Lordy, that ought to satisfy everyone. Thanks Tal!

Taloran, I'm stunned, STUNNED, that the dude in the ape suit from "No Sleep 'til Brooklyn" is nowhere to be seen!

Just doing my part to hold down the fort until Bricklayer gets here.

Yes, and what of the fellow in the rakish "smoking jacket" (see comment #135)?

Gorillasuitman would be here if Bricklayer had voted for him once. However, six votes for the Beastie Boys guy and 3 votes for Gregg Ginn forced a disqualification. No stuffing the ballot box.

Christ, so much for guile and deceit. Taloran, you run a cleaner election than Florida!

I'm a little surprised that Stevie Ray is ranked so high, since a vote for SRV is pretty much a vote for Hendrix.

I am really intrigued most by some of the ties:

23T Angus Young
23T Mark Knopfler

38T Ritchie Blackmore
38T Robert Johnson

45T Charlie Christian
45T Neil Young

Those are some interesting pairings. I'm sure there's some deeper significance to be drawn from this phenomena, but I'm not the one to make it at the moment.

Hmmm....
I should run a query to determine who voted for SRV and NOT for Jimi....

I'm particularly intrigued by the group from 28-35.

And Segovia in 19th! Who woulda thunk.

I'm sure that we all appreciate your work, Taloran, since this is clearly the most important topic currently on Blogcritics. And I assume that you will not take it personally if a flood of complaints rolls in, since you are, after all, the messenger. In any case, the list is a couple of light-years better than the ridiculous RS list.

Uh-oh, here comes a complaint:

I am sure that all the guys in the top 18 slots, if they were made aware of this list, would simply roll their eyes at their ranking above Segovia. Of course, some of those guys are dead, and might not put up much of a fuss.

Let's see -- just one more. Slash in the same ballpark as Fripp? Hahahahahahahha...ha!

It's all about listener exposure, dontcha think?

Is Nigel St. Hubbins a hybrid of David St. Hubbins and Nigel Tufnel? Nigel could blow David off the stage. After all, he is known for his solos.

Really, this is a remarkable list-- thought provoking, idiosyncratic, yet pretty good. I mean, I don't care for Clapton, and would rank him much lower, but aside from highly personal beefs like that, it seems clear that blogcritics writers are much much smarter than Rolling Stone editors.

Which we already knew, of course.

Of the 18 guys above Segovia on the list, I bet five or six of them have never heard his name, or heard it in such a drug-induced fog they thought they were hallucinating.

People can gripe all they want, it's not my list. I can't see anyone liking that "other" list better, except maybe the guys who created it.

After I published the interim results, someone wrote and said I should send it RS's way. Waddaya think?

"After I published the interim results, someone wrote and said I should send it RS's way. Waddaya think?"

No doubt. This list puts theirs to shame.

Absolutely, get some pub for yourself and Blogcritics - we love our Tal!

Why don't you send it, Eric? The discussion about the RS list, and further discussions here on BlogCritics, propelled me to write it for the users of this site. I never would have thought to create it if I hadn't stumbled across this site while looking for their list. I don't have a blog to attract attention to, so you might as well do it, and get the pub!

All right, so Holdsworth is on the list because I voted for him. He should be much better appreciated. Here is an excerpt from an interview with one of the Guitar Gods, Eddie van Halen, from Guitar Player Magazine, April 1980.

GP: Has seeing other guitarists ever inspired a change in your playing?

EVH: Allan Holdsworth -- that guy is bad! He's fantastic; I love him. He's got a rock sound. I love his solo in "In the Dead of the Night" on the U.K. album. I love the solo in "Hell's Bells" on One of a Kind. (Drummer) Bill Bruford plays hot on that album. Holdsworth is the best in my book.
I can kind of play like him, but it doesn't fit our style of music. He's a real artist.

Did you get that?

10. guy from Slayer (the one with hair)
09. don't remember this one
08. Karl Hendricks
07. guy from Judas Priest (not sure which one)
06. guy from Iron Maiden
05. other guy from Iron Maiden
04. other, other guy from Iron Maiden
03. guy from Slayer (bald one)
02. Gregg Ginn
01. Dude in the gorilla suit in the Beastie Boy's "No Sleep 'til Brooklyn" video.

20. Dude in top hat from Guns n' Roses "November Rain" video
19. Paul Westerberg/Bob Stinson/Slim Dunlap, or whoever played on Let it Be/Tim/Pleased to meet me
18. Tim Armstrong
17. Chick from Cinderella
16. Other guy from Judas Priest
15. Michael J. Foxxx
14. Lita Ford
13. Bob Mould
12. Dude from Welcome to the Dollhouse
11. Dude who played in the Great White "Cherry Pie" video

30. Dude from Kingdom Come
29. Brody Armstrong
28. Guy from Morbid Angel
27. Big dude from the Screaming Trees
26. Greg Ginn's replacement in Black Flag
25. Chick from A Perfect Circle
24. Smaller dude from the Screaming Trees
23. My neighbor
22. Prince
21. Tom Morello
20. Dude who replaced Bruce Kulick in KISS

40. The cast of Friends
39. Guy from Fugazi
38. Chris Haskett
37. Roy Clark
36. Dude from the Beatles (deceased)
35. Both guys from Cannibal Corpse
34. Anyone who has ever played in Manowar
33. Dude from SNL with the stupid facial expressions
32. Wes Borland's replacement in Limp Bizkit
31. Dude from Michael Jackson's Beat It video
30. Randy Rhoads

50. Slash
49. Mick Mars
48. Dude from Accept
47. Dude from WASP
46. Page Hamilton
45. Chick from Slaughter
44. Dude with afro from Michelle Branch video
43. Michelle Branch
42. The Nuge
41. Johnny Ramone
40. Dude from Suicidal Tendencies first album

Ties:

20. Dude in top hat from Guns n' Roses "November Rain" video
20. Dude who replaced Bruce Kulick in KISS

30. Dude from Kingdom Come
30. Randy Rhoads

Holy crap. Bricklayer just put in a vote for G.E. Smith.

where? I didn't see "ugly dude maried to Gilda Radner"

I thought Gene Wilder was the ugly dude married to Gilda Radner

BTW, Bricklayer's original vote for slot 9 was "My Mom", just to keep the record straight.

G.E. came first

Who is this G.E. Smith character? It sounds like a made up name to me!

Oh, and my mom played in a mean power trio. They signed with a major, and you know they typical story: drugs, egos, artistic differences. She went on to do some studio work for a few crossover hardcore/metal acts in the eighties, most notably DRI and Uncle Slam. Unforutnately, a tragic fondue pot accident ended her career abruptly. And it really WAS an accident. Honest. The police could never substantiate anything.

i've always been fascinated that so many people intensely dislike G.E. Smith. his ability to repulse people merely with his facial expressions is truly amazing.

Bricklayer-- that's funny. I heard just that story last week from some older chick who tried to cruise me in a bar in Pittsburgh. She kept demanding I buy her Sidecars, and then put out her menthols right into them. When she leaned over to get her lighter out of her purse, her wig came off, I saw the scars, and that's when she told me about the fondue pot.

At that point, she got up to go fix her makeup, and my good friend Don the bartender came over. Know what he said to me? "Some women mean trouble. And some women mean trouble for you." I left without saying goodbye.

Nice lady, though. Despite the penis. Say "hi" to her for me, willya?

Just kidding. She's a beautiful woman.

So you were the little backward looking fella with the uh...size issue she told me about?!?!?!

She was very hurt you ran out on her, but she said she will never forget the wonderful time you two shared in the back of your Renault! She will mail back your prosthesis as soon as she can get all the stains removed!

Just kidding. The only thing she remembers from that night is some easy mark at the bar blabbering on and on about weeblos, or something like that.

i was just about to complain about Keaggy's positioning... when I realized I didn't vote for him.

Then again, I didn't vote period. Couldn't think of enough guitar players to fill out the required slots.

Speaking of TV show bands, Fernwood Tonight's Happy Kyne and the Mirthmakers had one hot guitarist by the name of Tommy Tedesco. I'm not saying that he was in the same league as Bricklayer's neighbor, but he was amazing, nonetheless.

wasn't Tommy a Wrecking Crew guy?

Eric, I believe he was!
I was actually just about to put together a list of the best backing bands of the rock era, and the Wrecking Crew are at number 3, behind the Funk Brothers and the Original JB's.

Nah, Tommy was born in 1930. Supposedly one of the most recorded guitarists in history

"The Most Recorded Guitarist in History" was a title conferred upon Tommy Tedesco, and it's doubtful anyone else could lay claim to it. As a session guitarist, Tedesco's career stretched from the beginnings of the "California Sound" in the early Sixties until 1992, when he suffered a stroke that limited his use of his right arm.

Tedesco's astonishing portfolio and reputation were a result of his versatile sight-reading abilities and talent for interpreting - and delivering - whatever a producer or composer wanted, whether it was a TV or movie theme, soundtrack, or pop, rock, jazz, country; in short, anything.

A self-described "hustler," Tedesco came from a poor neighborhood in Niagara Falls, New York, and made his way into the emerging L.A. session scene by dint of sheer determination and hard work. Never a big shot who hung around with the stars, he nonetheless worked with the biggest names in the business throughout the '60s, '70s and '80s:

Producers and composers Herb Alpert, Phil Spector, and Henry Mancini. Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Sam Cooke, Elvis Presley, Olivia Newton-John, the Fifth Dimension, the Monkees, the Beach Boys, Jan and Dean. Frank Zappa, J.J. Cale, the Mamas and the Papas, Doc Severinson, the Everly Brothers, Sarah Vaughan, the Partridge Family, Al Kooper. And this is a short list!

Tedesco also played on numerous TV and movie soundtracks, from Bonanza and Green Acres to Jaws and The French Connection. He was always willing to play a part "bad" or "good" according to the direction of the producer, and was not limited to guitar; he carried a collection of other instruments to sessions, including mandolin and sitar, and all tuned like a guitar.

yes, but he was in the Wrecking Crew, which supported Spector among many other producers in L.A. in the '60s.

Oh, OK. Thanks. I gotcha. I thought you were referring to a different Wrecking Crew.

60. dude from Cheap trick
59. dude from Antrhax
58. chick from the Donna's
57. Vernon Reid
56. chick from the Bullet Boys
55. dude who played on first Hatebreed album
54. dude from Sick of it All
53. Vernon Reid's replacement in Living Colour
52. dude from Overwhelming Colorfast
51. Norm Nardini

70. Mick Jones
69. Dude from Korn
68. Kirk Hammett
67. David Mammett
66. Dude from Tool
65. Thurston Moore
64. Thurston Howell the Second
63. Thurston Moore's replacement in Sonic Youth
62. Dude in the mask from Slipknot
61. Ms. A. Lavigne

80. Dude from Converge
79. Drunk ornery dude from REM
78. Sir Edward Van Halen
78. Dude from David Lee Roth Band
77. long haired dude from Allman Bros
76. dude from Six Feet Under
75. chick from Winger
74. dude from Disturbed
73. Guy from Pearl Jam
72. chick from Joan Jett Band
71. Joan Jett

89. Ace Frehley
88. Dude from Dropkick Murphys
87. Dude who replaced Tom Morello in Audioslave
86. Kim Thayil
85. Kurdt Cobain
84. Dude from Mudhoney
83. Dude from Green River
82. King Buzzo
81. Dude from Citizen Dick

100. Slash's replacement in Guns & Roses
099. Dude from Mighty Mighty Bosstones
098. Dude from first 2 Goo Goo Doll's records
097. Black Francis
096. Dude from the Kinks
095. Dude from Jesus & Mary Chain
094. Dude from Jawbreaker
093. Dude from the Archers of Loaf
092. Dude from Pedro the Lion
091. Dude from U2

Gee I don't know, BRICK, the dudeinthegorillasuit probably took lessons from Eddie.

I still like your list better than RS, for what it's worth ;)

Johno,
If you ever dissed my family to my face, you'd be swallowing your teeth. First you alleged I bathed with Mr. Dio's athletic supporter, then you rip on my mother. I guess in your little fancy boy part of the world you can get away with pulling that weakness, 'cause the people you associate with and call friends are just as lacking in back bone as you are. And bully for you. You've probably never been on the business end of anyone's fist but your daddy's. But where I come from, that kind of comment gets you a beatdown. See, I know you're not the kind of man that could ever say that in my presence. You're the "He who laughs and runs away.." type of sissy, aren't ya? Well, whatever, momma jokes went out in the sixth grade, so I will NOT stoop to your level of childishness and churlishness. I will pray for you. God bless.

Please omit #71 Joan Jett, and replace with dude from Marilyn Manson's band

J Mascis is the greatest ever. Then, I am second.

cool list and very interesting. ya jus need to sort out a few typos, there are three mike McCreadys and two robbie kriegers.they need to be combined. disapointed to see cobain so high. i thought we would avoid it. would hav liked to see Bradfield higher as hes my fave.Mustaine aswell

Thanks for pointing out the typos, Tony. I'll fix them as soon as I can, and post updated results. I won't have the required access until Wednesday, as I'm on a business trip using a loaner laptop.
Poll is up to 75 voters, so it's time to post updated results anyway.

There are 2 tom morellos aswell and 2 bo diddleys/ dont tink dre are any other problems. none i can spot

Hey Baby,

I just thought I'd let you know that Tommy Tedesco really appreciates being mentioned in this list.

When we're jammin' up here he really liven's things up. Quite the groovy player (he can play anything).

Peace

THERE WE GO! RANDY RHOADS IN #17! THAT'S QUITE A JUMP FROM HIS #85 IN ROLLING STONE'S LIST! LET'S SEE WHAT OTHER SCREW UPS WE CAN SPOT!

How did Santana get so high? Maybe 'cause he's the only guitarist anyone's ever heard of so they put him in with Jimi Hendrix and then take other people randomly off the list.

Finally some recognition for Jimmy Page and Eddie Van Halen.

Yep, Rudy, all we could think of was Carlos Santana. Do you know of any other guitarists we might be able to put in there?

Sheesh.

well, RS has EVH at 70. he's five on this list. this list is much better. i think john frusciante should be higher though. he's tied with cobain. cobain is influential, not really a good guitarist though.

Hey, this list is insanely better than the rollingstone list. One issue i had is that Mike McCready of Pearl Jam was ranked quite low for his extraordinary talent, and also on the list atleast 3 times under different name spellings. The correct spelling (Mike McCready) was ranked 107. Then the typos of his name were ranked 183 and 323. People need to give this guy a lot more credit...and this list is to go against rolling stone, right? Well here is a direct quote from McCready: "...Fuck that, Rolling Stone isn't cutting edge anymore."

That is more like it!!! ANGUS YOUNG - 23T w00t!

Mark Knopfler is that low? He is the greatest guitarist this world has ever seen, and where's Tommy Emmanuel? Listen to some of his stuff, then try and disagree with me!
Justin Hayward from the Moody Blues? Where's he? This is voted by people who haven't got half a clue

Ok, this list makes a little more sense, but still, there wasnt a large enough group of people who voted, when the winner only had 51 votes... you know theres a little problem, and theres 200+ people tied for last place you know people were just entering in there own name... There needs to be a larger based poll with a little bit of restrictions.

Keith, that just shows you that there are not that many guitar fans. If you want to see a poll result in which a lot of people voted then hold a rap poll eh?

At last a best guitar player that is in agreement with me, or at least mostly. Some of the polls are definately influenced by popularity. Your is about talent. Thanks

Look, I think that the top fifty list you did was better than RS's but this 300 some list was ridiculous. I just noticed that AVRIL LAVIGNE was at 267 right with Tom Petty! WHAT?!?! You have got to be kidding me Arvril Lavigne is a disgrace to guitar, music, and the world. There's no way she should be on a list of greatest guitarists. I know people who aren't famous who are thousands of times better than she is. It takes almost no talent whatsoever to play the crap she does. I appreciate your efforts to try to get a broader list, but I just don't think that the general public knows enough guitarist to make such an extensive list. I mean AVRIL LAVIGNE was put on this list. I can't believe no one else saw this or saw how the list crumbled after about 100. I still have some issues with the top 100 but it's still better than RS's.
Thanks for your time and effort for this list. (I don't want to critisize your efforts, just some of the stuff on the list)

Great List! It DOES put the RS list to shame! Its awful hard to disagree with the first 20 or so, although I agree, most all of them would put #19 on top.

What really bums me out, though, is that so many on the list are playing upstairs with Jimi. What bums me out is that guys like Jimi were soooo fucking creative, inventive and unsettled that they kept inventing new sounds, new styles, new approaches. We can only dream about how Jimi or Stevie would sound like on MTV unplugged...or Jimi doing a concert with the Berlin Philharmonic.....or Stevie doing a concert with Carlos...man, that is what makes this world go around...new stuff. Now, obviously, NO ONE can argue that Jimi broke new ground (in a very short time) and so have all of the top of the list. But man, I for one sure as hell miss em!

Oh, one more guy for the list...how about that late, great John Lee Hooker? I saw him in concert once (wouldn't have missed it for the world!). The concert worked like this: He walks out to an empty stage, sits down on a three-legged stool, plugs in the guitar, and lets loose for 2 hours. Then, looks up, smiles, says "Thank you very much" and walks off stage. No band, no singers, just JLH and guitar. In an acoustically fantastic theater. Unbelievable.....

oh, man, I am sorry, there he is...at #234. I suppose the list might make more sense if you divided it into major music styles, like Rock, Jazz, Traditional blues, etc. I know this will get all sorts of guys worked up, but it would move guys all around on the list. THen you get into debates like who's better in Blues, BB King, John Lee Hooker, etc.? But kudos on the list, man, it is beautiful! Rock ON!!!

How come Doors guitarist Robby Krieger is listed twice here ( 112 and 311 ) ? It should be written with an 'Y', not with 'IE' by the way.

very good list but krieger should be ranked way better than that hes at least in the top 100. glad to see angus young and evh ranking good and to see satriani vai and petrucci made the list. but i wanna know if avril lavigne made the list how come daron malakian and mick tompson and james root didnt make the list? they mite not be top 100 but they should be there

i only say EDDIE VAN HALEN IS GOD.

Haa anyone ever heard STEVE STEVENS pay Acoustic, Electric or Flamenco guitar? He is by far the most under rated guitar player of all time. Take the time to listen and enjoy his talents in Billy Idol VH1 Storytellers, simply amazing playing with a left hand moving so fast you can't follow it. Flamnco A Go Go, Atomoc Playboys, STEVE STEVENS is simply a Guitar God!!!!

This is the dumbest poll I ever read. Why the hell is Tiny Tim up their? Muddy Waters shouldn't be all the way back there, Kurt Cobain should! Bradley Nowell was much better than Cobain! Clapton better than Vaughn? HA! Vaughn was up in Hendrix's level. Put Dimebag behind Wylde's place. Don't base these things on popularity.

I only say Eddie Van Halen sucks sheep balls

1.Tony Iommi
2.Adrian Smith
3.Gary Moore
4.Ritchie Blackmore
5.Glenn Tipton
6.Jeff Loomis
7.Dave Murray
8.dimebag
9.Neal Schon
10.Frank Zappa

Van Halen and specially Gilmour are way overrated in world of rock!

looking for two plays atleast acts from1927

I can't believe Joe Bonanmassa isn't on this list. You can check him out by clicking on the link under my name.

Make that Bonamassa. Sorry, Joe :)

Here is the REAL top 10 list:
1) Alexi Laiho (Children of Bodom)
2) Jeff Loomis (Nevermore)
3) Chris Amott (Arch Enemy/Armageddon)
4) Steve Vai
5) Joe Satriani
6) Marty Freidman (Megadeth)
7) James Malone (Arsis)
8) Kristian Ranta (NortheR)
9) Dimebag Darrel (Pantera/Damage Plan)
10) Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne/Black Label Society)

Heres a top list for you guys:
1. Randy Rhoads
2. Eddie Van Halen
3. Angus Young
4. Jimi Hendrix
5. Les Paul
6. Slash
7. Kirk Hammett
8. Adrian Smith
9. Joe Satriani
10. Chuck Berry
11. Eric Clapton
12. Zakk Wylde
13. Steve Vai
14. B.B. King
15. Duane Allman

I think thats a little bettre than the rolling stones list. Why the hell is Jack White, Kurt Cobain, or even Bo Diddley on the list? What are u guys grading on?

jimi first what a joke the most over rated player in history. page #1

jimi hendrix rules

Plaese... You can't make a guitar poll if You don't see before Jose Feliciano and what He can do in any style

see him at youtube.com

Petrucci should be top ten

i actually agreed with the stones list. Jack white may not be technically good, but he has caused a lot of kids to pick up a guitar and play his kind of music and copy his sound. Same with J ramone and Cobain. Even Jimmy page, he sux live but influenced alot with his studio stuff. leaving off satriani and Van Halen at 70? was disrepectful. I wish somebody would finally show a little love to Warren Haynes. If your a real player get some new allman brothers stuff at hittin the note.