Guitar World Magazine Respons To Rolling Stone Magazine:Top 100 Rock/Metal Guitarists List GW Style

Guitar World Magazine -March 2004 Issue | 2-16-04 | my favorite headache

[My Favorite Headache]

March 2004 Issue Guitar World

Guitar World magazine has responded with their Top 100 Guitarists Poll of their own. In response to the outrage of many due to the Rolling Stone magazine issue which left off many names Guitar World conducted a poll of readers and internet browsers to vote for the Top 100 Guitarists of All Time. Here are the results:

01. Tony Iommi (BLACK SABBATH)

02. Kirk Hammett & James Hetfield (METALLICA)

03. Angus & Malcolm Young (AC/DC)

04. Randy Rhoads (OZZY OSBOURNE)

05. Eddie Van Halen (VAN HALEN)

06. Jimmy Page (LED ZEPPELIN)

07. Dimebag Darrell (PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN)

08. Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY)

09. Adam Jones (TOOL)

10. Kerry King & Jeff Hanneman (SLAYER)

11. Dave Murray & Adrian Smith (IRON MAIDEN)

12. Jimi Hendrix

13. Glen Tipton & K.K. Downing (JUDAS PRIEST)

14. Ace Frehley & Paul Stanley (KISS)

15. Slash (GUNS N' ROSES)

16. Ritchie Blackmore (DEEP PURPLE, RAINBOW)

17. Yngwie Malmsteen

18. Joe Perry & Brad Whitford (AEROSMITH)

19. Dave Mustaine & Marty Friedman (MEGADETH)

20. Chuck Schuldiner (DEATH)

21. Brian May (QUEEN)

22. Michael Schenker (MSG, UFO)

23. Nigel Tufnel (SPINAL TAP)

24. Jeff Beck

25. Tom Morello (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE)

26. Head & Munky (KORN)

27. John Petrucci (DREAM THEATER)

28. Kim Thayil (SOUNDGARDEN)

29. Vivian Campbell (DEF LEPPARD)

30. Daron Malakian (SYSTEM OF A DOWN)

31. Scott Ian (ANTHRAX)

32. Tom G. Warrior (CELTIC FROST)

33. Chris Degarmo & Michael Wilton (QUEENSRYCHE)

34. C.C. Deville (POISON)

35. Marten Hagstrom & Fredrik Thorndendal (MESHUGGAH)

36. Alex Lifeson (RUSH)

37. Paul Gilbert (MR. BIG, RACER X)

38. Jerry Cantrell (ALICE IN CHAINS)

39. Mantas (VENOM)

40. Jason Becker (DAVE LEE ROTH)

41. Phil Collen & Steve Clarke (DEF LEPPARD)

42. Mikael Akerfeldt & Peter Lindgren (OPETH)

43. Fast Eddie Clarke (MOTORHEAD)

44. Nuno Bettencourt (EXTREME)

45. Warren DeMartini (RATT)

46. Mick Mars (MOTLEY CRUE)

47. George Lynch (DOKKEN)

48. Ted Nugent

49. Jake E. Lee (OZZY OSBOURNE, BADLANDS)

50. Rudolf Schenker & Uli John Roth (SCORPIONS)

51. Oystein "Euronymous" Aarseth (MAYHEM)

52. Scott Gorham & Brian Robertson (THIN LIZZY)

53. Steve Vai (DAVE LEE ROTH,WHITESNAKE)

54. Reb Beach (WINGER, DOKKEN)

55. Trey Azagthoth (MORBID ANGEL)

56. John Sykes (THIN LIZZY,WHITESNAKE, BLUE MURDER)

57. Hank Shermann & Michael Denner (MERCYFUL FATE)

58. Richie Sambora (BON JOVI)

59. Jon Donais & Matt Backhand (SHADOWS FALL)

60. Stephen Carpenter (DEFTONES)

61. Alex Skolnick & Eric Peterson (TESTAMENT)

62. Brian Tatler (DIAMOND HEAD)

63. John Christ (DANZIG)

64. Scott "Wino" Weinrich (THE OBSESSED)

65. Pepper Keenan & Woody Weatherman (C.O.C.)

66. Tommy Victor (PRONG)

67. Leslie West (MOUNTAIN)

68. Vernon Reid (LIVING COLOUR)

69. Glen Buxton & Michael Bruce (ALICE COOPER)

70. Bjorn Gelotte & Jesper Stromblad (IN FLAMES)

71. Jim Matheos (FATES WARNING)

72. Gary Holt & Rick Hunolt (EXODUS)

73. Donald Buck Dharma Roeser (BLUE OYSTER CULT)

74. Michael Amott (ARCH ENEMY)

75. Robert Fripp (KING CRIMSON)

76. Andre Olbrich (BLIND GUARDIAN)

77. Joe Satriani

78. Frank Hannon & Tommy Skeoch (TESLA)

79. Ty Tabor (KING'S X)

80. Mark Morton & Will Adler (LAMB OF GOD)

81. Dino Cazares (FEAR FACTORY)

82. Pete Townshend (THE WHO)

83. Jon Schaffer (ICED EARTH)

84. Timo Tolkki (STRATOVARIUS)

85. Neil Young

86. Abbath Doom Occulta (IMMORTAL)

87. Kai Hansen (GAMMA RAY)

88. Uffe Cederlund & Alex Hellid (ENTOMBED)

89. Leigh Stephens (BLUE CHEER)

90. Jim Martin (FAITH NO MORE)

91. Michael Romeo (SYMPHONY X)

92. Bill Steer (CARCASS)

93. Piggy (VOIVOD)

94. Tony Bourge (BUDGIE)

95. Sammy Hagar (VAN HALEN)

96. Alexi Laiho (CHILDREN OF BODOM)

97. Akira Takasaki (LOUDNESS)

98. Michael Angelo

99. John Kay & Michael Monarh (STEPPENWOLF)

100. Nick Bowcott (GRIM REAPER)

[petercooper]

Where are

Stevie Ray Vaughan
Eric Clapton
Mark Knoffler????????????????

3 of the best in the world

[prairiebreeze]

Jerry Garcia also played banjo. He said he would have loved to be a "Bluegrass Boy" but he was too afraid to ask Bill Monroe.

I don't see Doc Watson, Tony Rice or Chet Atkins (RIP) on this list. Must not be much of a poll...

Prairie

[dfwgator]

Oh yeah, Mark Knopfler. Think I'll put on my Dire Straits Alchemy CD and blast some "Telegraph Road."

[avenir]

Black Sabbath #1, Rush #36?

Well isn't that...special.

[theDentist]

Terry Kath (CHICAGO)

Carlos Santana

[RightWhale]

Right you are. He has any style down cold.

[dfwgator]

Here's one noone ever mentions, but one I have always liked is Ian Bairnson from the Alan Parsons Project.

[rintense]

And Lindsey Buckingham STILL doesn't make even this list? What is wrong with these people!

[avenir]

"The voting community for this poll appears to have been heavily slanted toward pierced goth drop outs."

Bump!

[NRA2BFree]

You'll want to see this thread. :)

[Defend the Second]

Totally agree with you about Mark - the man has an incredible stylistic range, plus he can rock so good you want to smash furniture.

When I was a hippie we used to conduct speaker tests with an empty beer bottle and a copy of Live at Leeds or Who's Next. If, during a Pete Townshend power chord, the speakers could make the bottle buzz and vibrate around on our coffee table, then they were worthy speakers. I seem to recall that Bose 901's were worthy speakers...

[avenir]

"I am afraid that no one will be able to ascertain the Top 100 Guitarists of all time until I compile the list personally."

LOL!!! I was thinking the same thing, only I'll pick the bass players.

[randog]

I just scanned the RS list--it makes more sense than the GW list!

I remember, back in the late 70's, early 80's, Playboy magazine came out with a 'Best Of' list. Mick Fleetwood was named best bass player. I guess my point is that you gotta take the respondents into account when running into these kinds of lists.

[dfwgator]

Totally agree with you about Mark - the man has an incredible stylistic range, plus he can rock so good you want to smash furniture.

Then you get a song like "Why Worry" that is so beautiful it almost makes you cry.

[Defend the Second]

Okay. Best bass player: John Entwistle.

[NutCrackerBoy]

Jerry Garcia also played banjo. He said he would have loved to be a "Bluegrass Boy" but he was too afraid to ask Bill Monroe.

Bill Monroe didn't like the leftist politics of the younger bluegrass crowd. But he probably would have given young Jerry a try-out.

[boris]

Any such list which ignores Mike Oldfield is highly suspect.

[gg188]

I remember, back in the late 70's, early 80's, Playboy magazine came out with a 'Best Of' list. Mick Fleetwood was named best bass player. I guess my point is that you gotta take the respondents into account when running into these kinds of lists.

That's really something, since Mick Fleetwood is a drummer.

[nonliberal]

Skolnick #61?! Tolkki, Lynch, Ty Tabor and Skolnick are hideously underrated.

[Viking2002]

OK, I have a few beefs with this list - some major, some minor:

1) I think Eddie Van Halen and Angus and Malcom Young were reversed. In fact, I don't think Malcom would be in the top 50, if it weren't for his brother. (Hey, if I could play AC/DC in a high school garage band, then it ain't all that, musically.)

2) Joe Satriani at #77? WTF?

3) NO ERIC JOHNSON? Double WTF?!?

4) C.C. Deville ahead of Steve Vai and Ted Nugent? They'd shred Deville for breakfast, that little burnout.

5) Nigel Freakin' Tufnel is even on the list at all?!?!? Who's kidding whom here?

6) Sammy Hagar won't ever have smoke coming off his strings, but after 11 years of getting schooled by Eddie Van Halen, he deserves better than #95. The man knows his way around the frets.

7) No Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick)?!? He ought to be on there somewhere for his guitar collection alone!!! LOL

8) There is no way that Ace Frehley & Paul Stanley - alone or together - outrank Yngwie Malmsteen. Period.

I don't think any of the 'tandem' entries should have been made. If you need a crutch to lean on, you ain't playin'.

Class dismissed!!!!!!