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

[dfwgator]

Junior Brown also deserves a mention.

[AdamBomb]

"Any list without Brent Mason is not worth serious consideration"

The only problem with Brent is he tries to be too many different things.....I don't think he has enough of his own style. Great player, but hard to pick him out.

[Slump Tester]

No Steffen Schackinger?

I call foul!

[Banjoguy]

Was this a poll about people who could actually PLAY the guitar? Or about people who treated it like a whack toy?

Eddie Van Halen? Give me a break.

To vote intelligenty, one would need to actually know what a guitar is supposed to sound like.

Among contemporary persons I have heard play decent guitar are, Jimmy Bruno, George Van Eps, Howard Alden, any of the prominent Brazilians (e.g. Charlie Bird, Lorendo Almeida).

But the guitar bench marks for the rest of us came from (In chronological order) 1. Eddie Lang, 2.Django Reinhardt, 3. Johnny Smith. 4. Les Paul. If you have not heard Johnny Smith's early 50's recording of S'Wonderful you have really missed a tour de force improv.

[AdamBomb]

ah...yes.....they did forget Junior Brown

[Hammerhead]

there’s no way Eddie can finger pick like Heath - very few can. Only players that come close are classical players.

[Banjoguy]

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

You are correct my friend. You could start that list with Johnny Smith.

[ZirconEncrustedTweezers]

“Sorry, But Randy Rhoads was the greatest guitarist i ever seen or heard. At times, it sounded like there were 3 guitarists playing.”

Well, most of Randy’s parts on Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman were double- or triple-tracked. And he did it the hard way.

I’ve always thought that if he’d lived past 1982, most of us would be saying, “Yngwie WHO???”

[dfwgator]

While Steve Lukather is best known for Toto, it’s amazing how many hits he played on throughout the 80s.

[Theo]

It seems that Christian musicians may have been excluded from this list. Lincoln Brewster is also an amazing guitarist.

[BuckeyeTexan]

Eddie can make his guitar replicate the human voice speaking English. It’s pretty dang cool.

[ZirconEncrustedTweezers]

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

I took a closer look at the list and noticed that Steve Lukather didn’t make it. Neither did Larry Carlton.

[ZirconEncrustedTweezers]

“Yngwie malmsteen is easily the best..”

If you’ve heard one of Yngwie’s solos, you’ve heard them all.

[Docbarleypop]

I am glad someone else realizes Brian Setzer should be among the best, perhaps its because he is too good! His Guitar Slinger album is just amazing

[Revolting cat!]

Bo Diddley. End of discussion.

[verga]

I’m a bit surprised Roy Clark isn’t on the list. Good guitarist, Really good Banjo player.

[a fool in paradise]

Winner. Without Bo Diddley, so goes Buddy Holly, The Rolling Stones, and most of all Billy Childish.

[Fresh Wind]

Robert Johnson (#16) belongs in the list of the 100 most overrated guitarists.

[verga]

Seriously, Muddy Waters did not make the top 100. 25% of the people on this list were inspired at least in part by him.

[Big Red Clay]

My favorite is #1! Alright Edward and the Mighty VH!!

I went throught this list and wrote down all of the guys I have seen. It kind of suprised me. My list-
1 3 6 8 9 19 21 24 27 28 29 36 52 53 55 67 68 74 75 77 80 84 86 88 92 94.
Gotta keep building that list.