but mine goes up to 11

October 14, 2023 6:04 AM

rolling stone's list of the 250 greatest guitarists of all time - we all know that we will find total agreement on this, right?
posted by pyramid termite (124 comments total)

The question is why they bother with these lists when we know Mark Knopfler already exists?
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 6:29 AM on October 14, 2023 [15 favorites]

I was surprised enough to see both McCartney and Lennon on there that I was sure we were going to see Ringo in the top ten.

Nuno Bettencourt should have been higher on the list.

I'm glad they put pairs of artists on there in single slots, that was inspired. "Angus Young and Malcolm Young", yes!

Buddy Guy and David Gilmour are right where they should be, maybe a bit low. Knopfler should have been top 20.

You should listen to Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop.

We all know who #1 is, you're right, and that is also right.
posted by mhoye at 6:32 AM on October 14, 2023 [3 favorites]

Lots of talent there. Lots missing. Order is irrelevant. Your favorite guitarist sucks.
posted by terrapin at 6:37 AM on October 14, 2023 [4 favorites]

Hate the order, love the entries.
posted by tommasz at 7:18 AM on October 14, 2023 [1 favorite]

The order is downright weird. How do you put John Lennon in the same row as Pat Metheny, for example?
posted by sfred at 7:18 AM on October 14, 2023 [5 favorites]

I was glad to see a lot of people who usually get left off such lists, starting with Brittany Howard. Still it's objectively wrong from the off in positing there are 250 guitarists better than Andy Summers. Also is neither Joe Pass nor Pat Metheny on this list?
posted by ob1quixote at 7:19 AM on October 14, 2023

I don't really have any objections to the list, but I will say that the most badass photo is the St. Vincent one.
posted by superelastic at 7:20 AM on October 14, 2023 [5 favorites]

Two hundred and fifty? That's not an article, that's a database.
posted by SoberHighland at 7:21 AM on October 14, 2023 [18 favorites]

ob1quixote, Metheny's at 157
posted by sfred at 7:22 AM on October 14, 2023

I'm not well-listened enough to criticize a list like this so I was just happy to see Marnie Stern make it on. And even happier to learn from her entry that she has a new album!
posted by okonomichiyaki at 7:24 AM on October 14, 2023 [3 favorites]

Ah, I missed it when I searched for it. Still, it's weird not to have both of them.
posted by ob1quixote at 7:25 AM on October 14, 2023

The best guitar player I ever heard and saw was Etta Baker. Surprisingly, she's on the list even if it's near the bottom. Seeing her play was just pure joy. I would close my eyes and swear that there were two guitar players up on that stage, one keeping the beat with the bottom strings and the other picking away the lead with the top strings. She was in her 90s when I had the pleasure of catching her shows at Merlefest a few times.
posted by NoMich at 7:29 AM on October 14, 2023 [6 favorites]

Roy Clark isn't listed anywhere on there, and his guitar skills are pretty legendary. Maybe it's the Hee Haw years that weakened his reputation for being a maestro.
posted by hippybear at 7:32 AM on October 14, 2023 [7 favorites]

Ugh Jerry Garcia in top 50 but no Robert Fripp??? This list is dead to me
posted by supermedusa at 7:32 AM on October 14, 2023 [10 favorites]

I'm LOLing at seeing Dimebag and Kerry King in the triple digits and no Glen Campbell.
posted by NoMich at 7:43 AM on October 14, 2023 [3 favorites]

Is Lindsey Jordan on the list? She made me fall in love with the sound of electric guitar all over again.
posted by rikschell at 7:44 AM on October 14, 2023

I can't see Vini Reilly on there so the list is invalid.
posted by thatwhichfalls at 8:09 AM on October 14, 2023 [3 favorites]

Needs Danny Gatton. That redneck jazz.
posted by downtohisturtles at 8:14 AM on October 14, 2023 [7 favorites]

I'm happy to see Ed O'Brien alongside Jonny Greenwood. Ed's always seemed to slip into the background when talking about Radiohead and guitars (and I mean Thom's no slouch, either) but hearing him on That Pedal Show opened my eyes to just how critical he is to the band's sound. A lot of the weird noises and effects and sounds that I'd always assumed were Jonny were actually Ed.
posted by synecdoche at 8:16 AM on October 14, 2023

Mister #1. Come for the guitar, stay for the dancing hippies and the girl at 4:06 having the best acid trip of her life
posted by credulous at 8:36 AM on October 14, 2023 [7 favorites]

A lot of the ones that I disagree with are great creators or great songwriters or great musicians in general who happened to use a guitar. And so I sort of get how they end up here — because they're great! But you wouldn't really call Liz Phair or John Lennon into the studio because your recording project really needs some kickass guitar

And you sure as hell wouldn't call them before you called Andy Summers
posted by secretseasons at 8:57 AM on October 14, 2023 [21 favorites]

I wonder if Wenner had any input. I hope not. I just found a whole bunch of guitarists I'd never heard of before.
posted by RakDaddy at 9:14 AM on October 14, 2023

I think NoMeansNo's Andy Kerr should have had an honorary 250th spot, just for the greatest guitar solo of all times.
posted by farlukar at 9:26 AM on October 14, 2023 [12 favorites]

If she's not on there, Annie Clark / St. Vincent really should be.
posted by TheDonF at 9:32 AM on October 14, 2023 [2 favorites]

Mod note: Comment removed for being hateful and insensitive , which is against the Content Policy. If you're thinking there's too much diversity, equity, and inclusion in something, you don't need to share that thought on this site.
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 9:39 AM on October 14, 2023 [15 favorites]

Sorry for the most cliched comment on this type of FPP ever, but fuck this for a lark, Mark Knopfler at number ninety fucking eight?! What garbage.
posted by MiraK at 9:44 AM on October 14, 2023 [5 favorites]

Mark Knopfler didn't even make top 50?!

One way to see this is that there are actually a lot of very talented guitarists in the world and the top 250 is a pretty crowded space.

I'm just happy to see that Yngwie Malmsteen is nowhere to be found.
posted by mhoye at 9:45 AM on October 14, 2023 [8 favorites]

These lists are always useless, but I always get sucked in to see which guitarists I admire are missed. This one is clearly more rock oriented than jazz, bluegrass, country, African or Arabic music, and so on.

As examples, no cousin Kenny Vaughn? Hmm. (OTOH, I did see that Clarence White’s guitar was also in Marty Stuart’s picture.)
Joni is well ranked for stretching guitar with alternate tunings, unique chord shapes, etc. but Ricky Wilson’s rank is a crying shame - should have been in the top 50 for the same reasons
Props for including Traore and Ade, but Carl LeBlanc (Sun Ra’s guitarist) also deserves a prominent place.
And how about Gabor Szabo? Forgotten, I guess but worth a listen.
posted by sudogeek at 9:49 AM on October 14, 2023 [2 favorites]

They picked quite a few people so little know (at least as guitarists) they couldn’t even find a picture of them playing or holding a guitar. I’d have to hear them to have an opinion but that’s certainly a departure from typical RS listicle bias of when in doubt go with fame
posted by MattD at 9:52 AM on October 14, 2023 [2 favorites]

Was glad to see Nancy Wilson on the list.

But please tell me I'm dreaming and they didn't miss June m*dda f*dding Millington.
posted by credulous at 10:00 AM on October 14, 2023 [3 favorites]

Eddie Van Halen in the top ten? C'mon, man.
posted by praemunire at 10:04 AM on October 14, 2023 [4 favorites]

If she's not on there, Annie Clark / St. Vincent really should be.

She's number 26
posted by yyz at 10:14 AM on October 14, 2023

Apparently no Larry Carleton? Not cool, Rolling Stone.
posted by barrett caulk at 10:14 AM on October 14, 2023 [1 favorite]

> She's number 26

Nice! I started at the bottom and skipped to the top. Somehow, listicles are now TL;DR for me. Sigh.
posted by TheDonF at 10:24 AM on October 14, 2023 [1 favorite]

I would've put Andy Summers, Joe Walsh, Nancy Wilson, Muddy Waters, and John Lee Hooker higher. And Pat Metheny only at 157? Come on, man.

I was surprised to see Wes Montgomery and St. Vincent ranked so highly.

Was glad not to see Eric Clapton higher than he was. A few years ago he probably would've been.

Prince only at 14? Nope. And in that vein, where was Lenny Kravitz?
posted by fuse theorem at 10:32 AM on October 14, 2023 [1 favorite]

Is Allan Holdsworth really not on this list? Or Paco de Lucia?

Nile Rodgers in the top ten?

Did they actually talk to any guitarists?
posted by swift at 11:02 AM on October 14, 2023 [3 favorites]

This:
A lot of the ones that I disagree with are great creators or great songwriters or great musicians in general who happened to use a guitar.

And this:
Did they actually talk to any guitarists?
pretty much sum up my sentiments about this list.

Also, no Michael Hedges? Do people not remember him anymore? Blah.
posted by Daily Alice at 11:10 AM on October 14, 2023 [7 favorites]

Apparently no Larry Carleton?

Number 85.

Mark Knopfler at number ninety fucking eight six ?!

One better than Steve Malkmus at 97, which seems like a veiled insult to either Knopfler or Malkmus or both somehow.
posted by logicpunk at 11:23 AM on October 14, 2023 [4 favorites]

I thought it was a good list, with a lot more diversity (not just women, but also Jamaicans and Africans and jazz and country players and etc.) than Rolling Stone lists of years past.

And yeah, I could be all 'where's soandso (Mary Halvorson)?' or 'that industry favorite is ranked too high (Jeff Beck),' or 'that guy should lose points for being a horrible person (Chuck Berry),' and I wouldn't be wrong, but it wouldn't bring me any joy, either.
posted by box at 11:28 AM on October 14, 2023 [4 favorites]

Is there a simple list somewhere, so that I don't have to wade through umpteen ads and browser crashes on my tablet to be properly infuriated as to how many people are ahead of Jan Akkerman?
posted by delfin at 11:35 AM on October 14, 2023 [5 favorites]

These lists are clickbaity bullshit but I am still glad to see Elizabeth Cotten on there.
posted by The corpse in the library at 11:42 AM on October 14, 2023 [3 favorites]

Knopfler and Roy Buchanan are absurdly low - and no Lonnie Mack is laughable.
posted by thecincinnatikid at 11:51 AM on October 14, 2023 [1 favorite]

I like the list for reminding me of badass guitarists on music I'd forgotten—I was never all that much into Mahavishnu Orchestra, for example, but John McLaughlin's (to me) Fripp-ish incendiary guitar work blew me away.
posted by vitia at 11:54 AM on October 14, 2023 [1 favorite]

Apparently no Larry Carleton?

Number 85. </em


Thank you for catching my mistake. You just spared my spouse an indignant rant this evening!
posted by barrett caulk at 11:57 AM on October 14, 2023 [1 favorite]

I don't think I saw Elliot Easton in that list, which seems wrong. His solos were perfectly formed mini-compositions that complemented the songs in which they were ensconced. But that was still a more interesting list than most in its breadth!
posted by fikri at 11:58 AM on October 14, 2023 [5 favorites]

How do you put John Lennon in the same row as Pat Metheny, for example?

I'd take Lennon over Metheny any day. Obviously, my particular filters don't rate dexterity, precision etc that high. And I saw Metheny live apparently at some kind of peak. That show mostly bored me, except for one piece where most of the melody sort of fell away and it became more about groove, ambience, atmosphere. If there was guitar even in the mix, I wasn't paying attention
posted by philip-random at 11:58 AM on October 14, 2023

Also, no Jorma Kaukonen is utterly laughable. Hell, they coulda just scanned his Fur Peace Ranch for a half dozen inclusions from instructors - including Jack Casady, Guy Clarke and Rory Block.
posted by thecincinnatikid at 12:02 PM on October 14, 2023 [3 favorites]

I’d personally take Vernon Reid over the vast majority of guitarists who ranked better than him but I’m much happier with this list than I expected to be.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 12:38 PM on October 14, 2023 [3 favorites]

No Leo Kottke, which tells you that the people who assembled this list haven't really listened to guitar players.
posted by hippybear at 12:44 PM on October 14, 2023 [11 favorites]

Since such an overstuffed sausage of a listalactite, probably more properly entitled 250 More Widely Known Guitarists in Fairly Random Order -- Except For #1, casts such a wide net stylistically, it ought to be searchable. As in anybody could be on it and if time is money, we all have so little left to spend. Like, John Fahey or Lou Reed come to mind, to think of two --are they listed? Idle mind sorta wants to know at the moment.
posted by y2karl at 12:49 PM on October 14, 2023 [5 favorites]

Well, my browser lets me do a Cmd-F or Ctrl-F, depending on the OS, and thus search for any group of letters and lets me browse through those in order on the page. Are you wanting Rolling Stone to implement some kind of search function for web pages outside of what the browser already has built in?
posted by hippybear at 12:53 PM on October 14, 2023

The glory of this list is that it is all on one page and isn't a series of slides, which would make such searches basically impossible.
posted by hippybear at 12:55 PM on October 14, 2023

For me, the list is split into a bunch of pages, with Previous and Next buttons, and with a numeric navigation menu at the top that gets obscured by a gigantic whiskey ad ever time a new page loads. Searching only works for the group of 50 or so on the page.
posted by swift at 1:17 PM on October 14, 2023 [4 favorites]

As mentioned, the under-rated guitar-star in my view is Brian Setzer. His soloing is surprisingly inventive and clever.

Controversy: as a guitarist, Prince is over-rated. He shreds competently, but his solos often all sound the same (melody + fast triplets + a bent held note octaves up).
posted by ovvl at 1:33 PM on October 14, 2023 [1 favorite]

The glory of this list is that it is all on one page

Not for me it isn't. Bunch of load more buttons..
posted by Pendragon at 1:35 PM on October 14, 2023 [3 favorites]

But if the list doesn't have Jan Akkerman on it, it's a bunch off bullshit. As usual these lists focus mainly on people from the US and the UK.
posted by Pendragon at 1:40 PM on October 14, 2023 [1 favorite]

Are you wanting Rolling Stone to implement some kind of search function for web pages outside of what the browser already has built in?

As I am reading this on an Android phone, well, Ctr-Huff that, (㇏(•̀ᵥᵥ•́)ノ). tldr: yup.
posted by y2karl at 1:51 PM on October 14, 2023

I'm going to guess Chet Atkins at number 43.
posted by clavdivs at 1:55 PM on October 14, 2023 [3 favorites]

‘Defying description’: ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons on Prince the ‘sensational’ guitarist

- Even today, I’m struggling to try and emulate that guitar introduction to “When Doves Cry.” It’s just a testament to his extraordinary technique.

Wait. When you say emulate — you mean you try to play it and you can’t?

- I continually come back to attempting to piece together each and every one of those segments. And it’s very short. It’s not an extended solo by any means. But the way it is delivered. There’s certainly no way to write it. You’ve just got to dive in and feel it to see if you could come close.
posted by Petersondub at 2:00 PM on October 14, 2023 [6 favorites]

they really missed allan holdsworth - he was a major influence on eddie van halen and a lot of fast playing metal guys - i was a follower of gong back in 1976 and his solo on shadows of blew my mind - it's about 2.40 in

dick wagner played for the frost - stand in the shadows has a long inventive solo that is really something - he went on to play on lou reed's rock and roll animal (with steve hunter as the other guitarist) - aerosmith's train kept a rollin' (no that's not joe perry playing lead) and in alice cooper's band

glenn schwartz, who joe walsh replaced in james gang may not be one of the 250 best, whatever that means, but he played a monster solo on pacific gas and electric's are you ready? - it's one of my favorites

i like that they're recognizing rhythm guitarists by putting nile rodgers and joni mitchell near the top - nile is a groove master and joni is joni

on the negative side, jimmy page is too sloppy to be no 3, even if he's a great rhythm guitarist

also, i really think steve hillage was outstanding with echoes, long before the edge came along - here's 14 minutes of the most mind melting guitar you've ever heard

oh, that ted nugent guy plays alright, but he's a jerk so fuck him
posted by pyramid termite at 2:04 PM on October 14, 2023 [3 favorites]

I think NoMeansNo's Andy Kerr should have had an honorary 250th spot, just for the greatest guitar solo of all times

Without clicking I knew exactly what that video was going to be. Seeing the agile yet behemethic Nomeansno from the era was stunning. I would have put Andy Kerr on this list just because of the sheer ferocity he could generate when the band was in full flight and on top of their game, which was pretty much every time I saw them back then.

And, I live in Vancouver and years ago one of the former singers of Black Flag, Ron Reyes had a birthday celebration at a local venue. He's lived here since the '80s, I believe. Anyways, it was a collection of long time local punk and metal musicians on stage with him, and, Greg Finn, who flew up for it. He only played with the band for a couple of songs but when he plugged his guitar in something happened; it's like he sent a bolt of pure energy through everyone on stage and for those couple of songs they were on another level. I have never seen anything quite like that in my life. I would put Gina a lot higher, along with D Boon.
posted by Phlegmco(tm) at 2:06 PM on October 14, 2023 [5 favorites]

Vernon Reid noted on Twitter that "The omissions are APPALLING," and Holdsworth was one of his largest reasons for wrath.
posted by delfin at 2:18 PM on October 14, 2023 [3 favorites]

The simultaneous genre crossing and ignoring is very jarring to me. I mean, there are some jazz guitarists, some blues guitarists, lots of rock guitarists of various sub-genres (and I'm not at all sure it makes sense to compare all these groups, let alone go even wider), but no flamenco or classical guitarists? (Or maybe I just missed them?) Where do you suppose people like Paco de Lucia or Tomatito or Liona Boyd or Ana Vidovic or John Williams or ... should appear on a list of greatest guitarists across all genres?
posted by Jonathan Livengood at 2:26 PM on October 14, 2023 [1 favorite]

A decent diverse list, but maybe next time don't choose photos of artists wearning swastika buttons (Johnny Thunders) or playing confederate flag guitars (Dimebag Darrel).
posted by Ike_Arumba at 2:54 PM on October 14, 2023 [2 favorites]

That was a fun list to run through, TBH. The only significant (and noticeable) omissions for me were Robin Trower and Al DiMeola. Very glad McLaughlin made it along with Steve Howe and Frank Zappa.
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 3:11 PM on October 14, 2023 [1 favorite]

Come for the guitar, stay for the dancing hippies and the girl at 4:06 having the best acid trip of her life

Oh yeah!
posted by hypnogogue at 3:24 PM on October 14, 2023 [1 favorite]

Word search 'swami' 'speedo', and nada. How can you call yourself a music journalism outfit and not include John Reis of Drive Like Jehu, Rocket From the Crypt and the Hot Snakes in a list of greatest guitar players, in a world where the song Luau exists?



And no Fugazi???
posted by koalaman at 3:30 PM on October 14, 2023 [3 favorites]

Let's go back to Rolling Stone's first statement: The guitar is the most universal instrument, the most primal, and the most expressive.

Most universal? For rock journalists, maybe. Most primal? How does that even make sense? Most expressive? OK, now you're being ridiculous.
posted by kozad at 3:42 PM on October 14, 2023 [4 favorites]

Generally an OK list. I'm pretty happy to see both the Deal sisters and Liz Phair get credit, as well as the oft-underrated Lindsey Buckingham. Seems to be missing Rik Emmett, Rick Nielsen, and Steve Miller, but I can forgive those, I think.
posted by hanov3r at 5:14 PM on October 14, 2023

justice for dean ween
posted by avocet at 5:43 PM on October 14, 2023 [7 favorites]

As a piece of web technology, this "page" is a hot mess.

I was unable to find Bill Harkleroad (a.k.a. Zoot Horn Rollo in Captain Beefheart's band), who was #68-ish in the previous list and is almost certainly the best guitarist in my neighborhood. I've lived near him for 20 years. I've walked or driven by his house countless times but never once seen him outside, alas.
posted by neuron at 5:48 PM on October 14, 2023 [1 favorite]

Nile Rodgers in the top 10 is laughable, and Prince not in the top 10 is criminal.
posted by Flock of Cynthiabirds at 5:57 PM on October 14, 2023

Fuck yeah Mary Timony! Fuckin' wizard.

Fuck yeah Courtney Barnett too! You can lose days and weeks inside her jams.

Super duper fuck yeah Poison Ivy. 'nuf said.

Paul Leary (Butthole Surfers) was also a big innovator; he should have been on there somewhere.

And Kristen Hirsch should be there too! Another innovator. Plus she plays the fuck out of her guitars at any speed.

Nice to see someone else shares my irrational love of Bratmobile.

Really good list, hopefully will expand some horizons.
posted by whuppy at 6:09 PM on October 14, 2023

Let's go back to Rolling Stone's first statement: The guitar is the most universal instrument, the most primal, and the most expressive.

good catch - haven't they ever heard of singing? and banging on things?
posted by pyramid termite at 6:24 PM on October 14, 2023 [3 favorites]

Here's some live Allan Holdsworth just to drive that particular point home.
posted by swift at 6:58 PM on October 14, 2023

No Yngwie? Holdsworth? Eric Johnson? Michael Hedges? Leo Kottke? Bah.

And yes, Eddie is top ten. He changed electric guitar forever, whether you like him or not. (I like him a lot.) Tom Morello is way overrated, among others I could complain about...

That said, lots of great choices on here. Of course I disagree with the rankings, but that's by design for these lists. Guitar is good.
posted by Billy Rubin at 8:58 PM on October 14, 2023

I'm pretty sure this particular list could ve stretched to the best 500 effortlessly.
posted by nicolin at 12:14 AM on October 15, 2023 [1 favorite]

250 - Andy Summers
249 - Brittany Howard
248 - Robby Krieger
247 - Ricky Wilson
246 - Paul Simon
245 - Leslie West
244 - Edilio Paredes
243 - Aaron Dessner and Bryce Dessner
242 - Lindsey Jordan
241 - Keith Urban
240 - Erin Smith
239 - Duane Eddy
238 - Doug Gillard
237 - Jennifer Batten
236 - Greg Sage
235 - Laura Marling
234 - John McGeoch
233 - H.E.R.
232 - David Williams
231 - Etta Baker
230 - Gustavo Cerati
229 - Barbara Lynn
228 - Steve Jones
227 - Glenn Branca
226 - El Kempner
225 - Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith and Wayne Kramer
224 - Marv Tarplin
223 - Joseph Spence
222 - Molly Tuttle
221 - James Blood Ulmer
220 - Courtney Barnett
219 - Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing
218 - Lzzy Hale
217 - Thomas McClary
216 - Steve Hackett
215 - Kurt Vile
214 - Keiji Haino
213 - Lucy Dacus
212 - José Feliciano
211 - Nick Zinner
210 - Kaki King
209 - Gary Clark Jr.
208 - Amadou Bagayoko
207 - Justin Broadrick
206 - Hugh McCracken
205 - Eric Johnson
204 - Lynn Taitt
203 - Grant Green
202 - Vince Gill
201 - Garry ‘Diaper Man’ Shider
200 - Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram
199 - Bombino
198 - Jerry Reed
197 - Nuno Bettencourt
196 - James Taylor
195 - Greg Ginn
194 - Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham
193 - David Lindley
192 - Lita Ford
191 - Chalmers Edward ‘Spanky’ Alford
190 - Lightnin’ Hopkins
189 - Jerry Cantrell
188 - Marnie Stern
187 - Marc Ribot
186 - Steve Lukather
185 - Peggy Jones
184 - Eldon Shamblin
183 - Roy Buchanan
182 - Earl ‘Chinna’ Smith
181 - Larissa Strickland
180 - Mike Campbell
179 - Ernest Ranglin
178 - Skip James
177 - Rodrigo y Gabriela
176 - Sadie Dupuis
175 - Rory Gallagher
174 - Marty Stuart
173 - Paul McCartney
172 - Chrissie Hynde
171 - D. Boon
170 - Phil Manzanera
169 - Jessie Mae Hemphill
168 - John Cipollina
167 - James Williamson
166 - Johnny Winter
165 - Rokia Traoré
164 - Dave Davies
163 - Wah Wah Watson
162 - Rosinha de Valença
161 - Tim Henson
160 - Kim and Kelley Deal
159 - John Lennon
158 - Johnny Thunders
157 - Pat Metheny
156 - Carl Perkins
155 - Yvette Young
154 - Bill Frisell
153 - Otis Rush
152 - Ani DiFranco
151 - Pete Cosey
150 - Marissa Paternoster
149 - Ron Asheton
148 - Ike Turner
147 - Memphis Minnie
146 - Mike Bloomfield
145 - Dickey Betts
144 - Odetta
143 - Ira Kaplan
142 - João Gilberto
141 - Fredrik Thordendal
140 - Stephen Stills
139 - Susan Tedeschi
138 - Teenie Hodges
137 - Liz Phair
136 - Joe Perry
135 - Roger McGuinn
134 - Bob Mould
133 - Robert Cray
132 - Nils Lofgren
131 - Dimebag Darrell
130 - Joe Walsh
129 - Nita Strauss
128 - Bob Stinson
127 - Steve Vai
126 - Kim Thayil
125 - Viv Albertine
124 - Mike McCready and Stone Gossard
123 - Steve Howe
122 - King Sunny Ade
121 - Dick Dale
120 - Warren Haynes
119 - Donita Sparks
118 - Adrian Belew
117 - Albert Collins
116 - Ana da Silva
115 - Nels Cline
114 - Robert Quine
113 - Allen Collins and Gary Rossington
112 - Rowland S. Howard
111 - Kelley Johnson
110 - Lindsey Buckingham
109 - Mick Ronson
108 - Merle Travis
107 - Clarence White
106 - Peter Buck
105 - Slash
104 - Ali Farka Touré
103 - Nancy Wilson
102 - Billy Gibbons
101 - John Fogerty
100 - Kerry King
99 - Tosin Abasi
98 - Link Wray
97 - Stephen Malkmus
96 - Mark Knopfler
95 - Mary Timony
94 - Joe Satriani
93 - Leo Nocentelli
92 - Wata
91 - Cat Coore
90 - Mdou Moctar
89 - Lou Reed
88 - Kurt Cobain
87 - Poison Ivy
86 - Sonny Sharrock
85 - Larry Carlton
84 - Muddy Waters
83 - Adrian Smith and Dave Murray
82 - Wes Montgomery
81 - Bert Jansch
80 - Derek Trucks
79 - Ernie Isley
78 - Charlie Christian
77 - Willie Nelson
76 - Joan Jett
75 - Ritchie Blackmore
74 - J Mascis
73 - Hubert Sumlin
72 - John McLaughlin
71 - Franco Luambo
70 - Django Reinhardt
69 - Robbie Robertson
68 - Les Paul
67 - Kevin Shields
66 - Ry Cooder
65 - T-Bone Walker
64 - Carrie Brownstein
63 - Richard Thompson
62 - Peter Green
61 - John Mayer
60 - Scotty Moore
59 - Robert Fripp
58 - Alex Lifeson
57 - Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo
56 - Johnny Marr
55 - Mick Taylor
54 - Bonnie Raitt
53 - Trey Anastasio
52 - John Lee Hooker
51 - Tom Verlaine
50 - Elmore James
49 - PJ Harvey
48 - Curtis Mayfield
47 - The Edge
46 - Frank Zappa
45 - Steve Cropper
44 - Johnny Ramone
43 - Jonny Greenwood and Ed O’Brien
42 - Vernon Reid
41 - Bo Diddley
40 - John Fahey
39 - Chet Atkins
38 - Angus Young and Malcolm Young
37 - Pete Townshend
36 - Elizabeth Cotten
35 - Eric Clapton
34 - Jerry Garcia
33 - Brian May
32 - Jack White
31 - George Harrison
30 - Neil Young
29 - Eddie Hazel
28 - David Gilmour
27 - Buddy Guy
26 - St. Vincent
25 - John Frusciante
24 - James Burton
23 - James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett
22 - Albert King
21 - Randy Rhoads
20 - Stevie Ray Vaughan
19 - Freddy King
18 - Tom Morello
17 - Mother Maybelle Carter
16 - Robert Johnson
15 - Keith Richards
14 - Prince
13 - Tony Iommi
12 - Jimmy Nolen
11 - Carlos Santana
10 - Duane Allman
9 - Joni Mitchell
8 - B.B. King
7 - Nile Rodgers
6 - Sister Rosetta Tharpe
5 - Jeff Beck
4 - Eddie Van Halen
3 - Jimmy Page
2 - Chuck Berry
1 - Jimi Hendrix
posted by The Tensor at 12:45 AM on October 15, 2023 [16 favorites]

I liked that Viv Albertine & Wata rated higher than Vai & Satriani.

Also the longer list to appease us Gen-X/Y/Z types who would probably be annoyed at the orthodoxy of a top 20 that probably wouldn't have changed in the last 20 years. Also also, amusing to find alt-rockers & punks feature in a realm they probably railed against when starting out but have now become part of the club.

Some odd stuff too, like sure Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Nirvana, Alice in Chains but no Mudhoney or Melvins? And I dig Laughing Hyenas but no Come (Thalia Zadek is a mean guitarist)?

Grumble grumble grumble. Still its a fun listicle.
posted by phigmov at 1:12 AM on October 15, 2023

You can't really compare instrumentalists without doing something like the anonymous auditions orchestras use to make sure they aren't hiring based on something other than how each person plays their instrument.

Not that you could dig up Rosetta Tharp and Duane Allman to see which one really is the better guitarist, sight unseen, just guitarist A vs guitarist B taking turns playing behind a screen. But if you could do that, you might not get the kind of list that people really want to have. "Eww. That skeevy dude from some unknown bar band is better than any of them. In fact, I haven't heard of most of these people. That's... not what I was hoping for."
posted by pracowity at 2:18 AM on October 15, 2023 [1 favorite]

Dickey Betts does not belong below Warren Haynes and Derrick Trucks, imho. Love ‘em both but they’ve both come up on the shoulders of a legend.
posted by thirdring at 2:37 AM on October 15, 2023

Alan Mearns.

Gnossiene No.1 by Erik Satie, arr. by Mearns
posted by Pouteria at 4:25 AM on October 15, 2023 [1 favorite]

Two hundred and fifty? That's not an article, that's a database.

Wait ‘til you see my new piece on the 7,212 Best Bassists.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 4:38 AM on October 15, 2023 [7 favorites]

No John Jorgenson? Anywhere?
posted by cccorlew at 5:29 AM on October 15, 2023

"miasmic flange" is my now the name of my band. (See #234)
posted by YoungStencil at 6:03 AM on October 15, 2023

One of my favorite parts of my recent David Bowie adventure was getting to listen to a lot of Mick Ronson (#109). That man could craft hooks.
posted by restless_nomad at 6:17 AM on October 15, 2023 [1 favorite]

That list was one bloated warthog of HTML and javascript that sent fan in my laptop into overdrive.
Kudos to RS for making a diverse list, but honestly there are a number of players who shouldn't be on that list and a number who should be. I mean, why put 3/4 of the Beatles on the list when you could just put Tommy Emmanuel (who Chet Atkins referred to as a Certified Guitar Player) who can play all their parts at once? Al DiMeola? Michael Hedges? Steve Morse? Stanley Jordan?
posted by plinth at 8:10 AM on October 15, 2023 [2 favorites]

This is such a weird, clickbaity list - Scotty Moore at #60 while John Frusciante is at #25? That's just blatantly stupid.
They get credit for trying to be more diverse than RS usually is though.
posted by thatwhichfalls at 8:34 AM on October 15, 2023 [1 favorite]

Thank you so, so much for the plaintext list.

For anyone who is wondering why I am so insistent that Akkerman is an effortless Top 25, let alone Top 250, I present to you Hocus Pocus on the Midnight Special.

"You have four minutes."

"Our song is nearly twice that length."

"Then cut it down so that it'll fit--"

"Nah. We'll do it our way."
posted by delfin at 8:59 AM on October 15, 2023 [2 favorites]

No James Dean Bradfield? The guitarist who wrote and played guitar on the greatest album of all time* is not on this list? This list is absolute trash.

(Glad to see St Vincent and PJ Harvey up near the small numbers, though.)

* The Manic Street Preachers' The Holy Bible, fight me.
posted by tomsk at 9:00 AM on October 15, 2023

Tommy Emmanuel?
Jorma Kaukonen?
Glen Campbell?

I loved the list, hated the ranking, and was shocked, shocked, I say, by the omissions.
posted by mule98J at 9:02 AM on October 15, 2023

There are 50 women on the list (20%), in the top 100 theres a remarkably consistent one in 10 allocation to women. Also how did they manage to forget about Wendy Melvoin?

249 - Brittany Howard
242 - Lindsey Jordan
240 - Erin Smith
239 - Duane Eddy
237 - Jennifer Batten
235 - Laura Marling
233 - H.E.R.
231 - Etta Baker
229 - Barbara Lynn
226 - El Kempner
222 - Molly Tuttle
220 - Courtney Barnett
218 - Lzzy Hale
214 - Keiji Haino
213 - Lucy Dacus
210 - Kaki King
192 - Lita Ford
188 - Marnie Stern
185 - Peggy Jones
181 - Larissa Strickland
177 - Rodrigo y Gabriela
176 - Sadie Dupuis
172 - Chrissie Hynde
169 - Jessie Mae Hemphill
165 - Rokia Traoré
162 - Rosinha de Valença
160 - Kim and Kelley Deal
152 - Ani DiFranco
150 - Marissa Paternoster
147 - Memphis Minnie
144 - Odetta
137 - Liz Phair
129 - Nita Strauss
126 - Kim Thayil
125 - Viv Albertine
119 - Donita Sparks
116 - Ana da Silva
111 - Kelley Johnson
103 - Nancy Wilson
95 - Mary Timony
92 - Wata
87 - Poison Ivy
76 - Joan Jett
64 - Carrie Brownstein
54 - Bonnie Raitt
49 - PJ Harvey
36 - Elizabeth Cotten
26 - St. Vincent
17 - Mother Maybelle Carter
9 - Joni Mitchell
posted by Lanark at 9:15 AM on October 15, 2023 [3 favorites]

Kim Thayil is a man.
posted by Selena777 at 9:18 AM on October 15, 2023 [1 favorite]

Kim and Kelley Deal are two people :)
posted by box at 10:44 AM on October 15, 2023

I think Nile Rodgers was a great guitarist - go watch some instructional videos by him - he was playing jazz chordings with Chic, which was a musical format that didn't require nor deserve that kind of playing.

Contrast that with me being able to play every Rolling Stone song I can stand to listen to, and a School of Rock band of 12 year olds covering the Ozzy/Sabbath oeuvre quite competently at some event I went to a few days ago. Being able to do that doesn't require jazz chord shapes.

The only guitarists I would add are:
Rev Horton Heat - Slingshot

and Bill Kirchen of Commander Cody Hot Rod Lincoln fame. Here's him ripping through the riffs of every huge act of the 1960s in a live show, including more than a few on this list, while also singing, giving a rock n' roll history lesson, and being occasionally funny.
posted by The_Vegetables at 10:50 AM on October 15, 2023

Thanks for posting the full list, The Tensor!

A bit late to this, but agreed that Mark Knopfler is too low. Have him swap spots with John Frusciante.

I think the best guitarist on this list that I've seen live is Nels Cline. Was close to the stage and his slide slipped off and hit me on the face. He was as apologetic as he could be about it mid-set. Cool guy, and a great guitarist, of course.

But if the list doesn't have Jan Akkerman on it, it's a bunch off bullshit. As usual these lists focus mainly on people from the US and the UK.

I'm already prepared to be upset when they do the vocalist version and leave off Maki Nomiya.

Wait ‘til you see my new piece on the 7,212 Best Bassists.

Mike Watt in the Top 1,500, yes?
posted by May Kasahara at 10:52 AM on October 15, 2023

Also missing is Michael Houser, who though not that influential (I guess) certainly had his own sound, started his own band, and could play.
posted by Snowishberlin at 11:00 AM on October 15, 2023

My main reaction to this is, wow I call myself a guitarist, but there is SO MUCH music I've never heard, and so much I never will hear. I don't think I've got enough hours left in my life even for all the music on my own hard drive. But I'm definitely gonna spend some time listening to stuff on this list.

Sure it's easy to have a favorite guitarist and say HEY WHAT ABOUT...but any list I'd make would be laughably less complete and comprehensive.

Also, seeing who everybody else says HEY WHAT ABOUT...is 2/3 the value of lists like these, so keep 'em coming, everybody. I'd vote for Tom Scholz, Ty Tabor, Andrew York, but have no suggestions of who to boot to make space for them. Was really glad to see Rodrigio y Gabriella on the list.
posted by straight at 12:01 PM on October 15, 2023 [3 favorites]

They might have found room for Akira Takasaki.
posted by Cardinal Fang at 12:16 PM on October 15, 2023

𝕚 𝕒𝕞 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕘𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕘𝕦𝕚𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖.
posted by bombastic lowercase pronouncements at 12:19 PM on October 15, 2023 [2 favorites]

> 𝕚 𝕒𝕞 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕘𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕘𝕦𝕚𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖.

I guess I'm not, but I'm definitely in the top-5000000000 of the world's greatest guitar players.
posted by farlukar at 12:30 PM on October 15, 2023 [1 favorite]

No Leo Kottke? No classical guitarists? No Roy Clark?
posted by kinnakeet at 3:02 PM on October 15, 2023 [1 favorite]

Kim and Kelley Deal are two people :)

So are Rodrigo y Gabriela. I hate to wonder how much of this was chatgpt but I sure am wondering.
posted by restless_nomad at 5:53 PM on October 15, 2023

... [Nile Rodgers] he was playing jazz chordings with Chic, which was a musical format that didn't require nor deserve that kind of playing.

Exsqueeze me but says who? The tightest rhythm section ever in rock 'n' roll as defined above by Trolling Stone is a format not requiring nor deserving that kind of playing? Is this coming from the lame ass 1980s disco record bonfire burner point of view? Which format again? Stone ass penthouse funk that has never been bested? Bernard Edwards, Tony Thompson and Nile Rodgers were the apex rhythm section of 90s R'n'B for as long as Edwards lived. No one was ever more supple or filigreed tighter. That's a musical format not requiring or deserving that kind of playing? Oh, puh-leeze...
posted by y2karl at 5:54 PM on October 15, 2023 [6 favorites]

What no Billy Zoom?!?
Doug Martsch should also be up there.
posted by whuppy at 6:12 PM on October 15, 2023 [1 favorite]

See also these examples of a musical format that didn't require nor deserve that kind of playing.

Chic -- Good Times

Chic -- I Want Your Love

Chic -- Hangin'

Chic - Just Out of Reach

Chic -- Believer

Chic -- City Lights
posted by y2karl at 6:40 PM on October 15, 2023 [3 favorites]

That's a musical format not requiring or deserving that kind of playing?

the thing that kills me about this is james brown's guitarists and parliament/funkadelic used the same kind of jazz chords that nile did - why? - because 9ths, 6/9ths and 7-5s and other things are a basic part of funk music - in fact, it IS required
posted by pyramid termite at 6:45 PM on October 15, 2023 [5 favorites]

restless nomad, that's a deliberate choice:

"Many great guitarists realized their genius as part of a duo, so Kim and Kelley Deal of the Breeders, Adrian Smith and Dave Murray of Iron Maiden, and other symbiotic pairs share an entry".
posted by Pink Frost at 6:52 PM on October 15, 2023

Also if you think you don't like this list, spare a thought for how pissed off Mark Kozelek must be at all the people who made this list when he didn't, most notably Nels Cline.
posted by Pink Frost at 6:53 PM on October 15, 2023

Also, regarding a musical format not requiring or deserving that kind of playing, see

Bernard Edwards - Glad to Be Here
posted by y2karl at 7:05 PM on October 15, 2023

no Michael Karoli,
no Michael Rother,
no Manuel Göttsching
posted by philip-random at 7:33 PM on October 15, 2023 [1 favorite]

That's a musical format not requiring or deserving that kind of playing?

Seriously, Nile Rodgers is a great choice if you want to make a point of recognizing the importance of rhythm guitar. Though he generally does get his due these days.

because 9ths, 6/9ths and 7-5s and other things are a basic part of funk music - in fact, it IS required

Funk songs don’t necessarily have complex chord progressions in the traditional sense, but extensions and “jazz chords,” absolutely.
posted by atoxyl at 8:11 PM on October 15, 2023 [2 favorites]

Decided I'm all in favour of this terrible/wonderful list, pagination aside (thanks The Tensor). 250 is pretty arbitrary as are the rankings, but interesting to see ppl named and summarised whose work I know from their music but couldn't even begin to guess at even from songs/bands familiar to me. Not to mention others who aren't remotely likely to ping my radar. Proper tickled to see Justin Broadrick of Godflesh in there and reckon my future contains moments of "Why does that name ring a bell?" for some other guitarists mentioned

Secondary benefit is using this article as the basis for a question for my friends in our casual lockdown quiz nostalgia WhatsApp group. Will inevitably share the link once all the answers are in, so well done you Rolling Stone. Engagement, eyeballs, everybody wins! Cheers for sharing pyramid termite
posted by I'm always feeling, Blue at 1:04 AM on October 16, 2023 [1 favorite]

No Jandek or Dot Wiggin??? (But seriously... no Nick Drake?)
posted by AJaffe at 10:09 AM on October 16, 2023 [2 favorites]

No Norman Blake?
No David Rawlings?
No Tony Rice?
No DOC WATSON?

Really what is this list anyway
posted by bgribble at 10:47 AM on October 16, 2023 [2 favorites]

Clickbait. Like every Rolling Stone article.
posted by downtohisturtles at 12:21 PM on October 16, 2023 [2 favorites]

Out of 250 entries, I counted 3 that showed up on the scene during the current century. Rolling Stone continues to be the official magazine of being lectured by your dad about how the entire current musical landscape is universally and ungratefully derivative of the bands he listened to in high school.
posted by churl at 4:12 PM on October 16, 2023 [1 favorite]

almost certainly the best guitarist in my neighborhood

This is the only thing I want to see out of Rolling Stone from now on. The Best Guitarists From The 50576 Zip Code. The All-Time Greatest Guitar Gods Living In The Catchment Area Of Your Son's School. Why You Should Know These 10 Amazing Gitbox Legends Who Have Been To That Weird Arby's On Spring Street.
posted by Ten Cold Hot Dogs at 2:47 AM on October 17, 2023

Plenty to quibble with but I *am* very pleased to see Mdou Moctar and Tom Verlaine made the list (and in the top 100!).
posted by deadbilly at 4:53 PM on October 17, 2023

No Tony Rice?
posted by Ignatius J. Reilly at 6:59 AM on October 18, 2023

Tom Verlaine made the list

Except that, despite including other famous duos as duos, they have him by himself, omitting Richard Lloyd (who if I had to pick, is the better guitarist of the two, but a combined listing would be an easy choice to be fair to both of them). I didn’t catch this before and now I’m mad!
posted by atoxyl at 8:58 PM on October 18, 2023

(Okay, you could make the case on solo material maybe except that if anything they are downplaying Verlaine’s post-Television career and, well, as far as I can tell Lloyd played a bunch of the coolest bits in Television)

But then that leads me to noticing that they have Kerry King with Jeff Hanneman mentioned as “co-guitarist?” What a rookie mistake. Gushing about riffs any Slayer fan could tell you the other guy wrote.
posted by atoxyl at 9:25 PM on October 18, 2023

“Rolling Stones' Idiotic Top 250 Guitar Players List” [6:26]—Rick Beato, 24 October 2023

“As a matter of fact, I have a video that I have on my phone that I watch at least once every couple of months of George Benson improvising. Just to remind myself how great somebody could be at the guitar.”

posted by ob1quixote at 4:38 PM on October 24, 2023 [1 favorite]

Mod note: Comment removed for repeating the link to the Rick Beato YouTube .
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 7:36 AM on October 25, 2023