Top Guitar Players of All Time
By rockgroupie2
@rockgroupie2 (280)
United States
November 10, 2008 11:56am CST
I'm a big music fan and my favorite genres are Hard Rock and Metal. I tried to come up with a list of the top 10 guitar players of all time, but I just couldn't cut my list down to 10. I came up with 13. Here is my list (I've added band names as well as people from all over the world use this site. Some may be familiar with the band but not the name.) These are in no particular order.
1. Slash Guns n Roses, Velvet Revolver
2. Eddie Van Halen, Van Halen
3. Joe Perry, Aerosmith
4. Carlos Santana, Santana
5. Jimi Hendricks
6. Angus Young, AC/DC
7. Randy Rhoads, Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne
8. Ritchie Blackmore, Deep Purple
9. Dimebag Darrell Abbot, Pantera
10. Zakk Wilde, Ozzy Osbourne
11. Jimmy Paige, Led Zeppelin
12. Tomi Iommi, Black Sabbath
13. Eric Clapton
Well. that's my list and I'd love to see yours. Also. if you know anything about one of these guitar players, such as another band they were in, please let me know. What band was Clapton with before he went solo? I can't remember.
ROCK ON!!
2 people like this
5 responses
@EvrWonder (3571)
• Canada
8 Apr 09
To complement your list, I would like to add
Stevie Ray Vaughan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAG-kX_IlUw
Here he is doing Hendrix cover "Little Wing"
Damb. SRV is my all time favorite and mentor.
R.I.P Brother. Peace.
Of course we can not for get the great
Jimi Hendricks.
@EvrWonder (3571)
• Canada
18 Apr 09
Lol. Yes SRV is my all time favorite.
I can listen to his stuff endlessly. His videos are so captivating to me.
Hendricks is one of the Greats for sure.
R.I.P brothers.
@rockgroupie2 (280)
• United States
12 Apr 09
How did I forget Hendricks? And I always loved Stevie Ray!! Excellent additions. This is way too hard!
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
11 Nov 08
Hey rockgroupie! Nice list, but I would have put them in a
different order for sure! I would have put Clapton and
Santanta, and Hendrix on the very top of the list! They
came alot before any of the others! Where do you think
those guys got their ideas from? And as for Clapton's bands
before he went solo~ He was with Cream and Blind Faith. They
were way before your time! You have the right people, just
have them in the totally wrong order. Ozzy, Jimmy and most
of the others came long before Slash and Eddie and Richie and
Tomi and Randy. If it weren't for those guys like Clapton,
Santana and the Great Hendrix those guys probably wouldn't
be half of what they are now. Don't get me wrong, they are
great and I do love them. Just in a different order! You
see I'm one of the original "Rock Queens" form way back!
@rockgroupie2 (280)
• United States
13 Nov 08
I agree completely! I didn't put my list in any special order. But I do agree with the order you came up with. I would have added Tomi to your top three. Sabbath are the godfathers of metal. Along with your top 3, these 4 guitarists have done more for rock music than anyone past or present. Then along came Van Halen, who played in a way that had never been heard before. And Slash can take any song and put such a unique twist in it. He's played with everyone from Chic to Michael Jackson. Just think about it, without these musicians there would be less joy in the world!Rock on, my sister!
PS) Sorry this response is so late. My computer was down for a few days.
@rrowenaa (834)
• Philippines
10 Nov 08
OH why is STEVE VAI not in your list? 
He totally nailed it with Tender Surrender and For the Love of God man! I'll pick my bf's faves too, Joe Satriani and Yngwie Malmsteem. Anyways, Slash when he's still in GnR is one of my fave bec of the song Estranged, Sweet Child actually almost all of GnR's songs rock! Carlos Santana bangs it too! A lot more, i just can't think of right now i'm sleepy. 
I think Eric Clapton's band is called Eric Clapton and Friends 
He totally nailed it with Tender Surrender and For the Love of God man! I'll pick my bf's faves too, Joe Satriani and Yngwie Malmsteem. Anyways, Slash when he's still in GnR is one of my fave bec of the song Estranged, Sweet Child actually almost all of GnR's songs rock! Carlos Santana bangs it too! A lot more, i just can't think of right now i'm sleepy. I think Eric Clapton's band is called Eric Clapton and Friends @rockgroupie2 (280)
• United States
13 Nov 08
I did forget Stevie Ray and another I thought of was Jeff Beck! It is too hard to come up with a top 10. I guess I need a top 20 because Malmsteem and Satriani should be on this list too. I'm a big GNR fan also! Thanks for responding!!
@shira0524 (482)
• United States
10 Nov 08
Eric Clapton was also in Cream, Derek and the Dominos and The Yardbirds. Tony Iommi has been in a lot of bands besides Sabbath, with the most notable ones being Earth, Jethro Tull, and currently he is a member of Heaven and Hell.
As for my picks for best guitarist, I think you should have Stevie Ray Vaughan on there as well. And as the other commenter suggested, Yngwie Malmsteen and Joe Satriani. Too many names? Get rid of Van Halen, Perry, Young, and no offense, Darrell, Wylde and Slash. They're good. Amazingly so. And have contributed greatly to rock music. But they still don't compare to a list comprised of the others. I think that leaves me with a list of 10 that are: Santana, Hendrix, Rhoades, Blackmore, Paige, Iommi, Clapton, Vaughan, Malmsteen and Satriani.
@rockgroupie2 (280)
• United States
13 Nov 08
Yes, I was thinking of Cream for the band Clapton was in. I've heard of the Yardbirds but am not really familiar with their music. A little bit before my time. I also didn't know Iommi played with Tull - very interesting. Yes, I did forget Stevie Ray, Malmsteen and Sitriani as well. I need to change to a top 20 list!! Thanks for responding and Rock On!!
@sweeneyallanburton (65)
• United States
10 Nov 08
I agree very much with your choice of Santana, and Clapton is quite good as well. One of my personal favorite guitarists is Queen's Brian May. His guitar playing is very expressive and skillful. Hendrix and Blackmore are good choices as well. Interesting choices!
@rockgroupie2 (280)
• United States
13 Nov 08
I did forget Brian May! Queen is one of my alltime favorite groups. It is too hard to get a list of 10. Thanks for responding!!
