UK Guitar lists "the best"

[Les]

According to something I read on a newsgroup, a UK guitar magazine - Total Guitar - has compiled another one of those "100 best guitar player" lists. I know these lists don't mean anything, but I was frankly surprised that Lindsey actually made one of these lists for a change. He's constantly overlooked. I was particularly surprised too since this is a British mag. Peter is in there as well.

You may not want to examine it too closely because, as with any of these lists, you'll be scratching your head over why some of these people are placed where they are on the list.

Here it is:

100 - Nile Rodgers
99 - Steve Cropper
98 - Jeff Hanneman (Slayer)
97 - Deryck Whibley (Sum 41)
96 - Kelly Jones (Stereophonics)
95 - Tom Verlaine (Television)
94 - Paul Simon
93 - Richard Thompson
92 - Rivers Cuomo (Weezer)
91 - Marty Friedman (Megadeth)
90 - Peter Buck (REM)
89 - Walter Trout
88 - Johnny Ramone (Ramones)
87 - Mucky (Korn)
86 - Robbie Krieger (The Doors)
85 - Lee Gaze (Lost Prophets)
84 - Steve Howe (Yes)
83 - Lindsey Buckingham (Fleetwood Mac)
82 - Neil Young
81 - Dave Mustaine (Megadeth)
80 - Janick Gers (Iron Maiden)
79 - Tommy Emmanuel
78 - Steve Morse (Deep Purple)
77 - John McLaughlin
76 - Stuart Adamson (Big Country)
75 - Chet Atkins
74 - John Squire (Stone Roses)
73 - Django Reinhardt
72 - John Petrucci
71 - Eric Johnson
70 - Paul Gilbert
69 - Robert Fripp (King Crimson)
68 - Graham Coxon (Blur)
67 - Nuno Bettencourt
66 - Paul Weller
65 - John 5 (Marilyn Manson)
64 - Mike McCready (Pearl Jam)
63 - Head (Korn)
62 - Frank Zappa
61 - Mick Ronson (David Bowie)
60 - Paul Kossoff (Free)
59 - Robert Johnson
58 - Nick Drake
57 - Alex Lifeson (Rush)
56 - Peter Green
55 - Kerry King (Slayer)
54 - Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden)
53 - Daron Malakian (System Of A Down)
52 - Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters)
51 - Dave Baksh (Sum 41)
50 - Noel Gallagher (Oasis)
49 - Mike Einziger (Incubus)
48 - Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day)
47 - Johnny Marr (The Smiths)
46 - James Dean Bradfield (Manic Street Preachers)
45 - Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins)
44 - Steve Jones (Sex Pistols)
43 - Tom Delonge (Blink 182 / Box Car Racer)
42 - Rory Gallagher
41 - BB King
40 - Dimebag Darrell (Pantera)
39 - Joe Perry (Aerosmith)
38 - Hank Marvin (The Shadows)
37 - Wes Borland (Limp Bizkit / Eat The Day)
36 - Chuck Berry
35 - Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead)
34 - Yngwie Malmsteen
33 - Pete Townshend (The Who)
32 - Mick Thompson (Slipknot)
31 - The Edge (U2)
30 - Noodles (The Offspring)
29 - Matt Bellamy (Muse)
28 - Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi)
27 - Keith Richards (The Rolling Stones)
26 - John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
25 - Dave Murray (Iron Maiden)
24 - George Harrison (The Beatles)
23 - Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple / Rainbow)
22 - Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath)
21 - Randy Rhodes (Ozzy Osbourne)
20 - Angus Young (AC/DC)
19 - Stevie Ray Vaughan
18 - Jeff Beck
17 - Gary Moore
16 - Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society / Ozzy Osbourne)
15 - Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits)
14 - Kurt Cobain (Nirvana)
13 - Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine)
12 - James Hetfield (Metallica)
11 - Carlos Santana
10 - Steve Vai
9 - Kirk Hammett (Metallica)
8 - Dave Gilmour (Pink Floyd)
7 - Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen)
6 - Joe Satriani
5 - Brian May (Queen)
4 - Slash (Guns N' Roses / Snakepit)
3 - Eric Clapton
2 - Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)
1 - Jimi Hendrix

[BellaDonnaGypsy]

Wow, he actually made the list! I was reading something about this on Teletext earlier and wondering if he would. I guess I'll have to go and hunt down a copy of Total Guitar magazine then... haven't bought that for a while.

But I am definitely doing some head scratching over that list. There are a lot of guitarists from punk bands in there, and as much as I love them, I'm not sure that they are technically good enough to be in the 100 greatest of all time. And, uh, how many albums have Sum 41 actually made? One? Whatever... that's definitely not enough music to establish a guy (kid?) as one of the greats.

And is it me, or are there no girls in that list? Surprise surprise.

Laura.

[seteca]

Originally posted by Les
75 - Chet Atkins

73 - Django Reinhardt

31 - The Edge (U2)

I know you warned us Les to not take the list too seriously but........
who the hell compiled this list?!?!? A monkey who spies on Earth from Pluto using a toy telescope could have made a better list!!!

Somebody, ANYBODY, please explain to me how the $@!% "The Edge" comes 42 places ahead of Django Reinhardt...and 44 places ahead of Chet Atkins?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

[wondergirl9847]

Well, it's about FREAKIN time Lindsey got recognized!!! Yeah, Chet Atkins is awesome, seteca!!! Dumb lists...even tho I love lists! LMAO!!

[Janet]

A guitarist from Blink 182 gets in the top 50? He plays like 2 chords and thats about it! I don't understand.

But at least Lindsey is on this list...I just don't understand how like Carlos Santana and Peter Townsend are not in the top 10...weird list.

[bjk3047]

Haha Janet...2 chords??? You give them waayyyy too much credit.
I saw the thread title and went "oh great, another list Lindsey didn't make, whoopee." I guess I'll just have to be happy that he squeaked 4 places past the second guy from Korn on the list. LOL C FRICKIN MON MAN haha
-Brian

[estranged4life]

There is ALOT of jokes on this list. Whatta sad waste of a "Top 100":

How is Steve Howe only #84? Definately top 25

Steve Morse only #78? He's in my top 10...

John Petrucci should be in the top 20...

Frank Zappa at #63 is sad as is Peter Green at #56 definately deserving much higher praise

Dave Grohl at #52??? He's a great drummer not much of a guitarist..."Nigel Tufnel" of Spinal Tap is WAY better than Grohl...LMAO

BB King at ONLY #41??? THEY gotta be kiddin'...

Pete Townshend at #33 while Richie Sambora is #28...Whatta a joke...lol

#16 Zakk Wylde (Who I do like) rated better than Jeff Beck #18 & #17 Gary Moore...ridiculous

Sorry to rant, But this is a very cruddy Top 100 list...lol...Brian

[BellaDonnaGypsy]

Originally posted by seteca
who the hell compiled this list?!?!? A monkey who spies on Earth from Pluto using a toy telescope could have made a better list!!!

I would have to agree with that statement.

Laura.

[CarneVaca]

Look, folks, our man Lindsey is never going to get his due. Let's face it, if he got out a little more often, he would get noticed more.

But these lists always crack me up. Paul Simon? Noel Gallagher? Johnny Ramone? I love the Ramones, but...

I think Brian summed it up best. When you rate The Edge higher than the likes of Djanog Reinhardt, it can only mean you've inhaled too many sprayings from aerosol cans.

[Les]

Getting out more would help, but I don't actually think it would help much. Lindsey's just never exactly been in style because he's never fit easily into any sort of "rock guitarist" mold. He's too much his own person/musician - which I admire, frankly. And in that way, he remains a bit more like my secret. My pleasure.

I read something about this list that said, if I recall correctly, the only woman who even made it close to the list was Tracy Chapman. Odd.

[chiliD]

I really have tried to resist comment on this list, due to KNOWING that these are popularity polls and NOT true indication of the aptitude of the listed.


As I peruse this list, I see that a good 60% of the names listed have no business being on this list.

MIAs:
George Van Eps
Les Paul
Andres Segovia
Charlie Christian
Tony Rizzi
Joe Pass
Herbie Ellis
Howard Roberts
Joe Walsh
Bob Welch
Danny Kirwan
Rick Vito
Robbie McIntosh (Pretenders, Paul McCartney Band 1987-1993)
James Honeyman-Scott (Pretenders)
Mick Taylor
Ron Wood
Andy Summers (the Police)
Albert King
Elmore James
Freddie King
Albert Collins
Eddie Cochrane
Duane Eddy
Dick Dale
Paul Johnson (the Challengers, Bel-Airs)
Johnny Winter
Jimmie Vaughan
Buddy Guy

[estranged4life]

with the MIA's that chiliD listed.

I would also add Albert Lee (Great player ala-Chet Atkins), Scott Gorham (Thin Lizzy), John Sykes (Thin Lizzy & Whitesnake), Allan Holdsworth (U.K.), Frank Gambale (Great jazz fusion player) & Kazumi Watanabe (Another great jazz fusion player).

[seteca]

Has anybody here seen a Stanley Jordan concert?

If you haven't I would *highly* recommend it, it will blow your mind:

He plays two guitars at the same time (one strapped to himself, the other on a stand) using the "tapping" technique on ultra-low action electric guitars.

The man is the definition of PURE TALENT.

[estranged4life]

Stanley Jordan is VERY talented...I've always thought he should do an album with Stanley Clarke, (They MAY have already done one, But I havent heard anything), Who is basically in the same catergory as Mr.Jordan, But uses the bass guitar instead...Brian

[chiliD]

Great additions...Albert Lee is phenomenal! Stanley Jordan, his style is SO unique!! Allan Holdsworth...great!! Scott Gorham...yeah, there's a plethora of Thin Lizzy guitarists who belong on the list...who's the TL guy who's last name is Robertson...was in at the same time as Scott Gorham, I think?

They're so good on their instrument and since it's a FORM of guitar playing, both Stanley Clarke & Jaco Pastorius, though bass players, COULD be considered for inclusion! Don'tcha think?


More MIA's I thought of (and I'm ashamed I didn't think of them on my previous post)

Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top)
Duane Allman
Warren Haynes (Allman Bros)
Dickey Betts (ex-Allman Bros)
Brent Mason (#1 Nashville session ace!)
Clarence White (latter incarnation of The Byrds)
Peter Frampton (don't let the teeny-bopper image fool ya...he's a fantastic guitar player)
Jerry Garcia
Dave Davies (Kinks)
Alvin Lee (Ten Years After)
Al DiMeola
Mike Bloomfield
Stephen Stills
Robert Cray
Bill Nelson (Be-Bop Deluxe)
Robbie Robertson (The Band)
Lowell George (Little Feat)
Steve Lukather (Toto)
Neal Schon (Santana/Journey)
Tommy Shaw (Styx)
Brad Whitford (Aerosmith), Joe Perry gets all the glory, but Brad's his equal.

and, let's not just keep this a "guy's club" what about...

Bonnie Raitt? She's one of the best slide guitarists around...or ever!

Vicki Peterson of the Bangles was no slouch on guitar
Charlotte Caffey of the Go-Go's was a decent player, as well
Long-time studio ace, Carol Kaye is incredible both on guitar AND bass. She played on most of the Beach Boys mid-60's hits.