a shame...you are missing out!

Where's Alex Lifeson?

OK, everyone, calm down. The list is alphabetical.

JERRY GARICA?????

TREY??????!!!!!!!!!????????

Mark Knopfler?????!!!!!?????

I think choosing '50' was a mistake. Any serious list can be whittled down to actually including the best by creating categories (era + genre).

I don't particularly like Richards, but he does belong due to his riffs, and the massive influence of the Stones sound.

On the other hand, Tony Iommi, was an innovator of an entire genre and cannot be ignored either.

Finally, Rory Gallagher (RIP) should probably go as the most underrated of all time.

Satisfy these deserving passionate guitar fans who have responded by continuing the quest for the best.

The LA Times, once one of the top 50 newspapers, now hires teenagers to write sensational, inaccurate drivel. Don't write a crappy piece and blame it on the experts YOU picked. Listen to the album "Neck and Neck" where Mark Knopfler lovingly plays rings around your #2, the late great Chet. And NOBODY even mentioned me!

an unbelievably stupid pick. whoever did this is unqualified for this job. also, like others, the page wouldn't let me vote "again" on my first try. apparently the person who put this together is aware that they won't appreciate the feedback this generates. Rolling Stones 100 greatest is much more in touch with reality.

Morons, the guitarists are listed in alphabetical order. They're not saying Jimi Hendrix is 21st best.

Metheny
Garcia
Holdsworth should be in here.

Sure and it's a rich world we live in when Angus Young, Sharon Isbin and Chet Atkins all share the same list. Hallelujah !

Any list of the supposed 'greatest guitarists' that doesn't include Jerry Garcia isn't worth voting on.
Also I presume this list is for electric guitarists exclusively? If not, where is Norman Blake? Possibly the greatest American flat picker alive.

Keith Richards and The Edge, are you kidding. Most of this list wishes they were as good as Steve Morse. Missing Al Di Meola. Can't believe you could leave out Joe Satriani.

Stanley Jordan, of course

Neither the complier of this list, nor any of the responses to it, mentioned Sabicas, the greatest Flamenco guitarist of all time. Max Jacobson,

The Edge? HAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

That's funny. That's really funny.

Remove Angus Young, Edge, Jack White, Keith Richards. Add Steve Howe, Steve Hackett, Allan Holdsworth, Joe Satriani, Adrian Belew.

How dumb can some readers be mistaking an alphabetical list for a ranking?

The list is alphabetical, not according to ranking. Be upset about those omitted, but not by how they are numbered.

Charlie Byrd, Robben Ford,
Melvin Taylor, Wes Montgomery

So much incredible talent to
choose from, list should be 500.

How can this list NOT have Steve Howe? That's absurd!

Where is Dimebag Darrell?

Glad to see Merle Travis on the list. I would add Hank Snow. Both have distinctive and immediately recognizable styles. Both are country music legends.

Jack White? Over Via? Lifeson? Satriani? Di meola? man the real list goes on and on, What a JOKE

The title should have been the guitarist you liked most, or most popular, whatever....but not the best. Technically, guys like Joe Pass, Carlton, De Lucia, and many more, were far and far better guitarists than Dwayne or Jimi. If you asked Dwayne or Jimi or Eric, you would hear whos best from their perspective, many of which would not be found on the list given us to choose from.

Can't believe Albert Lee is missing. That's a crime. Glad of Richard Thompson. Amazing player.

Most of you that made comments obviously cant read because it clearly states that the 50 greatest gutarists are listed in ALPHABETICAL ORDER - So Jimmy Hendrix being number 21 is because of his last name - duh

Lists like this are bad juju.

I'm not sure why people are so up-in-arms about the "rankings." The article makes it clear this is an alphabetical list so as not to show preference to any one player. I think that's as it should be.

We have artists here from a variety of genres. To rank one above another is almost to say that one genre of music is better than another as a form of expression.

Is Keith Richards as great as Django Reinhardt, who played with four fingers. Technically, no. But in rock music, he's one of the best who ever lived, just as Django is one of the greatest jazz players of all time.

Terrific list. I'm surprised Slash is not on the list, and I wish Neil Young had made it. Lindsay Buckingham and Mike Campbell would be at home here, too.

I can see that Slash was on the panel of judges, so I guess his exclusion is to be taken as a sign of humility?

I love lists like these because they are reminders of how subjective loving music is. We can argue all day about whether Knopfler or Satriani should be here, and that makes it fun. I only wish others could see that and not refer to those they disagree with as "idiots." Reading the names of the judges, I have a hard time believing any of them could fall into that classification.

Amazing the number of commenters who missed that the list is in alphabetic order.

To everyone above who thinks the list is a ranking, it is clearly alphabetical, so obviously C's come before H's.
My guess is too many readers spend way too much time playing air guitar to worry about reading how the list was put together, or even learning the alphabet.

JOHN PETRUCCI JOHN PETRUCCI JOHN PETRUCCI JOHN PETRUCCI JOHN PETRUCCI JOHN PETRUCCI JOHN PETRUCCI JOHN PETRUCCI JOHN PETRUCCI JOHN PETRUCCI JOHN PETRUCCI JOHN PETRUCCI JOHN PETRUCCI JOHN PETRUCCI JOHN PETRUCCI

Frank Zappa? WHAT? I'd pick Ted Nugent and Joe Satriani.

Obviously, someone isn't paying attention...the list is in ALPHABETICAL ORDER, and clearly says so up top.

Pay attention before you make an idiot out of yourself.

I hope its not an indicator of the general intelligence level of people who are interested in guitar that many of the most vociferous comments object to rankings. THe problem is, they're not rankings; the listing here is ALPHABETICAL!

Also, Bireli Lagrene should have been included and any number of jejunes, i.e., Mick Taylor, Michael Bloomfield, should have been omitted.

This list is definitely a joke. What about Al DiMeola? The guy won Guitar Player Magazine Best Guitarist for several years running. Considered to be the father of modern fusion. A list with Chuck Berry or The Edge is a joke from the start.

Here are a few virtuosos to consider:
Carlos Montoya, Carlos Guitarlos, David Lindley, Kenny Burrell, Stanley Jordan, Antonio Briebresca, Ike Turner, Shuggie Otis, Lonnie Johnson, Steve Cropper, Mickey Lespron, David Moreno, Sabicas

Prince?! Are you kidding me?! Take away his effects pedal and he is nothing. He doesn't have command of even one scale. The guy plays the same run over and over with new effects. Influential, yes. But not for his skills as a player. I could teach a beginner every Prince lick in one week.

I think you forgot Gary Richrath from REO Speedwagon and Terry Kath from Chicago!

What about Gary Richrath formerly of Reo Speedwagon?

everyone is silly! all you have to do is actually read the paragraph at the top of the list. Slash helped compile, and they're listed alphabetically. lighten up weirdos.

John Frusciante anyone?

Everyone needs to take a step back and realize that these names are listed alphabetically and not in order of talent. As a classical fan, I would have taken issue with Parkening being ahead of Segovia, but I decided to use my brain first.

How about Brian May of "Queen"? Gary Moore of "Thin Lizzy"?

No Billy Corgan? He plays all the guitar and bass tracks on the albums.

These lists are always silly fun, and there can't but be numerous omissions. Most of my overlooked favorirtes have been mentioned in the comments above, but Clarence White, people. He virtually invented bluegrass guitar playing and then he and Gene Parsons invented an electric guitar (the B-bender) so he could play the stuff in his head that no one else had ever figured out. And he was from Burbank.

A total joke.

These lists are always destined to bring out different opinions because there is no right answer, but anyone who doesn't put Jimi Hendrix at least the top five actually is wrong.

Hendrix wasn't just the best, he was the most influential, and really impossible to imitate.

Also the list should be best blues/rock guitarists, because there's a lot of brilliant but boring jazz players out there.

Oh wait- it's alphabetical. That makes a difference. Allman at the head and Zappa on the tail end.

People can't read .. the list is alphabetical !! .. what about Michael Hedges ? He was one of the most unique talented guitarists .. definitely better than some on this list.

I see a lot of those who posted missed that the list is in alphabetical order, as in by last name, which is how Allman comes before Van Halen, who isn't all that original.

Omissions:
Eric Clapton
Jorma Kaukonen
Rory Gallagher
Steve Howe
Grant Green

I love all the "you guys are idiots for putting this guy in front of that guy" comments...

Yea... they're a bunch of idots... as opposed to all of you who didn't read that the guitar players are LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER.

I think that you have completedly lost your ever loving minds! You do not even have Prince Rogers Nelson listed, who is better than almost everyone on this list by far. You have no Pat Methany, no Jerry Garcia. How is it that you have no mariachi guitarists? This is extraordinarily biased bull- not a legitimate assessment of talent!!!

Heh,

while boasting a huge chunk of the capable and influential, it has a few songwriters who can barely play;

Edge
Johnny Marr
Jack White

These guys can't play 1% of what my guitar students can do.

Perhaps the title should be

50 most popular?

ummm.. jerry garcia is not on this list. that is a joke. hendrix at 21!? what!?

I can't believe how many posters did not notice that this list is in alphabetical order, which seems like a brilliant idea to me. No more squabbling over whether Hendrix or Allman is number one, like on that (in)famous Rolling Stone list.

the list is alphabetical people!

I would put the following in my top four: Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Clapton, Duane Allman. I think they combine incredible levels of both technical skill and, for lack of a better word, soul. My top 50 would definitely include Charlie Hunter and Marc Ribot.

From the 50's Rock'n'Roll era:
Eddie Cochran
James Burton (Ricky Nelson Band)
---------------------
Easy Listening Instrumentals:
Tony Motolla
Jorgen Ingmann
--------------------------------------
Classical:
any of The Romeros
------------------------------------
60s-70s psychedelic/metal:
Stevie Winwood

You guys all know that this was in alphabetical order (and NOT talent order), right?

Where is Robert White? Johnny Guitar Watson? George Benson? Dennis Coffey? Bootsie Collins? George Johnson? You're telling me not ONE of these guys made the list???

The list is missing Roy Buchanan.

But more disturbing is the number of 'readers' who couldn't figure out that the Times' list is alphabetical, not a numerical ranking. Just how bad are these schools getting here in California?

No, Jimi Hendrix isn't number 21, his name begins with an 'H'. Jeez.

3 glaring omissions: Paul Kossoff,Robert Johnson,Mark Knopfler.

Oh,and where's Peter Green?!

LINK WRAY

ROBIN TROWER. Hello?

also,
Michael Hedges
Billy Gibbons

People are complaining that Steve Vai isnt on the list?!?!?!? Going over the results only 8 people voted for the master Andres Segovia..... HE IS THE GREATEST GUITARIST OF ALL TIME!!!!!! so who is lacking taste?

Steve Lukather, Martin Barre, Elliot Easton and Mark Knopfler to name a few

rock isnt the only kind of music out there people! it represents only a small scheme of music.