My Top 15 guitarists

I was meant to do this list ages ago.
And it was meant to be ten. But I don't know if I can nail it down to so few.
Anyway, here goes.


15. The Edge (U2)















I'm going to start the list with a guitar player which, according to a few people I know, should be nowhere near a list called "Top 15 Guitarists". I've found The Edge always causes a bit of controversy amongst my fellow guitar players: it could be because he's more of an "anti-guitar hero" than most players. But I like him, and his playing and how it contributes to U2's music as a whole has had a massive impact on both me and my guitar playing.
One of the reasons why I love listening to the Edge play is his tone is unbelievably good. He plays lots of different guitars through lots of different pedals and into some amps which are probably quite different. But you can always tell it's The Edge playing. He has a playing style which is very minimal - which could explain why lots of other guitar players despise him. But why would you need to play a million notes when you can make a few sound so good? His note placement, chord knowledge and use of pedals work well in his favor also. AND on top of all that, he's an amazing singer - check out his solo performance of "Love is Blindness" if you don't believe me!
Songs to check out: Where the Streets Have No Name, One, The Fly, Walk On, Miracle Drug, Magnificent.
Songs of his I can play: Seeing as U2 are probably one of my favourite bands, I love their guitar playing, and the songs aren't freakishly hard to learn, I know quite a few U2 songs already, including: Walk On, Stuck in A Moment You Can't Get Out Of, In A Little While, Vertigo, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, and Sunday Bloody Sunday. It may seem like quite a few, but my aim is to learn at least one song from every U2 album! And seeing as they've got a TON of albums, this could take me awhile!!!


14. Matt Bellamy (Muse) 













Like The Edge, Matt Bellamy's playing seemed incredible to me the first time I heard it in all it's glory. The first time I heard Muse was when their 2009 single Uprising, but apart from thinking the song was a little bit weird, didn't take much notice of either the band or the guitar playing. Then a few years later, a friend loaned me her copy of Muse's live CD/DVD compilation HAARP: Live at Wembley Stadium. And after watching the DVD from start to finish, I was hooked. Muse had this sweet blend of space rock and alternative which was heavily based around Bellamy's phenomenal playing and singing. As well as having this knack for writing  and playing the catchiest, down-right rocking riffs ever, he can take his guitar up into the furtherest reaches of space with high warbling notes and plenty of effects. As well as that, he incorporates technology into his playing by using custom built guitars with knobs for turning up the gain or MIDI scratch pads which give him a whole new way to play guitar. His style of playing was weird, it was different, it was rocking, and above all, totally cool.
And on top of all that, he's got an amazing voice and can play the piano beautifully. What a legend - definitely one of today's finest musicians!
Songs to check out: Invincible, Supermassive Black Hole (Live Version), Plug in Baby, Stockholm Syndrome, Knights of Cydonia.
Songs of his I can play: Time is Running Out, Supermassive Black Hole.

13. George Harrison (The Beatles, Solo Artist) 

As one of the "Fab Four", George Harrison was always going to go down in history, even before I put him on this list. I came to the Beatles as a bit of a latecomer, in fact only hearing a full song of theirs about two years ago. So as a result, they seem so new and amazing to me! George Harrison, the lead guitarist of the group, always seems a bit underrated when compared to the "superstars" Lennon and Mcartney. But he is every bit a superstar in his own right when it comes to the guitar. He has influenced so many others with his simple, yet effective, playing, and was definitely part of the sound of the Beatles. And he was also a great songwriter - I'd rate "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and "Something" as two of the best Beatles songs ever! On top of all this, he helped introduce Eastern ideas and influences into Western Music, beginning with his use of sitar on the classic "Norwegian Wood".
Songs to check out: While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Paperback Writer, Ticket To Ride, And Your Bird Can Sing, Something, The End, I Feel Fine.
Songs of his I can Play: I Feel Fine, Norwegian Wood.

12. Zachy Vengeance & Synster Gates (Avenged Sevenfold)















I decided to put these two together seeing as a lot of their playing is based around each other. But of the two I'd probably prefer Zachy Vengeance... ok so officially he plays "rhythm" but he seems to do nearly as much lead work as Gates. And his guitar looks cooler too. But anyway, I digress...
My brother is addicted to Ax7. While I don't share the same fascination, as most of their music is not too my taste, I certainly have to admire the musical ability of the members of the band. Especially their two guitarists.
They are as metal as metal can be in spite of their singer using clean vocals most of the time. They can pull of some blisteringly fast solos that almost make my hands bleed just from watching it. And on the rare occasion when the music softens a bit, their playing is actually really nice and smooth. I'm not a huge fan of the band, but when I do listen to them, I always keep an ear out for the juicy guitar parts Gates & Vengeance will obligingly throw my way.
Songs to check out: M.I.A, Afterlife, Lost, Buried Alive, Critical Acclaim, Gunslinger, Dear God. 
Songs of theirs that I can play: I started learning Dear God about nine months ago, and I haven't even got up to the solo yet... 


 11. Chuck Berry (Solo Artist)

Chuck Berry deserves to be on this list, as he was the first guitar hero of them all.
Back in the 50's, Chuck was one of a the big stars of a new type of music called rock 'n' roll. Chuck differed from all the other main performers as he wrote most of his own songs, and was one of the few successful African-American performers at the time (this was back before segregation was banished in the USA, and "blacks" were treated unfairly most of the time). Chuck Berry made it big with his hits and inspired hundreds to pick up the guitar. His riffs are clever and grooving, and his lead breaks are fast, inventive and note perfect. Chuck Berry played in a way that few have been able to imitate. No wonder he's one of the greats.
Songs to check out: Johnny B. Goode, Maybelline, Roll over Beethoven, You Can't Catch Me, School Days. 
Songs of his I can play: I started learning Johnny B. Goode, but never got to the end of it. Those solos are tricky!!!

10. Phil Keaggy (Glass Harp & Solo Artist) 














"Phil Who???!!!" is the reply I'd get if I told them this guy was one of my favourite guitar players EVER. I first came across this underrated gem of a player about a year ago in a book called "Best Guitar Players of All Time" (or something like that). Anyway, I liked what I read about Mr Keaggy, so I looked him up on the internet.
This guy is SO underrated. If the world was fair, he'd be as famous as some of the big names like Pete Townshend and Keith Richards. Yet despite his mad skills, Phil chooses to keep a low profile, playing the odd acoustic gig and releasing CDs which generally go under the radar. He was in a band called Glass Harp back in the 70s -80s, but left them soon after he quit drinking and found God. After that he was one of the pioneers of the early Christian Rock movement at the same time as his other, more famous contemporaries Keith Green and Petra. I am so humbled by this guys story, and how he forsook fame & fortune to follow God's call on his life. That in itself is more inspiring than his great playing.
Songs to check out: The Wind & The Wheat, Changes (Glass Harp) and Your Love Broke Thru (a song written by Keith Green, but rocked up by Keaggy)
Songs of his I know: None (yet).

9. Jimmy Page (Led Zepplin)

Jimmy Page, as well as forming one of the most famous bands in the world, Led Zepplin, is also a stunningly good guitar player. Of course everyone knows his classic Stairway to Heaven - one of the most famous and well known guitar songs ever. You can bet your bottom dollar that at least once a day in the world, someone in a will walk into a shop that sells guitar, pick up an axe, and try and pluck out the gentle intro to this song. Yet the rest of the song is filled with even BETTER guitar parts! I would love to see someone at least try to play the whole song.
Through his playing in Led Zep, which was actually mostly blues based, Page is credited as one of the founders of what today is known as hardcore/heavy metal. While there is a definite "heavy" sound to his playing, there is also a lovely bluesy twang which is evidence of his time in the British blues band The Yardbirds.
Plus he plays the mandolin too (The Battle of Waterloo) which just makes him instantly awesome.
Songs to Check out: Moby Dick, Heartbreaker, Whole Lot of Love, oh and fine then, Stairway to Heaven.
Songs of his I can play: While I can play all of Heartbreaker and Whole Lot of Love, I am forced to draw the line at those solos. Most people would.
And no, I haven't learnt Stairway to Heaven yet. Mostly because it's been played almost to an overkill.
But if I do learn it, I'm learning the whole song!

8. Jack White (The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, Solo Artist) 











Jack White is one of the few guitar heroes left to us in this day and age. He first came to my attention when his name kept popping up in books about famous guitarists. While his work with the White Stripes was awesome, I find myself more drawn to his work as a solo artist. He contributed to the latest James Bond film by having a song he did with Alica Keys as the intro, and more importantly, has recently released his solo album, Blunderbuss. I've listened to quite a few tracks now, and I'm very impressed. Have to buy this record at some point.
I love Jack White's playing, cos it's so punk! But at the same time, he can pull out an awesome slow ballard or even a blues driven song. His originality and variety, as well as the amazing sounds he pulls out of the Airline Guitars he favours, are what do it for me.
(Disclaimer: The reason he's above Page on this list is only because I enjoy his music more - not because he's a better guitarist. He's good, but not THAT good!)
Songs to check out: Ball & Chain, Seven Nation Army, I Fought Piranhas (The White Stripes), Steady as She Goes (The Raconteurs), Sixteen Saltines (Solo).
Songs of his I know how to play: Seven Nation Army - best guitar riff ever!! And super easy song, cos it's just that one riff played slightly differently lots of times!

7. Brian May (Queen, Solo Artist)



























Brian May is a legend. Not only did he write incredible riffs, guitar solos, and songs for arguably the most famous band ever, Queen, but he did it all with a guitar he built himself. May's afro and The Red Special, custom-made guitar are only part of this great guitarists arsenal. He can play blistering fast scales, and heavy, glam-rock riffs. And he is freakishly hard to imitate!!!! As well as this, he composed hits such as "Tie Your Mother Down" and "We will Rock you". I don't really know much of his other work after Queen, but most recently he broke into the charts again as a featured guest of a rapper called Dappy. This is just another demonstration of his versatility as a musician!
Songs to check out: The guitar solos in Bohemian Rhapsody, the last 30 seconds of We Will Rock You,
the solo at the end of Rockstar by Dappy, Tie Your Mother Down, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, I Want It All. 
Songs of his which I can play: The day I nail those solos in Bohemian Rhapsody will be a great day for me! But I'm getting close!


6. Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen)



















While Van Halen where one of the more famous bands of the 80s, I only properly listened to their music quite recently. 
Of course, the name wasn't completely unknown to me: I'd read a bit about Van Halen, heard a bit of their music in the Back to the Future soundtrack, and found that the phenomenal guitar solo in Michael Jacksons smash hit "Beat It" was played by Eddie Van Halen, the guitarist of the group. Apparently he recorded it in one take. If THAT doesn't aptly describe his skills, I don't know what will!
Van Halen's music is pure, unfiltered 80s rock, right down to the use of synths and almost impossibly fast solos. This is the music I should have been listening to years ago - I love it!!!
Songs to check out: Icecream Man, Hot For Teacher, Eruption, Jump, Panama, Beat It (Michael Jackson).
Songs of his I can play: Almost all of Dance The Night Away! 


5. Eric Clapton (Cream, Derek And The Dominoes, Solo Artist) 














Eric Clapton is a dour-faced bluesman who, when playing, stands almost completely still, eyes closed and head down, fingering out licks on what has now become his signature guitar: a black Fender Stratocaster. All this paints a rather bland picture of normality which would generally look quite unappealing to me.
If it wasn't for the magic coming out of his fingers.
I first got into Clapton when taught his smash hit, Tears in Heaven. Three years later, and it's still one of my favourite pieces to play on an acoustic.
However it's only recently I discovered how much of a rich blues history he has. Clapton was born to play the blues, and he does it remarkably well. As a guitar player, his name will (and probably already has) gone down in history.
Songs to check out: Layla (Derek and the Dominoes), Crossroads (Live with Cream), White Room (Cream), Sweet Home Chicago, Tears in Heaven, and Layla (acoustic version).
Songs of his I can play: Tears in Heaven, Sweet Home Chicago, White Room, and 90% of Layla.

4. Slash (Guns N Roses, Solo Artist)



















Slash is a monster on the guitar. Leaning back into the ultimate guitar pose (which he somehow makes look like a slouch), a cigarette dangling from his mouth (though not anymore, he recently quit smoking), and his Gibson Les Paul slung low, Slash is the epitomy of a rockstar. And he is also the guitar hero most average axemen like me dream of being.
His guitar playing was the basis of most of Guns N Roses great work. Although they're still going, I don't think they are and ever will be the same without him. After all, the only thing which they've got going for them now is Axl Rose's vocals, which I never found particularly great anyway. In fact, the main reason I listen to Guns N Roses, apart from the overall classic rock sound, is Slash's great guitar playing. His riffs are classic, and his solos the ultimate challenge! And he also helped popularize the Gibson Les Paul to the point that it's almost as popular as the Fender Strat, which is no mean feat. While I haven't heard much of his solo work, his guitar playing is still nothing short of brilliance.
Songs to check out: Sweet Child Of Mine, Paradise City, Patience, November Rain.
Songs of his I can play: I was learning Sweet Child O' Mine a while back, but stopped practicing it. Must get around to finding the tab for it again...

3. David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)

















The other day, a friend from my music course was discussing Pink Floyd with me and he said "I reckon David Gilmour is one of the most underrated guitarists ever". And I was inclined to agree, which is why he's been placed in the third top from the spot.
Although my mum's a huge fan, I never heard much of the 'Floyd till I was looking around on Youtube one day and happened to stumble across a great song called "Shine on You Crazy Diamond". Which is pretty much a full ten minutes of awesomeness. It was a great song, and I quickly became a bit of a fan.
I heard a few of their other songs after that: Another Brick on the Wall, Wish You were Here, and a song called Money. But it was only recently when the addiction to Pink Floyd and Gilmour's playing became complete. I borrowed a great DVD from the UCOL library which documented the recording of their hit album "The Dark Side of the Moon".
Gilmour's playing, while having a lovely bluesy tone too it, is lost in space. And that's why I find it so compelling. He places each note carefully and tenderly, and it has the impact of hitting you like a landslide. Evidence of this is the first four notes in the middle section of Shine on You Crazy Diamond. Before I even heard the song, I read a quote in a book which said every one of those notes epitomized sadness. And then I listened to it, and had to agree. Those notes are beautiful.
And yet it's not all 4 note solos for David Gilmour. The solo in Money, when it kicks into 4/4 timing instead of the strange bluesy riff played in 7/8, it's nothing short of a full rock & roll outing. This is one guitarist who knows his stuff.
Songs to check out: Wish You Were Here, Money, Shine on You Crazy Diamond, Us and Them, Another Brick in The Wall, the solo of Comfortably Numb.
Songs of his I can play: Almost four minutes of Shine On You Crazy Diamond. I think I'm doing quite well, considering how complex this song is!!!

2. Joe Satriani (Solo Artist)















Satriani is the guitarist which other guitarists listen to. He is without doubt the most inventive and excellent guitar player I have ever heard. The thing I love about his music is he doesn't just play a ton of scales over some chords. Nor does he try and show off with technical prowress, which is a thing some solo artists tend to do. No, Satriani is a true instrumentalist, and uses his guitar to tell stories. It's sort of hard to explain, but the most powerful of his songs deliver every bit of a strong message as a song with lyrics. Sometimes it's even stronger. He just puts SO much emotion into his playing, and crafts some very clever tunes indeed with it. The very first time I heard Always With Me, Always With You, I couldn't believe that something that beautiful and incredible could be combined to make such a coherent and amazing song. And to this day, I have yet to see anyone play the full song!
He's also a versatile player. Not only does he play haunting music, but hard rock, and even a dabbling of funk. In fact, one of his nicknames is Professor Satchafunkilus. And the fact that he does it all on Ibanez guitars, definitely not the best guitars on the market, makes it so much better. He is indeed a professor at his craft. Evidence of this is that he used to teach Steve Vai, another amazing instrumentalist who is also a virtuoso on the guitar.
Songs to check out: Rubina, Always with Me, Always with You, War, Andalusia, Summer Song, Satch Boogie, Flying In A Blue Dream,
Songs of his I can play: Still in the process of learning Rubina and Always With Me, Always With You. This could take me some time!!

1. Jimi Hendrix. (The Jimi Hendrix Experience) 

I feel kind of compelled to put Hendrix at the top spot. After all, he is placed there frequently by magazines, websites, and books. And the people writing them tend to know more than me usually.
Also, I know I'll get my head chopped off by some ardent fan/ Hendrix wannabe/ guitar know-it-all  if I don't.
But, those facts aside, Jimi Hendrix IS a great guitarist.
The blues plays hard on Jimi, but he plays it even harder. And even though it was the late 60s, and the world was basically engulfed in psychedelic hippyness, he still manages to sound fresh and new. Even now, some fifty or so years later, people still try and figure out just HOW he sounded so good. If he was still alive today, Hendrix would be a superstar. He is the guitarist everyone seems to have heard of. Not only did he revolutionize playing styles with his use of the wah, he also was an incredible performer. Basically it was like some guy with the playing ability of Clapton and the stage presence of The Who. Except even then he was better than both. I mean, he lit his guitar on fire!!! Who does that anymore? (Apart from wannabe metal bands - they don't count). While he may not play my favourite style of music (I'd rather listen to the music of The Edge, Satriani, or Van Halen), it's hard to find a better guitar player than him.
So Hendrix it is. His songs are full of intense riffing, and his solos are 7 times better. It is really, really, really, really, REALLY hard to topple that.
Songs to check out: Purple Haze, Angel, Little Wing,  Castles of Sand, All Along the Watchtower, Foxy Lady.
Songs of his I can play: Need to get around to finishing "Purple Haze" off....


There's my top 15. Other notable exceptions listed below. It's super hard to shorten the list down to just 15...


John Butler - The Guitar Player From Tool - John Fruscinate - Pete Townsend - Keith Richards - BB King - Robert Johnson - Kurt Cobain -Matt Tuck & Michael Padget (Bullet For My Valentine) -Neil Young - Johnny Greenwood (Radiohead) - Susan Tedesche - Randy Rhoads - Matt Hoopes (Relient K) - Steve Vai - Orianthi - Neal Schon (Journey) - Vito Bratta (White Lion)