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)

[Terabitten]

In my view, most of the list is a joke.....there are, with a few exceptions, NO great players in heavy metal bands....almost all of them know three to four chords

Check out Yngwie Malmsteen sometime. Pompous ass, but boy can he play guitar. Anyone who was trained on Paganini probably knows more than three or four chords.

[dfwgator]

I agree that Metheny's a monster, but metal, he ain't.

Check out "Zero Tolerance for Silence," or the title track from "Offramp."

[dfwgator]

Noone has mentioned Andy Summers of The Police (please Sting stop doing duets with the likes of Mary K. Blige and get back with Andy and Stewart)

[Terabitten]

Check out "Zero Tolerance for Silence," or the title track from "Offramp."

This I shall do! I always thought he was strictly a jazz head... I *love* to be proven wrong!

[dfwgator]

Be forewarned, it is unlike anything he has ever done, think Ornette Coleman on steroids.

[Pelham]

Adrian Legg

[driftless]

You are so right. I certainly have musicians I admire, but I admire them because they play their instruments so as to best help the song or tune and not to create a musical aside. Virtuosity means nothing outside the context of the actual music. Too many music fans get charged up over a certain musician's ability to play his guitar whether the kind of music emanating from the instruments fits the music or not.

This is especially true of rock guitarists. I don't know how many rock fills I've heard was just the guitarist aimlessly playing up and down the fretboard with no harmonizing or helping the basic sound whatsoever. In short, many rock fans get hung up on flash, effects, and noise. Hopefully as they get older they'll realize that there's a lot more to good guitar (or any instrument for that matter) playing than just turning the amp to eleven and cavorting around the stage like a monkey on amphetamines.

[djf]

Lindsey. The live version of "Bleed to love her"!

That same album, he cuts lose on "I'm so afraid", stunning performance.

[Tax-chick]

I hadn't associated Ricky with guitar ... I'm used to seeing him playing mandolin. Thanks for the suggestion!

[Tax-chick]

We have some Paco de Lucia records, too. "Fosforito," I think, and at least one other.

My husband and I are saving up for a trip to Spain. Maybe in 10 years we'll be able to get away from all the kids - and by that time we'll have enough money in the "run away from home" fund to pay for a really good vacation: guitar for him and dance for me!

[lugsoul]

Yep, Rosie. Or Mr. Norman Blake.

[bk1000]

"What a drag it is getting old"

Yeah, but the alternative is worse!

[BibChr]

Thanks! I appreciate that. And here's a little something for you, FWIW:

The DVD

Keith Howland's page (has his CD's)

Us Chi-fans have to stick together — the media sure as heck won't help us!

Dan

[SBprone]

I like your list.

How about an honorable mention for James Honeyman Scott. He played for Chrissie Hynde before he ODd on smack. Listen to his playing on Kid. Sounds like a hillbilly angel.

[biblewonk]

Interesting that Manson's guitarist didn't make it.

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

No George Van Epps? No Tal Farlow? No Grant Green or Barney Kessel? No LES PAUL for cryin' out loud? Hardly a Greatest of All Time List IMHO.

[Smartaleck]

and the stone list.
1 Jimi Hendrix
2 Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers Band
3 B.B. King
4 Eric Clapton
5 Robert Johnson
6 Chuck Berry
7 Stevie Ray Vaughan
8 Ry Cooder
9 Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin
10 Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones
11Kirk Hammett of Metallica
12 Kurt Cobain of Nirvana
13 Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead
14 Jeff Beck
15 Carlos Santana
16 Johnny Ramone of the Ramones
17 Jack White of the White Stripes
18 John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
19 Richard Thompson
20 James Burton
21 George Harrison
22 Mike Bloomfield
23 Warren Haynes
24 The Edge of U2
25 Freddy King
26 Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave
27 Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits
28 Stephen Stills
29 Ron Asheton of the Stooges
30 Buddy Guy
31 Dick Dale
32 John Cipollina of Quicksilver Messenger Service
33 & 34 Lee Ranaldo, Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth
35 John Fahey
36 Steve Cropper of Booker T. and the MG's
37 Bo Diddley
38 Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac
39 Brian May of Qeen
40 John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival
41 Clarence White of the Byrds
42 Robert Fripp of King Crimson
43 Eddie Hazel of Funkadelic
44 Scotty Moore
45 Frank Zappa
46 Les Paul
47 T-Bone Walker
48 Joe Perry of Aerosmith
49 John McLaughlin
50 Pete Townshend
51 Paul Kossoff of Free
52 Lou Reed
53 Mickey Baker
54 Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane
55 Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple
56 Tom Verlaine of Television
57 Roy Buchanan
58 Dickey Betts
59 & 60 Jonny Greenwood, Ed O'Brien of Radiohead
61 Ike Turner
62 Zoot Horn Rollo of the Magic Band
63 Danny Gatton
64 Mick Ronson
65 Hubert Sumlin
66 Vernon Reid of Living Colour
67 Link Wray
68 Jerry Miller of Moby Grape
69 Steve Howe of Yes
70 Eddie Van Halen
71 Lightnin' Hopkins
72 Joni Mitchell
73 Trey Anastasio of Phish
74 Johnny Winter
75 Adam Jones of Tool
76 Ali Farka Toure
77 Henry Vestine of Canned Heat
78 Robbie Robertson of the Band
79 Cliff Gallup of the Blue Caps
80 Robert Quine of the Voidoids
81 Derek Trucks
82 David Gilmour of Pink Floyd
83 Neil Young
84 Eddie Cochran
85 Randy Rhoads
86 Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath
87 Joan Jett
88 Dave Davies of the Kinks
89 D. Boon of the Minutemen
90 Glen Buxton of Alice Cooper
91 Robby Krieger of the Doors
92 & 93 Fred "Sonic" Smith, Wayne Kramer of the MC5
94 Bert Jansch
95 Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine
96 Angus Young of AC/DC
97 Robert Randolph
98 Leigh Stephens of Blue Cheer
99 Greg Ginn of Black Flag
100 Kim Thayil of Soundgarden

[miloklancy]

Come on, what kind of list is this, when you have Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield, Jeff Hanneman, and Kerry King on it and you don't have Steve Howe, Pat Metheny, or Allan Holdsworth?! Hanneman and King for one, are entertaining to listen to, but lets be honest, they are so bad, they don't even like to listen to one another. And Hammett, would somebody please, take his wah wah away from him.

[Moby Grape]

I did not say ALL who play in HM bands are three chord wonders...I did say MOST, and I will stand my ground to say that MOST on the list suck...they are NOT very good.

Jerry Miller of Moby Grape can kill most of them on the list, but the skulls full of mush who vote only know the crap they listened to in THEIR time frame...they don't know enough to compare.

Since the subject was ROCK guitar players, it was not fair of me to mention Chet Atkins ( a master) and Leo Kottke (a master)....but there are SO many better than most on the list, regardless of music type...including someone that Hendrix said was the best, Phil Keaggy....the kids who voted in this poll have never even heard of Keaggy and Jerry Miller.

Of course, these matters are subect to taste, etc.. and I am not saying that the music of many of these was not interesting.

[Smartaleck]

According to those who play, one of the most difficult pieces to play is a flamingo piece called Malaguena. (When done properly it sounds like 3 different players.

Those who do well include - Carlos Montoya, paco de lucia and of course Andre Segovia.

Some consider greatness as the ability to inspire others and producing lasting music. Thus....any list must include Link Wray who in the late fifties punctured the speaker of his fender amp and inspired the raunchy sound that was to later become heavy metal. His classic "Rumble" is still heard today in TV ads and various movie soundtracks.

I'd also add Reverend Horton Heat, Danny Gatton, Carl Perkins, Lester Flatt/Earl Scruggs, Gary Moore,
and of course John Lee Hooker who was good enough to accompany The Doors, Bonnie Raitt and Eric Clapton.

hmmmm and anyone who's listened to the original Woodstock album has to be awed by speed and nimble fingers of Alvin Lee?