My list
- Jimi Hendrix (Jimi Hendrix)
- Marc Ribot (Marc Ribot)
(then, far behind)
- Robert Quine (Robert Quine)
- Keiji Haino
- Caspar Brötzmann (Caspar Brötzmann)
- Ian Williams (Don Caballero, Storm & Stress, Battles)
- Jeff Beck (Yardbirds)
- Joe Baiza (Saccharine Trust, Universal Congress)
- Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)
- Vernon Reid (Living Color)
- Keith Richards (Rolling Stones, rhythm guitar)
- Chuck Berry
- Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top)
- Duane Allman (Allman Brothers)
- Steve Cropper (Mar Keys)
- Steve Morse (Dixie Dregs)
- Doug Martsch (Built To Spill)
- Greg Ginn (Black Flag)
- Munehiro Narita (High Rise)
- Duane Denison (Jesus Lizard)
- Link Wray
- Tom Verlaine (Television)
- Scott Tuma (Souled American)
- Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac)
- Helios Creed (Chrome)
- Nicky Skopelitis
- Sandy Bull
- Robert Fripp (King Crimson)
- Arto Lindsay (Ambitious Lovers)
- Andy Hawkins (Blind Idiot God)
- Jody Harris (Raybeats)
- Blixa Bargeld (Einsturzende Neubaten)
- Gary Lucas
- Eddie VanHalen (Van Halen)
- Wayne Rogers (Magic Hour)
- Nels Cline (Geraldine Fibbers)
- Allan Holdsworth
- Buckethead
- Gayle Ellett (Djam Karet)
- Alan Licht (Run On)
- Hank Marvin (Shadows)
- Jerry Garcia (Grateful Dead)
- Mike Mcready (Pearl Jam)
- Roy Montgomery
- Randy Holden
- Duan Eddy
- Karl Precoda (Dream Syndicate)
- Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits)
- Kirk Hammet (Metallica)
- Eric Clapton (Cream)
- Steve Vai
- John Dragonetti (Jack Drag)
- Adrian Legg
- D Boon (Minutemen)
- Jack Rose (Pelt)
- Tom Carter (Charalambides)
- Josh Homme (kyuss),
- Daniel Kessler (Interpol),
- Glenn Jones (Cul De Sac),
- Terry Kath (Chicago)
- Erik Braunn (Iron Butterfly)
- Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth)
- Tara Key (Antietam)
- Carl Hultgren (Windy & Carl)
- Page Hamilton (Band Of Susans, Helmet)
- John Petkovic (Death Of Samantha, Cobra Verde)
- Mick Jones (Clash)
- Kim Thayil (Soundgarden)
- Jeff Parker (Tortoise)
- Slash (Guns And Roses)
- Darrell Abbott (Pantera)
- Jeff Cotton (Captain Beefheart)
- Richard Thompson (Fairport Convention)
- Wayne Kramer
- Pete Townshend (Who)
- Andy Summers (Police)
- Norman Westberg (Swans)
- Chris Haskett (Rollins Band)
- Roger Miller (Mission Of Burma)
- Neil Hagerty (Royal Trux)
- Lowell George (Little Feat)
- Sterling Morrison (Velvet Underground)
- Fred Frith (Henry Cow)
- Dave Alvin (Blasters)
- Neil Young
- Adrian Belew
- David Grubbs (Squirrel Bait, Bastro, Gastr Del Sol)
- Ivy Rorshach" (Cramps)
- Craig Chaquico (Starship)
- Neal Schon (Journey)
- John Petrucci (Dream Theater)
- Carlos Santana
- Jeff Healey
- Brian McMahan (Squirrel Bait, Slint)
- Peter Buck (REM)
- Thurstone Moore (Sonic Youth)
- Judah Bauer (J. Spencer Blues Explosion)
- Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine)
- John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
- Justin Trosper (Unwound)
- Justin Chearno (Unrest, Pitchblende, Rake, Doldrums)
- Ry Cooder
- Ash Bowie (Polvo)
- Mike Bloomfield
- Billy Dolan (5ive Style)
- Gary Chester (Ed Hall)
- Roger McGuinn (Byrds)
- Billy Cote' (Madder Rose)
- Alvin Lee (Ten Years After)
- Dick Dale
- Richard Lloyd
- Leslie West (Mountain)
- Chris Brokaw (Come, Codeine)
- Stevie Ray Vaughn
- Phil Manzanera (Roxy Music)
- Mark Shippy (US Maple)
- Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine)
- Dave Navarro (Jane's Addiction, Red Hot Chili Peppers)
- William Reid (Jesus & Mary Chain)
- Adam Jones (Tool)
- Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (Mars Volta)
- Johnny Marr (Smiths)
- Dave Pajo (Slint, For Carnation, Tortoise, Aerial M)
- John Strohm (Blake Babies)
- Thor Eisentrager (Cows)
- Jeff Mueller (Rodan)
- Brian Setzer (Stray Cats)
- Rick Rizzo (Eleventh Dream Day)
- Dave Schramm
- Stone Gossard (Pearl Jam)
- Marty Friedman (Megadeth)
- Jim Thomas (Mermen)
- Tommy Bolin (James Gang)
- Randy Rhoads (Ozzy Osbourne)
- David Roback (Rain Parade, Opal, Mazzy Star)
- Johnny Ramone (Ramones)
- Midge Ure (Ultravox)
- The Edge (U2)
- Ed Mundell (Monster Magnet)
- Joe Walsh
- Trey Anastasio (Phish)
- Joe Satriani
- Robin Trower
- Scotty Moore (Elvis Presley)
- Kevin Cadagan (Third Eye Blind)
- John Kimbrough (Walt Mink)
- Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme)
- Ben Harper
- Larry LaLonde (Primus, Possessed)
- Leo Kottke
- David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)
- Carl Perkins
- J Mascis
- Bert Jansch
- Joe Perry (Aerosmith)
- Robbie Krieger (Doors)
- Steve Howe
- Jorma Kaukonen
- Eric Johnson
- "Buck Dharma" (Blue Oyster Cult)
- Dave Murray (Iron Maiden)
- Dave Mason (Traffic)
- Yngwie Malmsteen
- Toni Iommi
Famous but quite irrelevant:
- Brian May (Queen)
- Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple, Rainbow)
- George Harrison (Beatles)
(I did not include classical, jazz or folk guitarists: the likes of Pat
Metheny, John Fahey, etc).
This is a serious limit of this list, as very few of the above guitarists
truly innovated anything.
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The best guitarists according to...
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