Top 100 Rock Guitarists of All Time

[Willmark]

This isn’t another “Rolling Stone told me what to think” list.

I built this from the ground up with one goal: to separate actual guitar ability and musical impact from myth, nostalgia, and hype. Those three matter very much for certain guitar players.

A few things I care about that most lists don’t:

Completeness matters more than any one trait
If you can only do one thing—shred, riff, or vibe—you’re not cracking the top tier. The guys at the top can do *everything*: lead, rhythm, acoustic, electric, structure, and tone.

Context matters "Aka the Joe Satriani rule"
It’s one thing to sound great when the guitar *is* the song. It’s another to fit into a band, build a track, and elevate everything around you.

Real-world execution matters "Aka the Rory Gallagher rule"
Strip away the studio tricks. One guitar, one amp, live setting—who do you trust? That’s a huge separator.

Memorability matters "Aka the Ace Frehley rule"
If people can hum your solo, you did something right. If they can’t remember it five minutes later, that tells us something too.

Identity matters "Aka the CC DeVille rule"
Some players aren’t the most technical, but the second you hear them, you know who it is. That counts.

Foundation matters—but it’s not everything. "Aka the Duanne Eddy/Les Paul rule"
Early pioneers are on the list because they made it possible. But they don’t get ranked over players who took the instrument further.

Improvisation matters—but it’s a lane, not the whole highway. "Aka the Jerry Garcia rule"

So when you see rankings you disagree with—Hendrix not #1, Santana not top 10, Rory where he is—that’s why. This isn’t about who’s most famous or who gets the most magazine covers.

It’s about: Who can do the most, across the most situations, at the highest level.

Argue it all you want, that’s half the fun. But my list is consistent with itself all the way through, and that’s what I was aiming for.

Top 100 Guitarists
1 Jimmy Page
2 Eddie Van Halen
3 Eric Clapton
4 Jeff Beck
5 Eric Johnson
6 Ry Cooder
7 Steve Vai
8 Jimi Hendrix
9 Brian May
10 Duane Allman
11 Mark Knopfler
12 Randy Rhoads
13 Buckethead
14 Yngwie Malmsteen
15 David Gilmour
16 Stevie Ray Vaughan
17 Tony Iommi
18 Ritchie Blackmore
19 Tom Scholz
20 Lindsey Buckingham
21 Slash
22 Gary Moore
23 Prince
24 Pete Townshend
25 Rory Gallagher*
26 Vito Bratta
27 Warren DeMartini
28 Neal Schon
29 Gary Richrath
30 Ace Frehley
31 Mike McCready
32 Jerry Cantrell
33 Allan Holdsworth
34 Nuno Bettencourt
35 Joe Satriani
36 Angus Young
37 K. K. Downing & Glenn Tipton
38 Phil Collen
39 Ted Nugent
40 Kenny Wayne Shepherd
41 Dimebag Darrell
42 Kirk Hammett
43 Tom Morello
44 Joe Walsh
45 Derek Trucks
46 Shawn Lane
47 Adrian Smith & Dave Murray
48 Matt Bellamy
49 Vinnie Vincent
50 Billy Gibbons
51 Alex Lifeson
52 Zakk Wylde
53 Mick Mars
54 Mick Jones
55 Mick Taylor
56 Rick Nielsen
57 George Harrison
58 Frank Hannon
59 Jeff Healey
60 Duane Eddy
61 Eddie Cochran
62 C.C. DeVille
63 Robby Krieger
64 Steve Howe
65 Keith Richards
66 Carlos Santana
67 Jake E. Lee
68 Dickey Betts
69 Nancy Wilson
70 Joe Perry
71 Tommy Shaw & James Young
72 Mick Ronson
73 Peter Green
74 The Edge
75 Dick Wagner
76 Les Paul
77 Bo Diddley
78 Jack White
79 Brian Robertson & Scott Gorham
80 Mike Campbell
81 PJ Harvey
82 Chuck Berry
83 Martin Barre
84 Allen Collins
85 Buddy Guy
86 Johnny Marr
87 Jonny Greenwood & Ed O’Brien
88 John Fogerty
89 Nile Rodgers
90 Dave Navarro
91 Kim Thayil
92 Dave Davies
93 Dave Mustaine
94 George Lynch
95 Trey Anastasio
96 Andy Summers
97 Robert Fripp
98 Jerry Garcia
99 Kerry King & Jeff Hanneman
100 Kurt Cobain

* if we go by pure ability? Rory Gallagher could arguably be at #10. And doing it live? Him again.

[mstrbass2000]

White also was the touring guitarist with Pink Floyd

snowy white was the replacement for gary moore in thin lizzy ...recorded chinatown and renegade albums both were great albums but snowy was not on the level of gary moore or brian robertson

[raider_kin]

snowy white was the replacement for gary moore in thin lizzy ...recorded chinatown and renegade albums both were great albums but snowy was not on the level of gary moore or brian robertson

Gary Moore was just, no words, just unbelievable

[mstrbass2000]

Gary Moore was just, no words, just unbelievable

to think ozzy was begging gary moore to join his band but gary turned him down but helped him audition guitar player to join ozzy, could you imagine gary moore instead of randy rhoads as his ozzys guitar player

[mstrbass2000]

[mstrbass2000]

[mstrbass2000]

[Dr Death]

One of the best songs ever. I never get tired of hearing it.

[mstrbass2000]

One of the best songs ever. I never get tired of hearing it.

agree, have seen ted many times and he never fails to kick ass live

i should have posted "great white buffalo and stormtroopin too" wango tango baby

[raider_kin]

Saw Dokken live at an LA street fair a lifetime ago. Good times.

[mstrbass2000]

Saw Dokken live at an LA street fair a lifetime ago. Good times.

i saw dokken open up for kiss at long beach arena 1985
also saw y and t with riot open for em in 84 at long beach arena...

[Dr Death]

agree, have seen ted many times and he never fails to kick ass live

i should have posted "great white buffalo and stormtroopin too" wango tango baby

I was on the floor in Canton Ohio in the Civic Center for a Ted show. He was on tour for the "Nugent" album. He came out swinginging on a rope in a loin cloth.... balls out... to open the show...lol. He opened with "Tail Gunner". What a great memory.

[raider_kin]

I was on the floor in Canton Ohio in the Civic Center for a Ted show. He was on tour for the "Nugent" album. He came out swinginging on a rope in a loin cloth.... balls out... to open the show...lol. He opened with "Tail Gunner". What a great memory.

The man only knows one speed: Overdrive.

[Xramfan]

agree, have seen ted many times and he never fails to kick ass live

i should have posted "great white buffalo and stormtroopin too" wango tango baby

I’ve seen ol Leroy live several times and his energy is incredible. I agree Great White Buffalo live kicks maximum ass

[mstrbass2000]

The man only knows one speed: Overdrive.

i saw him at the los angeles sport arena for tailgunner, what a show

old beat up white van ,smoke coming out of everywhere and empty beer cans and bottles (mgd and lowenbrau)

[raider_kin]

i saw him at the los angeles sport arena for tailgunner, what a show

old beat up white van ,smoke coming out of everywhere and empty beer cans and bottles (mgd and lowenbrau)

First concert was KISS at the Forum in LA, Montrose opened for them (Sammy Hagar lead singer for them at the time) Inside looked like there was a wildfire going there was so much smoke.