The latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine has hit a newsstand near you, and much as they have with various "best of" lists in the past, the rag's editors have stirred up a bit of controversy of the issue's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" list. The spin on this list, however, as compared to similar previous efforts, is that all of the "best" instrumentalists were chosen by a voting panel of their peers.
What they got right: the list honors a number of blues music's most beloved artists, including B.B. King (#6), Albert King (#13), Freddie King (#15), Buddy Guy (#25), Elmore James (#30), John Lee Hooker (#33), Hubert Sumlin (#43), Muddy Waters (#49), Otis Rush (#53), Albert Collins (#56), T-Bone Walker (#67), and Delta blues legend Robert Johnson (#71). Glaring omissions from this list include the great "Magic" Sam Maghett, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, and Lightnin' Hopkins, to name but a few.
The list is also populated with a predictable number of blues-rock guitarists, from #1 Jimi Hendrix to Eric Clapton (#2), Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page (#3), the Rolling Stones' Keith Richards (#4), Jeff Beck (#5), Duane Allman (#9), Stevie Ray Vaughan (#12), Derek Trucks (#16), ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons (#32), Mick Taylor (#37), Michael Bloomfield (#42), Rory Gallagher (#57), Peter Green (#58), Johnny Winter (#63), and Leslie West (#66). So, blues-oriented guitarists represent slightly more than 25% of the "100 Greatest."
What they got wrong: too much, by the Reverend's estimation. The Ramones' Johnny Ramone (#28) above Elmore James and Billy Gibbons...puh-leaze! Ramone was influential, sure, but not one of the "greatest" by any stretch of the imagination. Ditto for Randy Rhoads, whose contributions to a pair of great Ozzy Osbourne solo albums shouldn't place him above Hubert Sumlin or Michael Bloomfield. Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood and Nirvana's Kurt Cobain - whom the editors admit was no virtuoso guitarist - shouldn't be on the list at all, while the Stooges' Ron Asheton is questionable as well.
Worst of all, the voters - which included Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd - while well-versed in their classic rock history, seem to be completely ignorant of contemporary blues artists. Where is Joe Bonamassa, Sean Costello, Robert Cray, Jimmie Vaughan, or Duke Robillard on the list? Why was Danny Gatton dropped from the magazine's 2003 list of the "greatest guitarists"? Why no Son Seals, Lonnie Brooks, Luther Allison, or Gary Moore, all more deserving than Ramone, Cobain, Greenwood, etc. Which of the below-listed blues guitarists should have been included on the Rolling Stone list? If we missed your favorite, share your choices in the comments section.
Photo courtesy Rolling Stone magazine
Comments
How can Warren Haynes not be on the list?
The first female electric guitarist who beat Big Bill Broonzy, Tampa Red and more: Memphis Minnie!
Americans never seem to realize that there is a world out there beyond their borders unless they are going to fight a war out there somewhere.
On the continent of Africa alone there are probably at least 1000 guitarists who could play figure 8s around at least 75% of the mediocre talents on any American list. Same for Brazil and the rest of South America. And at least 500 non-Anglo speaking Europeans. Somehow only English-speaking Europeans classify for the possibility of greatness.
And in the country with which you share 1000s of miles of border (duh….Australia? Russia? ……….), ok you ignorant aholes, it’s Canada, we have a guitarist, songwriter extraordinaire, singer named Bruce Cockburn who could cut have of your precious ones to ribbons either electrically or acousticly.
And no women this time. Last time there were 2, Joni Mitchell and Joan Jett. Ever heard of Joan Armatrading. She can kick your ass from wherever you are to Tierra del Fuego.
Predictable, boring as hell, idol-worshipping. U.S. and Brit. only English-speaking males.
Africans and Asians need not apply. You mean they play guitar in those places? Ohhhh…….like
what, where, who – where is Africa anyway? Is it like, a country? (no, uncle Sam, it’s about 55 countries). Eric Clapton at #2, gimme a break. The guy couldn’t even get in J.J.Cale’s groove on their duet album. Idol worshipping bullshit, sexist and ethnocentric as any Republicrat politician.
Look. Take 5 years. Go to libraries. Listen to music from around the world. Then do another piece. Or come clean and say “100 best English-speaking male guitarists from the U.S.A. and Britain.”
In the immortal words of B. Dylan, if you don’t know where the insanity factory is, you should hereby take 2 steps to the left (or is it the right?), paint your teeth black, and go to sleep.
I have to agree with ABB fan, no Warren? That’s crazy!
Ruben, while I get your point, I have to take issue with your unfair characterization of Americans as ignorant louts that would get lost without the GPS in their cell phones. As a country, we’re quite aware of Canada’s presence north of our border…and I bet that a lot of us know where “South America” and “Africa” are located as well….
That being said, I won’t argue your point that there may be guitarists in Africa or Brazil that are as talented as U.S./U.K. players, but I find it hard to believe that many musicians from the emerging countries would have the luxury or opportunity to hone their skills on the level of U.S./U.K. players, but I’ll keep an open mind…after all, the guys in Sepultura were killer musicians.
To say that there are 1,000 players in Africa alone that are better than those reflected by the Rolling Stone list is wishful thinking, I’m afraid, and there’s little that’s mediocre about many of the talents that did make the list.
As for Canada, I’d really have to question your naming of Bruce Cockburn as a great guitarist. A great songwriter, yes, but to name him above, say, Jeff Healey or even Kim Mitchell as one of Canada’s best is stretching credulity. Joni Mitchell did make the Rolling Stone list, but I did not mention her in my blog post because, well, she’s not a blues artist….
It seems like you have an axe to grind against white, English-speaking males, and that’s your problem. I notice that you don’t show the same amount of disrespect to Hendrix, or African-American blues players like Robert Johnson, Elmore James, etc, all of which were U.S. born and raised.
Maybe you should expand your horizons a bit and check out some talented instrumentalists like Otis Taylor, Eric Bibb, and Corey Harris, to name but three. Not that this would change your mind, but you’d see that being U.S./U.K. born is no barrier to talent!
Where is Alvin Lee?
I really miss Steve Howe (YES) on the list. He can play both acoustic and eletric guitar on the highest possible technique level (fingerpicking, great rythm feeling and so on, watch his videos on youtube). And he is also a great composer, just listen to the YES stuff.
PS.: I´m not from English-speaking country, so excuse possible mistakes in the text.
Typical “You Kiss My Ass-I Kiss Yours” voting.
Keith Richards? Slash? Cobain? What a joke!!
Muddy Waters? Great Bluesman …half ass Guitar player.
What about people like Hollywood Fats? Django Reinhardt, Andres Segovia, Charlie Christian, Joe Maphis, Or Merle Travis?
bobstoufus AT gmail DOT COM.
Derek Trucks???
Hes a knock off of Duane and there are easily a hundred other players way better.
this list is a joke without inclusion of:
Robin Trower
Joe Bonamassa
Gary Moore
Frank Marino
Eric Johnson
Kenny Wayne Sheppard
Roy Clark
Danny Gatton
Richie Blackmore
Steve Vai
Joe Satriani
Al DiMeola
Ace Frehley
Chris. Whitley. Great guitarists are a dime a dozen. Incomparable guitarists…where’s THAT list?
First and last time I actually read one of these lists.
Roy Buchanan’s missing, too?
Lord.