Rolling Stone's 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time

I know what everyone says about these lists, but hey, they’re still fun to talk about.

Someone on another forum graciously took the time to type this list out and add context next to some of the names (credit here: Rolling Stone's "250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time!")

250 - Andy Summers (The Police)
249 - Brittany Howard (Alabama Shakes/Thunderbitch/solo)
248 - Robbie Kreiger (The Doors)
247 - Ricky Wilson (The B-52s)
246 - Paul Simon
245 - Leslie West (Mountain)
244- Edilio Paredes (from Dominican Republic, in the Bachata genre)
243 - Aaron Dessner and Bryce Dessner (from The National... + Bryce - Steve Reich, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Jonny Greenwood, and Kronos Quartet. Aaron - Taylor Swift)
242 - Lindsey Jordan (Snail Mail)
241 - Keith Urban
240 - Erin Smith (Bratmobile)
239 - Duane Eddy
238 - Doug Gillard (Guided by Voices/Cobra Verde/Death of Samantha/GEM)
237 - Jennifer Batten
236 - Greg Sage (The Wipers/solo)
235 - Laura Marling
234 - John McGeoch (Magazine/Siouxsie & The Banshees/PiL)
233 - H.E.R.
232 - David Williams (session player - Michael Jackson, Chaka Khan, Kenny Loggins)
231 - Etta Baker
230 - Gustavo Cerati (from Argentina... Soda Stereo/solo)
229 - Barbara Lynn ("You'll Lose a Good Thing")
228 - Steve Jones (Sex Pistols)
227 - Glenn Branca
226 - El Kempner (Palehound)
225 - Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith and Wayne Kramer (MC5)
224 - Marv Tarplin (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles/Smokey Robinson)
223 - Joseph Spence (from The Bahamas)
222 - Molly Tuttle
221 - James Blood Ulmer
220 - Courtney Barnett
219 - Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing (Judas Priest)
218 - Lzzy Hale (Halestorm)
217 - Thomas McClary (Ther Commodores)
216 - Steve Hackett (Genesis/solo)
215 - Kurt Vile
214 - Keiji Haino (from Japan - Aihiyo/solo)
213 - Lucy Dacus
212 - José Feliciano
211 - Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs)
210 - Kaki King
209 - Gary Clark Jr.
208 - Amadou Bagayoko (from Mali - Amadou and Mariam)
207 - Justin Broadrick (Godflesh)
206 - Hugh McCracken (session heavyweight - Steely Dan, Roberta Flack, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon)
205 - Eric Johnson
204 - Lynn Taitt (reggae/rocksetady session pioneer - Desmond Dekker)
203 - Grant Green
202 - Vince Gill
201 - Garry ‘Diaper Man’ Shider (Parliament/Funkadelic, Bootsy's Rubber Band)
200 - Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram
199 - Bombino (from Niger)
198 - Jerry Reed
197 - Nuno Bettencourt
196 - James Taylor
195 - Greg Ginn (Black Flag)
194 - Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham (Thin Lizzy)
193 - David Lindley (Jackson Browne/Linda Rondstadt/solo)
192 - Lita Ford
191 - Chalmers Edward ‘Spanky’ Alford (D'Angelo, Mary J. Blige, Total, Rapheal Saadique)
190 - Lightnin’ Hopkins
189 - Jerry Cantrell (Alice In Chains)
188 - Marnie Stern
187 - Marc Ribot
186 - Steve Lukather
185 - Peggy Jones ("Lady Bo")
184 - Eldon Shamblin (Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys)
183 - Roy Buchanan
182 - Earl ‘Chinna’ Smith (Bob Marley, Dennis Brown, Bunny Wailer, Sugar Minott, Jacob Miller, Black Uhuru, Mighty Diamonds, Augustus Pablo, Gregory Isaacs)
181 - Larissa Strickland (Laughing Hyenas)
180 - Mike Campbell (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers)
179 - Ernest Ranglin (ska/rocksteady/reggae pioneer)
178 - Skip James
177 - Rodrigo y Gabriela
176 - Sadie Dupuis (Speedy Ortiz)
175 - Rory Gallagher
174 - Marty Stuart
173 - Paul McCartney
172 - Chrissie Hynde
171 - D. Boon (The Minutemen)
170 - Phil Manzanera (Roxy Music)
169 - Jessie Mae Hemphill
168 - John Cipollina (Quicksilver Messenger Service)
167 - James Williamson (Iggy & The Stooges)
166 - Johnny Winter
165 - Rokia Traoré (from Mali)
164 - Dave Davies (The Kinks)
163 - Wah Wah Watson
162 - Rosinha de Valença (from Brazil)
161 - Tim Henson (Polyphia)
160 - Kim and Kelley Deal (The Breeders)
159 - John Lennon
158 - Johnny Thunders
157 - Pat Metheny
156 - Carl Perkins
155 - Yvette Young (Covet)
154 - Bill Frisell
153 - Otis Rush
152 - Ani DiFranco
151 - Pete Cosey (Miles Davis)
150 - Marissa Paternoster (Screaming Females/Noun)
149 - Ron Asheton (The Stooges)
148 - Ike Turner
147 - Memphis Minnie
146 - Mike Bloomfield
145 - Dickey Betts
144 - Odetta
143 - Ira Kaplan (Yo La Tengo)
142 - João Gilberto
141 - Fredrik Thordendal (Meshugga)
140 - Stephen Stills
139 - Susan Tedeschi
138 - Teenie Hodges (Al Green/Hi Rhythm Section)
137 - Liz Phair
136 - Joe Perry (Aerosmith)
135 - Roger McGuinn (The Byrds)
134 - Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü/Sugar/solo)
133 - Robert Cray
132 - Nils Lofgren
131 - Dimebag Darrell (Pantera/Damage Plan)
130 - Joe Walsh
129 - Nita Strauss (Alice Cooper/Demi Lovato)
128 - Bob Stinson (The Replacements)
127 - Steve Vai
126 - Kim Thayil (Soundgarden)
125 - Viv Albertine (The Slits)
124 - Mike McCready and Stone Gossard (Pearl Jam)
123 - Steve Howe (Yes, Asia)
122 - King Sunny Ade
121 - Dick Dale
120 - Warren Haynes (Gov't Mule/Allman Brothers)
119 - Donita Sparks (L7)
118 - Adrian Belew
117 - Albert Collins
116 - Ana da Silva
115 - Nels Cline
114 - Robert Quine (Richard Hell & The Voidoids/Lou Reed/Matthew Sweet)
113 - Allen Collins and Gary Rossington (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
112 - Rowland S. Howard (The Birthday Party/Crime And The City Solution/These Immortal Souls)
111 - Kelley Johnson (Girlschool)
110 - Lindsey Buckingham (Fleetwood Mac, solo)
109 - Mick Ronson (David Bowie, Spiders From Mars/Ian Hunter/solo)
108 - Merle Travis
107 - Clarence White (The Byrds)
106 - Peter Buck (R.E.M.)
105 - Slash
104 - Ali Farka Touré (from Mali)
103 - Nancy Wilson (Heart)
102 - Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top)
101 - John Fogerty
100 - Kerry King (Slayer)
99 - Tosin Abasi (Animals As Leaders)
98 - Link Wray
97 - Stephen Malkmus (Pavement/Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks)
96 - Mark Knopfler (Dire Strais/solo)
95 - Mary Timony (Helium/solo/Wild Flag/Ex Hex)
94 - Joe Satriani
93 - Leo Nocentelli (The Meters)
92 - Wata (Boris)
91 - Cat Coore (Third World)
90 - Mdou Moctar (from Niger)
89 - Lou Reed
88 - Kurt Cobain (Nirvana)
87 - Poison Ivy (The Cramps)
86 - Sonny Sharrock
85 - Larry Carlton
84 - Muddy Waters
83 - Adrian Smith and Dave Murray (Iron Maiden)
82 - Wes Montgomery
81 - Bert Jansch
80 - Derek Trucks (Tedeshi-Trucks Band/Allman Brothers)
79 - Ernie Isley (Isley Brothers)
78 - Charlie Christian
77 - Willie Nelson
76 - Joan Jett
75 - Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple/Rainbow)
74 - J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.)
73 - Hubert Sumlin (Howlin' Wolf)
72 - John McLaughlin (Mahavishnu Orchestra/Miles Davis)
71 - Franco Luambo (from Republic of the Cong/Zaire)
70 - Django Reinhardt
69 - Robbie Robertson (The Band)
68 - Les Paul
67 - Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine)
66 - Ry Cooder
65 - T-Bone Walker
64 - Carrie Brownstein (Sleeter-Kinney)
63 - Richard Thompson
62 - Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac)
61 - John Mayer
60 - Scotty Moore (Elvis Presley)
59 - Robert Fripp
58 - Alex Lifeson (Rush)
57 - Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth)
56 - Johnny Marr (The Smiths)
55 - Mick Taylor (The Rolling Stones)
54 - Bonnie Raitt
53 - Trey Anastasio (Phish)
52 - John Lee Hooker
51 - Tom Verlaine (Television/solo)
50 - Elmore James
49 - PJ Harvey
48 - Curtis Mayfield
47 - The Edge (U2)
46 - Frank Zappa
45 - Steve Cropper
44 - Johnny Ramone (The Ramones)
43 - Jonny Greenwood and Ed O’Brien (Radiohead)
42 - Vernon Reid (Living Color)
41 - Bo Diddley
40 - John Fahey
39 - Chet Atkins
38 - Angus Young and Malcolm Young (AC/DC)
37 - Pete Townshend (The Who)
36 - Elizabeth Cotten
35 - Eric Clapton (Bluesbreakers/Cream/Blind Faith/Derek & The Dominoes/solo/COVID-19)
34 - Jerry Garcia (Grateful Dead)
33 - Brian May (Queen)
32 - Jack White (White Stripes/solo)
31 - George Harrison
30 - Neil Young
29 - Eddie Hazel (Parliament/Funkadelic)
28 - David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)
27 - Buddy Guy
26 - St. Vincent
25 - John Frusciante
24 - James Burton (Ricky Nelson/Elvis/Emmylou Harris)
23 - James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett (Metallica)
22 - Albert King
21 - Randy Rhoads (Ozzy Osbourne)
20 - Stevie Ray Vaughan
19 - Freddy King
18 - Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine/Audioslave)
17 - Mother Maybelle Carter (Carter Family)
16 - Robert Johnson
15 - Keith Richards (The Rolling Stones)
14 - Prince
13 - Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath)
12 - Jimmy Nolen (James Brown)
11 - Carlos Santana
10 - Duane Allman (Allman Brothers/Derek and The Dominoes)
9 - Joni Mitchell
8 - B.B. King
7 - Nile Rodgers (Chic/Diana Ross/Sister Sledge/David Bowie)
6 - Sister Rosetta Tharpe
5 - Jeff Beck
4 - Eddie Van Halen
3 - Jimmy Page
2 - Chuck Berry
1 - Jimi Hendrix

 

There's a strange treatment of metal as a whole by that list. For instance, why would you give props to Kerry King but not Jeff Hannemann? Why is Meshuggah so low on the list despite basically normalizing extended range instruments in heavy music?

Also, unless I missed something, Tom Delonge is not on that list. Jokes aside, he is one of the most influential guitarists of the last 25 years.

 

On Slayer: It's odd because they even mention Hanneman's contributions in the blurb, so it does feel like it should have been shared credit.

On Delonge: I don't believe this is even close to true. If anything, his influence would be limited to a relatively small sub-genre of rock, and even then I'd argue the actual influence is from the band as a whole and not from his guitar playing in particular.

 

They are really running out of ideas aren't they

 

I'm not sure if relatively small is true, if you look at which rock acts actually did some numbers in the charts in the last 25 years.

That doesn't mean I want him on the list by the way. I don't care about that either way.

 

I don't know that this indicates scraping the bottom of the barrel. They could still rank bassists.

 

I mean, which rock acts would you say were heavily influenced by the guitar style of Tom Delonge?

 

To be clear, I agree with this:

I'm just disputing that their influence was on a relatively small sub-genre.

So really I agree that Tom's guitar playing alone isn't the thing that mattered.

 

Three (now four) posts by me about this already, well done RS, fuck you

 

I get that, and I haven't heard anything to convince me otherwise. Pop-punk in general is a small subgenre of rock, one that for sure is having a bit of a resurgence, but I wouldn't equate that with the level of influence that's currently being described.

 

Cool to see Lindsey Buckingham on there (and much deserved).

Re: Tom Delonge, as much of a blink fan as I am, I honestly don't think Tom should be on that list.

 

Most of my personal favorites were never going to make a Rolling Stone list, but it’s cool as hell to see Yvette Young on here.

 

Feels like a pretty terrible list

 

I think “rock” that has been commercially relevant in the last few years has been (bad) pop punk and pop punk-inspired pop, and the last time rock was truly huge was, like, Green Day in 2004? So again pop punk. So yes, rock is way, way bigger than pop punk, but in the last 20, 25 years pop punk-ish rock/pop has over-performing relative to that. Or no?

 

Mmm, I don't know if that's entirely accurate. Certainly there's been a movement, but I don't know if that's translated into sales, or even radio play. Artists have had singles, but not consistently.

And have that many artists holding that flag really broken out? I hate to bring up ATL or MGK, but besides them, who else from that scene with that sound has really taken off?

 

Olivia Rodrigo and Willow Smith? I’ve at least heard people make those connections

 

I haven't listened to Olivia Rodrigo and it's been a while since I heard Willow, but I feel like the latter has a more varied sound? Wiki mentions metal and grunge in her work too.

Which, fine, you don't necessarily have to sound like a band to be influenced by them, but then they're not really flying that flag, are they?

 

Yeah Willow varies per project l, but I feel like her biggest song was a pop punk song. Then again I don’t pay too much attention.

 

I feel like we're getting off course.

The main point I'm making is that calling Tom Delonge "one of the most influential guitarists in the last 25 years" is severely misrepresenting his impact.

This is not a knock on his talent or taking away what influence he has, but let's be realistic about it.

 

And Steve Jones from the Sex Pistols is somehow more influential? It's a dumb list.

 

I mean, the Sex Pistols were responsible for the entire punk movement in Europe, so yes? Why doesn't that make sense?

 

Kind of, but quite debatable, but that has very little to do with Steve Jones capability as a "guitarist". It has to do with the band as whole, Johnny Rotten's "charisma", the band's attitude and marketing (Malcolm McLaren). I will also point out that the Sex Pistols were themselves, derivative. They took a lot from the New York scene, starting with the New York Dolls and the Stooges and extending to the Ramones.

 

That's as may be, but they were still massively formative and influential to the UK punk scene, and that's not debatable.

The question was "Why is Steve Jones on the list when Tom Delonge isn't?" And there's the answer why.

I mean, if we want to say no one was influenced by Steve Jones specifically, we could do the same thing in reverse and say people were influenced by Blink the band and not Tom the guitarist.

It's logic that cuts both ways.

 

OK. As much as I love Carrie Brownstein, and I have a serious celebrity crush on her, and love Sleater-Kinney, there is no way I see her as a "better" (no matter how you define it) guitarist that a whole bunch of people listed below her, including Ry Cooder, Les Paul, Django Reinhardt, John McLaughlin, Ritchie Blackmore, Derek Trucks, Bert Jansch, Wes Montgomery, Muddy Waters, Larry Carlton, Joe Satriani, and Mark Knopfler, just to name a few. And at #64, there is a veritable ocean of ability, influence, knowledge and accomplishment between her and Richard Thompson at #63.
Just ridiculous.

 

The point is, Steve Jones DOESN'T belong on the list. It is the band (and Johnny Rotten) that had the influence much more than Steve Jones as a "guitarist" ever did and he was at best derivative (that's being generous). In terms of ability, he's lucky he could slam 3 chords together. He has no business being on this list in ANY position