Frank Marino is the most underatted guitarist on the planet. He can hold his own against your top five.. maestro Rock/Blues/Jazz player. One of the greatest shredders , super fast player... a lot of the greats always rate him in there top three , but not known by the masses
It really is Steenbean! And it was obvious the writers of rolling Stone had an extra hard time - their list is all over the place but they did definitely include some greats, so all is not lost. Keep on rocking 🤘😎🤘🎸🎸🎸🎸
The problem with lists like this is that music isn't (or shouldn't be) a competition. Each of these artists are great in their own right. However you wouldn't ever compare someone like BB King with Eddie Van Halen. There's just no sense to it.
Very informative video Jim; appreciate your viewpoints and how you explain your choices. Hope you're doing well Buddy. You inspired me to come up with a top 20 list of flute players, or those who TONGUE THE HOLE!!!!!
Haha thank you brother man - a little bit of a satirical take on it, but these always ruffle feathers which I get a kick out of. High five man keep on rocking!
These list always confuse best songwriter/guitarist, most influential musically, best technical player, most known world wide, best showman, etc.....which can see why Jimi is usually top of most list.
Well Hendrix is definitely all around deserving of that number one spot - even though I made modifications throughout the video, overall - and especially in his time, he definitely takes it. But by placing him at the number one slot it makes it more obvious that this is actually a ranked list, and yet they couldn't separate two members of the same band for example James hetfield and Kirk Hammett, they stuck them both in the same slot. So not only did they have their ranking all over the place, but also who they chose to include and leave out as well as how they ranked. Just a complete and total mess.
Well ya got me Again but i Love These,I cant put in order because of the Different playing,I never got into Jimi,So i am telling you mine and not in order,Rhoads,Jimmy ( GMS),Beck,Eddie V Halen, Im not even putting Slash down because i Just Love him so nice,Stevie i know of more Blues..Shat..Keith Richard's I Love him,Hed Be so much fun .List is Wrong i think,Wow you mentioned a Couple names i forgot, I guess Only a Great Guitarist like Yourself Would Know,Love Dime,Wylde,Different..CANT DECIDE😂,Awesome Video🤘🖤🎸👊
You rockin Rebel!! I love your list - and wow even included GMS, 10 million cookies to you! I didn't even get into slash which should be toward the top as well Randy Rhodes I thought was too low in the list Zach as well, they've just got it all screwed up. I commission rebel to rewrite the list from scratch!!! 🤘😎🤘🔥🔥🔥🎸🎸🎸🎸
How about a list of the top 20 "Greatest Guitar Player lists." From there we can calculate average placing and mean placings to determine numeric values on a talent that can't be quantified?... And let's not even mention the "Rock and Roll? Hall of Fame".. Good to see you back Jimmy. 👍👍
Oh yeah might as well make it a good recursive list, heck we could even go a few layers deep with that one lmao. You're exactly right though I think if we were to do it we should get some damn pie charts and bar graphs for crying out loud - I mean if those writers and editors got stuck in an engineering plant they wouldn't last 5 minutes. Of course since they are stochastic non-deterministic variables, that would mean that they would all follow a gaussian distribution but hey who's keeping count lol
No bother at all - I have not thought of doing a braces update for a while but they managed to close the gap so I am happy about that. I will keep it in mind for a short or something. Much appreciated!
@@guitarmeetsscience yeah, but don't have rubberbands yet, so I am living vicariously through your experiences haha! two strong ones? are there different strenghts?
I would have to put Allan Holdsworth at #2, right behind (almost tied with) Hendrix. If it’s about influence and innovation, you can’t get much more innovative or influential than Holdsworth. Pretty much any guy that came around at the same time or after Holdsworth (whether they made the list or not) credit him as one of the absolute best ever. He truly had everything. Incredible songwriting (though in a genre where it was difficult to reach the masses), unmatchable phrasing, unrivaled technique, and a harmonic language that was centuries ahead of its time. And in terms of speed, he was able to harness it in a way that wasn’t “shreddy” but absolutely musical in a similar way to Coltrane or Liszt. I personally absolutely think that guys like Guthrie Govan, Shawn Lane, Gambale, etc should have also made the list, but I would have probably put them somewhere between 150-50, with a bit of wiggle room there. I hope some day these guys get the recognition they deserve because they aren’t just fast players (pretty much anybody can play fast scales up and down), they were musical geniuses who used speed as a tool for art rather than a crutch or gimmick. Glad to see you mention Petrucci and Rusty Cooley as well, both incredible guitarists. 😁
Oh you give it a nice breakdown! I just covered Holdsworth recently, and really got to do a deep dive into a lot of his work and my head is still swimming because of it. And all the first hand account stories about just how awesome of a guy he was, he just hang out with anybody and be so down to earth. I just didn't realize how funny he was. His guitar clinics were 50% blowing minds and 50% leaving the room in stitches. No doubt - like you said, he is right up there with Hendrix in terms of how influential he was. He was kind of like the secret weapon of the greats. It really is a shame more people didn't get to know him. Thanks for that - I really appreciate your excellent comment!
Hahahaha found it! I had a feeling he would find those insta clips lmao. Dude that makes my day! Thank you for letting me know 🤘😆🤘 haven't had a chance to pop in for a while Hope you're doing well man!
For me Jimi Hendrix Machine Gun Live at Filmore East is an amazing example of why he surpases everyone else. He wasn't just playing notes cleanly and fast. He was playing with sound, like he was connecting to something else. I don't know how to express it. But the words Voodoo and Electric ladyland sum up part of it.
that is a killer performance! He not only played the guitar, he played the amp - using feedback to his advantage and doing all sorts of stuff that nobody heard of in the day. My message got a bit watered down, but really what I was trying to say was or at least at one point - if Jimi Hendrix shows up in the number one spot, then it is obvious that it is a ranked list. The writers did not seem to want to let on that was the case, but by sheer virtue of Jimi Hendrix being number one - there is no doubt that the list is ranked, because absolutely there is every reason for him to be in the number one spot. When they talk about all around guitar players, a lot of people on the list are not all around guitar players, so the list is all sorts of screwed up. Nevertheless, no matter what list you make, Hendrix would head at least most of them for sure. I'm going to crank that Fillmore performance right back up again. Been too long since I've listened to it.
@@sachaboxell of course! I'm glad you got to check out a few of them. It's a shame some of these guitar players don't get their due. I guess it is a hit song thing.
Todd you're too kind brother - I don't know if Rick would take two kindly to it lol, but if nothing else that would be good for a laugh. Much appreciated man! 🤘🤘
I think it’s great that Jimmy Nolen made the list; his playing helped propel the funkiness of James Brown’s band. Also, as a guitarist, I can attest that guitar players are bad songwriters.
So funny that I couldn’t agree with you more that the RS list is a joke, yet I hated your choices even more 😂 I guess it all boils down to a matter of taste. What do we value more. Technique? Feeling? If so what is feeling? Music is not about competition or who is best, but the player we truly connect with for whatever the reason.
Lmao - I love this comment! I had a sneaking feeling that my personal pics might not exactly match up with others lol, nevertheless - I really think they would have done it justice had they have broken it down into subcategories, because then at least they could justify a lot of the new up-and-comers, and really make a statement. Of course there would be a good number of guitar players that would fall into multiple subcategories, so it would be interesting to see that. Honestly though - it looks as if they put zero thought to this list. I'd say probably the only real critical thinking that went into it was to wisely place Hendrix in the number one slot. Your comment is spot on though
Technical list!! I think it's more to do with guitarists who have had a huge impact on music and fellow musicians over the course of time... A technical proficiency list is something entirely different
That is exactly right - but interestingly enough if you go through the list really deep You're also going to see guitar players that are not within the criteria you mentioned which is having a huge impact on music and fellow musicians over the course of time. So again it speaks to the point that this 'list' might might provide a decent introduction, it is by no means a definitive list, and really for the most part was haphazardly put together. At least that was kind of the point I was trying to make with it. Thanks for your insightful comment - It is spot on!
@guitarmeetsscience I think this list is more to create controversy and publicity for a magazine that hasn't been of significant relevance for a long time. If this was their aim, they succeeded because many on UA-cam are up in arms about it... The placement of many of the artists is nothing short of insulting. David gilmore could create more emotion with 4 notes than many could do with 30 notes... Is he the most technically proficient? Absolutely not, but god, he could make my soul soar ... Along with many other great guitarists 🎸
I have little doubt that many of the artists on the list don't fit into the criteria I mentioned. I personally felt you were putting too much emphasis on technical ability as opposed to the emotional impact.
@alangrace8628 I agree - and Gilmore I venture to say would head the list of those who can get so much emotion out of that instrument. There again - that would be a very relevant list, you know if they broke it up into subcategories I think it would not only be more helpful but also be more entertaining for the reader, they put very little effort into it obviously. Rolling Stone is indeed irrelevant at this point, not only with social media blowing up as it has done but everything else that's going on too. But to their credit they have us talking so I guess it will worked a little bit.
Ah, You mean the guitar players that I sort of placed in the list myself? If you are a guitar fan and you happen to be unfamiliar, I would definitely start with this recommendation: Guthrie Govan. Not only is he an amazing guitar player, but he's quite entertaining and has so much feel in his playing. Really the guy is the whole package. The other ones are probably a bit more of an acquired taste. But I definitely recommend Guthrie without a doubt. If you get a chance to check them out please let me know what you think. I'm curious.
@@guitarmeetsscience Will have to Wiki those names. But yeah, it's probably a matter of semantics in terms of what "greatest" means. And really, Rolling Stone isn't exactly known for making bold choices on any of their lists. 😂
@satorified1612 oh you got that right. I really don't think their writers get out much lol 😆. But yeah whenever you get time, it would be interesting to get your take on his playing. No rush of course. One day I might cover something on players like Guthrie who really never got their due and how people who haven't had the chance to hear his playing respond to it. It would be an interesting science experiment haha
Lol, I've been called a great "bass player" many times over the years, usually after having just played a long guitar solo. I would then thank them and patiently explain the difference between a bass guitar vs regular guitar, some (usually women), still didn't get it - point being non-guitarists really shouldn't be involved with making a list such as this, if they're really trying to identify the best players. Sounds like they're judging mainly by the emotional effect they have on people in general (thus Hendrix is still #1 for emotional impact AND overall technique, originality, etc), with technical prowess way down on the list of priorities. Different subject now, but what about Django - he only played with two fingers and could play circles around most!
Lmao I feel your pain when it comes to that. My wife well at that time soon to be wife, thought that I was a bassist - even though I was playing lead guitar in the band when we met. So she's on the phone with my future brother-in-law and she's like yeah he's sitting right here - he plays bass on the Las Vegas strip. Of course I'm like what... It's guitar! I told her never tell people I'm a bass player lol. It's just such a bold statement - because like you said, there are a bunch of non guitar players putting together a list like this and then making it as if it is the definitive list. Very very misleading. Right after I uploaded it I was like oh damn I did not include Django, that dude was a complete monster on the guitar. And the fact that he had a disability and was able to pull that off is something of legend. And again you're totally right - one person may rank technical prowess up there another person may rank total feel or tone, or stage persona. If they really wanted to make it a definitive list, They would have pulled in some guitar players who could really help them break it down and either categorize it properly or really spread the weight around. Instead they just alienated the reader. Honestly I take it with a grain of salt but I thought it might be interesting to cover nonetheless. Always great to hear from you man!
Is that sexist to assume women cannot tell the difference between a bass guitar versus a rhythm or lead guitar ? I'm not a guitarist of any description and my only knowledge covers bass: 4 strings (& a longer neck / fretboard), lead / rhythmn: 6_strings, 3/4 (child's) : 6_strings, Classical / Spanish (?) 12_strings. So you see, you may be right...or (considering female players: Suzy Quattro: bass player, Joan Jett: guitarist etc !!) I don't know why I started this !! I'm a twit !! Sorry.😊 🇬🇧🧡🤔🖖
@brigidsingleton1596 I believe it would be sexist to assume that women cannot tell the difference! There are men and women out there both who have no idea between them. Based on your posting here you know your guitar quite well. Bluesrocker and I just happened to have very coincidental situations. It turns out my brother-in-law or at the time future brother-in-law would not have known the difference either. But that is a great point nonetheless - I don't think the guitar world in general give ladies their due, because you have players like Nita Strauss, Bonnie Raitt, who are insanely good as well as Jennifer Batten who I mentioned in the video. They are among the best players all around and also should have been very high up in the list. I love your comment! 🤘😎🤘🔥🔥🔥🎸🎸🎸🎸
These lists are just impossible, and quite frankly pointless. We all know the greats,and appreciate the individual characteristics that made them stand out among others. These articles 💩.
Exactly Paul - I knew at least a few feathers would be ruffled when the list came out and of course any of us talking about the lists will also be part of that, I find it half amusing and half just damn sad. Great to hear from you brother!
I appreciate the candidness - I just thought their list was missing one important little ingredient, sarcasm. I figured I'd double down when I mentioned blues, or my favorite style personally funky picking. I really do appreciate your comment!
Well, since you took the time to reply, i'll apologise for being rude and explain myself. You didn't seem to have thought your list through, you were constantly changing the orders as you went along which made the list quite muddled. Thats what i meant by "bad start". Then, I dont get how you are deciding these rankings. I would opine that Guthrie Govan, Mateo Mancuso, and maybe Tosin Abasi are the 3 top guitarists in terms of technique, tone is a very subjective point, but obviously we have to take outreach into account. ie: how many people were moved or inspired by your music. Obviously then all 3 of those have to fall way down the list because they're only really appreciated by other guitarists. You seem to acknowledge this by Keeping Jimi in 1st but then you dropped Page (the 2nd most influencial of all time) in favour of Al de Meola ??? I just dont get your logic. And when it comes to speed. only someone who aspires to be a shredder would consider that a very important factor to the debate of best guitarist. Most people would say something like, who wrote the riff that was stuck in your head for months, or who changed how we look at the instrument. No hard feelings. Thanks for the video and the chat. @@guitarmeetsscience
@amritzelnick It is all good - and I do appreciate the apology. No needed really, only because the fact that I like to see people who are passionate about what they believe in, whether they agree with me or don't. Sometimes my attempts at comedic effect fall a little flat, and I think in this case probably that happened again lol. I kept rearranging the list partly cuz I cannot remember what I said a minute ago and partly because new players were coming to mind. You mentioned Matteo Mancuso... He didn't even cross my mind and damn - he is a beast on the guitar. And actually players like him and Guthrie can take it slow or fast and sound amazing either way. But you are also right that they don't have as wide overreach as players like Jimi Hendrix, and if I were to omit my weak attempts at comedy, I would keep Jimmy Page near the top of the list and Jimi Hendrix at the number one spot. While players have evolved to technical levels that are pretty mind-blowing today, we think about their respective technical levels and their day and they had it - and also the ability to move a ton of people with their playing at the same exact time. The reason why Di Meola came to mind when I was mentioning Jimmy Page was I was remembering how they performed at Les Paul's birthday party. Al seemingly came out of nowhere and his playing just floored the place. Yes he shredded the hell out of the guitar - but in a very jazz fashion. And my point really was if I were to build up a technical proficiency list it would look a lot different than what we were seeing there. But the ordering of the list itself that they provided does not even play into the most influential or at least until you get towards the top of the list then it does. I really do appreciate your insightful comment though - lots of food for thought there for sure!
Hahaha I agree 100% -But the list was so all over the place I mean might as well just chopped it up and threw all the little squares in the air and randomly grab them. That's what it seemed like they did 😆
I disagree with the songwriter take. If you write a great song on guitar you are a great guitarist. It's not the fastest guitarist list its the best guitarist list... writing songs on guitar is being a guitarist. Rusty Cooley has amazing chops but all the music I've heard of his is terrible, and tbh his solos sound very unmusical to me, they just seem like a compilation of ideas rather than music. He's maybe a great technician but overall, in my understanding, he's actually a bad guitarist, because he doesn't sound good, I don't like the sound he makes. Joni sounds hella good tho Edit - good to be seeing you in my feed again all the same 😃 Edit again - lol yeah i was never that bothered with santana either
It is great to see you man! I love your take on it as well. Also I could see your point, so I really cannot say I disagree. I think it's more about the fact that the writers themselves cannot even make that distinction. They decide to call it the 250 greatest guitar players, but no doubt anybody who knows anything about Qatar are going to be left with questions like how the hell was this list put together? Is there a ranking? I mean after all Hendrix was placed first, and it is in reverse order, but I don't know I think it leaves us more confused than anything. If one can write a great song on an instrument - hats off to them, but they're in me why it's own category - really a class of guitar players that can pick that thing up and spin off some of the most amazing songs you've ever heard. Or there would be the guitar players who play with the most feeling - and yet another one with the most amazing technical chops. I think it would be a much more interesting list per say didn't have to be 250 of them, but they did what they did and here we are. Joni Mitchell does sound pretty damn good and I love her voice - that gets me every time. We may disagree on a few things but the beauty is that we could do it in a friendly way and I learn a hell of a lot from you as well. And hey we both stand in the same place when it comes to Carlos haha. Always great to hear from you man!
Speed is everything? No. Putting emotions into the solo's is more important than speed. EVH bores me. It may be impressive, but it all sounds the same with no soul. Gary Moore, Page, Santana, and others, have more emotive solos than the boring speed merchants.
Gary Moore completely ripped up the guitar - he could play slow and emotional or blisteringly fast, Page and Carlos made many attempts to play fast but never quite pulled it off, nevertheless none of those guys wrote off speed at all. To each their own, I like my playing a little on the fast side somebody else might like it a little on the slow side. One thing I'll say for sure - I love your take on it and I appreciate your candid response. This is the kind of discourse I like to have among my fellow jammers. Keep rocking brother and thank you for your comment!
You have to look into evh catalogue. Yes he’s known for the speed but he does have more deeper bodies of work. He should’ve been number 2, incredibly influential.
Each to their own. Personally, I'd rate Randy Rhoads higher than EVH. He had all the flash and dash, but also had the musicality and emotion, probably because of his classical background.
Guthrie Govan and Shawn Lane and most of the guys this guy is putting on his list never wrote a decent song. And song writing is a big part insofar as guitar playing is concerned.
Thank you for your comment. Lane, I actually agree on - honestly I couldn't really palate a lot of the songs that he wrote. Guthrie on the other hand actually has written some amazing stuff, is it popular and played on the radio all the time? No, But especially the songs that he wrote with his funk/jazz group in England, The Fellowship, are freaking amazing - very old school. If only time was reversed and those songs were put out in the late '70s they would definitely be well known. His songs on his erotic cakes album, especially the first four are also outstanding in their own way.
@guitarmeetsscience personally, some of the guitarists that I think should have made the list were George Benson Joyce Cooling Michelle Meldrum Robert Cray Anna Popovic Estas Tonne Anna Vidovic Yngwie Malmsteen Philip Sayce And the list goes on... But I 100% agree the Rolling Stone list was awful 😖 cringe worthy is putting it lightly
@KingKull1971 that is a solid list! Considering that George Benson and yngwie had such an influence in their respective genres - it's obvious whoever put that list together was completely out of touch. I'm not familiar with a few you put down, so I'm going to have to check out some of the players you listed.
Oh man that is a shame - the guy was really good at instruction as well as putting together some pretty cool lines, maybe he was having a really off night. Such a shame.
how does clapton go from #2 to #35??? for that matter how did Sgt Pepper go from #1 to #24 on the album list????? if Clapton was better than chuck berry 20 years ago, how did berry get better and clapton get worse? rolling stone is a joke
Goodness well apparently rolling Stone decided to downgrade Eric, and I'm really not sure why. Clapton has always been a real hit on these lists. Of course they were always put together with more guitar players, but this time around I guess the non players decided they would come up with the most definitive list. Talk about a mess!
Beck is no match for Govan and I love Beck. No George Benson, STanley Jordan, Tommy Emmanuel, Yngwie Malmsteen,, this list is a joke. First hendrix,, yes, second EVH as he did more for guitar than anyone. Beck third,, Mic drop
Oh yeah typing Tommy Emmanuel, his being left off the list as well as those you mentioned, I mean who can forget yngwie, Django of course - like I said these people wouldn't know a guitar if it smacked them upside the head. I like your way of thinking!
That's what I like about guitar, there are guitar players that you really dig, ones that I really dig, and probably I'm sure that there are some that overlap - but I just don't think this list did it justice either way. I do appreciate your insight and your comment. Who would your top three be?
@@guitarmeetsscience One of the things that matters to me is, not just how proficient are they, but how much do I like their MUSIC. I do put Hendrix at the top, because I really like his music AND he was a friggin genius of innovation and dexterity. That's also why I put Page in second, very, very close to Jimi, because his music with Zep is pretty much unchallenged as an oeuvre. I can listen to LZ almost constantly, and there are enough albums for me to not get worn out on them. Yes, his genius was very studio based, but he spent so much time and energy getting absolute perfection in the can, that I can give him infinite slack to use his live shows to improvise his way through the catalog--he earned that, imo, and sometimes the result was lightning and sometimes not. I just never understood why a band of LZ's caliber couldn't find a single credible soundboard tech to run their live show audio...they had the WORST sound techs in R'n'R history. It usually sounded like it was being run through a malfunctioning landline pickup. As far as Beck is concerned, I used to get the secretaries at my high school to play Blow by Blow and Wired on the school intercom during lunch period. He is a supreme virtuoso, no doubt, and I like listening to him. But none of his albums would make my top 40 or 50 list, so he is high on the player scale but loses points on music. This is also one of the reasons I don't put EVH on my top tier. Just a couple or so weeks ago, I spent a couple of hours on YT listening to VH's albums for the first time since the 90s, and I realized that I wasn't missing a thing. Sure, he's great as a player, but I just don't really like VH the band, and I had all of their stuff up to Diver Down. Some of his solos are badass, but the music of the band altogether annoys me, now more than ever. I really wish EVH had spent more time producing solo albums away from the hype and adolescent posturings of the band.
@kravmagoo9527 damn that's pretty awesome! Looks like we came up pretty similarly musically actually. When I was a kid I couldn't wait to get the next Zeppelin cassette for a birthday etc, And I got them in a weird order. I started with coda, then Zeppelin II... So armed with the Walkman, each one I got I absorbed for hours on end, but when I look back it's always interesting how I had received them. Their version of "I Can't Quit You Baby" was heavier than anything especially cranked in the headphones. You are exactly right when it comes to the soundboard. It was always lacking, and it is still debatable how that particular recording of that particular track came to be. Obviously they all played it together though you hear no audience whatsoever. Some of the bootlegs I dug into where they are all playing together in a room really show just how powerful they were as a band, but it never came across so well in the soundboard recordings or distant venue captures. It would have been interesting to hear EVH solo. I think he wouldn't have felt that confident without his regular band mates there. He was obviously a very adventurous musician, because he really did play some whacked out stuff in his solos especially during the early days when nobody else was really doing anything like that. I would still rank him high because he really went for it in his solos. In some places you can hear that it was punched in, especially during songs like mean Street, due to his off the cuff nature. I actually like the fact that he approached to solos in the studio with a totally improvisational approach. But I also see what you mean in the fact that the music itself was pretty hit or miss. But when it hit it really did. Later VH was a hell of a lot more spotty than early of course.
Ace Frehley not listed tells me all I need to know. Clueless, unmelodic snobs. No freaks, like Syd Barrett or fine players like Dean. Wareham( Gal 500). Oh well, i never subscribed anyway.
The top 10 should be judged by how many people still recognize, play, reproduce, copy, are influenced by & own their music. Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters , Clapton , SRV, Eddie VanHalan, Keith Richards have stood the test of time. If you want to just vote for technical guitar skills I'd include people like John McLaughlin, Michael Hedges, Joe Bonamassa.
I like your additions! I actually originally thought to include John McLaughlin as I was thinking up this video but it did not come out in the improv. Michael hedges - absolutely that guy is a beast. And of course the classics, I am glad to see that Robert Johnson made the list, but again the way they just threw the list together all hodgepodge it really makes no sense. I like to see the greats getting celebrated, but a much more informed list would have been a lot better. No disagreement here - I appreciate your input!
@@guitarmeetsscience I'd also throw in the top 25 Johnny Winters and the new kid on the blues block Justin Johnson (aka - one of the best slide players out there)
The problem with lists like this is that music isn't (or shouldn't be) a competition. Each of these artists are great in their own right. However you wouldn't ever compare someone like BB King with Eddie Van Halen. There's just no sense to it.
Absolutely spot on! That's where the criteria just gets all muddled up. You have BB King on there, and you also have Kerry King from Slayer on the same list. Maybe if they called it 250 guitar players you should listen to or something along those lines that would make more sense. But otherwise it is just a pure mess.
The secret of a happy life is to do this with friends over dinner or in the pub but not in a magazine in print 😂
Hahahahahaha I think you found the key. Lmao so damn true! 🤘😆🤘
Frank Marino is the most underatted guitarist on the planet. He can hold his own against your top five.. maestro Rock/Blues/Jazz player. One of the greatest shredders , super fast player... a lot of the greats always rate him in there top three , but not known by the masses
Oh yes - Frank never got his due! I think he's scared a lot of players on the scene. Thanks for bringing him up - you are absolutely right!
They’re all such different styles of guitarists! It’s hard to rate them, I think 🙂
It really is Steenbean! And it was obvious the writers of rolling Stone had an extra hard time - their list is all over the place but they did definitely include some greats, so all is not lost. Keep on rocking 🤘😎🤘🎸🎸🎸🎸
The problem with lists like this is that music isn't (or shouldn't be) a competition. Each of these artists are great in their own right. However you wouldn't ever compare someone like BB King with Eddie Van Halen. There's just no sense to it.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for making life more difficult than it already was.
Hahahaha and from the bottom of my heart thank you for cracking me up! You do it every freaking time 😆
Very informative video Jim; appreciate your viewpoints and how you explain your choices. Hope you're doing well Buddy. You inspired me to come up with a top 20 list of flute players, or those who TONGUE THE HOLE!!!!!
Your list will be well researched, and therefore the ultimate list for those who feel a deep hankering to smack their flutes! 😆
@@guitarmeetsscience 😂😂😂😂😂😂
Just popped In To Say Happy Thanksgiving to You and Your Family🦃🎸🦃😊
Happy Thanksgiving Rebel!!! Wishing you and yours the most rockin'est!!! Hugs and high fives and lots of turkey 🤘🦃🤘🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸♥️
Yup I made a list once :) You brought the science to the Rolling Stones Dude :)
Haha thank you brother man - a little bit of a satirical take on it, but these always ruffle feathers which I get a kick out of. High five man keep on rocking!
These list always confuse best songwriter/guitarist, most influential musically, best technical player, most known world wide, best showman, etc.....which can see why Jimi is usually top of most list.
Well Hendrix is definitely all around deserving of that number one spot - even though I made modifications throughout the video, overall - and especially in his time, he definitely takes it. But by placing him at the number one slot it makes it more obvious that this is actually a ranked list, and yet they couldn't separate two members of the same band for example James hetfield and Kirk Hammett, they stuck them both in the same slot. So not only did they have their ranking all over the place, but also who they chose to include and leave out as well as how they ranked. Just a complete and total mess.
Well ya got me Again but i Love These,I cant put in order because of the Different playing,I never got into Jimi,So i am telling you mine and not in order,Rhoads,Jimmy ( GMS),Beck,Eddie V Halen, Im not even putting Slash down because i Just Love him so nice,Stevie i know of more Blues..Shat..Keith Richard's I Love him,Hed Be so much fun .List is Wrong i think,Wow you mentioned a Couple names i forgot, I guess Only a Great Guitarist like Yourself Would Know,Love Dime,Wylde,Different..CANT DECIDE😂,Awesome Video🤘🖤🎸👊
You rockin Rebel!! I love your list - and wow even included GMS, 10 million cookies to you! I didn't even get into slash which should be toward the top as well Randy Rhodes I thought was too low in the list Zach as well, they've just got it all screwed up. I commission rebel to rewrite the list from scratch!!! 🤘😎🤘🔥🔥🔥🎸🎸🎸🎸
@@guitarmeetsscience Joe Perry🤪Thanks Again🎸🎸🎸
How about a list of the top 20 "Greatest Guitar Player lists." From there we can calculate average placing and mean placings to determine numeric values on a talent that can't be quantified?... And let's not even mention the "Rock and Roll? Hall of Fame".. Good to see you back Jimmy. 👍👍
Oh yeah might as well make it a good recursive list, heck we could even go a few layers deep with that one lmao. You're exactly right though I think if we were to do it we should get some damn pie charts and bar graphs for crying out loud - I mean if those writers and editors got stuck in an engineering plant they wouldn't last 5 minutes. Of course since they are stochastic non-deterministic variables, that would mean that they would all follow a gaussian distribution but hey who's keeping count lol
Great to see you too brother! 🤘🤘
Hi Jimmy! A great player that never gets mentioned is "Guitar meets Science "
Hugh, You're too kind man! Thank you and back at ya my Scottish brother!
This video a great deal of unintentional humor.
Oh it was definitely intentional
indeed, lol@@guitarmeetsscience
🤘😆🤘
Sorry for bothering with this comment again, but will you be making a braces update? 😄
No bother at all - I have not thought of doing a braces update for a while but they managed to close the gap so I am happy about that. I will keep it in mind for a short or something. Much appreciated!
@@guitarmeetsscience anything would be great, even if short! 😄
Still wearing rubber bands?
@mynameisannabelle yep still wearing them, mainly at night though, 2 strong ones. You have braces?
@@guitarmeetsscience yeah, but don't have rubberbands yet, so I am living vicariously through your experiences haha! two strong ones? are there different strenghts?
I would have to put Allan Holdsworth at #2, right behind (almost tied with) Hendrix. If it’s about influence and innovation, you can’t get much more innovative or influential than Holdsworth. Pretty much any guy that came around at the same time or after Holdsworth (whether they made the list or not) credit him as one of the absolute best ever.
He truly had everything. Incredible songwriting (though in a genre where it was difficult to reach the masses), unmatchable phrasing, unrivaled technique, and a harmonic language that was centuries ahead of its time. And in terms of speed, he was able to harness it in a way that wasn’t “shreddy” but absolutely musical in a similar way to Coltrane or Liszt.
I personally absolutely think that guys like Guthrie Govan, Shawn Lane, Gambale, etc should have also made the list, but I would have probably put them somewhere between 150-50, with a bit of wiggle room there. I hope some day these guys get the recognition they deserve because they aren’t just fast players (pretty much anybody can play fast scales up and down), they were musical geniuses who used speed as a tool for art rather than a crutch or gimmick. Glad to see you mention Petrucci and Rusty Cooley as well, both incredible guitarists. 😁
Oh you give it a nice breakdown! I just covered Holdsworth recently, and really got to do a deep dive into a lot of his work and my head is still swimming because of it. And all the first hand account stories about just how awesome of a guy he was, he just hang out with anybody and be so down to earth. I just didn't realize how funny he was. His guitar clinics were 50% blowing minds and 50% leaving the room in stitches. No doubt - like you said, he is right up there with Hendrix in terms of how influential he was. He was kind of like the secret weapon of the greats. It really is a shame more people didn't get to know him. Thanks for that - I really appreciate your excellent comment!
@@guitarmeetsscience Thank you! I love your videos! 😁
@MetalheadNation 🤘😎🤘 thank you man!!!
Hey man it's been a while, i'm sure you already know this, but you were on Stevie T!!!!!!!
Hahahaha found it! I had a feeling he would find those insta clips lmao. Dude that makes my day! Thank you for letting me know 🤘😆🤘 haven't had a chance to pop in for a while Hope you're doing well man!
@@guitarmeetsscience I can't believe no one else told you!!!! I thought for sure I would have been the 100th person!!!!
@@metal_helm lol either they didn't catch it or they just wanted to protect my "fragile ego" 😆
For me Jimi Hendrix Machine Gun Live at Filmore East is an amazing example of why he surpases everyone else. He wasn't just playing notes cleanly and fast. He was playing with sound, like he was connecting to something else. I don't know how to express it. But the words Voodoo and Electric ladyland sum up part of it.
that is a killer performance! He not only played the guitar, he played the amp - using feedback to his advantage and doing all sorts of stuff that nobody heard of in the day. My message got a bit watered down, but really what I was trying to say was or at least at one point - if Jimi Hendrix shows up in the number one spot, then it is obvious that it is a ranked list. The writers did not seem to want to let on that was the case, but by sheer virtue of Jimi Hendrix being number one - there is no doubt that the list is ranked, because absolutely there is every reason for him to be in the number one spot. When they talk about all around guitar players, a lot of people on the list are not all around guitar players, so the list is all sorts of screwed up. Nevertheless, no matter what list you make, Hendrix would head at least most of them for sure. I'm going to crank that Fillmore performance right back up again. Been too long since I've listened to it.
@@guitarmeetsscience But also thanks for introducing me to some new (to me) fantastic guitarists I didn't know about!
@@sachaboxell of course! I'm glad you got to check out a few of them. It's a shame some of these guitar players don't get their due. I guess it is a hit song thing.
If I were on the board of rolling stone .. I would had nominated this Jimmy guy I know , and no the last name does not end page or Hendrix
Todd you're too kind brother - I don't know if Rick would take two kindly to it lol, but if nothing else that would be good for a laugh. Much appreciated man! 🤘🤘
I think it’s great that Jimmy Nolen made the list; his playing helped propel the funkiness of James Brown’s band.
Also, as a guitarist, I can attest that guitar players are bad songwriters.
All these funky scratchers where are the shredders lol.... 🤘😆🤘 As for songs, shredders definitely rank as the worst.
Steve Lukather and Skunk Baxter should both be in the top 20.
Both amazing players in the studio and on stage. I think skunk never really got his due. Great picks!!!
So funny that I couldn’t agree with you more that the RS list is a joke, yet I hated your choices even more 😂 I guess it all boils down to a matter of taste. What do we value more. Technique? Feeling? If so what is feeling? Music is not about competition or who is best, but the player we truly connect with for whatever the reason.
Lmao - I love this comment! I had a sneaking feeling that my personal pics might not exactly match up with others lol, nevertheless - I really think they would have done it justice had they have broken it down into subcategories, because then at least they could justify a lot of the new up-and-comers, and really make a statement. Of course there would be a good number of guitar players that would fall into multiple subcategories, so it would be interesting to see that. Honestly though - it looks as if they put zero thought to this list. I'd say probably the only real critical thinking that went into it was to wisely place Hendrix in the number one slot. Your comment is spot on though
Technical list!! I think it's more to do with guitarists who have had a huge impact on music and fellow musicians over the course of time... A technical proficiency list is something entirely different
Yeah, Berry should be No1, not Jimi, imo.
That is exactly right - but interestingly enough if you go through the list really deep You're also going to see guitar players that are not within the criteria you mentioned which is having a huge impact on music and fellow musicians over the course of time. So again it speaks to the point that this 'list' might might provide a decent introduction, it is by no means a definitive list, and really for the most part was haphazardly put together. At least that was kind of the point I was trying to make with it. Thanks for your insightful comment - It is spot on!
@guitarmeetsscience I think this list is more to create controversy and publicity for a magazine that hasn't been of significant relevance for a long time. If this was their aim, they succeeded because many on UA-cam are up in arms about it...
The placement of many of the artists is nothing short of insulting.
David gilmore could create more emotion with 4 notes than many could do with 30 notes... Is he the most technically proficient? Absolutely not, but god, he could make my soul soar ... Along with many other great guitarists 🎸
I have little doubt that many of the artists on the list don't fit into the criteria I mentioned.
I personally felt you were putting too much emphasis on technical ability as opposed to the emotional impact.
@alangrace8628 I agree - and Gilmore I venture to say would head the list of those who can get so much emotion out of that instrument. There again - that would be a very relevant list, you know if they broke it up into subcategories I think it would not only be more helpful but also be more entertaining for the reader, they put very little effort into it obviously. Rolling Stone is indeed irrelevant at this point, not only with social media blowing up as it has done but everything else that's going on too. But to their credit they have us talking so I guess it will worked a little bit.
I really have no idea who these guys are that he's mentioned.
Ah, You mean the guitar players that I sort of placed in the list myself? If you are a guitar fan and you happen to be unfamiliar, I would definitely start with this recommendation: Guthrie Govan. Not only is he an amazing guitar player, but he's quite entertaining and has so much feel in his playing. Really the guy is the whole package. The other ones are probably a bit more of an acquired taste. But I definitely recommend Guthrie without a doubt. If you get a chance to check them out please let me know what you think. I'm curious.
@@guitarmeetsscience Will have to Wiki those names. But yeah, it's probably a matter of semantics in terms of what "greatest" means. And really, Rolling Stone isn't exactly known for making bold choices on any of their lists. 😂
@satorified1612 oh you got that right. I really don't think their writers get out much lol 😆. But yeah whenever you get time, it would be interesting to get your take on his playing. No rush of course. One day I might cover something on players like Guthrie who really never got their due and how people who haven't had the chance to hear his playing respond to it. It would be an interesting science experiment haha
Lol, I've been called a great "bass player" many times over the years, usually after having just played a long guitar solo. I would then thank them and patiently explain the difference between a bass guitar vs regular guitar, some (usually women), still didn't get it - point being non-guitarists really shouldn't be involved with making a list such as this, if they're really trying to identify the best players. Sounds like they're judging mainly by the emotional effect they have on people in general (thus Hendrix is still #1 for emotional impact AND overall technique, originality, etc), with technical prowess way down on the list of priorities. Different subject now, but what about Django - he only played with two fingers and could play circles around most!
Lmao I feel your pain when it comes to that. My wife well at that time soon to be wife, thought that I was a bassist - even though I was playing lead guitar in the band when we met. So she's on the phone with my future brother-in-law and she's like yeah he's sitting right here - he plays bass on the Las Vegas strip. Of course I'm like what... It's guitar! I told her never tell people I'm a bass player lol. It's just such a bold statement - because like you said, there are a bunch of non guitar players putting together a list like this and then making it as if it is the definitive list. Very very misleading. Right after I uploaded it I was like oh damn I did not include Django, that dude was a complete monster on the guitar. And the fact that he had a disability and was able to pull that off is something of legend. And again you're totally right - one person may rank technical prowess up there another person may rank total feel or tone, or stage persona. If they really wanted to make it a definitive list, They would have pulled in some guitar players who could really help them break it down and either categorize it properly or really spread the weight around. Instead they just alienated the reader. Honestly I take it with a grain of salt but I thought it might be interesting to cover nonetheless. Always great to hear from you man!
Is that sexist to assume women cannot tell the difference between a bass guitar versus a rhythm or lead guitar ? I'm not a guitarist of any description and my only knowledge covers
bass: 4 strings (& a longer neck / fretboard),
lead / rhythmn: 6_strings,
3/4 (child's) : 6_strings,
Classical / Spanish (?) 12_strings.
So you see, you may be right...or (considering female players:
Suzy Quattro: bass player,
Joan Jett: guitarist etc !!) I don't know why I started this !! I'm a twit !! Sorry.😊 🇬🇧🧡🤔🖖
@brigidsingleton1596 I believe it would be sexist to assume that women cannot tell the difference! There are men and women out there both who have no idea between them. Based on your posting here you know your guitar quite well. Bluesrocker and I just happened to have very coincidental situations. It turns out my brother-in-law or at the time future brother-in-law would not have known the difference either. But that is a great point nonetheless - I don't think the guitar world in general give ladies their due, because you have players like Nita Strauss, Bonnie Raitt, who are insanely good as well as Jennifer Batten who I mentioned in the video. They are among the best players all around and also should have been very high up in the list. I love your comment! 🤘😎🤘🔥🔥🔥🎸🎸🎸🎸
Man i put you right in the number 1 slot and im being dead serious.. my number 2 would be Clapton and 3 duane Allman
Brother you're too kind - you would easily take the slide category! Great to hear from you man!
Joe Satriani Steve Via and Eric Johnson should be in the top 20.
Absolutely agreed!
The list is DEI joke
Hehe! These kind of list makes no real sense!
Lmao you were absolutely right Tomas. But my goodness we do get a kick out of them lol. Great to see you bud!
I am still around Jimmy!
What's amazing to me is that Rolling Stone is still a thing, some people must love mediocrity....
You got that right Jimmy - mediocrity will be forever synonymous with that magazine. And even mediocrity is a stretch at a lot of points.
Coulda been Player...( But tooclose to Guitar Player magazine...) Insteada guitarist.
You might be right
you, my sir, are out to lunch.
Hahahahaha thank you👍😆
These lists are just impossible, and quite frankly pointless. We all know the greats,and appreciate the individual characteristics that made them stand out among others. These articles 💩.
Exactly Paul - I knew at least a few feathers would be ruffled when the list came out and of course any of us talking about the lists will also be part of that, I find it half amusing and half just damn sad. Great to hear from you brother!
You were already off to a bad start, but when you said " Speed is everything" you totally lost me.
I appreciate the candidness - I just thought their list was missing one important little ingredient, sarcasm. I figured I'd double down when I mentioned blues, or my favorite style personally funky picking. I really do appreciate your comment!
Well, since you took the time to reply, i'll apologise for being rude and explain myself. You didn't seem to have thought your list through, you were constantly changing the orders as you went along which made the list quite muddled. Thats what i meant by "bad start". Then, I dont get how you are deciding these rankings. I would opine that Guthrie Govan, Mateo Mancuso, and maybe Tosin Abasi are the 3 top guitarists in terms of technique, tone is a very subjective point, but obviously we have to take outreach into account. ie: how many people were moved or inspired by your music. Obviously then all 3 of those have to fall way down the list because they're only really appreciated by other guitarists. You seem to acknowledge this by Keeping Jimi in 1st but then you dropped Page (the 2nd most influencial of all time) in favour of Al de Meola ??? I just dont get your logic. And when it comes to speed. only someone who aspires to be a shredder would consider that a very important factor to the debate of best guitarist. Most people would say something like, who wrote the riff that was stuck in your head for months, or who changed how we look at the instrument. No hard feelings. Thanks for the video and the chat.
@@guitarmeetsscience
@amritzelnick It is all good - and I do appreciate the apology. No needed really, only because the fact that I like to see people who are passionate about what they believe in, whether they agree with me or don't. Sometimes my attempts at comedic effect fall a little flat, and I think in this case probably that happened again lol. I kept rearranging the list partly cuz I cannot remember what I said a minute ago and partly because new players were coming to mind. You mentioned Matteo Mancuso... He didn't even cross my mind and damn - he is a beast on the guitar. And actually players like him and Guthrie can take it slow or fast and sound amazing either way. But you are also right that they don't have as wide overreach as players like Jimi Hendrix, and if I were to omit my weak attempts at comedy, I would keep Jimmy Page near the top of the list and Jimi Hendrix at the number one spot. While players have evolved to technical levels that are pretty mind-blowing today, we think about their respective technical levels and their day and they had it - and also the ability to move a ton of people with their playing at the same exact time. The reason why Di Meola came to mind when I was mentioning Jimmy Page was I was remembering how they performed at Les Paul's birthday party. Al seemingly came out of nowhere and his playing just floored the place. Yes he shredded the hell out of the guitar - but in a very jazz fashion. And my point really was if I were to build up a technical proficiency list it would look a lot different than what we were seeing there. But the ordering of the list itself that they provided does not even play into the most influential or at least until you get towards the top of the list then it does. I really do appreciate your insightful comment though - lots of food for thought there for sure!
David Gilmour 28? B.S.
Haha! You'd have been better starting from the bottom :)
Hahaha I agree 100% -But the list was so all over the place I mean might as well just chopped it up and threw all the little squares in the air and randomly grab them. That's what it seemed like they did 😆
I disagree with the songwriter take. If you write a great song on guitar you are a great guitarist. It's not the fastest guitarist list its the best guitarist list... writing songs on guitar is being a guitarist.
Rusty Cooley has amazing chops but all the music I've heard of his is terrible, and tbh his solos sound very unmusical to me, they just seem like a compilation of ideas rather than music.
He's maybe a great technician but overall, in my understanding, he's actually a bad guitarist, because he doesn't sound good, I don't like the sound he makes. Joni sounds hella good tho
Edit - good to be seeing you in my feed again all the same 😃
Edit again - lol yeah i was never that bothered with santana either
It is great to see you man! I love your take on it as well. Also I could see your point, so I really cannot say I disagree. I think it's more about the fact that the writers themselves cannot even make that distinction. They decide to call it the 250 greatest guitar players, but no doubt anybody who knows anything about Qatar are going to be left with questions like how the hell was this list put together? Is there a ranking? I mean after all Hendrix was placed first, and it is in reverse order, but I don't know I think it leaves us more confused than anything. If one can write a great song on an instrument - hats off to them, but they're in me why it's own category - really a class of guitar players that can pick that thing up and spin off some of the most amazing songs you've ever heard. Or there would be the guitar players who play with the most feeling - and yet another one with the most amazing technical chops. I think it would be a much more interesting list per say didn't have to be 250 of them, but they did what they did and here we are. Joni Mitchell does sound pretty damn good and I love her voice - that gets me every time. We may disagree on a few things but the beauty is that we could do it in a friendly way and I learn a hell of a lot from you as well. And hey we both stand in the same place when it comes to Carlos haha. Always great to hear from you man!
@@guitarmeetsscience thanks for the response, always a good vibe on the channel man 🤘
Speed is everything? No. Putting emotions into the solo's is more important than speed. EVH bores me. It may be impressive, but it all sounds the same with no soul. Gary Moore, Page, Santana, and others, have more emotive solos than the boring speed merchants.
Gary Moore completely ripped up the guitar - he could play slow and emotional or blisteringly fast, Page and Carlos made many attempts to play fast but never quite pulled it off, nevertheless none of those guys wrote off speed at all. To each their own, I like my playing a little on the fast side somebody else might like it a little on the slow side. One thing I'll say for sure - I love your take on it and I appreciate your candid response. This is the kind of discourse I like to have among my fellow jammers. Keep rocking brother and thank you for your comment!
You have to look into evh catalogue. Yes he’s known for the speed but he does have more deeper bodies of work. He should’ve been number 2, incredibly influential.
@brittneyking4284 Good point Plus that guy was able to groove and swing like crazy. I don't think you really ever got his due for that.
Each to their own. Personally, I'd rate Randy Rhoads higher than EVH. He had all the flash and dash, but also had the musicality and emotion, probably because of his classical background.
@shanebielski5424 Randy was amazing. He and Eddie Van Halen would definitely rank very close to one another.
Guthrie Govan and Shawn Lane and most of the guys this guy is putting on his list never wrote a decent song. And song writing is a big part insofar as guitar playing is concerned.
Thank you for your comment. Lane, I actually agree on - honestly I couldn't really palate a lot of the songs that he wrote. Guthrie on the other hand actually has written some amazing stuff, is it popular and played on the radio all the time? No, But especially the songs that he wrote with his funk/jazz group in England, The Fellowship, are freaking amazing - very old school. If only time was reversed and those songs were put out in the late '70s they would definitely be well known. His songs on his erotic cakes album, especially the first four are also outstanding in their own way.
@guitarmeetsscience personally, some of the guitarists that I think should have made the list were
George Benson
Joyce Cooling
Michelle Meldrum
Robert Cray
Anna Popovic
Estas Tonne
Anna Vidovic
Yngwie Malmsteen
Philip Sayce
And the list goes on...
But I 100% agree the Rolling Stone list was awful 😖
cringe worthy is putting it lightly
@KingKull1971 that is a solid list! Considering that George Benson and yngwie had such an influence in their respective genres - it's obvious whoever put that list together was completely out of touch. I'm not familiar with a few you put down, so I'm going to have to check out some of the players you listed.
LOL !
I saw Joe Pass live once and he was terrible. Bad attitude and no fun at all. Bad night and did not handle it well.
Oh man that is a shame - the guy was really good at instruction as well as putting together some pretty cool lines, maybe he was having a really off night. Such a shame.
how does clapton go from #2 to #35??? for that matter how did Sgt Pepper go from #1 to #24 on the album list????? if Clapton was better than chuck berry 20 years ago, how did berry get better and clapton get worse? rolling stone is a joke
Goodness well apparently rolling Stone decided to downgrade Eric, and I'm really not sure why. Clapton has always been a real hit on these lists. Of course they were always put together with more guitar players, but this time around I guess the non players decided they would come up with the most definitive list. Talk about a mess!
Beck is no match for Govan and I love Beck. No George Benson, STanley Jordan, Tommy Emmanuel, Yngwie Malmsteen,, this list is a joke. First hendrix,, yes, second EVH as he did more for guitar than anyone.
Beck third,, Mic drop
Oh yeah typing Tommy Emmanuel, his being left off the list as well as those you mentioned, I mean who can forget yngwie, Django of course - like I said these people wouldn't know a guitar if it smacked them upside the head. I like your way of thinking!
Let's get Tommy to play Mombasa of their heads.@@guitarmeetsscience
Look the hell out - every time that dude picks up a guitar it is EPIC! He could do more on that instrument than a lot of full bands collectively.
I personally find "shred" to be the very least trait worthy of the name "quality". Yngwie Malmsteen and his ilk bore the shit out of me.
That's what I like about guitar, there are guitar players that you really dig, ones that I really dig, and probably I'm sure that there are some that overlap - but I just don't think this list did it justice either way. I do appreciate your insight and your comment. Who would your top three be?
@@guitarmeetsscience One of the things that matters to me is, not just how proficient are they, but how much do I like their MUSIC. I do put Hendrix at the top, because I really like his music AND he was a friggin genius of innovation and dexterity. That's also why I put Page in second, very, very close to Jimi, because his music with Zep is pretty much unchallenged as an oeuvre. I can listen to LZ almost constantly, and there are enough albums for me to not get worn out on them. Yes, his genius was very studio based, but he spent so much time and energy getting absolute perfection in the can, that I can give him infinite slack to use his live shows to improvise his way through the catalog--he earned that, imo, and sometimes the result was lightning and sometimes not. I just never understood why a band of LZ's caliber couldn't find a single credible soundboard tech to run their live show audio...they had the WORST sound techs in R'n'R history. It usually sounded like it was being run through a malfunctioning landline pickup.
As far as Beck is concerned, I used to get the secretaries at my high school to play Blow by Blow and Wired on the school intercom during lunch period. He is a supreme virtuoso, no doubt, and I like listening to him. But none of his albums would make my top 40 or 50 list, so he is high on the player scale but loses points on music.
This is also one of the reasons I don't put EVH on my top tier. Just a couple or so weeks ago, I spent a couple of hours on YT listening to VH's albums for the first time since the 90s, and I realized that I wasn't missing a thing. Sure, he's great as a player, but I just don't really like VH the band, and I had all of their stuff up to Diver Down. Some of his solos are badass, but the music of the band altogether annoys me, now more than ever. I really wish EVH had spent more time producing solo albums away from the hype and adolescent posturings of the band.
@kravmagoo9527 damn that's pretty awesome! Looks like we came up pretty similarly musically actually. When I was a kid I couldn't wait to get the next Zeppelin cassette for a birthday etc, And I got them in a weird order. I started with coda, then Zeppelin II... So armed with the Walkman, each one I got I absorbed for hours on end, but when I look back it's always interesting how I had received them. Their version of "I Can't Quit You Baby" was heavier than anything especially cranked in the headphones. You are exactly right when it comes to the soundboard. It was always lacking, and it is still debatable how that particular recording of that particular track came to be. Obviously they all played it together though you hear no audience whatsoever. Some of the bootlegs I dug into where they are all playing together in a room really show just how powerful they were as a band, but it never came across so well in the soundboard recordings or distant venue captures. It would have been interesting to hear EVH solo. I think he wouldn't have felt that confident without his regular band mates there. He was obviously a very adventurous musician, because he really did play some whacked out stuff in his solos especially during the early days when nobody else was really doing anything like that. I would still rank him high because he really went for it in his solos. In some places you can hear that it was punched in, especially during songs like mean Street, due to his off the cuff nature. I actually like the fact that he approached to solos in the studio with a totally improvisational approach. But I also see what you mean in the fact that the music itself was pretty hit or miss. But when it hit it really did. Later VH was a hell of a lot more spotty than early of course.
Ace Frehley not listed tells me all I need to know. Clueless, unmelodic snobs. No freaks, like Syd Barrett or fine players like Dean. Wareham( Gal 500). Oh well, i never subscribed anyway.
Exactly - they had no idea what they're doing when they put together the list. Ace not being included - absolutely he was one of the pillars of rock!
Your personal picks are a joke
Okay fair enough - what would be your number one number two and number three pics?
The top 10 should be judged by how many people still recognize, play, reproduce, copy, are influenced by & own their music. Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters , Clapton , SRV, Eddie VanHalan, Keith Richards have stood the test of time. If you want to just vote for technical guitar skills I'd include people like John McLaughlin, Michael Hedges, Joe Bonamassa.
I like your additions! I actually originally thought to include John McLaughlin as I was thinking up this video but it did not come out in the improv. Michael hedges - absolutely that guy is a beast. And of course the classics, I am glad to see that Robert Johnson made the list, but again the way they just threw the list together all hodgepodge it really makes no sense. I like to see the greats getting celebrated, but a much more informed list would have been a lot better. No disagreement here - I appreciate your input!
@@guitarmeetsscience I'd also throw in the top 25 Johnny Winters and the new kid on the blues block Justin Johnson (aka - one of the best slide players out there)
Mark Knopfler number 1
Great choice! That dude could play the hell out of a guitar
Still does@@guitarmeetsscience
The problem with lists like this is that music isn't (or shouldn't be) a competition. Each of these artists are great in their own right. However you wouldn't ever compare someone like BB King with Eddie Van Halen. There's just no sense to it.
Absolutely spot on! That's where the criteria just gets all muddled up. You have BB King on there, and you also have Kerry King from Slayer on the same list. Maybe if they called it 250 guitar players you should listen to or something along those lines that would make more sense. But otherwise it is just a pure mess.