# Best Guitarist of Each Decade? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 30, 2010, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guitarist-of-each-decade/527012 "2010-01-30T08:22:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guitarist-of-each-decade/527012/41 "2010-01-31T07:10:28Z")
Where does Charo fit in? ---
**Author:** ![Lunchy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Lunchy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lunchy)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guitarist-of-each-decade/527012/42 "2010-01-31T07:59:44Z")
80’s- James Hetfield 90’s-Adam Jones 00’s Buckethead ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guitarist-of-each-decade/527012/43 "2010-01-31T14:02:19Z")
To add even another layer of complexity & subjectiveness, someone can be a great guitarist, but is completely incapable of writing a song. By the same token, there are guitarists who are awesome song writers, but are mediocre when it comes to the actual playing. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guitarist-of-each-decade/527012/44 "2010-01-31T14:22:31Z")
**Niccolò Paganini** composed for & performed guitar as well as violin. Since his violin playing was rumored to have been a gift from Satan, and he could bring women in his audiences to orgasm, I suppose he was no slouch on guitar, either. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guitarist-of-each-decade/527012/45 "2010-01-31T16:12:36Z")
> [@Juliana](#): > > Y’all aren’t real big on country guitarists, are ya? My pick for the 2000s would be Brad Paisley. Keith Urban is decent, but Brad has been a huge influence on country music. And for the 1970’s: Roy Clark. I have a recording of him playing Malaguena, and he is extremely talented. > > Of course, my husband also mentioned Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai. I forgot to add a link to the thread on [Keith Urban](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=455806)😉 (Brad Paisley gets a shout out, too - his CD Play is a lot of guitar gunslinging fun…) ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guitarist-of-each-decade/527012/46 "2010-01-31T17:29:21Z")
I really don’t think you can overestimate the contribution and playing of Robert Johnson. He lived fast, died young, and defined what it meant to rock for everyone to come. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame calls these four songs ones that shaped Rock, and I agree firmly. Sweet Home Chicago [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dkftesK2dck/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGGMgYyhjMA8=&rs=AOn4CLAwsO0oNPCAR-wVA7iBEzoWgCWvYQ "Robert Johnson "Sweet Home Chicago"") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkftesK2dck) Cross Road Blues [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qD2jXjV9Z8A/hqdefault.jpg "Roots of Blues -- Robert Johnson „Cross Road Blues"") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qD2jXjV9Z8A) Hellhound on My Trail [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wC4M4eQlz5I) Love in Vain [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0ks8Crarlg) And just for the hell of it… Mr. Buddy Guy, the man Jimi Hendrix wanted to be. Live, 2009. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/MWvG9L1jqq0/hqdefault.jpg "BUDDY GUY LIVE!! - 2009 - 'Best Damn Fool'") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWvG9L1jqq0) ---
**Author:** ![MwNNrules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f8ce5/32.png) [@MwNNrules](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MwNNrules)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guitarist-of-each-decade/527012/47 "2010-01-31T20:27:43Z")
Don’t know where I’d put a flamenco guitarist, but of course you’re welcome to make a list of your own. I’ve heard all those Johnson tracks, and I consider him a vital rock influence, and due to the rock trend which I’ve already identified on my list, he’ll probably stay there. Don’t know enough about Buddy Guy. My extended response to the links provided by WordMan. Thanks again. On T-Bone Walker: I’ve heard of him before, yet have not heard any of his music. The article was very interesting, and I could probably place him on my list for the ‘40s as a folk-blues rock influence, but I intend to hear some of his work first. The article was very interesting. On rhythm guitarists: my bad. A lot of the problems people are having with this thread go back to my OP. Sorry. There are certainly many great rhythm guitarists. I just said “all lead” as a kind of defense mechanism. On guitar tones: well I should probably go back to that one, but it was an interesting technical thread. On underrated and overrated guitarists: felt compelled to comment that many of Steely Dan’s session guitarists were amazing. On Derek Trucks: I like the slide effect, but haven’t heard much of Trucks’ stuff. Have heard his uncle though. On Jeff Beck’s DVD: I know Beck of old. Interesting comments you make about Clapton. I agree that Jeff Beck is better than Clapton (and hell… Page), but it’s a shame that he never got the recognition from the public that he deserves (see how he placed below Clapton and Page on Rolling Stone’s list). On Stevie Ray Vaughan & Duane Allman: I really like Allman’s slide-guitar-playing, and was pleased to see that he ranked second on the Rolling Stone list (for what it’s worth they had a solid top two… don’t know enough about B. B. King). Heard “Texas Flood”. On Jeff Beck & Peter Green: Like Beck, know close to nothing about Green. On the Edge: U2 is a good no bullshit type band. On guitar value: commented there. Interesting. On guitar solos: Again interesting, but it especially contributed to making me feel stupid about making this thread. On Sister Rosetta Thorpe: Weird, but interesting. On Malcolm Young: yeah, he’s a great **rhythm** guitarist. On Pantera, esp. Dimebag Darrell: I like Darrell’s style. On Mark Knopfler: Fan of Dire Straits. On The Who vs. Led Zeppelin: My favorite band of the '60s and '70s respectively, but again shows the sweeping changes of what was essentially a '60s band compared to a '70s band. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guitarist-of-each-decade/527012/48 "2010-01-31T20:36:40Z")
Stevie Ray Vaughn was the most technically proficient guitarist I have ever heard. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guitarist-of-each-decade/527012/49 "2010-01-31T21:29:58Z")
> [@MwNNrules](#): > > On Jeff Beck & Peter Green: Like Beck, know close to nothing about Green. I adore this version of [Jumping at Shadows](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB6zg05CxYg). Turned me into a big fan of [Peter Green](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxux5LdmjQU). ETA: You know listening to that first clip again, that’s just about the most haunting guitar tone I’ve ever heard. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guitarist-of-each-decade/527012/50 "2010-01-31T21:50:18Z")
> [@Juliana](#): > > Y’all aren’t real big on country guitarists, are ya? My pick for the 2000s would be Brad Paisley. Keith Urban is decent, but Brad has been a huge influence on country music. And for the 1970’s: Roy Clark. I have a recording of him playing Malaguena, and he is extremely talented… On the topic of country guitarists, what about Maybelle Carter? The 1930’s starred Django, of course. And Robert Johnson among blues masters. But her guitar style was _highly_ influential. Hey, this [historical clip](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvTtRe_0qqM) points out that her recording career began in the late 1920’s. [Here she is](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8szdi1D7OE&feature=related) in later years, sitting in with Flatt & Scruggs. Around 1949, Chet Atkins joined The Carter Family–then consisting of Mother Maybelle & her beautiful daughters–on their radio show. In his later years, he plays his own composition, [Maybelle](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdwO2eM4xjQ). ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guitarist-of-each-decade/527012/51 "2010-02-01T03:16:26Z")
You can’t talk about guitar work in the 80s without bowing to the late, great [Michael Hedges.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE7eVfIAkkE) ---
**Author:** ![Wisthekiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/2acd7d/32.png) [@Wisthekiller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wisthekiller)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guitarist-of-each-decade/527012/52 "2010-03-22T20:43:07Z")
Whatever any of you say my favorite guitarist of any decade will be Randy Rhoads, with Kirk Hammet a close second. I’m not a metal-head either. What makes them my favorite is that they managed to fuse classical and metal and make it great, ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guitarist-of-each-decade/527012/53 "2010-03-22T20:52:38Z")
> [@Wisthekiller](#): > > Whatever any of you say my favorite guitarist of any decade will be Randy Rhoads, with Kirk Hammet a close second. I’m not a metal-head either. What makes them my favorite is that they managed to fuse classical and metal and make it great, So why isn’t \*\*Yngwie \*\*your end-all, be-all? Didn’t he take that metal/classical fusion stuff the farthest? ---
**Author:** ![JCorre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3da27b/32.png) [@JCorre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JCorre)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guitarist-of-each-decade/527012/54 "2010-03-22T21:26:57Z")
I might be biased since I’m such a fanboy of The White Stripes but I would give Jack White the nod over everyone else I’ve been exposed to in the 2000’s. He favors sloppiness in the pursuit of creativity but the man is well on the way to becoming a guitar god. ---
**Author:** ![BDoors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BDoors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BDoors)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guitarist-of-each-decade/527012/55 "2010-03-23T00:50:42Z")
This all seems a bit rock-oriented. What about George Benson (70s), Johnny Marr (80s), James Burton (several decades)? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guitarist-of-each-decade/527012/56 "2010-03-23T01:03:30Z")
No love for Carlos Santana? Stanley Jordan? Best overall I’d have to give it to Les Paul. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guitarist-of-each-decade/527012/57 "2010-03-23T01:44:10Z")
Just personally, I’d go with Bob Mould, Bob Stinson, Peter Buck or Johnny Marr for the 80s, and maybe Kevin Shields for the 90s, but I wouldn’t expect most people to agree. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guitarist-of-each-decade/527012/58 "2010-03-23T05:09:01Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > Just personally, I’d go with Bob Mould, Bob Stinson, Peter Buck or Johnny Marr for the 80s, and maybe Kevin Shields for the 90s, but I wouldn’t expect most people to agree. Seen [these](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SnHs_RS10w) featuring a phenomenally young ( Tommy must have been all of 14 or 15 ) Replacements? Just ran across them the other day and was impressed how unusually sober they seemed :D. Speaking of guitar in the 80’s ( 1980 in this case ), check out Adrian Belew with the Talking Heads live in [Rome](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNAzXlDaHQU). Ten tracks of awesome stuff. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guitarist-of-each-decade/527012/59 "2010-03-23T05:18:58Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Well, best of the '00s is easy, anyway – my husband, Derek Trucks. Agreed. Derek takes the 00’s by a mile. A couple of suggestions: 20’s and 30’s: Roy Smeck late 60’s thru 70: **Duane Allman** 70’s thru present day: Bob Brozman 80’s thru present day: **Debashish Bhattacharya** . ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guitarist-of-each-decade/527012/60 "2010-03-23T11:31:27Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > Agreed. Derek takes the 00’s by a mile. > A couple of suggestions: > > 20’s and 30’s: Roy Smeck > > late 60’s thru 70: **Duane Allman** > > 70’s thru present day: Bob Brozman > > 80’s thru present day: **Debashish Bhattacharya** > > . Roy Smeck was a vaudeville string-playing god. Check. Allman: YMMV, but always mentioned. Brozman: more of a guitarist’s guitarist, like Roy Rogers on slide or Ry Cooder on slide and Leo Kottke, but great. That last dude: ?? Any context? Specific links? Help a fella out here. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guitarist-of-each-decade/527012.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guitarist-of-each-decade/527012.md?page=4)