Al, no Sabbath Paranoid?

Damn - "Detox Mansion"? That takes me back. Good list.

Excellent list Al, kind of overwhelming. About my only issues would be the rhythm guitar on "Easy to Slip" by far blows away "Apolitical" as far as Little Feat songs go, as does "Fat Man In the Bathtub" or even "Willin'" for that matter.

And how could you leave off your man Elvis on "What's So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding?" - a classic hard-strumming slice of heaven, not terribly unlike your mention of Bram.

Two arpeggio-based guitar parts I love are "Couldn't I Just Tell You" by Todd Rundgren from Something/Anything, and "Can't Stop Pretending" by Artful Dodger from around the same time.

Oh, and I really hate "Black Betty," but dude, you came up with some great ones, all over the map stylistically too.

Killer

not Jack Black... Jack White! :)

Nice list. I would have included the Beatles - I'm Looking Through You.

for Elvis Costello fun-tunes-to-play-on-guitar i'd have to add "Mystery Dance".

three chords....loads 'o fun.

Al.... wonderful. And unassailable.

But... can't... resist:

"Crosstown Traffic": Jimi Hendrix (doubling the piano! Sweet!)
"Cold Shot": Stevie Ray Vaughan (tight!)
"Ain't Talking 'bout Love": Van Halen (that touch!)
"Walk This Way": Aerosmith
"Garbage Man": The Cramps (Poison Ivy Rorschach: trashier than Traci Lords' and Heidi Fleiss' drug dealers, yet somehow majestic.)
"Folsom Prison Blues": Johnny Cash, guitar by Luther Perkins(Live at San Quentin version)
"Pour Some Sugar On Me": Def Leppard (studio trickery never sounded so damn good)
"Under The Bridge": Red Hot Chili Peppers (in the period between maturity and balladeering, John Frusciante has rewritten the textbook on rhythm guitar. Why is this man not venerated by millions every week?)

And, Al, THANK YOU for acknowledging the glory that is the guitar of Prince.

Al, I imagine I published it inadvertently - every day there are posts left accidentally in draft and I jsut publish them without thinking much about it. Sorry about that.

Johno:
Luther's performance on San Quentin is particularly miraculous, considering he died 6 months before the album was recorded.

The stellar work is by Al Casey.

CC-

Ouch! You are correct, sir! My mistake is particularly egregious considering that Johnny gives a little memorial to the dear departed Luther during the show.

Well, Al Casey sure is good too.

Great list Al but I would have also included the Beatles 'Helter-Skelter'. In fact I can think of numerous John Lennon licks to add, so much so that he would have dominated this list. He was the finest rhythm guitarist - ever (in my opinion, may if be forever humble

Yeah, "Helter Skelter" kicks ass. There are definitely a lot of possible Lennon/Beatles choices. You could come up with an all Beatles Top 50 Guitar Songs.

Don't tempt me...

Ok Al you've been officially tempted so go for it! And while you're at it how 'bout an all time greatest solos?

hey man what do you meen rhythm guitar songs? Half those bands don't have rhythms guitarist????

Well SOMEBODY is playing guitar on all them tracks, though you might argue some over what constitutes "rhythm" versus "lead" guitar, particularly including basic riffs, such as "Satisfaction" or Roger McGuinn's classic 12-string figures.

Got any better ideas, hotshot?

Gloria by Them (Van Morrison). That one counts, don't it?

Hadn't thought of that one, Douglas. Good one.

I don't have enough Dylan, though. The list could use some "Tombstone Blues" for one.

Thanx Al. So one that just popped into my head. On the debut Aerosmith record (Dream On) there is a track called "One Way Street". I dig it. The guitar rhythms have a nice swing. Oh gosh, I could turn into a mindbomb of candidates for this catagory. Great list you've come up with.

Greatest Rhythm Guitar Songs? hmmmm.....
Buddy Holly - "Peggy Sue"
Bobby Fuller - "I Fought The Law"
Velvet Underground- "Rock N Roll"(from: The Velvet Underground - "Live 1969")
Modern Lovers - "She Cracked"
Rolling Stones -"Brown Sugar"
The Who -"I Can See For Miles"
anything by Bo Diddley!!!

This is one of those categories that Bill Murray during SNL days would have dismissed with a "Who really cares, anyway?" It's a nice list, Al, but it's really impossible. It's like having a list of The Most Beautiful Women of the 20th Century. There are about 1,000 contenders, if you could only remember all of them. And then my friend Bob's Aunt Vicki was better looking than 500 of those, but she's not famous, so I can't put her on the list.

A hell of a job, though, Al.

I noticed that Smoke on the Water was on the list, which made me wonder what you meant by "greatest," since, although a big hit for Deep Purple, does little to evoke greatness. I dunno. And Nugent -- nah. Kid stuff.

I know Jeff Beck does the backing guitar on Rod Stewart's "Infatuation," which is one of the meatiest rhythm guitar parts I've heard. Clapton's work on "Crossroads, "Badge," and "Let it Rain" is vurrry nice. Page on "Royal Orleans" is very busy funky precision. And "Battle of Nevermore" --- mmmm. If you wanna know, Tom Fogerty's part on "Born on the Bayou" makes the song what it is. John's part is more obvious, but Tom gives it all its flavor.

I agree with Johnno's "Cold Shot." I just have to grit my teeth every time I hear that. Good call. "Cinnamon Girl." Yeah, that's good. I think "Bitch" by the Stones has the coolest guitar riff.

Of course, this is an impossible catagory to even narrow down to the top 1000. We can only provide excellent examples. For instance, me being from Seattle (an old punk who is hip to the killer scene here before the grunge thing) I would suggest almost anything by a Seattle band called X-15. 'No Regard', 'Mad Again', 'Fog' are amazing. Portland, OR had a band called Napalm Beach. I remember the songs 'Angels Ride' and 'Pox On You'. Both bands highly skilled players and writers. The True Believers from Austin, TX had a song called 'Hard Road' that kicked.

Anyway, more fine examples.

Oh gosh, you got me goin'. I place a vote for 'Waiting for Madge' off the Fleetwood Mac 'Then Play On' album (Peter Green days) and one for 'Two Headed Man' by Lonnie Brooks, the version off the 'Live In Chicago' album.

I just found this article this morning and I'll try to stop with suggestions.

No Douglas, please do not stop with the suggestions. I'ma be burning up Kazaa hunting down some of these suggestions. Maybe you could expound on them, a paragraph on what's so hot about them.

Big Al listens to PRINCE?!

Wow. Al's not only a neo-confederate racist slave owning woman beatin' baby eater...

But he's gay!

Who'd a thunk it.


Fun list, guys. Thanks for the memories! (Not often you'll see the words "Peter Green days" anywhere!)

I would add:

any song by The Old 97s
" " by Steve Earle

Other than his peculiar deification of Elvis Costello, Al has extremely acute and varied musical taste.

Prince rules.

Al has extremely acute and varied musical taste

...except for that Black Sabbath thing.

And he doesn't appreciate Traffic or Harry Belafonte enough either, but nobody's perfect, except us.

Note that I have volunteered for Traffic re-education camp. Following earlier criticisms on the topic, I figured that I was perhaps inappropriately discounting their work without giving it sufficient hearing. I have recently acquired the Winwood box set and several Traffic albums. I STILL think the Rickie Lee Jones cover of "High Heeled Boys" rules the roost, however.

And Black Sabbath continues to be third or fourth string. Sorry.

Silly politics aside, I still don't see what the big deal is with Harry Belafonte. I could see why he might have been considered moderately appealing pop music in the day, but I don't seem much of lasting value.

And Black Sabbath continues to be third or fourth string. Sorry.

...oh, you are a stubborn one.

Big Al, Black Sabbath can only be properly appreciated if one has brain damage, preferably in the severe category.

That's not a shot against the music, just an environmental/lifestyle enhancement recommendation.

(I'd duck, but Blk Sab fans couldn't hit the broad side of a barn: see above)

I'm a bit of a Black Sabbath fan, and i'm pretty sure i don't have brain damage. Then again, i like bands from lots of different areas of rock (as opposed to just one or two), so maybe i have...

Almost ANY CCR tune is a textbook exercise in fine rhythm guitar work... :-)

Dan:

True, how could anyone leave out CCR? But, how about this: 'What I like about you' by the Romantics. Man, everyone is using that song in their commercials now. And, you know, it ain't too bad...

The Romantics song is alright, but nothing special.

Shark, you don't even know with my interest in Prince. I could easily come up with 50 top PRINCE guitar songs. In this rhythm guitar list, right now I could dig on some "Alphabet Street."

I had a big probably 2'x3' framed poster of the nude Lovesexy album cover hanging in my living room for a couple of years while I was at Ball State. It was only after I was out of BSU and Muncie generally that someone clued me up that a lot of people thought I was gay, largely on the account of that poster.

Well, that and the Michael Jackson Bad bondage gear poster in the kitchen.

And I'm definitely looking forward to downloading the Hall of Fame performance of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" with Prince's guitar. Besides everything else, this provides strong evidence that he's a better guitar player than George Harrison or Eric Clapton.

Oh gosh, another one popped into my head. A long time ago the Ventures did a version of 'Green Onions' by Booker T and the MG's.

Talk about a rhythm guitar surf blast!

Anyway, another cool guitar recording.

Luther Perkins is the king of the rythym/lead style of play. This was 100% original and only Bob Wooten nad Marty Stuart have come close.

No disrespect to others, especially Buck Owens lead player. By the way I would also rate Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan almost equals in songwriting. John a 9, Bob a 10+

Thanks Chiefwashburn. I'd forgotten even writing this.

So MANY more great possibilities. This list needs more Jack White. "Hello Operator" from the De Stijl album would be an excellent addition, as would "Blue Orchid" from the new GBMS.

Forgive me I'm new to this blog. I may repeat some of the stuff already here. Obviously John Cash was my idol as well as Luther Perkins. Good rythym songs by the above include "cry, cry, cry" "Home of the blues" and "Tennesee
flat top box". I also loved the Ventures. I have their autobraphs as well as Luthers. Got Luther's back around 1964, The Ventures in the 70's.
Take care.

Chief

Going to go back a bit on this one. Johnny Western played rythym and Carl Perkins played lead on "Live at San Quintin". The reverb was turned up to the max that night.

Don't forget Doc Watson and Lester Flatt; after all, bluegrass is rock & roll at warp speed and you have to be more accurate.
I played back up rythym for Ralp Stanley in 1971 and the tempo was incredable. Play only locally now.

what about "pride and joy" by stevie ray.
green onions by the ventures is great.

29 & 38, a bo diddley song and a tune based on the bo diddley riff.
bo diddley is the most influential rhythm guitar player of all time. please name 1 other who created a chord riff and made a career of playing that same riff for 45+ years and it never got/gets stale.
buddy holly was on the way to do the same
(words of love) and to pick a song of his that borrows so heavily from bo is just wrong. IMHO
b. shade

Hi,

Just wanted to thank bobbyshade for his comments regarding Bo Diddley (above).

Also, just to clarify that the Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers' "Roadrunner" song at 29 is an original song. It isn't a remake of Bo Diddley's song "Road Runner".

"Not Fade Away" by Buddy Holly & the Crickets at 38 (along with George Michael's song "Faith" at 23), as bobbyshade correctly points out, utilises the world famous Bo Diddley beat.

David Blakey, Webmaster,
BO DIDDLEY-The Originator

A Celebration of his unique contribution to Popular Music.
1955 to 2005 - Celebrating 50 Years In Music!

Okay, some of the best five member rock bands ( base, drums, vocal, lead and rhythm guitar) features the solid backbone riffs from the likes of Adrian Smith, Derrick St. Holmes, Brad Whitford, Rudy Schenker,Gary Rossington / Allen Collins ,Dave Kushner, and Malcom Young!

We Are Smokin'

Pretty sweet list there.

frusciante?? power of equality? under the bridge? suck my kiss? funky monks? Cant stop? do i need to go on?

oh yeah, i think "mary had a little lamb" by SRV belongs right up there too

Al - thanks for citing Pretender songs representing some of the finest rhythm guitar playing in rock. You might have overlooked "Brass in Pocket"? What about "Back to Ohio"?

Also you mentioned the Clash very brieftly while talking about the Ramones. Perhaps you shoulda shined some light on the Clash as well? I want to give serious brownie points to their double LP "London Calling". Songs like "London Calling", "Death or Glory", "Jimmy Jazz", "Train in Vain" have a tendency to stay with you from adolescence to mid-age. The genius of the Clash derives not only from great song-writing, but also from their diverse musical range. Who woulda expected such James-Brown sounds from the "RADIO CLASH" LP right after "London Calling"?

Thanks, John. James Honeyman Scott was a great guitar talent.

Holy crap, no Clash! "London Calling" definitely rates right up there.

Two years and two months ago big boss Eric pronounced this was an "Excellent List, kind of overwhelming". My, my!

And then for 720 days you guys talk about rhythms and sounds which remind you of your high school days. Grow up. With (really due and well earned ) respect to big Al, I need to say that once artists like Vlatko Stefanovski (formally the lead of "Leb i Sol" group) or Miroslav Tadic are not on any list of top guitar-players of our time - the list is desperately partial, regional, biased or deficient of global perception.

Only people deaf for the sounds of the planet and blind for its socio-cultural map would make such a blunder. You do not know what millions of well educated Europeans consider a really great guitar. Invest a quarter of an hour or so with the site this link will take you to to read and listen and discover something new.

You may just let that browser window open and listen to the music while you write your posts in another window. I have one more link here with Vlatko on guitar and you need to forget the interface there, just listen to the music to get my point.

Anyway, this Friday, December 9th at 08:00 p.m.in New York there will be a concert (I think for free) in a fine gallery of the Macedonian center (off Fifth Ave, on 549 West 52nd Street, 8th floor) where you can hear Bodan Arsovski, former bas-guitar of "Leb i Sol". Do go. And then reinvigorate the impressive throb of this post.

Prince is sooo over looked as a guitar player...That performance at the 2004 RRHOF during "While my Guitar..." was f**kin' amazing!!!

bah....

once again we find Opinion without proper broad based research into the subject at hand...which is fine, cuz it's just Opinion...

but still...

ANYTHING by Pete Townshend is rhythmically superior to 95% of what's listed, by definition...

but, you leave out folks from genre's that you are not familiar with..

Dimebag Darryl of Pantera, and the rhythym guitar work on "Fucking Hostile"

ANYTHING by Fast Eddy of Motorhead

Scott Ian of Anthrax

even dead, Frank Zappa is still greater than Jack White

on and on...

Excelsior!

I don't understand where is Hendrix's Purple Haze??!

next good songs...

Heartbreaker- Jimmy Page, Aqualung- Martin Barre
Iron Man- Tommi Iomi, next songs by Led Zep,Jimi H.,Black Sab,... hm queer list....

How about the long version of "Jet Airliner" by Steve Miller Band?

You seem to be forgetting any work by Tom Morello. Killing In The Name, anyone?

Hey, good list. But man, you forgot iron man (black sabbath rules by the way)ore Metalica- one. Ore even led zeppelin, kashmir and the immigrant song got killer riffs.

Jesus! What a list! Where is George McCraes 'Rock your Baby? The way Jerome Smith plays his telecaster will blow you away. John Mellencamp! I ask you.....

what about the guitar on 'I Fought The Law' by The Bobby Fuller Four huh?

why no jessica? that is possibly the best rhythm guitar song ever

I am glad to see how diverse this list is, but its missing one of the best rhythm guitar artists, tom morello of rage against the machine. Especially on Renegades of Funk, the rhythm guitar is simply but incredible. And gimme all your loving by zz top is one of the most driving rhythm guitar parts of all time.