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

[gr8eman]

I thought it was a list of most overrated when I saw him at #1.

[Mad Dawgg]

I can invalidate this list with just a copy paste.

18. Zakk Wylde - Ozzy Osbourne
19. James Hetfield - Metallica

28. Eric Clapton
29. Billy Gibbons - ZZ Top

Any list that would put the people listed at 18. & 19. above the people listed at 28. & 29. is immediately invalidated because its pure Barbara Streisand

[wardaddy]

I saw Van Halen last summer...and although I was a hair old for the VH generation..born 1957...I grew up on LZ and BS and Southern rock as a mid teen

but Eddie Van Halen is great no doubt...and a disarming guy...David Lee Roth acts like a gay vaudeville act..very Catskills kitsch...entertaining though

as for number one...

I would place Hendrix in a class by himself ..as he actually was...emulators...Trower, Stevie, Marino...it's just a different thing

but overall best Guitar player to over 45 guys like me is after much consideration ..

...JEFF BECK

and he's the least commercially successful..

but just do this with the holy trinity of rock guitar 1966-1974

Yardbirds....Train Kept a Rolling

Beck, Clapton and Page..all played on many many versions of that great tune

go on Rhapsody or YouTube and compare who has the tastiest licks of those three

it ain't even close...

and Beck can still effortlessly tear up a guitar

Duane Allman has a special place for slide and his very young death

best guitarist I ever saw from only 10 feet away in a small club in Nashville and who also died young and tragic

Eddie Shaver...and I bet few outside some Texas freepers know who he was

when his daddy would say “hit it Eddie”..man he was quick chopped..alas...he had a tar problem

earliest guitar act to really impress me was Alvin Lee I'm coming Home" on the Woodstock movie-sountrack...it was something

man we could talk this stuff all day...I am sure glad I got to grow up in the best period before Rock died...from my Link Wray-Motown -Top-40-FM underground rock-Stadium rock-Punk rock youth....it was great to be there for the ride

[mountn man]

Brian May of QUEEN is no.2???

Only because Brian May is from Queen which had liberal rocks god Freedie Mercury. All things Freedie are to be worshipped.

I doubt I would have had him in the top 50.

Rik Emmit isn't EVEN ON the list.

What about Roy Clark Roy Clark youtube

Then there is Jerry Reed.

Eddie Van Halen #1???

This is more of a popularity contest than anything objective.

Chet Atkins and Les Paul did more to revolutionize todays guitar playing than any of these others on the list did.

And Ace Frehley ACTUALLY made the list of top 100???

[ReaganÜberAlles]

“Move over rover, let Jimi take over!”

Hendrix, was, is and always will be, The King.

[jaydubya2]

Phil Keaggy, that brings back some memories! I saw him about 20 years ago perform at Valparaiso University. He was a great one man show! He could do amazing things with a digital delay pedal.

[andyk]

Nice to see Django in there. Was kind of hoping to see Charlie Christian too.

[massgopguy]

Roy was a Five Time winner in Guitar Player magazine and thus in their Hall of Fame. Have to agree with Van Halen. My Rock Bands” of the mid and late 70’s were profoundly changed by Van Halen.

[gorush]

Jeff Beck at #39, Stevie Ray Vaughn at #8. Bogus poll, I rest my case.

[Mr. Jeeves]

These things are always nothing but popularity contests, and trying to objectively rank musicians across varying genres as if they were athletes is nuts anyway. That said, most of the right names are on the list somewhere (and I'm very happy to see Alex at #3!)

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

[Fester Chugabrew]

It’s amazing to see so much talent listed with so many different styles. I recognize about 1/4 of the names, so opportunity to take a listen to some I’ve never heard before. I’d have a difficult time voting.

[jeffc]

Looking at that list, well, I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time.
Come to think of it - I haven’t purchased Guitar World in a long time either.

Here, here! I completely agree. This is definitely a chuckle. I like VH, but he's a very one-dimensional guitar player (any Blues?). He just doesn't have the nuances of Hendrix or Page or Clapton. And Brian May at #2? He's good, but I wouldn't even put him in the top 5.

But, lists are personal observations and this is a poll, probably (mostly) of the younger speed/death metal players of today who most likely have heard very little of Hendrix, Page Clapton, et al's, work.

[Darren McCarty]

No Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden)?

68. George Lynch - Dokken/Lynch Mob
Way too low.

Clapton and Knopfler are way too low as well.

[goseminoles]

Yngwie malmsteen is easily the best..

[dforest]

Stevie Ray Vaughn was tons better than Hendrix. This list stinks.

[massgopguy]

Michael Schenker - UFO/MSG/Scorpions/AA

[taildragger]

Man totally forgot about Mark... I still obsess over “Waterline”, stood my hair on end when it hit the radios in my youth, every note...

[Rona Badger]

Agree because where is Feliciano?

[MarineBrat]

Any list that doesn’t have Tommy Emmanuel is obviously generated by teenie boppers.

[dforest]

I agree, Stevie Ray Vaughn was awesome. He should be number one.

He was able to to rock and jazz. Perhaps this should have been broken down some.