Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitar Songs

RS just published a list of what they think are the greatest guitar songs:

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/20947527/the_100_greatest_guitar_songs_of_all_time/print

Their Top 10:

1. Johnny B. Goode-Chuck Berry
2. Purple Haze-Hendrix
3. Crossroads-Cream
4. You Really Got Me-Kinks
5. Brown Sugar-Stones
6. Eruption-Van Halen
7. While My Guitar Gently Weeps-Beatles
8. Stairway-Led Zep
9. Statesboro Blues-Allmans
10. Smells Like Teen Spirit-Nirvana

What do you think? I understand why Johnny B. Good is first, but I think you could even make an argument for You Really Got Me Now. I think I would have put Layla (13) and Born to Run (14) in the Top 10.

 

While My Guitar Gently Weeps isn't a great guitar song. It's a great song about a guitar. Big difference.

For my money, Layla has to be in there, as it included blistering work from both Clapton and Allman, two of the top five rock guitar legends of all time.

Then again, lists like this invariably have some knuckleheaded choices, deliberately placed to provoke discussions/arguments.

 

C'mon, that Clapton (or was it Harrison...?) solo in WMGGW is fantastic.

Agree with Layla. Top 10 for sure.

 

No Pearl Jam ... ahem, Alive?

 

Got the issue this week in the mail. Instead of these inane top 100 lists, the best part is actually having them talking to the guitarists. The cover alone is interesting with Eddie Van Halen, Jimmy Page and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and B.B. King on the cover and on the back cover, since it is one long shot, Kirk Hammett, Carlos Santana, John Mayer and Buddy Guy.

 

No Comfortably Numb, All Along The Watchtower or In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed?

How about Smoke On The Water, Pretty Woman, Iron Man, Aqualung or Bo Diddley?

If you're going to do the Ramones, how about I Wanna Be Sedated?

 

Any list that doesn't include Duane Allman's "Somebody Loan Me a Dime" or Zeppelin's "Since I been Lovin' You" in the top 10 is completely worthless.

 

As good as the guitar work in "Stairway" is, give me "Since I Been Loving You" anyday. Page's blues solos are mind-blowing.

A lot of questionable choices (Sublime's What I Got? John Mayer? Really?)...but I'll pick up the issue because it sounds interesting.

 

My vote goes to this kid.

 

Yeah really what the fuck? Yet they got Smell Like Teen Spirit in the Top Ten. That song is so simple to play on the guitar.

Mike McCready's solo in the early PJ stuff are far superior than anything Cobain's done with his guitar. I'll give Kurt credit for being a good musician but he's far from being a good guitarist. Fuck even Grohl is two-times better than Kurt is as a guitarist.

 

Ah, "Smoke on the Water" ... the first song pretty much every aspiring guitar hero learns to play. My music store had the "NO SMOKE ON THE WATER" sign posted near the guitar rack. (Later, somebody Sharpied in, "ALSO NO SWEET CHILD O' MINE.")

 

Also where the f**k is Manfred Man's Blinded By The Light? Contains one of the best guitar solo's ever!