Rolling Stone top 100 guitarists

From what I read online, Harrison did play what is probably my fave solo in a Beatles song: "Can't Buy Me Love".

 

I may be reading this all wrong, but how can she be a fan and never heard of Purple Rain?

 

I'll admit I only really got familiar with him through bootlegs I have of Clapton's various Crossroads Guitar Festivals, but Vince Gill is one hell of a guitar player.

And would Dimebag Darrell - ahead of Kirk Hammett - be on this list if he hadn't been killed?

 

This is just my opinion - do with it what you wish - but I'd like to see Brad Paisley show up on some of these lists. It's just my opinion, and I usually don't listen to mainstream Nashville country - although I totally respect it if you do - but I have been impressed with his playing from what I've heard. Just my opinion.

 

And cried when he found out he was behind Jimmy Page =)

 

Agree wholeheartedly with Vince Gill, and Marty Stuart ain't too shabby either.
Hendrix was a huge Terry Kath (Chicago) fan and I'd throw out Larry Carlton (Steely Dan) and Rick Derringer as worthy inclusions.
As much as I love Neil Young, he's rated too high. Great songwriter but not an elite player.

 

Her: I am surprised Prince is that high.
Me: How long has it been so you listened to Purple Rain?
Her: A long time.
Me: Listen to that and get back to me.
(time passes)
Her: Yeah, he should be higher.

 

Yeah, I don't know about Neil Young. He didn't seem to get any recognition for his guitar playing until he hooked up with Pearl Jam and began playing at 11. Still good to see a little Canuckistani content on that list.

Two other bad-ass guitar slingers I would have liked to have seen on that list: Robert Cray and Jimmie Vaughan.....

 

Kath and Carlton. Great names. If Kath ever found out the schlock Chicago came up with after his death, he'd seek woodchippper justice on the rest of the band. Great, great guitar player.

 

Ever see the documentary on the making of Never Mind The Bollocks? It lays out the case pretty well for Steve's brilliance.

Jump to 5:15 or so.

To me, the best guitarist to come out of that initial English punk rock wave was probably Captain Sensible from The Damned. They never had much success on these shores, but his 30-year plus career output is pretty 'damned' impressive.

 

How much does writing songs on the guitar weigh compared to technical brilliance?

It is arguable that Dylan was a great guitarist, for example. Not because he was technically good. He strummed chords. But because he used it as a vehicle through which to write brilliant songs. (Same with Springsteen, for example, although he is technically stronger. And probably a huge reason Richards is so high on these lists - although he is technically outstanding, as well.)

 

You are right, composing must be part of the criteria for inclusion on the RS list otherwise some of these rankings are crazy.

I'm familiar with basically all of the 'classic rock' players listed here and a surprising amount of their output, in some cases, is written on the piano and fleshed out on the guitar, Lennon and McCartney being the most obvious examples.

My take on Harrison is that he was a master at all those delicious little 'fills' he played on so many classic Beatles tracks and that he was criminally under rated as a player especially and composer. He's no McCartney as a writer but a better player, for sure.

Another glaring ommission from the Rolling Stone list is Martin Barre (Jethro Tull), who has chops rivaling most in the top 30.