Top 50 Rock Guitarists of All Time (According to Me)

Last Updated on January 1, 2026 by Christian Adams

I haven’t picked up or played a guitar in several years, but my perception of great guitar playing is tainted by 40 years of learning the instrument. So, I think of “the best rock guitarists” in terms of how they shaped and informed my playing, not necessarily the best guitar player, technically and/or otherwise. Guitarists are like beautiful sunsets. How can you say one is better than the other? I might have the answer.

It takes hard work and dedication, but if you’re organized, you can scroll through the sunsets and find the ones that mean something. In this case, I’ve categorized my favorites by their influence on my learning curve. Many of the so-called “guitar heroes” won’t appear on the list, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t good, or that I think they suck. I don’t. They were beautiful sunsets, too.

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Top Rock Guitarists (According to Me)

Most Influential

Eddie Van Halen

I was a fairly accomplished 10-year-old drummer in 1978 when I heard Van Halen’s debut album. The cornerstone of my existence was the Pioneer AM/FM turntable and cassette player in my bedroom. I listened to rock music all day, every day, so I heard Hendrix, Clapton, Page, Beck, et al., and none of them inspired me to drop the sticks and pick up a guitar. And, ironically, I had access to a really nice Brazilian acoustic guitar.

EVH was something different, man, and if you think it’s all about the guitar pyrotechnics and gymnastic harmonics, you’re missing the underlying composition of his genius. He made me want to play guitar. Like two million other dummies, I heard “Eruption/You Really Got Me” and said, “I wanna do THAT!”

Wanting to play guitar because of Eddie Van Halen and wanting to play guitar like Eddie Van Halen are two different things, and that’s the first thing I learned about playing guitar.

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Alex Lifeson

Lifeson’s performance on “The Spirit of Radio” was the second milestone on my journey to learn guitar. The verse riff is the first thing I ever learned to play, and the opening arpeggio is one of the first really difficult riffs I taught myself to play by ear. I could plunk along with 95 percent of the rhythm parts within a year of picking up the guitar. And if I ever get around to making a list of favorite guitar solos, this one is near the top of the list.

I linked to a live version from 2006 because it’s phenomenal.

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George Harrison, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney

There’s some fantastic guitar work on every Beatles album, but I got a hold of Revolver (1966) very early in the game, and they blew my mind with “Taxman”, “She Said She Said”, “And Your Bird Can Sing”, “Doctor Robert”, “I Want to Tell You”, and of course, “Tomorrow Never Knows”.

The Beatles were fundamental in my early development, as I learned all the chord shapes from The Beatles Complete Easy Guitar by Hal Leonard.

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Paul Simon

Paul Simon is still one of the most underrated fingerstyle guitar players and guitar players in general. His work on Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970) was deeply influential on many levels.

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Leo Kottke

When I showed interest in playing guitar, my Uncle Jim gave me a copy of Leo Kottke’s 6- & 12-String Guitar (1969), and that shit sailed over my head. Until a few years later, when I listened again, and yeah, I got it now. But it makes me somewhat nostalgic that people used to sit around in the ’70s and listen to avant-garde instrumental music for fun.

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Malcolm and Angus Young

Long before Back In Black (1980) came out, I remember hearing “T.N.T” on the radio late one night and thinking, Yikes! These guys are not fuckin’ around!

There never has been and will never be a better twin-guitar attack in rock music.

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Rick Nielsen

Cheap Trick at Budokan (1978) changed my life in several ways, but in terms of learning guitar, I quickly realized that I’d be a lot better off trying to play like Rick Nielsen instead of Eddie Van Halen. The live version of “I Want You to Want Me” was a huge game-changing moment.

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Steve Jones

I spent hours and hours playing along to Never Mind the Bollocks (1977), and got so chuffed after nailing the intro to “Bodies”!

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Robert Smith

My friends and I played “A Forest” at our high school talent show in 1986.

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Matthew Ashman (Adam & the Ants, Bow Wow Wow)

I didn’t appreciate Ashman’s guitar work on Dirk Wears White Sox (1979) until the late 1980s and started playing shows with my band. [The video is from the 1983 reissue, which sounds quite a bit better than the 1979 Do It! pressing.]

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Robbie Kreiger

I was obsessed with The Doors for a while, so I learned a lot of Robbie’s licks on the nylon string guitar. His playing on “The End” is sublime.

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East Bay Ray (Dead Kennedys)

I didn’t give a shit about surf music until Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (1980).

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Peter Buck

I’m genuinely surprised to see him this high on the list, but if I’m being honest, I learned to play dozens of R.E.M. songs before most of the others on this list.

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John McGeoch

I’ll take those three Siouxsie & the Banshees records—Kaleidoscope (1980), Juju (1981), and A Kiss in the Dreamhouse (1982)—over just about any other post-punk outfit.

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Johnny Marr

Like EVH, I admired Marr’s work in the Smiths from a distance, inspired by some of his delicate arpeggios and clever indie rock riffage. Here’s my favorite:

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Pete Townshend

I remember reading somewhere that Pete Townshend considered himself “a songwriter who plays guitar” as opposed to “a proper guitarist” like Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix. He’s playing some pretty damn good guitar on this cut.

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Randy Rhoads

We only had him for two records with Ozzy, but man, those are two great albums. And fuck what people say about Randy stealing from EVH.

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Joe Strummer and Mick Jones

“Death or Glory” from London Calling (1979). I think Strummer and Jones are the second-best guitar tandem of all time.

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Marco Pirroni

One of my very first bands used to play “Dog Eat Dog” at almost every practice.

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Dave Navarro

I’ll listen to anything Dave Navarro does, and I loved Nothing’s Shocking (1988), but his playing on “Stop!” and the rest of Ritual de lo Habitual (1990) destroyed my ego as a guitar player.

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Bill Dolan (5ive Style, Heroic Doses)

Hearing Bill Dolan play guitar for the first time was another ego-busting moment. Read the story here.

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Ed Crawford (fIREHOSE)

I wonder in amazement at the kind of courage and passion that inspired Ed Crawford to show up on Mike Watt’s doorstep in San Pedro, California, and beg him to jam together.

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Steven Stills

I wasn’t thrilled with the three-part vocal harmonies of Crosby, Stills, Nash and/or Young, but Steven Stills played so tastefully and wrote memorable hooks like “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes”.

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John Ashton (Psychedelic Furs)

Criminally underappreciated post-punk genius. “Only You and I” from Forever Now (1982).

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Brian May

The guitar only appears in the last 30 seconds of “We Will Rock You”, but it’s one of the most dramatic and memorable leads I’ve ever heard.

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Joe Walsh

For a while in my teens, I was fascinated with learning all the rhythm guitar parts of “Life’s Been Good”, which is no easy task on a nylon-string classical.

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Andy Gill (Gang of Four)

Gill’s angular, slashing style was massively influential on my early rhythm development.

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Jimmy Page

Look, I’ve played more than my share of Zeppelin covers and learned many hot licks. Page might be the best hard rock guitar player of all time. However, his folkier acoustic stuff is what really knocked me out. Gun to my head, “Friends” is my favorite Zeppelin song and Jimmy Page moment on guitar.

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Bob Mould

I cribbed so many open-string licks from Bob Mould.

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Andy Summers

I didn’t realize how much influence Summers had on my playing until much later in life, when it occurred to me that the best song on every Police record was the Andy Summers track. And I laughed because Andy Summers must be my favorite songwriter in the Police!

• “Be My Girl – Sally” (Outlandos d’ Amour)
• “Deathwish” (Regatta de Blanc)
• “Behind My Camel” (Zenyatta Mondatta)
• “Omegaman” (Ghost in the Machine)
• “Mother” (Synchronicity)

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Steve Howe

For many years, I thought Steve Howe was the complete guitarist. I still do.

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Good at What They Do

Jimi Hendrix

His songwriting and guitar tones are sooo much more interesting than his soloing.

Allan Holdsworth

It’s nice to know somebody can do that shit on guitar.

Jack White

He’s got a few catchy riffs. Mad respect for his success.

John Fahey

In the mid-2000s, I went on a John Fahey binge, listening to him day and night. It occurred to me why nobody else was making records like this.

Steve Vai

His work on the first two David Lee Roth albums is the only reason I have time for this dude.

Jerry Garcia

Jerry Garcia invented guitar noodling, but once in a blue moon, he’d play something that made me think, Wow, that’s pretty cool! How did he do that?

Joe Perry

Some undeniable riffs and jams. Love the note choices in some of his solos, especially “Walk This Way”.

Tony Iommi

I love Black Sabbath, so Iommi had an indirect impact on my playing. His tone and style were untouchable. We’d cover “Sweet Leaf” or “Paranoid” for a laugh.

Keith Richards

He’s alright. “Gimme Shelter” and the intro of “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” are great. My teenage cover band used to crucify “Paint It Black” every so often.

Tom Scholz

The first Boston record is phenomenal. They lost me about halfway through Don’t Look Back (1979).

Frank Zappa

I like the parts when he’s not soloing.

Robbie Robertson

A classy player. Just didn’t really matter much to me.

Brian Setzer

Love me some “Stray Cat Strut”. Setzer was my bridge to learning some country and rockabilly styles.

Lindsey Buckingham

Always held him in high esteem. The guitar work on “Rhiannon” is so smooth and efficient.

The Edge

I didn’t own a delay pedal until I was 27 years old.

Billy Gibbons

This is about as close as I get to liking blues music.

John McLaughlin

Amazing when he’s not soloing. Insufferable when he is.

Adrian Belew

An inventive stylist.

Robert Fripp

Fewer players make it a challenge to appreciate their work.

P.J. Harvey

The way she plays is what matters.

St. Vincent

One of the few technically proficient guitarists of the last 20 years who isn’t obnoxious about it.

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Overall Great Players (Briefly)

Andy Partridge

“Dear God”

Alex Chilton

“In the Street”

Kevin Shields

“Only Shallow”

Chris Cornell

“The Day I Tried to Live”

Dr. Know (Bad Brains)

“Intro”

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Overrated

***Please note: I respect the following musicians for their talents and accomplishments.***

Eric Clapton

I can’t be the only one who thinks the solos on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” are atrocious.

Prince

He might be the greatest rock and R&B crossover performer and songwriter, but he’s not doing anything special on guitar—except for the fact that he’s doing it with choreography and pitch-perfect vocals.

Duane Allman

Do you know how easy it is to play slide guitar? It’s like the Nerf basketball of guitar. I could teach a hamster to play slide guitar.

Ritchie Blackmore

Few guitarists played more notes without saying less than Ritchie Blackmore.

Joni Mitchell

I think most of those 1960s and ’70s rock dudes who talked about Joni Mitchell just wanted to bang her. Otherwise, her music and guitar playing is negligible, at best.

Slash

I don’t think I’ve ever been more disappointed in a guitar player. There was so much potential on that first album. He can play, man. Like, Mark Knopfler. Chops-aplenty! And what? Velvet Revolver?

Tom Morello

“Killing in the Name Of” is pretty cool, though. Can we get more of that?

Jeff Beck

Everybody talks about his tone. Nobody talks about his lack of memorable hooks.

Neil Young

Great songwriter, but a hack on electric guitar. Don’t give me that “he plays with feeling bullshit” when I can see he’s wearing cocaine mittens from here.

J. Mascis

I’m not very good at this, so let me turn my amp all the way up.

David Gilmour

It’s humbling to appreciate how wealthy one can get from learning and playing just the pentatonic scale.

Stevie Ray Vaughan

The first good Hendrix impersonator.

Carlos Santana

Thinking back to that picture of me at 5 years old, rifling through my dad’s vinyl collection, one of the first records I remember hearing is Santana III (1971), and hating it, but I didn’t know why. Many years later, I realized, “Oh, he’s just doing B.B. King.”

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I hope you enjoyed my reviews of the top rock guitarists of all time. Please drop me a note in the comments!