Tom Foster
The 50 greatest guitarists of all-time are those individuals who have stood on the grandest stages and helped to rock the house. Their accomplishments have made many of them legends, as well as icons for the generations who are still learning to rock.
Brian May
Is there any surprise that a member of Queen is on this list? Does anyone remember that he formed a band named Smile early in his career?
Jimi Hendrix
Multiple generations enjoy legends like Hendrix. Even today, he’s considered one of the world’s greatest guitarists.
Jimmy Page
When you talk about the greatest guitarists, you should expect to see names like Page’s. After all, Led Zeppelin became one of the most celebrated bands of its time and is still loved by many.
Eddie Van Halen
The controversy with Van Halen divided their fanbase for years. But still, those who stuck with Van Halen had a point since Hagar had the voice, but Eddie had the skills.
Eric Clapton
Given his popularity, it’s not hard to justify Clapton’s position on this list. But it does feel as though his career hit a few low points over the years.
David Gilmour
Despite the band’s popularity, Pink Floyd is still an acquired taste. But the fact is that he was a driving force for the band after a while.
Richie Blackmore
It would be interesting to ascertain how many people remember Deep Purple. But Blackmore had a lot to do with their rise in his time.
Alex Lifeson
The sound that Rush produced had a lot to do with Alex’s skill. But these days, some of those old songs are tough to hear unless one turns on the oldies station.
Jeff Beck
Remember The Yardbirds? Music has undergone many changes throughout the years, and fans’ loss of memory is one of the worst.
Slash
During GNRs fabled run, he was one of THE best and most popular guitarists around. These days, he’s still a legend, but like all legends, he had a special place in the hearts of many fans.
Carlos Santana
It’s best to say his name with a bit of reverence since his skill is beyond legendary. Santana is the type of name that still drives people to purchase concert tickets without hesitation.
Mark Knopfler
Some folks look back at their time as Dire Straits fans and wince. Others think of it as a unique time in music history that was fueled by men like Knopfler.
Angus
Many people enjoyed simply attending an AC/DC concert, but watching Angus cross the stage was something they won’t forget.
Gary Moore
This man’s career has seen him come and go in terms of groups such as Skid Row and Thin Lizzy. Hey, sometimes you’ve got to go solo, and sometimes you need a group to jam with.
Billy Gibbons
Anyone who’s opened for Jimi Hendrix in the past is someone to pay attention to. But as the vocalist and guitarist for ZZ Top, Gibbons made his own career work for him.
Duane Allman
Music was a way of life for Allman, obviously. But the feeling he put into his music was intense, even for his day.
Joe Walsh
While he’s played roles in other bands and done some solo work, Walsh is best known for his time with the Eagles. Hey, it’s a great way to ride his fame for as long as possible.
Keith Richards
There are a lot of jokes about what type of world we’re leaving behind for Keith Richards. But the truth is that this legend has been around a lot longer than some expected.
Frank Zappa
Frank had a style that was all his own and he didn’t care who knew it. Being mostly self-taught was impressive, but sometimes his shows were kind of, well, odd.
George Harrison
Lead guitarist of The Beatles. There was a time when that made him one of the absolute coolest men in the world, and for good reason.
Pete Townshend
In the 60s and 70s, Pete was a part of one of the most influential bands around. Unfortunately, it was easy to joke about The Who simply because of their name.
Lindsey Buckingham
It does stand to reason that a lot of people would believe this is a woman’s name. But fans know better than to mock one of the members of Fleetwood Mac, especially given the band’s level of fame.
Steve Howe
Imagine the confusion of stating you belong to a band named “Yes”. Their popularity spoke for itself, but there’s still the idea of trying to explain the name.
Peter Frampton
Just saying his name is enough to make a lot of fans smile and nod in appreciation. But when taking note of the famous bands and singers he’s worked with, it’s even easier to see why people like him.
Joe Perry
When you can hang with a band like Aerosmith for so long and still be counted as one of the most valuable members, you’ve done something right. Plus, when a band has to lean on such talent at times, it’s easy to see that you’re one of the best.
Paul Kossoff
Getting on a Rolling Stones Magazine list isn’t easy, so it’s an accolade to take seriously. Plus, his career has made it clear that he’s one of the greatest guitarists who came along in a very tough position.
Mick Taylor
He did have a spot in another band before the Rolling Stones, but that’s an accomplishment in itself. Even if he didn’t stick around for more than a few years, it’s still impressive that he took on such a role.
Steve Hackett
Remember the band Genesis? This guy helped that sound to roll out to the masses for several years before he decided to go solo.
Steve Lukather
When poring through band names one might see Toto pop up now and again. Steve helped to bring Toto to the masses in a big way, and it’s still fun to listen to those songs today.
Scott Gorham
His contributions to Thin Lizzy are well known to many fans. As a famous guitarist though one would have to assume that some people might need reminding of what he’s accomplished.
Brian Robertson
Being known for his time in Thin Lizzy and Motorhead is impressive. Plus, given the sounds of both bands, it’s easy to give him plenty of credit for what he did.
Tom Scholz
It’s amazing to think of everything that Tom has done for the band Boston. As the only remaining original member though it’s easy to think that he worked his tail off to keep things going.
JJ Cale
Not every person on this list is as well-known as others. Considering that Cale was lauded by famous musicians but avoided the limelight, it sounds as though he was content to stay behind the scenes.
Andy Summers
Being a part of The Police was a definite highlight in this man’s life. But being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame had to be a special moment.
The Edge
When you can take on a different moniker and make it stick, that makes you kind of legendary in itself. But being one of the greatest guitarists, and a part of U2, and doing this is even more impressive.
Robert Fripp
King Crimson sounds like a cool name for a band. But despite Fripp’s contributions it stands to reason that a lot of people don’t remember the band, unfortunately.
Wayne Kramer
Every person on this list has tons of skill, but it still stands to reason that some are going to be remembered easier than others. Kramer definitely has the skills.
Fred “Sonic” Smith
Who remembers MC5? The band cut a broad swath through the public in their time, but it’s fun to sit and listen to them to see why.
Jeff ‘Skunk’ Baxter
This guy’s career took a definite turn at one point. At one time he played with bands like The Doobie Brothers, but later on he became a defense consultant.
Mick Ronson
Hey, if you had the chance to work with David Bowie back in the day, it’s likely that most people would take it. That’s living the history of music, and a shot that most people don’t get.
Dick Wagner
Working with people such as Alice Cooper, KISS, and others is a dream for many guitarists. This man go to live that dream.
Steve Hunter
People called this man The Deacon for a long time. His work with Lou Reed and Alice Cooper helps to sum up what he was about and what he did in his time as one of the greatest guitarists ever.
Neal Schon
All you need to say is Santana, and Journey. This is what this man is known for, and it’s a great way to be known.
Ry Cooder
Listening to the sound of slide guitar is mesmerizing at times, and this man did it well. But he also worked with a lot of different artists throughout the world, which is impressive.
Andy Powell
If you know anything about Wishbone Ash then you know about Andy. His skill is great enough to make this list, ’nuff said.
Jerry Garcia
Deadheads, or Grateful Dead fans, revered this man in a big way during his run. To be fair, he had a great sound that was easy to get into.
Kim Thayil
During the 90s this man shredded unlike many others. Alongside Chris Cornell he was the backbone of Soundgarden.
Dave Mustaine
Despite his time in Metallica, it’s Megadeath that he’s become known for. That, and a few of his onstage outbursts, which have been justified in the eyes of a lot of fans.
Kirk Hammett
If there’s one thing that Metallica relies heavily on, it’s the guitar riffs that the members can create. As one of the longest-standing members, Kurt is without a doubt one of the greatest.
James Hetfield
It feels as though James gets by on his role as the frontman a lot, but he can jam. As the leader of the group, he’s one of the more influential men and greatest guitarists in music history.