"Stairway To Heaven" tops solo guitar survey

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1600667,0011.htm ^

[lunarbicep]

Guitarist Jimmy Page of the band Led Zeppelin has been voted the top guitar soloist of all time for the song Stairway to heaven.

According to contactmusic.com, Page's performance topped the survey held by the website aboutguitars.com and beat out the likes of Eddie Van Halen for the track Eruption.

The third place was occupied by the dual guitar solo by Allen Collins and Gary Rossington on Lynyrd Skynyrd's Freebird.

The top 10 guitar solos are:

1. Stairway to heaven - Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)

2. Eruption - Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen)

3. Freebird - Allen Collins and Gary Rossington (Lynyrd Skynyrd)

4. Comfortably numb - David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)

5. All along the watchtower - Jimi Hendrix

6. November rain - Slash (Guns N' Roses)

7. One - Kirk Hammett (Metallica)

8. Hotel California - Don Felder and Joe Walsh (The Eagles)

9. Crazy Train - Randy Rhoads (Ozzy Osbourne)

10. Crossroads - Eric Clapton (Cream)

[sauropod]

Yeah! I'm so glad somebody else besides ME has even heard of Bill Nelson.

Great guitar player and compositionist. Has over 100 albums (at last count) and is the best obscure guitarist and musician that no one has heard of.

[InvisibleChurch]

8. Hotel California - Don Felder and Joe Walsh (The Eagles

Stolen from Jethro Tull's We Used To Know

[BansheeBill]

Let's first say this is for the SONG not the artist as a whole. You coulda hit one song and be called the greatest by the standards of this question/survey. That being said...this is not the case. Greatest guitar player of all time is too broad. My list would read, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimi Page, Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, Ted Nugent, Johnnie Winter..... "Stairway" is still the top of every greatest rock song of all time list. Year after year, decade after decade. Think about it...every minute around the world somewhere a Led Zeppelin song is playing...for 35 years going....says it at. Robert Plant, Jimi Page , John Paul Jones and John Bonham were/are the greatest rock musicians/group of all time.

Most of the melody of Staiway To Heaven was stolen from an instrumental song called "Taurus" by the band Spirit (who toured with Zeppelin on part of one of their earliest US tours). If you read Hammer Of The Gods, you know that Page says due to his excesses he cannot remember what went on at the time. He may still believe he did not steal the melody.
In the very early 70s, Page was being interviewed by a Rock journalist who told Page that he was the greatest rock guitarist in the world. Page replied that Randy California of Spirit was the greatest rock guitarist in the world. If you saw any live concerts of Spirit in the early 70s you might agree. Their LPs were rather tightly produced and did not display the guitar prowess of California that could be heard in a live concert. California drowned off of a beach in Hawaii a few years ago.

[sauropod]

the problem with rating rock guitarists is that there is no objective standard, and none of us would be willing to accept a poll. that leaves pistols, or maybe swords. but i'm too old for that, so the younguns will have to settle it.

Perhaps, but those of us that actually play the instrument may have a leg up in that regard.

Going through the exercise of learning and playing the guitar changes how you listen.

It changed me.

[mrsmel]

I love progressive rock,though I'm not too familiar with the neo-prog and beyond-I'm getting there-so it sounds like my cup of tea.

I'm trying to become more familiar with and knowledgeable about classical music,the better to enjoy prog.

[pissant]

They'll all be old and toothless and scott will still be secretly taping their shows. LOL

BTW, SS, I got the latest package. I will listen tonight.

[Supernatural]

Hendrix liked "Spirit" a lot. They were friends...

[nuconvert]

LOL!

[sauropod]

There is some great live material on the market. If you can, get the first Berkeley show from Memorial Day 1970. Voodoo Chile (slight return) is killer. As is Beginnings and Hear my train a comin' from Woodstock.

The Blues album has a version of Mannish Boy that is absolutely trancendant.

[Proud_texan]

" No John McLaughlin"

Good point, one of the few I've heard in person that sounded as good as his recordings.

I've always wondered how good Dick Dale was in person, really love that old surf music.

And does Stanley Jordan deserve a mention (totally incapable of playing any kind of musical instrument so it's hard for me to figure if it's good or if I just like it).

[Supernatural]

There is more music out from Hendrix now than when he was alive. More on Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac too. Lots of live stuff. Thanks for the tips. Appreciate it.

[mrsmel]

>>Perhaps, but those of us that actually play the instrument may have a leg up in that regard.

Going through the exercise of learning and playing the guitar changes how you listen.

It changed me.


I wholeheartedly believe that-I don't play,but when I decided to go beyond the obvious,I began to read what other guitarists thought about the matter,and realised that I knew absolutely nothing about what truly made a great guitar player. Even now,I don't believe I'll ever fully "get it",because I can read and listen until I die,but you really need to play to understand,I think.

[sauropod]

God Bless Yngvie. I will check him out. He has my vote.

[sauropod]

Do you play?

[scott says]

Hey...don't knock it! Its actually a blast...
My "concert going" days are behind me now, but back in the day.
Most people would go to a show and get a t shirt or program, sorry, I'm recording this thing and taking that home as my souvenir!!! Try to stop me!!!

[nuconvert]

We're not knocking it. I did it a few times myself. ;~ )

[scott says]

Good...those are my best "recent" Van recordings, you should like them. I sent nuconvert the latest Van cd as well ....it is my favorite, enjoy!

[nuconvert]

I learned how to play years ago. I don't play anymore.

[pissant]

I shall do just that. Cheers.

[Oztrich Boy]

"Stairway" is still the top of every greatest rock song of all time list. Year after year, decade after decade. Think about it...every minute around the world somewhere a Led Zeppelin song is playing...for 35 years going....says it at.

Bot it took decades to find the right instrument
and artist to do it justice.