Rolling Stone Magazine:

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/5937559?rnd=1096764178740&has-player=true&version=6.0.12.1040


#12 Kurt Cobain ????
#10 Keith Richards ????

Somebody must've been stoned... Joe Satriani isn't even on the list. What a joke. I guess in a way, CBS can now share the mantle of distinguishing themselves as a questionable provider of accurate information, with the likes of Rolling Stone Magazine. :bugeye:

Yeah! Where the hell is Satriani? And what about Roy Clark? At least they thought to mention Les Paul. This list was NOT made by guitarists, that's for sure. Why didn't they just call it "100 Guitarists We've Personally Got Woodies For"?

ILikeSalt's conclusion: THis List is a load of shite!

Eddie Van Halen at #70 and Kurt Cobain at # 12???...wow

Randy Rhoads at #85?...you're fucking joking....

No Steve Vai, Joe Stariani, Justin King.....

Pretty much anybody from the ranks of the top classical guitarists in history could probably play any riff by the top guys on that list - backwards and twice as fast while drunk :) though maybe they wouldn't swagger their hips as well.

Probably top Jazz guitarists like Metheny and such could as well.

Yep, this list just doesn't take into account many of the truely great guitarists other than a few that they did mention. Sad this magazine that's supposed to be a informationl type of read but its information really sucks on this issue! :bugeye:

Good lord. How can you put Mark Knopfler back at #27? How do you put David Gilmour as low as #87 and yet put John Fogerty at #50? Fogerty was a fabulous songwriter, but a very average guitarist. And Neil Schon, who was good enough to play with Carlos Santana at age 17 (he turned down an offer to play with Clapton), didn't even make the fucking list. Neither did Andy Powell of Wishbone Ash, Mike Campbell of T.P. and the Heartbreakers, Ian Moore, Robin Trower, Tommy Bolin, Stevie Ray Vaughn and a host of other excellent guitarists.

Stevie Ray Vaughn and a host of other excellent guitarists.


Umm Stevie is on the list.

They just need to call it "Best R&R" or "Mainstream" guitarists - because the list is as much a list of fashionable tecniques as it is actual technical chops.

best??? what do they mean by best, my bet is theyre basing it on something crap like record sales

Umm Stevie is on the list.

My bad. #7. But still the others were left off the list.

THey didn't base the list on actual talent, obviously.

"Talent" is a tricky one since somebody who hates classical but loves rock will likely say a R&R guitarist is more talented than a great classical guitarist.

And in general I usually prefer R&R roll too, but I do recognize that anybody who can play a complex Mozart piece quickly on a guitar will find *NO* challenge in playing any Rock and Roll guitar riff. The discipline those guys have had to put into their playing is pretty sick, again - looks like less *fun* - but in talent/skill I'd say they take the cake.

I do have to say that it is impossible to make a top 100 guitarist list. Like you said, Gravity, rock riffs are easy compared to mare complex forms fo music.

whats the fuck is up wit this lsit its messed up y isnt jimmie vaugh higher up and y is jimmy page 9th and kurt cobain 12 he was horrible he wasnt even close to be better than santana who is 15 and jerry garcia is 14 what the hell rolling stones were definally stoned wen the rote this
WHY ISNT SLASH ON THE FREAKING LIST HE SHOULD BE AT LEAST 13 OR HIGHER and if you dont know who slash is he is the guitarist for GN'R (GUNS N' ROSES)
why the fuck is kurt cobain even on hte list and george harrison should be up higher brian may is 39 what the hell is up wit that should be like 3rd but you know what this list sucks

whats the fuck is up wit this lsit its messed up y isnt jimmie vaugh higher up and y is jimmy page 9th and kurt cobain 12 he was horrible he wasnt even close to be better than santana who is 15 and jerry garcia is 14 what the hell rolling stones were definally stoned wen the rote this
WHY ISNT SLASH ON THE FREAKING LIST HE SHOULD BE AT LEAST 13 OR HIGHER and if you dont know who slash is he is the guitarist for GN'R (GUNS N' ROSES)
why the fuck is kurt cobain even on hte list and george harrison should be up higher brian may is 39 what the hell is up wit that should be like 3rd but you know what this list sucks :m:

undefined SLASH SLASH SLASH SLASH SLASH SHASH :m: HES NOT EVEN ON THE FUCKING LIST AND THAT IS FUCKING RETARDED BECAUSE SLASH IS ONE OF THE BEST FREAKING ROCK GUIATRIST EVER BUT HES NOT ON THE LIST :m:

If this were the list of the 100 greatest pianists of all time, I wonder who Rolling Stone would put at #1?

Backstreet Boys?
Avril Lavigne?

The list is all wrong. What were these people on when the thought of it. Tom Morello after Jack White.....COME ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am disturbed by the very fact that Jack fucking White is even on that list. I got a couple friends who play better than that twat :confused:

I've never really liked Rolling Stone. Then again, I was just looking at a Mojo list from 1996; neither Satriani nor Vai appear. And if Steve Jones can land on that list, what's the damn problem with Satch or Vai? It seems a "great" guitarist is determined by factors that weigh more heavily pop appeal than technical prowess. Neither RS or Mojo mention Yngwie Malmsteen, either. Nor Stone Gossard or Mike MacCready.

The only problem with these sorts of lists is that people pay attention to them at all. They're fun to make, and fun to argue about, but it's virtually impossible to make an accurate list.

As to Cobain and Richards? I'd say they both are important to the overall sound of rock music. How many bands imitated the Stones? How many bands imitated Nirvana? It is significant, I think, that Herbie Hancock included Nirvana's "All Apologies" on his album The New Standards, alongside Don Henley's "New York Minute", Simon & Garfunkel's "Scarborough Fair", and Peter Gabriel's "Mercy Street", among others. Cobain is a solid guitarist in much the same way as a blues guitarist who is not Stevie Ray or B.B. King or such might still be considered great. Obviously, how fast one can scale and bend and such has nothing to do with these ratings, else The Great Kat would be on the list at least for her "Flight of the Bumble Bee". I would hope someday to see Dave Amador (http://www.floatermusic.com/html/mp3/exiled.mp3) (Floater; link launches mp3 of "Exiled") on such lists, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

The greatest guitar player is some guy sitting in his home, not someone famous.
That poll is made by people voting, people who mostly don't play the guitar.
Besides, define "greatest guitar player". Most complex? Fastest? Most influential? This is extremely subjective.

Speed or thoughness doesn't define great music. I can play Jimi Hendrix 's Purple Haze @ 4 notes per second, so that's not bad I think. I don't make great music.
There are so many people that can play really fast. How many have a great sound?

Kirk Hammett at 11?
He can't play anything live.. he's useless.

Besides, define "greatest guitar player". Most complex? Fastest? Most influential? This is extremely subjective.

Yes, it's difficult to define, but one would think complexity, speed, influence and such play a part in 'greatest'. And as such, there's not a chance in hell people like Jack White should be anywhere near the top.

Point is, Rolling Stone really failed on this one.

Stupid people...Though Hendrix does rule all...

gary moore, julien bream, chet atkins,wes montgomery, stanley jordon. what things all together constitute a best of something? musicians like any other artist practicing their particular form is measured of success by the amount of satisfaction any particular artist arrives with their art. matters of taste by observers or listeners however great or nonexistant the concensus arent the measuring tools for establishing greatness, in my weird opinion anyhow.

i cant believe gary rossington and allen collins arent on the list

:D ....are you sure it aint 100 best guitars ?

i cant believe gary rossington and allen collins arent on the list
It's a crime. Some the best guitarist were ignored for this "list"

wtf kinda list is this "Randy rhoads"85 what kinda stuff is that :confused:

They left out Enid Blyton and Reginald Bosanquet as well... I mean, if they're gonna be silly, they might as well go all out.

Again, how could Angus Young fall way before, Jack White. That Aussie can mop the floor with WHite.