Guitar World Magazine: Eddie Van Halen Named #1 Guitarist of All Time (Top 100 List)

Guitar World Magazine ^ | 10/11/12

[My Favorite Headache]

1. Edward Van Halen - Van Halen
2. Brian May - Queen
3. Alex Lifeson - Rush
4. Jimi Hendrix
5. Joe Satriani
6. Jimmy Page - Led Zeppelin
7. Tony Iommi - Black Sabbath
8. Stevie Ray Vaughn
9. Dimebag Darrell - Pantera
10. Steve Vai
11. Randy Rhoads - Ozzy Osbourne/Quiet Riot
12. Dave Mustaine - Megadeth
13. David Gilmour - Pink Floyd
14. Les Paul
15. Duane Allman
16. Robert Johnson
17. John Petrucci - Dream Theater
18. Zakk Wylde - Ozzy Osbourne
19. James Hetfield - Metallica
20. Ritchie Blackmore - Rainbow/Deep Purple
21. Angus Young - AC/DC
22. Slash - Guns N Roses
23. Paul Gilbert - Mr. Big/Racer X
24. Buddy Guy
25. George Harrison - The Beatles
26. Vernon Reid - Living Color
27. Frank Zappa
28. Eric Clapton
29. Billy Gibbons - ZZ Top
30. Chet Atkins
31. Dickey Betts - Allman Brothers
32. Django Reinhardt
33. Mark Morton - Mastodon
34. Mark Tremonti - Creed
35. Warren Haynes - Allman Brothers
36. Kirk Hammett - Metallica
37. Jerry Cantrell - Alice In Chains
38. Buckethead
39. Jeff Beck
40. Keith Richards - The Rolling Stones
41. Michael Schenker
42. Carlos Santana
43. Yngwie Malmsteen
44. Chuck Berry
45. John Frusciante - Red Hot Chili Peppers
46. Jason Becker - David Lee Roth/Solo
47. Eric Johnson
48. Joe Bonamassa - Black Country Communion
49. Alexi Laiho
50. Dave Murray - Iron Maiden
51. Allan Holdsworth
52. Joe Walsh - The Eagles
53. Rick Nielsen - Cheap Trick
54. Jerry Garcia - Grateful Dead
55. B.B. King
56. Lindsey Buckingham - Fleetwood Mac
57. Tom Morello - Rage Against The Machine
58. Steve Lukather - Toto
59. Son House
60. John Lee Hooker
61. Steve Howe - Asia/Yes
62. Chuck Schuldiner - Death
63. John McLaughlin
64. Albert Lee
65. Pete Townshend - The Who
66. Alex Skolnick - Testament
67. Johnny Winter
68. George Lynch - Dokken/Lynch Mob
69. Kerry King - Slayer
70. Michael Angelo Batio
71. Jeff Loomis - Nevermore
72. Steve Morse - Deep Purple/ Dixie Dreggs
73. Rory Gallagher
74. Ted Nugent
75. Joe Perry - Aerosmith
76. Al Di Meola
77. Andy Summers - The Police
78. Chris Broderick - Megadeth
79. Gary Moore
80. KK Downing - Judas Priest
81. Nuno Bettencourt - Extreme
82. Ropert Fripp - King Crimson
83. Glenn Tipton - Judas Priest
84. Malcolm Young - AC/DC
85. Jeff Hanneman - Slayer
86. Peter Frampton
87. Synyster Gates - Aveneged Sevenfold
88. Neil Young
89. Kenny Wayne Shepherd
90. Robin Trower
91. T-Bone Walker
92. Ace Frehley
93. Gary Rossington - Lynyrd Skynryd
94. Albert King
95. Jack White - White Stripes
96. Mark Knopfler - Dire Straits
97. Tosin Abasi - Animals As Leaders
98. Derek Trucks - Allman Brothers
99. John 5
100. Wes Montgomery

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

-— The real “greatest” guitarists are no doubt studio musicians with names unfamiliar to the public -——

Now that you mention it, where’s Jeff “Skunk” Baxter? “Bodhisattva”?
What’s better than that? Seriesly.

[mountn man]

#11

[guitman]

My thoughts exactly - also begs the question: where’s Pat Metheny?

[dfwgator]

Saw Pat for the umpteenth time last Friday, great show.

[Hotlanta Mike]

Eric Clapton is not god, according to those who voted...

[a fool in paradise]

No Dick Dale or Link Wray or Davie Allen.

What the f*** is a Buckethead?

Dick Dale (King of the Surf Guitar):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOGVhNJiqL0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73yBnSX6TdI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIVKbAWLttY

Link Wray (inventor of the power chord):
(Jimmy Page Listening to Rumble):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLEUSn8y9TI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVfmLFWDnYA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWQ9X-zG5Q8

Davie Allan (King of Fuzz):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjhno4sn2TA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epCOeLduweQ

Travis Wammack (like a teenaged Link, also Muscle Shoals session musician and band leader for Little Richard) - Robert Plant and Jimmy Page were fans:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMWqXCdJ_Q8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dxVex-iCyY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvq5vInxFys

Guitar Wolf (from Japan) would kick Buckethead’s ass.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iI-pAXNwxcE

What’s with this list? I mean, there’s not even Freddy King.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdyvPg0c6bI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oCQUSjnOhs

[dmz]

The real “greatest” guitarists are no doubt studio musicians with names unfamiliar to the public.

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Larry Carlton (think Steely Dan) comes to mind.

Frankly, the greatest guitarists were likely playing well before this thing called rock and roll was over represented in the list of the top 100 guitar players.

No Jim Hall? No Kenny Burrell?

But I think most of us know what this list really represents - the top 100 most popular guitar players to readers of Guitar World, having next to nothing to do with the 100 best guitar players (given no objective criteria exists).

[Michael.SF.]

Glen Campbell is not “late”

Thanks for the update. I recalled the tributes to him posted here some time ago, must of been the announcement that he had Alzheimers.

[orlop9]

Any list without Brent Mason is not worth serious consideration

[nickcarraway]

Well, after everything Clapton stole from Harrison. (Songs. Women. Who knows what else?)

[TChris]

17. John Petrucci - WOOT!

[dfwgator]

No Ernie Isley? “Who’s That Lady” is in my Top Ten list of solos.

[BillM]

Yup, And Tommy must have learned a lot from Lenny Breau, one of the greatest who died in his early forties.

[safeasthebanks]

Malcolm made the list - #84. Pretty impressive for a rhythm guitarist.

[corkoman]

Eric Clapton at 28? one under Franz Zappa - thats all i need to know about this list.

Worthless.

[Mad Dawgg]

"What the f*** is a Buckethead?

[mountn man]

Scholz was more the sound he developed. As a player...meh.

Neal Schon often goes unnoticed. I think because Journey was so "pop". Heck at 17, he had Carlos Santana and Eric Clapton wanting him in their bands.

[Gargantua]

Jerry Garcia # 54 ??!!!!

Behind Dicky Betts and Warren Haynes?

Someone who knows absolutely nothing about guitar playing piled up this putrid heap of manure.

Good grief...

;-\

[TChris]

Clearly, like all vote-based rankings, it's a popularity contest. It's pretty obvious, as many have pointed out. Lots of bizarreness in the list, and glaring omissions.

Should be labelled: Top 100 Most Popular Pop & Rock Guitarists According to Guitar World Readers

[Gettin Betta]

Right on soupbonel...Pat Travers rocks!! (hence my screen name).I just today booked a flight to see him 11/8 in Las Vegas!!