"My guitar is not a thing," Joan Jett famously stated, "It is an extension of myself. It is who I am." This sentiment resonates deeply with countless musicians and fans worldwide. The guitar, in its myriad forms, remains a truly universal instrument – primal in its appeal yet endlessly expressive in the right hands. Anyone can pick up a guitar and strum a few chords, but mastering its depths is a lifelong journey. This enduring fascination is why discussions about what constitutes a truly great guitarist are so compelling and perpetually engaging.
In the spirit of celebrating this ongoing exploration, Rolling Stone initially published their definitive list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists in 2011, curated by a panel of seasoned musicians, largely from the classic rock era. Expanding on this legacy, the editors and writers of Rolling Stone have crafted a new, more inclusive list, reaching 250 artists. This expanded compilation aims to showcase the vast and evolving landscape of guitar playing, acknowledging not only the iconic figures but also the diverse talents that have shaped the instrument’s trajectory.
Guitarists often attain iconic status, sometimes rivaling the fame of the lead singers they accompany. While legendary guitar heroes like Jimmy Page, Brian May, and Eddie Van Halen rightfully hold their place in the pantheon, their stories represent only a facet of the guitar’s rich narrative. This list endeavors to illustrate the sheer breadth of the guitar’s evolution, spanning generations and genres. From folk music pioneer Elizabeth Cotten, born in 1893, to indie-rock innovator Lindsey Jordan, born in 1999, the selection encompasses a remarkable range. You’ll find artists representing rock, jazz, reggae, country, folk, blues, punk, metal, disco, funk, bossa nova, bachata, Congolese rumba, flamenco, and much more. The list honors both unparalleled virtuosos like Pat Metheny, Yvette Young, and Steve Vai, and raw, primal players like Johnny Ramone and Poison Ivy of the Cramps. It celebrates mainstream stars such as Prince, Joni Mitchell, and Neil Young, as well as unsung heroes like Memphis soul luminary Teenie Hodges and smooth-rock maestro Larry Carlton.
Recognizing the power of collaboration, the list acknowledges dynamic duos like Kim and Kelley Deal of the Breeders and Adrian Smith and Dave Murray of Iron Maiden, among other synergistic pairings, who share single entries. The primary criterion for inclusion remains mastery of the six-string guitar. (Apologies to Balalaika virtuosos – perhaps next time!).
In compiling this list, a deliberate emphasis was placed on qualities beyond mere technical proficiency. Heaviness was often favored over pristine technique, raw feel over polished perfection, and innovation over mere refinement. Risk-takers and originators were given precedence over technicians. Crucially, artists who channeled their unique talents into crafting exceptional songs and albums that redefined genres were given an edge over those whose impact was limited to impressive instrumental skills alone.
As modern blues visionary Gary Clark Jr. aptly stated, “I don’t know if I want to get too far off the path — I don’t want to get lost in the forest — but I like to wander out a bit and adventure.” This spirit of exploration and pushing boundaries is what truly defines the greatest guitar players.
Andy Summers
Andy Summers of The Police performing live with a Fender Telecaster guitar at Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK, September 22, 1979.
Image Credit: Graham Wiltshire/Redferns/Getty Images
The Police emerged as a groundbreaking power trio, largely due to Andy Summers’ distinctive guitar work. Moving swiftly beyond punk’s limitations, Summers redefined jazz chords and reggae rhythms within a high-energy rock context. His playing was characterized by its deliberate sparseness, constructing sharp, clipped phrases or echoing, dub-influenced washes of sound, expertly creating space for Sting’s vocals and Stewart Copeland’s drumming. “His tone and style were just absolutely perfect — he left space around everything,” noted Rush’s Alex Lifeson, highlighting Summers’ masterful use of dynamics and sonic texture. “And he can handle anything from beautiful acoustic playing to jazz to hybrid kinds of stuff,” Lifeson added, emphasizing Summers’ versatility and broad musical vocabulary. Summers’ innovative approach cemented his place as one of the top guitar players who redefined the sound of popular music in the late 70s and early 80s.
Key Tracks: “Message in a Bottle,” “Every Breath You Take”
Brittany Howard
Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes, photographed for Rolling Stone, showcasing her soulful and dynamic guitar playing.
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone
From her beginnings with the garage-roots band Alabama Shakes, Brittany Howard’s guitar playing has always been an organic, flowing, and admirably spontaneous counterpart to her commanding vocals and deeply soulful songwriting. Her rhythmic sensibility is remarkably elastic; her tough, jagged guitar lines interweave seamlessly with Alabama Shakes lead guitarist Heath Fogg’s contributions on their 2015 track “Don’t Wanna Fight.” Howard further explored straight-ahead rock and roll with her side project Thunderbitch. Her critically acclaimed 2019 solo album, Jaime, served as a powerful testament to her expansive musicianship, ranging from the funky, James Brown-esque rhythms of “History Repeats” to the intensely molten fuzz tones she unleashed on “Presence.” Brittany Howard’s fearless exploration of genre and her raw, emotive playing style firmly establish her as one of the top guitar players in contemporary music.
Key Tracks: “History Repeats,” “Presence”
Robby Krieger
Robby Krieger of The Doors playing guitar at the Ondine Club in New York City, November 1966, showcasing his innovative approach to rock guitar.
Image Credit: Don Paulsen/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
With a background in flamenco and jazz, Robby Krieger transcended rock conventions at a time when many guitarists remained rooted in blues traditions. As the guitarist for The Doors, Krieger possessed the improvisational agility to follow Jim Morrison’s unpredictable artistic journeys, wrote some of their most enduring hits, including “Light My Fire,” and adeptly filled the sonic space in their unique keyboard-drums-guitar lineup. “Not having a bass player … made me play more bass notes to fill out the bottom,” he explained, highlighting his resourceful approach to arrangement. “Not having a rhythm player also made me play differently, to fill out the sound. I always felt like three players simultaneously,” he added, emphasizing his ability to create a full, textured sound within The Doors’ unconventional instrumentation. Krieger’s genre-bending approach and compositional skills solidify his place among the top guitar players who expanded the sonic possibilities of rock music in the 1960s.
Key Tracks: “Riders on the Storm,” “Roadhouse Blues”
Ricky Wilson
Ricky Wilson of The B-52s performing live in Athens, Georgia, 1978, demonstrating his unique and inventive guitar style.
Image Credit: Tom Hill/WireImage
Live performances by the B-52s often placed Ricky Wilson seemingly in the background, amidst the flamboyant stage presence of lead singer Fred Schneider and the iconic beehive hairstyles and campy dance moves of Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson. However, Wilson’s distinctive blend of down-home chicken scratch, angular post-punk sensibilities, rockabilly energy, and surf rock twang on B-52s classics like “52 Girls,” “Strobe Light,” and “Private Idaho” established him as one of the most original and inventive guitarists of the New Wave era. Wilson frequently employed only four or five strings on his blue Mosrite guitar and utilized unconventional tunings to achieve his signature strange, spartan sound. “I just tune the strings till I hear something I like,” he once remarked, underscoring his intuitive and experimental approach to guitar. His untimely death in 1985 marked a significant loss for the indie-rock scene, depriving it of an unassuming yet truly radical musical innovator. Ricky Wilson’s unconventional and influential style secures his place as one of the top guitar players of the New Wave movement.
Key Tracks: “52 Girls,” “Mesopotamia”
Paul Simon
Paul Simon playing guitar onstage in Chicago, 1980, showcasing his intricate fingerpicking style and songwriting prowess.
Image Credit: Paul Natkin/Getty Images
Paul Simon, celebrated as a masterful lyricist, communicates with equal eloquence through his guitar. Influenced by early doo-wop and rock & roll, Simon embraced the folk revival in the mid-Sixties, traveling to England to study the acoustic artistry of Bert Jansch. He has consistently absorbed new musical influences, as evidenced in “Dazzling Blue” from his album So Beautiful or So What: “All that folk fingerpicking is what I did with Simon and Garfunkel, but [here] it’s on top of this rhythm with Indian musicians playing in 12/8.” Even in his 80s, Simon remains remarkably nimble, a testament to his enduring dedication to the instrument, demonstrated on his 2023 album Seven Psalms. Paul Simon’s evolution as a guitarist, seamlessly blending folk traditions with global influences, solidifies his position among the top guitar players who are also celebrated songwriters.
Key Tracks: “Dazzling Blue,” “Kathy’s Song”
Leslie West
Leslie West of Mountain performing live in the UK, circa 1977, known for his powerful riffs and blues-rock guitar style.
Image Credit: Erica Echenberg/Redferns/Getty Images
Leslie West (born Leslie Weinstein) initially gained recognition in mid-Sixties garage rock with the Vagrants’ robust rendition of Otis Redding’s “Respect.” By 1969, West became the driving force behind the Cream-inspired quartet Mountain, injecting a heavy dose of blues-rock intensity into the scene. On iconic tracks like the 1970 hit “Mississippi Queen,” West delivered gritty blues lines with deceptive ease and a distinct R&B sensibility, all drenched in a thick layer of overdriven amplifier distortion. “The riffs were incredible,” remarked Dave Davies, acknowledging West’s signature sound. “He could play flashy, intricate phrases. But he wasn’t a look-at-me guy. He played with feel,” Davies emphasized, highlighting West’s focus on emotional expression over technical showmanship. Leslie West’s powerful riffs and soulful feel firmly establish him as one of the top guitar players in the hard rock and blues-rock genres.
Key Tracks: “Mississippi Queen,” “Nantucket Sleighride (To Owen Coffin)”
Edilio Paredes
Edilio Paredes, a pioneer of bachata guitar, showcasing his distinctive and influential playing style.
Now that global pop stars Rosalía and The Weeknd have incorporated its mystique into a worldwide hit, bachata, once obscure outside the Dominican Republic, has gained international recognition. Edilio Paredes is the architect of la música del amargue‘s sonic identity – those evocative, spiraling guitar lines that flutter and emphasize the poignant themes of lost love. A self-taught prodigy, Paredes played a pivotal role in the evolution from bolero campesino to contemporary bachata, ultimately establishing it as a transcendent Afro-Caribbean genre in the Nineties. Paredes’ extensive discography as a sought-after session musician from the 1960s to the 1980s speaks to his immense talent and influence. His status as el maestro was further solidified by his appearance on the acclaimed 2011 album The Bachata Legends. Edilio Paredes’ crucial role in shaping the sound of bachata music earns him a place among the top guitar players who have defined genres and influenced global music.
Key Tracks: “No Me Olvides,” “Bendita Nena”
Aaron Dessner and Bryce Dessner
Aaron Dessner and Bryce Dessner of The National performing at Panorama NYC, 2016, showcasing their twin-guitar virtuosity and unique musical partnership.
Image Credit: Kris Connor/FilmMagic
The National’s story is unique in rock, centered around the virtuosic twin-guitar dynamic of twin brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner. Bryce Dessner’s collaborations extend to legendary figures like Steve Reich, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Jonny Greenwood, and Kronos Quartet, highlighting his diverse musical range. Aaron Dessner serves as Taylor Swift’s guitar collaborator on Folklore and Evermore, adding a Jerry Garcia-esque twang to “Cowboy Like Me” and unleashing dynamic energy on “August” in The Long Pond Studio Sessions. The Dessner brothers seamlessly transition between electric intensity (“Terrible Love”) and intimate folk beauty (“I Need My Girl”). They also spearheaded the acclaimed 2016 Grateful Dead tribute album Day of the Dead, jamming with Bob Weir on “I Know You Rider.” The Dessner brothers’ innovative and versatile twin-guitar approach, spanning rock and orchestral collaborations, positions them among the top guitar players pushing creative boundaries in contemporary music.
Key Tracks: “Mr. November,” “Bloodbuzz Ohio,” “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness”
Lindsey Jordan
Lindsey Jordan of Snail Mail performing at Governors Ball, 2023, representing a new generation of indie guitar heroes.
Image Credit: Griffin Lotz for Rolling Stone
Gen Z guitar hero Lindsey Jordan, known for her project Snail Mail, honed her skills under the tutelage of Mary Timony, an inventive guitarist from Helium and Wild Flag, also featured on this list. Jordan’s debut as Snail Mail at 18 with 2018’s Lush demonstrated a remarkable internalization of the indie-rock canon. She is both a casual virtuoso and a serious shredder, effortlessly shifting from strummed tension-building passages to soaring, explosive solos, and moving between coolly restrained Liz Phair-esque lo-fi sounds and Sonic Youth-inspired sonic expansiveness. “I like to play really balls out,” she told Rolling Stone in 2018. “That’s what it means to be onstage with integrity,” emphasizing her passionate and committed performance style. Lindsey Jordan’s early mastery and dynamic stage presence mark her as one of the top guitar players leading the next wave of indie rock.
Key Tracks: “Heat Wave,” “Pristine”
Keith Urban
Keith Urban performing live, showcasing his effortless guitar style and country music virtuosity.
Image Credit: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images
While perhaps not country music’s most overtly virtuosic or traditionally rooted player, Keith Urban distinguishes himself among Nashville’s guitar elite with his effortlessly stylish approach. His riffs, rhythms, and solos seem to emerge organically, seamlessly enhancing each song. Nothing feels forced or overly flashy; every note serves a purpose. Studio tracks like “Highway Don’t Care” and “Blue Ain’t Your Color” exemplify his polished studio work. However, Urban truly shines onstage, delivering guitar heroics that rival rock’s greatest. His versatility has led to collaborations ranging from the Rolling Stones to Nile Rodgers. “I love that people want to hear the guitar,” Urban told Rolling Stone in 2015, “but I just think about the song … whatever the song seems to want,” highlighting his song-centric approach to guitar playing. Keith Urban’s blend of effortless style, melodic sensibility, and stage presence establishes him as one of the top guitar players in contemporary country music and beyond.
Key Tracks: “Highway Don’t Care,” “Blue Ain’t Your Color”
Erin Smith
Erin Smith of Bratmobile, a pioneer of riot grrrl, photographed in a live performance, showcasing her raw and influential guitar style.
Image Credit: © Greg Neate/neatephotos.com/flickr CC BY 2.0
Erin Smith, guitarist for riot grrrl pioneers Bratmobile, was inspired to pick up the instrument after seeing Beat Happening, a deliberately primitive cuddle-core band with a female drummer. “That was in ’87, and not only did I see women could play music, but I could see that just you could do it yourself,” she recounted to the Museum of Pop Culture. “I could never be [Duran Duran’s] Andy Taylor. And I realized that was OK.” The style she developed with singer Allison Wolfe and drummer Molly Neuman combined melodic surf-rock bass lines with aggressive garage-rock chords, making Bratmobile’s 1993 debut, Pottymouth, a defining punk record of the Nineties. Erin Smith’s DIY ethos and impactful guitar work in Bratmobile place her among the top guitar players who shaped the riot grrrl movement and influenced punk music.
Key Tracks: “Love Thing,” “P.R.D.C.T.”
Duane Eddy
Duane Eddy, a pioneer of twangy guitar rock and roll, posing for a portrait in New York, 1958.
Image Credit: PoPsie Randolph/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
If any doubt remained in the late 1950s about the guitar’s dominance as rock & roll’s lead instrument over the saxophone, Duane Eddy definitively settled the debate. His 1958 single “Rebel Rouser,” characterized by its country twang and shimmering tremolo, became a defining sound of the era. “Chet Atkins used vibrato in a selective way — Duane Eddy used it to thrash the music,” observed the Kinks’ Dave Davies, highlighting Eddy’s distinctive and more aggressive use of tremolo. Eddy’s hits, including “Forty Miles of Bad Road” and “Peter Gunn,” profoundly influenced surf music and guitarists like Jeff Beck and George Harrison. Duane Eddy’s pioneering “twangy guitar” sound and instrumental hits establish him as one of the top guitar players who shaped early rock and roll and influenced subsequent generations of musicians.
Key Tracks: “Rebel Rouser,” “Peter Gunn”
Doug Gillard
Doug Gillard of Guided By Voices performing live in Chicago, 2004, known for his complementary guitar work and indie rock contributions.
Image Credit: Matt Carmichael/Getty Images
In the context of Ohio indie-rock institution Guided By Voices, Robert Pollard embodies the band’s eccentric genius, while Doug Gillard serves as its musical backbone. He perfectly complements Pollard’s unconventional wordplay and experimental drones, transforming them into coherent rock & roll, often at the prolific pace of two or even three GBV albums annually. “I know his usual shapes and drones — or can pretty much decipher what they are if it’s a new shape — and replicate them on the rhythm parts on the records for the most part,” Gillard explained in an interview, detailing his collaborative process with Pollard. “But also, I have some freedom to transform them,” he added, highlighting his creative input within GBV’s framework. Doug Gillard’s essential role in shaping Guided By Voices’ sound and his prolific output solidify his place among the top guitar players in indie rock.
Key Tracks: “I Am a Tree,” “Mr. Child”
Jennifer Batten
Image Credit: Catherine McGann/Getty Images
Jennifer Batten rose to prominence as the guitar virtuoso with the striking lion’s mane who powered Michael Jackson’s monumental tours. This role demanded she master funk, soul, metal, and even Eddie Van Halen’s “Beat It” solo nightly. Her debut solo album, 1992’s Above Below and Beyond, showcased her eclectic range, featuring renditions of Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumble Bee,” Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” and John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” (in two unique arrangements) – all performed on electric guitar with whammy bar techniques and finger-tapping flourishes, marked by her distinctive touch. Batten further solidified her standing as a top-tier player, becoming one of the few guitarists capable of collaborating with Jeff Beck, touring and recording with him on some of his most adventurous albums around the turn of the millennium. Jennifer Batten’s virtuosity, versatility across genres, and collaborations with music icons secure her position among the top guitar players recognized for their exceptional technical skill and stage presence.
Key Tracks: “Flight of the Bumblebee,” “Giant Steps (Rock Version)”
Greg Sage
Greg Sage of The Wipers performing live in Amsterdam, 1986, known for his pioneering and influential indie punk guitar sound.
Image Credit: Frans Schellekens/Redferns/Getty Images
Greg Sage formed his Portland, Oregon, band the Wipers in 1977, pushing beyond punk conventions before they fully solidified, with his complex, expansive songwriting and raw, distorted guitar sound. While other bands emphasized thrashing simplicity, Wipers songs like “When It’s Over” and “Romeo” felt like immersive sonic landscapes. This approach galvanized the Pacific Northwestern indie-rock scene. “We learned everything from the Wipers,” Kurt Cobain stated, proudly declaring them his favorite band. “They were playing a mix of punk and hard rock when nobody cared,” Cobain noted, highlighting the Wipers’ pioneering blend of genres. Greg Sage’s innovative guitar work and influence on the Pacific Northwest indie scene, particularly on bands like Nirvana, cement his legacy as one of the top guitar players in the development of indie punk and alternative rock.
Key Tracks: “When It’s Over,” “Up Front”
Laura Marling
Image Credit: Chiaki Nozu/WireImage
British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Laura Marling embodies a more understated form of virtuosity, employing intricate tunings and voicings within her music that sound deceptively simple. “I Was an Eagle,” from Marling’s 2013 LP, Once I Was an Eagle, achieves its dreamy and atmospheric quality through her use of DADDAD tuning, with the influence of Joni Mitchell evident in her unusual phrasings and atonal flourishes. During the Covid-19 lockdown, Marling shared her guitar expertise with fans, offering concise and informative tutorials on Instagram, further demonstrating her dedication to the craft. Laura Marling’s subtle yet complex guitar work, blending folk traditions with modern songwriting, places her among the top guitar players in contemporary acoustic and indie folk music.
Key Tracks: “I Was an Eagle,” “Wild Fire,” “Ghosts”
John McGeoch
John McGeoch of Siouxsie and the Banshees performing live in New York, 1980, showcasing his innovative and atmospheric guitar style.
Image Credit: Ebet Roberts/Redferns/Getty Images
John McGeoch, hailing from Manchester, made a powerful entrance with the soaring guitar attack of Magazine’s 1978 debut single, “Shot by Both Sides,” a landmark anthem of UK punk rock. He rapidly developed a unique, expansive, and architectural guitar style, evident in Magazine’s subsequent work, as well as his contributions to Public Image Ltd and Siouxsie and the Banshees. McGeoch garnered high praise from guitarists like Johnny Marr and Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien. His signature blend of slashing rhythm guitar, swirling arpeggios, and atmospheric flange effects defined the Banshees’ 1981 album, Juju, a seminal goth-guitar album of the Eighties, introducing a moody and textural sonic language to UK rock, prioritizing atmosphere over overt angst. John McGeoch’s innovative and influential guitar style, particularly within post-punk and goth rock, secures his position among the top guitar players of the era.
Key Tracks: “Philadelphia,” “Spellbound”
H.E.R.
H.E.R. performing live at Spotify event in Cannes, 2023, showcasing her blend of R&B vocals and dynamic guitar skills.
Image Credit: David M. Benett/Getty Images
H.E.R. maintains a relatively low profile, consistently surprising audiences with each high-profile appearance, such as at the Grammys or the Super Bowl. Her vocals are deeply rooted in classic R&B, and she excels at simmering ballads, but her guitar playing spans a wide spectrum, from delicate and fluid accents to Prince-inspired rock shredding. Her single “Hold On” features her doubling her vocal melodies with soaring lead guitar lines, a signature element of her style. “I also like to play my guitar like I’m singing,” she told Guitar World, explaining her melodic approach. “Sometimes, I like to sing and play my solos at the same time … even harmonizing my voice with my guitar.” In 2021, Fender honored H.E.R. with a signature Stratocaster model, making her the first Black woman to receive this recognition. H.E.R.’s versatile guitar skills, blending R&B sensibility with rock virtuosity, and her groundbreaking recognition by Fender, solidify her status as one of the top guitar players in contemporary R&B and popular music.
Key Tracks: “Hold On,” “Comfortable”
David Williams
David Williams of The Jacksons performing live in Kansas City, 1984, known for his subtle yet crucial guitar work in pop music.
Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archive/Getty Images
Despite his jazz roots, David Williams made his most significant impact in Eighties pop, a genre not always recognized for instrumental virtuosity. His intentionally restrained guitar touches are essential to the rhythmic allure of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” Stevie Nicks’ “Stand Back,” and Diana Ross’ “Muscles.” The Vietnam veteran toured with Jackson and Madonna and collaborated with artists from Chaka Khan to Kenny Loggins. He once described the “secret spice” he added to Top 40 hits: “You don’t need much of it, but the right amount gets the job done.” Williams’ subtle yet impactful guitar contributions to iconic pop hits, and his ability to elevate songs with minimal yet perfect parts, establish him as one of the top session guitar players in pop music history.
Key Tracks: “Billie Jean,” “Dirty Diana”
Etta Baker
Etta Baker, a legend of Piedmont blues guitar, photographed in a portrait, showcasing her fingerpicking style.
Image Credit: Timothy Duffy
Etta Baker’s name is synonymous with Piedmont blues, a flowing, ragtime and folk-infused style that originated along the East Coast in the early 20th century. Born into a multi-racial family in North Carolina in 1913 and raised in Virginia, Baker learned guitar from her father and frequently played dances with her family in her youth. Her instrumental compositions like “One Dime Blues,” featured on a 1956 anthology, had a seismic impact, inspiring listeners such as Bob Dylan and Taj Mahal. Taj Mahal later recorded an album with Baker before her death in 2006. Etta Baker’s pivotal role in preserving and popularizing Piedmont blues, and her influential fingerpicking style, firmly place her among the top guitar players in blues and American roots music.
Key Tracks: “One Dime Blues,” “Carolina Breakdown”
Gustavo Cerati
Gustavo Cerati performing onstage in Chicago, 2003, known for his guitar work in Latin rock and Soda Stereo.
Image Credit: Paul Natkin/Getty Images
It’s easy to overlook Gustavo Cerati’s extraordinary guitar skills given his pivotal role in transforming Latin rock with his songwriting. In the mid-Eighties, the Argentine singer-songwriter spearheaded a pan-American rock en español boom with his band Soda Stereo and anthemic hits like “De Música Ligera.” After Soda Stereo disbanded, Cerati explored electronic textures, but he returned to guitar-god mode with 2006’s Ahí Vamos, a powerful album saturated in raw electric riffs. Cerati tragically fell into a coma at age 50 and never recovered, but his image, smiling and passionately playing guitar solos onstage, remains etched in Latin music culture. Gustavo Cerati’s impact on Latin rock, both as a songwriter and guitarist, and his enduring legacy, establish him as one of the top guitar players in Latin American music history.
Key Tracks: “Canción Animal,” “La Excepción”
Barbara Lynn
Barbara Lynn, a pioneer of soul and R&B guitar, posing for a portrait in 1964, showcasing her left-handed guitar style.
Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Sixteen-year-old Barbara Lynn issued a stark warning to her boyfriend: “If you should lose me/You’ll lose a good thing.” The Beaufort, Texas, native set these words to music, playing a right-handed guitar she taught herself to play left-handed. The resulting song, “You’ll Lose a Good Thing,” topped the R&B charts in 1962, launching a celebrated 60-year career. Lynn’s largely self-penned songs have been covered by the Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, and Robert Plant, and sampled by the Beastie Boys and Moby, demonstrating the universal appeal and creative strength of her songwriting rooted in personal experience. Barbara Lynn’s pioneering role as a left-handed guitarist, singer, and songwriter in soul and R&B, and her enduring influence, secure her place among the top guitar players who broke barriers and shaped the genre.
Key Tracks: “You’ll Lose a Good Thing,” “I’ll Suffer”
Steve Jones
Steve Jones of Sex Pistols performing live with Johnny Rotten, wielding his iconic white Les Paul Custom guitar.
Image Credit: Chris Morphet/Redferns/Getty Images
When Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren gifted Steve Jones a white Les Paul Custom, previously owned by Syl Sylvain of the New York Dolls, this instrument (or a similar model) became Jones’ signature weapon. Jones’ raw power chords and flamboyant, gutter-glam solos perfectly mirrored Johnny Rotten’s confrontational attitude and set a standard for subsequent punk guitarists. His legacy is cemented by the indelible riffs on one album – 1977’s Never Mind the Bollocks… – which inspired guitarists ranging from Slash to Billie Joe Armstrong. It was as much about attitude as sound. As Jones famously told a journalist during his Sex Pistols era, “Actually, we’re not into music. We’re into chaos.” Steve Jones’ crucial role in defining the sound and attitude of punk guitar, and his lasting influence on rock music, firmly place him among the top guitar players of the punk revolution.
Key Tracks: “God Save the Queen,” “Pretty Vacant”
Glenn Branca
Glenn Branca, a key figure in No Wave music, photographed in a portrait, showcasing his experimental and symphonic guitar approach.
Image Credit: Hallwalls Archive/CC BY 3.0
A cornerstone of New York’s post-punk No Wave movement, Glenn Branca dedicated himself to establishing the guitar – often tuned to his signature “harmonic series” and modified for varied registers and tonalities – as a symphonic instrument capable of ensemble compositions sometimes involving up to 100 players. His droning, powerful Symphony No. 1, recorded in 1981, featured Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth in the orchestra. Branca also released Sonic Youth’s debut album on his Neutral label, demonstrating his talent for identifying other musical revolutionaries. “I’ve got so many ideas about music that I haven’t even begun to work on,” he stated in an interview, highlighting his boundless creativity. Glenn Branca’s groundbreaking experimental and symphonic approach to guitar, his influence on No Wave and noise rock, and his discovery of Sonic Youth, solidify his position among the top guitar players who pushed the boundaries of guitar music.
Key Tracks: “Light Field (In Consonance),” “Velvets and Pearls”
El Kempner
El Kempner of Palehound performing live in Boston, 2016, representing a new generation of indie guitarists and songwriters.
Image Credit: Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe/Getty Images
Long before El Kempner launched Palehound – an indie-powerhouse project that recently opened for boygenius – they began playing guitar at age seven, strumming their dad’s guitar with a marker cap. Guitar has been Kempner’s guiding musical force ever since. Electrifying riffs, elevated by Kempner’s musical dexterity, drive dynamic tracks like “The Clutch” from their recent album, Eye on the Bat. Kempner’s versatility is key to their skill. Equally adept at rocking out on their Stratocaster, playing delicate acoustic fingerpicking, or creating swirling arpeggios, Kempner’s diverse guitar skills and songwriting in Palehound position them among the top guitar players in contemporary indie rock.
Key Tracks: “The Clutch,” “Independence Day”
Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith and Wayne Kramer
Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith of MC5 performing live in Mount Clemens, Michigan, 1969, known for their high-energy twin-guitar attack.
Image Credit: Leni Sinclair/Michael Ochs Archive/Getty Images
Forged in Detroit in the 1960s, the MC5 guitar duo of Wayne Kramer and Fred “Sonic” Smith functioned like a powerful engine. Blending Chuck Berry and early Motown influences with an emerging interest in free jazz, they could propel their band’s legendary high-energy jams into uncharted sonic territory while maintaining a strong rhythmic foundation. “If you play with another guitar player long enough, you exhaust everything you know, and then you start playing what you don’t know, and you get into something good,” Kramer explained, describing their musical synergy. “We just found that we could play syncopated rhythm parts simultaneously, and they would lock in perfectly, or we could solo simultaneously and they’d still lock in,” he added, highlighting their intuitive and powerful twin-guitar dynamic. Fred “Sonic” Smith and Wayne Kramer’s explosive twin-guitar interplay in MC5, and their influence on hard rock and proto-punk, secure their place among the top guitar players who defined the sound of high-energy rock music.
Key Tracks: “Looking at You,” “Poison”
Marv Tarplin
Marv Tarplin of Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, posing for a portrait in Detroit, 1962, known for his crucial guitar work in Motown soul.
Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Marv Tarplin’s playing and composing became essential to the success of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles soon after Robinson handpicked him as the group’s guitarist in the 1960s. Tarplin’s versatility suited Motown’s demands, from his driving chords on “Going to a Go-Go” to the delicate 12-string acoustic on “You Really Got a Hold on Me.” His chord exploration inspired the core of the Miracles hit “The Tracks of My Tears.” He continued working with Robinson after the Miracles split; his delicate guitar work on Robinson’s 1979 solo single “Cruisin’” gave the track a timeless quality, propelling it to the Billboard Hot 100 Top Five. Marv Tarplin’s crucial role in shaping the sound of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, and his versatile guitar work in Motown soul, establish him as one of the top guitar players in the genre.
Key Tracks: “The Tracks of My Tears,” “Cruisin’”
Joseph Spence
Joseph Spence, a Bahamian guitar legend, photographed in a portrait, showcasing his unique and influential fingerpicking style.
Image Credit: Guy Droussart
In 1958, musicologists Sam Charters and Ann Danberg Charters encountered Joseph Spence in the Bahamas, initially mistaking his rich sound for two guitarists. “He often seemed to be improvising in the bass, the middle strings, and the treble at the same time,” Sam noted in the liner notes to Joseph Spence: The Complete Folkways Recordings 1958. Spence’s pointillistic, sharply angled fingerpicking, across blues, spirituals, and calypso, profoundly influenced the folk movement and beyond. The Grateful Dead transformed Spence’s “We Bid You Goodnight” into a live set closer, and the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds classic “Sloop John B” is indebted to Spence’s version. Joseph Spence’s groundbreaking and highly influential fingerpicking style, his impact on folk and popular music, and his unique approach to Bahamian music, secure his legacy as one of the top guitar players in folk and world music.
Key Tracks: “Brownskin Girl,” “Jump in the Line”
Molly Tuttle
Molly Tuttle performing live in West Hollywood, 2014, representing a new generation of bluegrass innovators and guitar virtuosos.
Image Credit: Scott Dudelson/Getty Images
Even before her awards sweep, California-raised, Nashville-based bluegrass innovator Molly Tuttle and her band Golden Highway were making history in roots music. Her acoustic flatpicking, influenced by Tony Rice, Joni Mitchell, and Clarence White, is rooted in tradition but not constrained by it. This year, she became the first bluegrass act nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy, signaling bluegrass’s ongoing evolution, in which Tuttle plays a significant role. “Our generation of bluegrass players are really pushing in some new directions,” Tuttle stated, “I feel lucky to be part of this scene that’s breaking down barriers.” Molly Tuttle’s innovative approach to bluegrass guitar, her award-winning career, and her role in pushing the boundaries of the genre, firmly place her among the top guitar players in contemporary bluegrass and roots music.
Key Tracks: ‘Take the Journey,” “El Dorado”
James Blood Ulmer
James Blood Ulmer, a pioneer of avant-garde jazz guitar, photographed in a portrait, showcasing his unique and influential style.
Image Credit: Peter Noble/Redferns/Getty Images
Initially playing soul jazz, then collaborating with free jazz icon Ornette Coleman, James Blood Ulmer fused generations of blues, funk, and jazz guitar into shimmering textures, dissonant riffs, and jittery solos. On albums like Tales of Captain Black and Odyssey, his stinging tone profoundly influenced the Seventies and Eighties downtown New York experimental scene, impacting artists from Vernon Reid (who produced Ulmer’s blues records) to no-wave bands like DNA and Mars. As Reid stated, “James Blood Ulmer is fully aware, theoretically and idiomatically — he’s just never been constrained by those concerns. He is a rock. He is unapologetically himself. He is the blues. Itself. Not its rules.” James Blood Ulmer’s pioneering fusion of blues, funk, and jazz guitar, and his profound influence on the New York experimental music scene, solidify his place among the top guitar players in avant-garde music.
Key Tracks: “Theme from Captain Black,” “Timeless”
Courtney Barnett
Courtney Barnett, an indie rock singer-songwriter, photographed with her guitar, showcasing her dynamic playing style.
Image Credit: Griffin Lotz for Rolling Stone
Indie-rock singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett’s dynamic guitar playing, shifting from intricate fingerpicking to garage-rock-inspired solos, enhances her witty storytelling. “It sounds like you’re driving across a highway and it’s sunny,” Barnett described her song “Write a List of Things to Look Forward To,” capturing the liberating feel of her guitar work. On Lotta Sea Lice, her collaboration with Kurt Vile, their musical chemistry is striking, with guitars and vocals intertwining seamlessly. Courtney Barnett’s dynamic guitar style, blending intricate fingerpicking with garage rock energy, and her songwriting prowess, establish her as one of the top guitar players in contemporary indie rock.
Key Tracks: “Turning Green,” “Over Everything,” “Pedestrian at Best”
Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing
K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton of Judas Priest performing live in London, circa 1978, known for their iconic twin-guitar heavy metal attack.
Image Credit: Gus Stewart/Redferns/Getty Images
Inspired by the single-guitar power of Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple, Judas Priest redefined “heavy” in the mid-Seventies with two guitarists: K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton. Instead of traditional rhythm and lead roles, Tipton and Downing doubled riffs, traded solos, and embraced harmony leads, creating a motorcycle-revving sonic force. Their collaborative approach set the template for Iron Maiden, Metallica, Slayer, and countless two-guitar bands that followed. As Slayer’s Kerry King noted, “You can almost always tell that if it’s Tipton, it’s super-fucking tasty. If it’s K.K., it’s a more edgy, almost punky kind of vibe, which is a great mix.” Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing’s pioneering twin-guitar approach in Judas Priest, and their massive influence on heavy metal, solidify their joint position among the top guitar players in metal history.
Key Tracks: “Victim of Changes,” “Breaking the Law,” “The Hellion/Electric Eye”
Lzzy Hale
Lzzy Hale of Halestorm performing live, known for her powerful vocals and aggressive guitar style in hard rock.
Image Credit: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images
Lzzy Hale is a hard rock icon for her powerhouse vocals alone, but she’s also a formidable guitarist, employing an aggressive rhythmic slap style that complements Halestorm’s lead guitarist Joe Hottinger. Hale is also a skilled shredder – evident in her guitar mimicry of the vocal melody in “I Miss the Misery” – and so influential in 21st-century guitar rock that Gibson named her their first female brand ambassador. Gibson even created a Hale signature Explorer model, which she plays onstage and gifts to peers like Demi Lovato and Daniela Villarreal of the Warning. “The people at Gibson keep telling me the demographic that buys the most electric guitars right now are female,” Hale noted, recognizing the changing landscape of guitar music. “The wave is coming whether anybody likes it or not.” Lzzy Hale’s dual talent as a vocalist and guitarist, her influence on modern hard rock, and her role as a Gibson brand ambassador, establish her as one of the top guitar players in contemporary rock music.
Key Tracks: “I Miss the Misery,” “The Steeple”
Thomas McClary
Thomas McClary of The Commodores, photographed with Lionel Richie, known for his guitar work in funk and soul crossover music.
Image Credit: Alamy
As one of the first Black students to integrate Florida public schools, Thomas McClary, whose first instrument was ukulele, was accustomed to forging his own path. At Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, he formed the Commodores with Lionel Richie. The group blended funk, soul, gospel, and country, appealing to diverse audiences. McClary’s blend of glam grandeur and blues grit on songs like “Easy” shaped Eighties crossover sound. “I would listen to Santana, Jimi Hendrix, Albert King, James Taylor, and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young,” he recalled, “I thought it would be really great to mesh those guys together to have a really raunchy, raw, authentic sound that could be appealing to everybody.” Thomas McClary’s role in shaping the sound of The Commodores, and his blend of funk, soul, and rock guitar influences, place him among the top guitar players who bridged genres and achieved crossover success.
Key Tracks: “Easy,” “Brick House”
Steve Hackett
Image Credit: Richard E. Aaron/Redferns/Getty Images
Genesis was a largely unknown art-rock band before Steve Hackett joined in 1971, replacing Anthony Phillips. Hackett immediately impacted their sound by introducing his two-hand tapping technique, featured on 1971’s Nursery Cryme, years before Eddie Van Halen popularized it. He delivered an epic solo on their masterpiece “Firth of Fifth,” a highlight of progressive rock. He left Genesis in 1977 for a solo career. “I’m very happy to have freed up guitarists to play dazzling solos,” Hackett reflected, “and come up with things that would only be dreamt up at one time.” Steve Hackett’s pioneering use of tapping technique in Genesis, and his contributions to progressive rock guitar, establish him as one of the top guitar players who expanded the technical possibilities of the instrument.
Key Tracks: “Horizons,” “Firth of Fifth”
Kurt Vile
Kurt Vile, indie rock singer-songwriter, photographed with a Fender Jaguar guitar, known for his relaxed yet virtuosic playing style.
Image Credit: Paul Bergen/Redferns/Getty Images
Kurt Vile projects an easygoing slacker persona, but he is a serious guitarist. His style, combining chilled-out drones and intricate solos, is rooted in his early banjo playing. “Banjos are in an open tuning, and they’ve got that high drone string,” Vile explained, “It’s not like you’d even think about that when you’re playing as a kid, but I came to really like that ethereal drone.” He has incorporated diverse influences into his signature relaxed yet subtly virtuosic style. Kurt Vile’s unique blend of relaxed drone-based guitar playing with intricate soloing, and his influence on indie rock, position him among the top guitar players in contemporary alternative music.
Key Tracks: “Pretty Pimpin,” “Wakin on a Pretty Day”
Keiji Haino
Keiji Haino, a Japanese noise and experimental guitarist, photographed in a portrait, known for his intense and cathartic performances.
Image Credit: Alamy
Japanese musician Keiji Haino’s free-form solo performances are noisy, cathartic experiences, blurring the line between playing and exorcism. In ensembles like Aihiyo, his playing ranges from soft, shimmering chords to ear-splitting fuzz. “People practice really hard because they want people to check them out,” he observed, “And then they say it’s improvisation. That drives me nuts.” Keiji Haino’s extreme and improvisational guitar style, his exploration of noise and catharsis in music, and his influence on experimental guitar, solidify his place among the top guitar players pushing the boundaries of sonic expression.
Key Tracks: “A Shredded Coiled Cable Within This Cable Sincerity Could Not be Contained,” “Why in the Courtesy of the Prey Always Confused With the Courtesy of the Hunters Pt. 1”
Lucy Dacus
Lucy Dacus, indie rock singer-songwriter, photographed with her guitar, known for her understated yet essential guitar arrangements.
Image Credit: Griffin Lotz for Rolling Stone
For Lucy Dacus, guitar is as vital as her voice, though her playing is less celebrated than her insightful lyrics. From her pulsing rhythm guitar in “I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore” to her work in boygenius, Dacus’ arrangements are understated yet crucial. Live performances of “Night Shift” begin quietly with Dacus strumming alone, building to a cathartic climax with her longtime lead guitarist. Dacus’s solid rhythm guitar anchors the song’s emotional arc. Lucy Dacus’s understated yet essential guitar work in her songwriting and performances, and her role in indie rock, place her among the top guitar players contributing to contemporary singer-songwriter music.
Key Tracks: “Night Shift,” “I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore”
José Feliciano
José Feliciano, Puerto Rican acoustic guitar virtuoso, photographed in London, 1973, known for his genre-bending style.
Image Credit: Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Defining José Feliciano solely by “Feliz Navidad” is a disservice to his artistry. Born blind, Feliciano became an acoustic guitar virtuoso in his teens. His playing, lyrical and ferocious, is rooted in Puerto Rican boleros and folk songs. His blend of rock, jazz, soul, bossa nova changed Sixties pop rock. His radical 1968 reinvention of “California Dreamin’” and his pyrotechnic “Light My Fire” showcase his genre-bending brilliance. José Feliciano’s virtuosity on acoustic guitar, his genre-bending style blending Latin music with pop and rock, and his innovative interpretations of classic songs, establish him as one of the top guitar players who expanded the sound of popular music in the 1960s.
Key Tracks: “Light My Fire,” “Here, There and Everywhere”
Nick Zinner
Nick Zinner of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, photographed in a portrait, known for his raw and emotional guitar style in dance-punk.
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone
When Yeah Yeah Yeahs formed in 2000, they aimed for “trashy, punky, grimy.” Nick Zinner’s style embodies this, fusing dance-punk, Van Halen panache, Rowland S. Howard’s intensity, and Johnny Marr’s grandeur into catchy, glittering riffs. Zinner’s minimal guitar work holds immense emotion, from the longing of “Maps” to the tension of “Heads Will Roll.” Nick Zinner’s raw and emotionally charged guitar style in Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and his ability to create iconic riffs within dance-punk, solidify his place among the top guitar players in contemporary alternative music.
Key Tracks: “Y Control,” “Maps,” “Gold Lion”
Kaki King
Kaki King, acoustic guitar innovator, photographed in a portrait, known for her experimental and percussive playing techniques.
Image Credit: Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage
Kaki King, a sonic adventurer, takes a Preston Reed-meets-John Cage approach to acoustic guitar, experimenting with tunings, “treated” instruments, and loops while utilizing finger-style, tapping, and percussive techniques. “I’ll think, ‘Let’s see what happens if I lower this string here and raise that one there,’” she explained, describing her experimental process. “When you tune your guitar differently, all of a sudden your fingers and your mind have to be creative again because you’re not relying on shapes and places that sound good or feel familiar. You have to explore the fretboard to find new fingerings and sounds, and that leads to new discoveries.” Kaki King’s innovative and experimental approach to acoustic guitar, her mastery of percussive techniques and alternate tunings, and her constant exploration of sonic possibilities, establish her as one of the top guitar players pushing the boundaries of acoustic guitar music.
Key Tracks: “Playing With Pink Noise,” “Skimming the Fractured Surface to a Place of Endless Light”
Gary Clark Jr.
Gary Clark Jr., blues-rock guitarist, photographed in London, 2012, known for his fiery playing and genre-bending style.
Image Credit: Rob Monk/Guitarist Magazine/Future/Getty Images
Initially labeled a Hendrix or Stevie Ray Vaughn heir, Grammy-winning blues-rock guitarist Gary Clark Jr. consistently demonstrates a broader reach, incorporating soul, funk, grunge, and hip-hop, collaborating with Foo Fighters, Alicia Keys, and Tech N9ne. “I don’t think that I’m reaching my full potential if I just do what people expect of me,” he stated, “I love to play, and I love to experiment, and there are a lot more roads to explore. I don’t know if I want to get too far off the path — I don’t want to get lost in the forest — but I like to wander out a bit and adventure.” Gary Clark Jr.’s genre-bending approach to blues-rock, his fiery guitar playing, and his collaborations across diverse musical styles, solidify his position among the top guitar players in contemporary blues and rock music.
Key Tracks: “This Land,” “Grinder”
Amadou Bagayoko
Amadou Bagayoko of Amadou & Mariam performing live in London, 2012, known for his melodic and skronky guitar work in world music.
Image Credit: C Brandon/Redferns/Getty Images
Malian couple Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia, Amadou & Mariam, gained global recognition with their bright duets led by Amadou’s jaunty, sometimes skronky guitar. Their crossover to rock festivals is understandable given Amadou’s influences: “People are often surprised when we explain how much we were influenced by Western pop music,” Amadou laughed. “I grew up listening to records by Rod Stewart, Led Zeppelin, James Brown, Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Pink Floyd, Stevie Wonder … That’s because they were the only records we had in Mali!” Amadou Bagayoko’s unique blend of Malian rhythms with Western pop and rock influences, and his melodic guitar work in Amadou & Mariam, place him among the top guitar players in world music who have achieved international crossover success.
Key Tracks: “Djanfa,” “Ce N’est Pas Bon”
Justin Broadrick
Justin Broadrick of Godflesh, photographed on set, known for his industrial metal guitar innovations and heavy soundscapes.
Image Credit: Karjean Levine/Getty Images
Justin Broadrick created his own guitar lexicon across industrial-metal Godflesh, grindcore Napalm Death, and post-metal Jesu. His steamrolling riffs and textures in Godflesh imbued humanity into mechanical rhythms. In Napalm Death, he pioneered grindcore’s “grinding” sound with extreme distortion. In Jesu, he layered noise into beautiful shadow worlds. His guitar sighs, groans, weeps, uniquely. Justin Broadrick’s pioneering work in industrial metal, grindcore, and post-metal guitar, his creation of unique sonic textures and heavy soundscapes, and his influence on extreme music, establish him as one of the top guitar players in heavy and experimental music.
Key Tracks: “Like Rats,” “Silver,” “Scum”
Hugh McCracken
Hugh McCracken, legendary session guitarist, photographed during a recording session, known for his tasteful and essential guitar parts on classic hits.
Image Credit: David Gahr/Getty Images
East Coast guitarist Hugh McCracken, never flashy, left his tasteful mark on countless classics. His lead on Steely Dan’s “Hey Nineteen,” opening lick on Van Morrison’s ”Brown Eyed Girl,” and acoustic work on Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly” are iconic. He enriched Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” Alicia Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You,” and John Lennon’s “I’m Losing You.” McCracken was so in-demand he declined Paul McCartney’s Wings offer. Hugh McCracken’s exceptional taste and versatility as a session guitarist, his contributions to countless classic hits across genres, and his essential role in shaping popular music, solidify his place among the top session guitar players of all time.
Key Tracks: “Hey Nineteen,” “Killing Me Softly With His Song”
Eric Johnson
Eric Johnson, virtuoso guitarist, photographed in Pittsburgh, 1991, known for his technical brilliance and fusion style.
Image Credit: Paul Natkin/Getty Images
Austin-born Eric Johnson, a consummate technician, is admired by peers. “Eric’s so good it’s ridiculous,” Steve Morse raved, while Stevie Ray Vaughan deemed him “one of my favorite guitarists.” Billy Gibbons’ assessment: “Damn, that guy can play!” A fusion stylist leaning towards rock, he rose in Austin in the mid-Seventies but faced career setbacks. His 1990 instrumental album Ah Via Musicom went platinum, but he is best known for guitar collaborations like G3 with Satriani and Vai, and Eclectic with Mike Stern. Eric Johnson’s exceptional technical skill, his fusion style blending rock and jazz, and his recognition among guitar peers, position him among the top virtuoso guitar players in contemporary music.
Key Tracks: “Cliffs of Dover,” “Benny Man’s Blues”
Lynn Taitt
Lynn Taitt, Jamaican rocksteady guitar pioneer, photographed in a portrait, known for creating the sound of rocksteady guitar.
Image Credit: Federal Records
Lynn Taitt, born in Trinidad but influential in Jamaica, essentially created the guitar sound of rocksteady through his playing on early recordings like Hopeton Lewis’ “Take It Easy” and Derrick Morgan’s “Tougher Than Tough.” When Jamaican guitar king Ernest Ranglin moved to England in 1964, Taitt became the island’s top session guitarist. His work on Desmond Dekker’s “007 (Shanty Town)” is iconic in Jamaican music. Though active only briefly before moving to Canada in 1968, his influence was cemented when his student Hux Brown refined Taitt’s style to create reggae guitar. Lynn Taitt’s pioneering role in creating the sound of rocksteady guitar, his influence on Jamaican music, and his impact on the development of reggae guitar, establish him as one of the top guitar players in Jamaican music history.
Key Tracks: “007 (Shanty Town),” “Take It Easy”
Grant Green
Grant Green, jazz guitar pioneer, photographed performing onstage, known for his soul-jazz grooves and influence on hip-hop.
Image Credit: Janet Fries/Getty Images
Grant Green transitioned from hard bop to soul-jazz pioneer. A Charlie Parker fan from St. Louis, he debuted on Blue Note in 1960, with a stellar five-year run, including Idle Moments and The Complete Quartets With Sonny Clark. He explored Latin jazz in 1964’s Matador. Green died young in 1979, but his influence thrives, especially in hip-hop; his guitar has been sampled in rap classics from A Tribe Called Quest to Kendrick Lamar. Grant Green’s pioneering role in soul-jazz guitar, his impeccably cool grooves, and his enduring influence on hip-hop through sampling, solidify his place among the top guitar players in jazz and popular music.
Key Tracks: “Idle Moments,” “Jean De Fleur,” “On Green Dolphin Street”
Vince Gill
Vince Gill, country music legend, photographed in a portrait, known for his vocals and virtuoso country guitar playing.
Image Credit: Beth Gwinn/Redferns/Getty Images
Vince Gill is celebrated as a country music vocalist, but he’s also a lethal guitarist. Beyond chicken picking and twangy bends on hits like “Liza Jane,” Gill honors California country guitarists like Don Rich and Roy Nichols on Bakersfield. He has contributed guitar to albums by Miranda Lambert, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, and Don Henley. Gill also tours with the Eagles since Glenn Frey’s death, performing vocals and guitar. Vince Gill’s dual talent as a vocalist and virtuoso guitarist in country music, his ability to blend traditional and contemporary styles, and his contributions to countless albums, establish him as one of the top guitar players in country music history.
Key Tracks: “Liza Jane,” “Oklahoma Borderline”
Garry ‘Diaper Man’ Shider
Garry "Diaper Man" Shider of Parliament/Funkadelic performing live, known for his funk guitar and flamboyant stage presence.
Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Garry Shider, Parliament/Funkadelic guitarist, famously performed in a diaper, stating, “God loves babies and fools. I’m both.” Celebrated for searing leads on jams like “Cosmic Slop,” Shider was also a rhythm guitar master, evident in “One Nation Under a Groove” and “Atomic Dog,” both co-written by him. “Diaper Man” in Parliament/Funkadelic, “Starchild” in Bootsy’s Rubberband, and P-Funk All Stars music director, Shider collaborated with Paul Schaffer and the Black Crowes post-P-Funk. Garry “Diaper Man” Shider’s flamboyant stage presence and masterful funk guitar playing in Parliament/Funkadelic, and his contributions to iconic funk anthems, secure his legacy as one of the top guitar players in funk music history.
Key Tracks: “Cosmic Slop,” “One Nation Under a Groove”
