Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time

[Jasmine]

I think 100 is a ridiculously high number when discussing “the greatest” of anything. I would think the top five or, at most, the top ten.

[drad_dog]

@pulykamell

I’m not sure he would. I think guitar is what spoke to him, and that’s what he wrote great riffs on, and that talent wouldn’t have translated for him to other instruments. Now, does that make him a great guitarist is still a valid question, depending on whether writing and performing memorable riffs on guitar is as important as general proficiency on the instrument.

He and Mick have both written some on the piano. Mick played on Memory Motel. When you have been in the business since 1963 competing with you know who it would have been a skill they would have paid attention to.

[ramon]

that list is complete bullshit, and appears to be politically motivated

[Bijou_Drains]

Nigel Tufnel should be #11 on the list. Because that is one better than 10.

[pulykamell]

@ramon

that list is complete bullshit, and appears to be politically motivated

I haven’t the vaguest clue what this means.

For me, I’m wondering why isn’t Greg Ginn (Black Flag) on the list? Why is Tommy Verlaine on it, but not Richard Lloyd? Kevin Shields? Seriously, no Kevin Shields? I was about to bitch about John Fahey, and then noticed he’s there at #78, for some reason under the name “John Farley.” No nod to Joey Santiago? Billy Corgan? Mick Jones? Robben Ford?

Point being, it’s just a list. Even in a group of 100, people are going to bitch and complain their favorites are left off. This is a reasonable list, as is any other. Scramble up the order of the names and I’m likely to say “yeah, sure, I can see that.”

[bobot]

@pulykamell

…This is a reasonable list, …

No, this list is quite fucked.

[pulykamell]

@bobot

No, this list is quite fucked.

shrug

[jaycat]

@pulykamell

. . . Why is Tommy Verlaine on it, but not Richard Lloyd? . . .

It wasn’t until I saw Television live (on their reunion tour in the 90s) that I realized how equally Lloyd was part of their sound. Still if I had to pick just one of the two it would be “Tommy.”

[Eonwe]

@5_time_champ

Steve Howe completely missing the list is Close to the Edge of insanity.

[DCnDC]

@mack

I’ll offer up a defense of at least the top of this list: It’s not the difficulty of a musical passage that’s important. It’s coming up with a classic riff or epic solo in the first place. And not once or twice but over and over again regardless of how long or regrettably short some careers were.

Right. The main problem with the list is it’s misnamed. It’s not about technical ability, otherwise it would be comprised entirely of guys like Yngwie Malmsteen, Jason Becker, Michael Angelo Batio, Greg Howe, Steve Vai, Michael Lee Firkins, and a whole bunch of other musicians most people have never heard of nor would ever want to listen to. Their main criteria appears to be “people who had a huge cultural impact that also happened to play the guitar pretty good,” and in that respect it’s a good list, it’s just not the list that “guitar people” would make if making a list of “greatest guitar players of all time.”
.

[Barkis_is_Willin]

Even if Yngwie Malmsteen isn’t your cup o’ tea, I haven’t seen many lists that leave him off.