# Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 21, 2018, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time/821706 "2018-09-21T21:39:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [September 21, 2018, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time/821706/1 "2018-09-21T21:39:03Z")
Inspired by the Roy Clark thread. [Here](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/UsefulNotes/RollingStone100GreatestGuitaristsOfAllTime) is the list, which I also pasted below. Thoughts? I can’t take it seriously. Buck Dharma is one of the greatest lead guitarists ever (IMO), and he’s not even listed. And B.B. King is #6?? He was O.K., but I wouldn’t put him in the top 20. Joni Mitchell and Joe Walsh should be much higher. I love The Ramones, but Johnny shouldn’t even be on the list. Same goes for Kurt Cobain and Lou Reed. * * * 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 Townshend 11. George Harrison 12. Stevie Ray Vaughan 13. Albert King 14. David Gilmour 15. Freddy King 16. Derek Trucks 17. Neil Young 18. Les Paul 19. James Burton 20. Carlos Santana 21. Chet Atkins 22. Frank Zappa 23. Buddy Guy 24. Angus Young 25. Tony Iommi 26. Brian May 27. Bo Diddley 28. Johnny Ramone 29. Scotty Moore 30. Elmore James 31. Ry Cooder 32. Billy Gibbons 33. Prince 34. Curtis Mayfield 35. John Lee Hooker 36. Randy Rhoads 37. Mick Taylor 38. The Edge 39. Steve Cropper 40. Tom Morello 41. Mick Ronson 42. Mike Bloomfield 43. Hubert Sumlin 44. Mark Knopfler 45. Link Wray 46. Jerry Garcia 47. Stephen Stills 48. Jonny Greenwood 49. Muddy Waters 50. Ritchie Blackmore 51. Johnny Marr 52. Clarence White 53. Otis Rush 54. Joe Walsh 55. John Lennon 56. Albert Collins 57. Rory Gallagher 58. Peter Green 59. Robbie Robertson 60. Ron Asheton 61. Dickey Betts 62. Robert Fripp 63. Johnny Winter 64. Duane Eddy 65. Slash 66. Leslie West 67. T Bone Walker 68. John McLaughlin 69. Richard Thompson 70. Jack White 71. Robert Johnson 72. John Frusciante 73. Kurt Cobain 74. Dick Dale 75. Joni Mitchell 76. Robby Krieger 77. Willie Nelson 78. John Farley 79. Mike Campbell 80. Buddy Holly 81. Lou Reed 82. Nels Cline 83. Eddie Hazel 84. Joe Perry 85. Andy Summers 86. J Mascis 87. James Hetfield 88. Carl Perkins 89. Bonnie Raitt 90. Tom Verlaine 91. Dave Davies 92. Dimebag Darrell 93. Paul Simon 94. Peter Buck 95. Roger McGuinn 96. Bruce Springsteen 97. Steve Jones 98. Alex Lifeson 99. Thurston Moore 100. Lindsey Buckingham ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2018, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time/821706/2 "2018-09-21T21:44:50Z")
As if I need to be told that Neil Young is a better guitarist than Les Paul… ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2018, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time/821706/3 "2018-09-21T21:46:45Z")
I’m no guitar expert, just a guy who likes music, but I was surprised that Prince wasn’t higher up on the list. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2018, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time/821706/4 "2018-09-21T21:52:45Z")
Well, that list _is_ from 2012…maybe the Rolling Stone staff has changed their minds since then? Perhaps they could have separate lists for living and dead guitarists. That would free up a spot for Buck Dharma for sure. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![2Bits](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e95f7d/32.png) [@2Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2Bits)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2018, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time/821706/5 "2018-09-21T21:54:47Z")
Should I read it again? I’m pretty sure I didn’t see Steve Hackett’s name! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2018, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time/821706/6 "2018-09-21T22:07:48Z")
> [@2Bits](#): > > Should I read it again? I’m pretty sure I didn’t see Steve Hackett’s name! No Steve Howe, either. List=Garbage ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2018, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time/821706/7 "2018-09-21T22:10:38Z")
Jimi Hendrix could play guitar? Who knew? I thought he could only yell, scream, and die. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2018, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time/821706/8 "2018-09-21T22:14:17Z")
And where’s Andres Segovia? 🙂 It’s just a list of 100 popular and influential popular American music guitarists. For what it is, it’s as reasonable as any other list, IMHO. My list might have Jimi on top, but probably not the rest of the top 10. But nothing strikes me as particularly egregious. OK, I may not agree with Frusciante being only one spot ahead of Cobain, or Johnny Marr being that much lower than The Edge, or Johnny Ramone (God bless him) being on this list at all, but, eh, it works fine for me. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2018, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time/821706/9 "2018-09-22T00:40:34Z")
I’ve seen 26 of them live. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2018, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time/821706/10 "2018-09-22T01:19:45Z")
[My Favorite](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzcXny8FE1Y) ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2018, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time/821706/11 "2018-09-22T01:24:34Z")
I am very clueless, but I thought Buckethead and Prince were top 5 material. Is Buckethead in the list and I missed him? ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2018, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time/821706/12 "2018-09-22T01:31:43Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > I’ve seen 26 of them live. 31 for me…32 if you add in Buck Dharma 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2018, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time/821706/13 "2018-09-22T01:33:34Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > No Steve Howe, either. List=Garbage Indeed. I mean, I know that RS has never really loved progressive rock, but seriously. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2018, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time/821706/14 "2018-09-22T02:19:20Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > I’ve seen 26 of them live. Only 20 for me. But do I get extra credit for Les Paul and Muddy Waters? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2018, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time/821706/15 "2018-09-22T02:47:12Z")
Frank Zappa at #22? Yet Keith Richards is at #4? What the fuck were the criteria? ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2018, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time/821706/16 "2018-09-22T03:10:58Z")
Eric Johnson? Steve Vai? Joe Satriani? I know for a fact all three were playing guitar prior to 2012. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2018, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time/821706/17 "2018-09-22T03:26:54Z")
Terry Kath from Chicago really deserves to be somewhere on that list. Also, I would rank Andrew Latimer of the band Camel as being roughly on the same level as David Gilmour, but he is probably too obscure for them to have even considered him. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2018, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time/821706/18 "2018-09-22T03:43:23Z")
My tastes are plebian and tend towards what’s popular, but am a bit surprised not to see Niel Schon or Steve Lukather represented. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2018, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time/821706/19 "2018-09-22T04:17:59Z")
Glad to see that Clapton passed the audition. He belongs there. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2018, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time/821706/20 "2018-09-22T04:37:16Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Frank Zappa at #22? Yet Keith Richards is at #4? What the fuck were the criteria? Name recognition by non-guitar-players? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time/821706.md?page=2)