Top 10 Guitarists of All Time

You will notice that there are several reasons that why a particular guitarist becomes famous or successful, and eventually included in every top 10 guitarists list or poll. One important parameter, that I have taken into consideration while making this list, is the contributions of the guitarist to the world of music. You will notice that the following 'top 10 guitarist of all time list' contains some names that you may not have ever heard of. These guitarists are great contributors and innovators of music. You might come across some lists such as 'top 10 guitarists alive' or 'top 10 guitarists of the decade'. Such lists are basically chronological elaborations of guitarists who have good public appeal.

The reason that this list is different is that the names are not arranged in any specific chronology. Guitar playing being a musical skill, one cannot compare two playing styles as they belong to two different musicians. The influences from which a particular music playing style has been derived is also very different. The following list of musicians will certainly appeal to your ear. The list of 10 is followed by some honorary mentions of great guitarist.

Top 10 Guitarists of All Time

So, let's get rolling as aforementioned, the list does not have any chronology or sequence. So let's start with the godfather of all.

• Les Paul: Les Paul is often credited to be the person who made rock and roll possible. Les Paul was the inventor of the solid body electric guitar which is the basis of today's guitar manufacturing. In addition to that he developed some notable playing techniques such as lick, trill, chording and fretting.
• Steve Vai: Hearing and comprehending the music played by Steve Vai is a challenge in itself. Steve Vai is one of the most renowned innovators of several techniques. His guitar duel in the movie 'Crossroads' has earned him a cult following. Vai, apart from his solo albums has worked with major artists such as Alcatrazz, David Lee Roth, Whitesnake, Frank Zappa and many more.
• Joe Satriani: A reviver of instrumental rock , Joe Satriani is not just a guitarist. He is also the teacher of many, many really successful guitarist, Steve Vai, for that matter, is one of his oldest pupils. Satriani has been known for his superb fluid playing style and innovations such as shredding. The name itself is a synonym for dedication.
• Keith Richards: Back to the oldies, Keith Richards is not known for wild solos or guitar techniques. The reason that he is acclaimed to be such a great guitarist is due to his highly innovative style of rhythm playing.
• Carlos Santana: A highly acclaimed jazz musician and fusion composer, Santana is known for his dynamic and, at the same time, versatile jazz fusion compositions. He is a consistent Grammy award winner and is found on all lists of great guitarists.
• Jimmy Page: A legend and pioneer of the epic act Led Zeppelin, Page is a guitarist who has achieved world-wide fame as a result of his highly innovative playing style.
• Duane Allman: A formidable improviser and country musician, Duane Allman was known as highly expressive musician and slide guitarist. In a span of barely 10 years he built up the reputation for being probably the best country musician of his time.
• Eddie Van Halen: Furious speed combined with the calm of melody, Eddie Van Halen is a master of several modern guitar playing techniques such as tapping and intense soloing.
• Eric Clapton: The man who can touch hearts with music, Clapton has gained world-wide fame as an avid innovator of countless genres and sub-genres.
• Jimi Hendrix: One name that has to be, by default, in very list of guitarists is that of Jimi Hendrix. He is probably the most influential musicians of the century, who inspired the entire community of hard rock musicians.

Honorary Mentions

There are several names that can be included in the above top guitarist list, yet the guitarists, mentioned above, have achieved a large fan base. The following are some equally notable guitarists who belong to the community whose names might not be as popular. You can hear their music, which is equally enchanting.

• Robert Fripp
• Jeff Beck
• B.B. King
• David Gilmour
• Adrian Belew
• John Petrucci
• Eric Johnson
• Mike Rutherford
• Brian May
• Scotty Moore
• Bo Diddley
• Peter Frampton
• Mike Campbell
• Mark Knopfler
• Hank Marvin
• Slash
• Peter Green
• Chuck Berry
• Warren Haynes
• Dave Mustaine
• Paul Gilbert
• Kirk Hammett
• Ulrich Roth
• Michael Schenker
• Gary Hoey
• Billy Gibbons
• Tony MacAlpine
• Yngwie Malmsteen
• Kenny Wayne Shepherd
• Eric Sardinas
• George Lynch
• Herman Li

There might be several more additions to this list as there are plenty of guitarists whose talented melody has not reached the international stage.