We all love a great song that has instrumentals that make us want to melt. Most of the time, it is the lead guitar that really captures us and makes us lose ourselves into the rhythm of the music.
Some guitarists, however, are not equal to others. So, below, we have ranked 33 of the best guitarists of all-time. Take a look at whom we’ve got and see whether you agree or disagree.
1. Jeff Beck
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After making his very own guitar when he was younger, Jeff Beck went on to amaze the world with what he could make a regular guitar sound like and do. In the late 1960s, Jeff formed the Jeff Beck Group and released albums such as Rough and Ready, Truth, and Blow by Blow. Between 1990 and 2000, Jeff settled down into producing albums and released many outstanding albums. Then, in 2016, he came to the forefront again by releasing a new album entitled Loud Hailer.
2. Steve Vai
Playing with such artists as Alcatrazz, Ozzie Ozbourne, and Frank Zappa, Steve Vai has a long list of guitarist accomplishments. After going solo in 1989, Steve released his debut album called Passion and Warfare. Since then, Steve has produced more albums, played in orchestras around the world, composed scores of soundtracks, done recording for video games, and even acted in several movies!
3. Jimi Hendrix
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Jimi Hendrix became a household name for his ability to go insane on a guitar. After keeping under the radar for many years, Jimi finally formed his own band in 1966—the Jimi Hendrix Experience. This band redefined what music was supposed to be with Jimi’s ridiculous guitar solos and riffs. He was quickly recognized as possibly the greatest guitarist of all time, and the only reason he is not number one on this list is due to the young age he died at.
4. Joe Satriani
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Joe Satriani started off as a simple guitar teacher from the 1970s who had a knack for reading and writing music. Eventually, he went into a solo career where he is considered one of the fastest moving guitarists around today. He debuted in 1987 with release of his album Alien. Many years later he is still at it with his latest album—titled What Happens Next—being released in 2018.
5. Eric Clapton
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Eric Clapton is known and loved around the world. You will be hard-pressed to find somebody that he has not played alongside. In 1985 he performed alongside the greats at the World Aid concert after joining the group Cream in 1966. He is probably most known for his record-breaking hits such as Cocaine, and I Shot the Sherriff. He is a master of amazing rifts and can easily take on any competition.
6. Jimmy Page
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Jimmy Page may be slightly unheard of before the 1960s where he joined Led Zeppelin. Quickly proving that he is one of the greats when it comes to rift writing, Jimmy spent years with the band—who considered one of the best bands in history. His time with the band gave him the chance to prove himself in a variety of genres ranging from blues to classical and everything in between.
7. Eddie Van Halen
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This list would be incomplete without Eddie Van Halen appearing on it. Initially trained as a classical pianist, Eddie soon gave birth to the foot-tapping guitar style that encouraged hard rock. His work on the fretboard is legendary, and he is an easy contender for the title of one of the fastest guitar players of all time. He held the limelight for around 30 years spanning from the ’70s all the way till the ’90s.
8. Stevie Ray Vaughan
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Stevie Ray Vaughan began his career as a blues guitarist who would occasionally venture into rock. He had a liking for Jimi Hendrix and began to use Jimi as his role model in developing his music—which is clear from his single Voodoo Child. He is known for his abilities on a guitar and is one of the few people that went as far as playing hid guitar behind his head while on stage.
9. Carlos Santana
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Carlos Santana, better known by his last name only, has been a well-known name all the way into the 21st century. Thanks to his lead position in the band that shares his name—Santana—his music carries a Latin flavor and his new take on rock took the world by storm. He is known to have teamed up with many others, such as Neal Schon, to deliver exciting music.
10. John McLaughlin
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John McLaughlin is best known for his variety. He is one of the guitarists that has mastered almost every genre and can easily switch from jazz and blues to rock. He has also been given credit by Frank Zappa for being one of the quickest playing guitarists around. In 2018, John is still at it with the release of his new album titled Miles Beyond.
11. David Gilmour
David Gilmour rose to fame when he joined the popular band Pink Floyd. Known for not just his work on a guitar, but also as a singer and songwriter, David helped the band rocket to the international fame they enjoy today. David is also skilled in a number of different instruments, including the keyboard, drums, and bass.12. Brian May
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One of the most popular guitarists around thanks to his contribution to the band Queen, Brian May handmade his first ever guitar. He set the tone for rock with his playing in the many hits released by Queen, most notably in their smash hit Bohemian Rhapsody. Brian is not just all music, however, having also gained a Ph.D. in astrophysics in 2007.
13. Eric Johnson
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Eric Johnson became a professional musician at the young age of 15. Since then, he has alternated between guest appearances and a solo career. He is a master of the guitar and is happy to show this with great hits such as Cliffs of Dover, released in 1991. To date, Eric still continues his solo career with his latest album—Europe Live—being released in 2014.
14. Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa is known by many as much more than a simple guitarist. His career includes composing, producing, singing, and many other jobs in the industry. He is also one of the best-known mentors for other guitarists. After his debut album—Freak Out!—in 1965, he became known quickly for his speed on the guitar and his radical lyrics and thought patterns.
15. Al Di Meola
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AL Di Meola came onto the scene thanks to his ability to play almost any genre of guitar, whether jazz, blues, or rock. He spent most of his time in a solo career but did occasionally team up with others—such as John McLaughlin—to produce albums that have been said to be critical events in the guitar universe. Al has been ridiculed for sometimes playing too many notes thanks to his incredible speed and ability.
16. Robben Ford
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Robben Ford began his career at the age of 18 when he started playing the blues with Charlie Musselwhite. After this, Robben played with many other artists, including Kiss and George Harrison. Between all these appearances Robben held a successful solo career that included many solo albums. In 2018, he released yet another solo album entitled Purple House.
17. Yngwie Malmsteen
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After forming his first band at the incredible age of 10, Yngwie Malmsteen later became a member of Alcatrazz and Steeler. He went on to launch a solo career with his first album—Rising Force—being released in 1984. He is said to be able to match almost any other guitarist and stands out for his skill and precision.
18. Angus Young
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Known internationally as one of the founding members of AC/DC, Angus Young also happens to be the only member of the band that has never left. Angus is known for his insane guitar shredding and seems to go through guitars relatively quickly due to the pressure that they endure when he plays them. While he has been criticized for playing simple chords, Angus is still easily one of the best.
19. George Harrison
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George Harrison is famous for his position in the internationally acclaimed band the Beetles. While he never had long guitar solos, his short and powerful solos made him stand out from the crowd. Aside from his time with the Beetles, George also had an incredible solo career that consisted of 12 albums.
20. Kirk Hammet
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Kirk Hammet joined the iconic heavy metal band Metallica in 1983. He soon became the primary rift writer for most of their songs and helped propel the band to the top of the charts. Even though he spent most of his time playing heavy metal, he was also accomplished in other genres such as blues and jazz.
21. Keith Richards
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Keith Richards rose to fame as the lead guitarist for the Rolling Stones. During his time with the band, Keith was also involved in singing and songwriting. He has an astounding collection of around 3,000 guitars and is known for his amazing rifts in almost all songs released by the Stones. Since the new century began, he has played in numerous tribute concerts.
22. Pete Townshend
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Pete Townshend is most known for his position as lead guitarist of The Who. He began his career in 1961 and soon became known for his stage antics and acrobatics while playing on his guitar. He also had an impressive solo career in which he produced a number of solo albums. Today, he still occasionally records with his partner from the Who, Roger Daltrey.
23. Johnny Winter
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Johnny Winter received his first signing after being spotted by a representative from Columbia Records in 1968. After that, he released many albums—mostly alongside his brother Edgar. Johnny was great at playing almost anything on the guitar and was compared to some of the greats such as Clapton, Page, and Hendrix. His career included multiple showings including a performance at Woodstock.
24. Tony Iommi
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Tony is known as one of the founders of the iconic heavy metal band Black Sabbath. At a young age, Tony injured his hand and had to find a new way of shredding the guitar using thimbles and by lowering the tuning on his guitars. He is known as one of the biggest assets of Black Sabbath and is credited as one of the founders of heavy metal as it is today.
25. Prince
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Prince became a household name at a very young age. Gifted in guitar as well as many other instruments, he secured a recording deal at the young age of 17. During his lifetime, he produced an astonishing 40 albums and spent many weeks at the top of the chards. He was also known as a sex symbol alongside the likes of David Bowie and Jimi Hendrix.
26. Jerry Garcia
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Jerry Garcia had a long career from 1965 to 1995 when he was the lead guitarist in the band Grateful Dead. He had a unique style, which was copied regularly, and often performed as a guest guitarist. He has over 255 guitars and is known for never using a whammy bar.
27. Billy Gibbons
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Billy Gibbons is known for starting the group ZZ Top in 1969. Having opened for the Jimi Hendrix Experience almost five times, ZZ Top rocketed to fame after their first album was released in 1971. Since then, Billy has played with almost every name in the business and is still working as a solo artist with his latest release being titled Big Bad Blues, released in 2018.
28. Larry Carlton
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Larry Carlton has had an amazing solo career aside from appearing as a studio musician on over 100 albums. He is also played for countless movies and TV series. He began playing guitar at the age of six and is known for his ability to play any genre that is required. This includes jazz, country, blues, or rock.
29. Chuck Berry
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Chuck Berry may not be known as the greatest guitarist of all time, but he is most certainly the most influential. After single-handedly inventing rock ‘n roll, Chuck went on to inspire countless others from the ’50s all the way into the ’70s. The fact that he himself could also rock out on a guitar without much effort didn’t hurt.
30. The Edge
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While David Howell Evans may not be known by everybody, his stage persona ‘The Edge’ certainly is. Most known for his position as lead guitarist in the Irish band U2, The Edge is known for constantly switching out his performance guitars during concerts. When asked about his ability to nail it on a guitar, Evans replied that ‘he is a musician.’ He firmly believes that guitar is just one of the things he can do musically and that he should not be defined by just that.
31. Bonnie Raitt
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Bonnie Raitt is one of the few female guitarists that manage to crawl into the spotlight. She did not manage to find fame until 1980 where when she released her hit Nick of Time. She is experienced in almost every genre and is well known for her rifts—which cumulate to include everything that you would expect out of American blues.
32. Buddy Guy
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Buddy Guy became known thanks to his contribution to the blues—particularly the blues revolution that took place in the 1980s and ’90s. Initially, Buddy was noticed by young UK guitarists and was even once called “the best guitar player alive” by a young Eric Clapton. Buddy also happens to own a blue’s hangout spot in Chicago.
33. Ritchie Blackmore
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Ritchie Blackmore may not be well known for it, but he started his career as one of the founding members of Deep Purple. People began to notice him relatively quickly thanks to his contribution to the bands hit Smoke on the Water. In 1968, Ritchie left the band and formed the band Rainbow. The band has seen many member changes but still continues into the current day. Ritchie, however, prefers the quiet life and only plays small gigs.
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