Jimi Hendrix tops Rolling Stone’s list of best guitarists

The Calgary Herald ^ | November 23, 2011

[ConservativeStatement]

Legendary musician Jimi Hendrix was named the greatest guitar player in history Wednesday by Rolling Stone magazine in a list compiled by a panel of music experts and top guitar players.

“Jimi Hendrix exploded our idea of what rock music could be: He manipulated the guitar, the whammy bar, the studio and the stage,” said Grammy-winning guitarist Tom Morello in the magazine, citing Hendrix’s “Purple Haze” and “The Star-Spangled Banner” as key tracks.

[CrouchingTiger620]

Wow, Keith Richards isn’t even the best Stones guitarist. Tha t honor goes to Mick Taylor by far. This was mostly a popularity contest or name recognition. Robin Trower, Ronnie Montrose, David Finkelstein (ELF) and others way more gifted

[hugorand]

Robert Fripp indeed. Obscure to many, but I’ll never forget seeing him in the early 80’s incarnation of King Crimson touring for the Discipline album. Masterful.

[alicewonders]

Totally agree with you on Stevie Ray Vaughan.

[Blue Highway]

Pretty sure the answer to that question was Phil Keaggy. But it is urban legend actually that he even mentioned "any" guitarist in that way according to the internets.

[dynachrome]

Roy Buchanan.

[al44]

That video is “just sick” in today’s vernacular!

[alicewonders]

Steve Howe is one of my favorites, along with Frank Zappa.

[Electric Graffiti]

Mediterranean Sundance germany '81

Search for the Germany videos in 81 for the best of Mclaughlin, Al and Paco.

[Forgotten Amendments]

Another thing that bothers me about these lists is that it usually goes to the finger gymnastics wizards. What about Duane Eddy? Who could be a cooler guitar player than that?

As Albert King said when asked about a hot licks player, “Yeah, but does his Momma know it’s him when he’s on the radio?”

[al44]

Jerry Reed was a pretty good picker too.

[truthfreedom]

Well Randy Rhoads has been dead at least 25 years. And wasn’t Viv Campbell Dio’s Guitarist in the 80’s.

Shouldn’t guitarists be getting better and better all the time? Shouldn’t there be as many famous guitar heros now as before?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtzy6erFIjU - St Vincent Surgeon maybe not top 10 all time but this was at Webster Hall this month.

And where is Matt Bellamy on the top 100 list? Muse is not particularly obscure.

[sushiman]

[Electric Graffiti]

The sick part is he plays it clean at that speed. It staggers my imagination everytime I watch it.

[cydcharisse]

Sorry to hear that.

[eaglestar]

Steve Howe (Yes) was the fastest with the guitar that I’ve seen.

[plain talk]

His career was way too short to have been much, if any, of an influence on his contemporaries.

Yes he had a short career. So did the Beatles by today's standards. Jimi Hendrix influenced almost all rock guitarists directly or indirectly. Even guitar players that have not directly heard Hendrix have been influenced indirectly since Hendrix influenced so many other top guitarists. All one has to do to validate that statement is to research what top guitar players themselves think of Jimi Hendrix - Page, Beck, Clapton, Townsend ... the list goes on.

When Hendrix first played in London he basically sat in with the Cream and plugged into an extra jack on Eric Clapton's amp. Clapton became slackjawed and couldn't even play. In the audience were top players in London at the time including Pete Townsend, Paul McCartney and some of the Rolling Stones who later stated they were blown away. Hendrix was the last act to close Woodstock. Occasionally a huge game-changer comes along. Hendrix passed through like a tornado.

[alicewonders]

That reminds me that George Harrison is on my favorite guitar player list too.

[Big Red Clay]

Wow, I’ve seen half that list play live. I feel pretty good about that. As for my list, I would remove Richards and add SRV. I also am not sure about having Chuck Berry in there. I would probly replace him with Buddy Guy or Billy Gibbons. Just my opinion nothing more. I am a huge Van Halen fan so I would move EVH up the list a bit at least in the top 5. The guys I have seen by the way-
Edward Van Halen (14 times)
Clapton (1)
BB King (3)
Page (1)
Townsend (1)
Also had the good fortune to see Vaughan play live 3 times before his demise. I was absolutely blown away the first time I saw him. Third row in a 3000 seat theater on the “Soul to Soul” tour right in fron of his mike stand about 20 ft away. I dont think my jaw came off the floor til about 4 songs in. His death was such a tremendous loss to the world of music. I still havent gotten over it.

[McGruff]

You gotta be impressed with his rendition of The Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock. Especially since it was at sunrise and he was supposedly on acid at the time.

Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits impresses me.

[LaRueLaDue]

I would agree.

I go with Al Dimeola, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Leo Kottke, not necessarily in that order...