Nicely done. Had I the time to compose a counterpoint, it would likely include several artists you've left off (Django Reinhardt and Albert King, to name two) but I thoroughly enjoyed reading your well composed and written explanation. Thanks!

"... and arguing on ad nauseum about whether one player is better than another or whether some one should or shouldn't have been listed in some inane magazines Top 100 list gets really old fast."

Not at all. That's some of the best and most entertaining stuff here at Blogcritics. And it fits right in with the stated purposes of the site. Look at the number of posts under the topics related to Best Guitarists.

By the way, where's Slash?

Taloran, Thanks for the kind words,much
appreciated.I'm glad it made some sense.
Hard to limit to only 10 players but I
was trying to be economic with my words
for fear of boring everybody to death.

You know, I honestly was going to list
Django but it was kind of a coin toss
between he & Christian.I think they are
both incredible,nods to Django for being
the more technically adept of the two.
Ever hear his version of Ravel's Bolero?
Incredible!!! I'd like to do a Pt.2 soon
time permitting,however I'd rather see a
another persons take on the same idea.
Albert King,DOH!So many great cats that
deserve the mention. Again thanks for
reading man.

Excellent and informative, HW. Nobody knows what you know better than you know it, if you know what I mean.

Mucho Gracias Eric.I try. Growing up in
So.Cal as you did,I thought you might've
recognized the last line I wrote.It was
ripped it off from "Sinister Seymour"
(He was on KHJ-CH.9 then later on KTLA
CH.5)Seymour was HUGE influence on my
smart assed sense of humor.

Just thought it was worth mentioning how many of these influential guitarists, especially (but not exclusively) the jazz ones, were influenced by non-guitarists. Throughout most of the last century most innovative and advanced improvisors have overwhelmingly been pianists, saxophonists, and trumpeters, whereas the guitar was really a secondary instrument whose best practitioners copped licks from the aforementioned instrumentalists. Maybe not true anymore - it's debatable.

Godoggo,These are excellent points. The
guitar did not really come to the fore as a "lead" instrument 'til the mid 50's
or thereabouts.Before that,usually the
piano or sax dominated.

Many of the early Jazz guitar players
riffs were direct emulations of what the
horn players were doing.Some of the best
examples of this are contained in the
solos of Western Swing players such as
Bob Dunn of Milton Brown & His Brownies.

Verry nice. Very well done.

Must have ben tricky nailing down to the top 10 influential guitarists.

Thank god J. Hendrix was included cuz his work is truely magnificent & purely genious. Even though I am more into Randy Rhoads and Van Halen Hendrix is still my fave and best influence.

In your pt. 2 you should include modern influences because the names mentioned were mainly influencing artists around that particular time.

I am into the Blues, but I also have respect for guitarists of other music genres. Here are my choices, a couple which coincide with yours.

1.Duane Allman
2.B.B. King
3.Eric Clapton
4.Robert Johnson
5.Chuck Berry
6.Stevie Ray Vaughn
7.Jimmy Page
8.Keith Richards
9.Les paul
10.John Fogerty
11.Robert Fripp
12.Lou Reed
13.Dickey Betts
14.Link Wray
15.John Lee Hooker
16. Lightnin' Hopkins
17. Robbie Robertson
18. Neil Young
19. Jimmie Hendrix
20. Eddie Cochran

Albert king is a must in any list of top guitarrists.

Great post. I believe it may indeed have enlarged my penis. Checking..........nope. Still good though. Those old blues cats man, a cigar box, broom stick, and a couple rubber bands and they outplay all our asses.

where is jimmy page being the fastest is not the best

How's it going? I like the list but I believe it is missing a couple of very critical figures in the guitar world, and those two are Andres Segovia and Chet Atkins. I don't think I need to explain their accomplishments, innovations, and influence, but if I do, I gladly will. I can make a case that Segovia belongs at number 1.

I'm sorry but jimi hendrix should of been on the top of ur list!!

Dearest Mimi,
I listed these artists chronologically. I'd hoped to convey the ongoing cross influences that these artists(and many others not listed here)have had on the evolution of modern guitar playing in the 20th century.

Jimi H. is just aces in my book and this list is only meant to link his respective style with the aforementioned musicians here who have served to varying degrees as influences,mentors,friends and more.

I have only really just begun to scratch at the surface here. Each and every one of these gents listed is more than worthy of his own write up.

In trying to narrow down about 75 years worth of music into a couple of paragraphs meant that many omissions and a degree of ambiguity on my behalf was not an unlikely possibility.

I'd like to offer you a belated "Thank You!" for your perusal of this piece and do sincerely hope you have enjoyed it. Even more so than all that,I hope that you have increased your knowledge and appreciation of what helped to inspire Mr Hendrix onto the pure Voodoo Funk that we all know,love & remember him for.

It's been three years since this was posted when I run across it, but I have to comment, because I believe my favorite musician again is denied the recognition he deserves, and I want it known in a year when another person runs across this blog. But before going there, I ask, influential to who? How many guitarists in the last 30 years have actually been influenced by those guys? They each had a time when they were the most influential, but while their pioneering accomplishments were stepping stones to where we are now, once the new guy came along, they were no longer influential as guitarists. I doubt anyone tried to emulate Chuck Berry after Hendrix came along. And that brings me to my guy. It seems that nowadays people try to forget that the years 1978 through 1991 didn't exist. Those were the years that every single rock guitarist tried his best (with varying degrees of success) to emulate the great Edward Van Halen. For 14 years, he was the main one, and that reign of influence is really longer than almost everyone on there. No one tried to copy Hendrix once Van Halen came along (about 9 years later). Plus, half the guys on your lists are purely blues guitarists, and for years have only influenced blues players, which isn't exactly the most popular style, even if it does have a hand in everything. But in the world of rock guitar, no other guitarist had a reign of influence as long, as Van Halen, or had a style that was as difficult to truely emulate (even though some guys came close). Yes, sometimes he's more style that substance, but his influence can't be denied. Even now, after the era that was a gas chamber to great guitar playing which we called "grunge," rock players are still influenced by him. Look, you don't have to have Van Halen #1, but his influence can't be denied, even when everyone is trying to.

Other than that, your list is pretty accurate.

"I doubt anyone tried to emulate Chuck Berry after Hendrix came along. " Oh, come on now, every garage band in the world tries "Johnny B. Goode" on for size. It's easy to figure out who the most influential guitarist were; simply trace EVH's or Slash's or any living guitarists influences back, and they will generally trace back to the guys listed in the article. No slam on Eddie, he could be credited with reviving rock guitar in the late '70's and paving the way for the metal '80's. Still, where would he be without those who went before?

Personally, I think Ace Frehley is underappreciated.

Has anyone ever heard of a great guitar player named Billy Muir, when I was a kid (the 60's) my ol'man had an "LP" by this guy that was way ahead of it's time, it was titled "Supersonics in flight"...anyone?!

Thanks

Too many blues artists in here unless this IS just a blues poll and I know blues was the beginning of rock n roll n what not but wheres Tony Iommi, he was one of the first to completely remove the blues aspect and created a little genre known as Heavy Metal!

When I read comments coming from most of your viewers, it puzzles me that no one really "listens" to the way contemporary players play today. I mean really "listen"... because if you really "listen" to rock, blues, and some jazz guitarist today, the greatest influences you hear are coming from Charlie Christian, Wes Montgomery, and Jimi Hendrix. Worldwide ! Every guitarist has a Christian, Hendrix, or Montgomery riff that he or she has stolen. Even Eddie Van Halen would never reject the influence of Hendrix. Slash... and anyone of these contemporary players you can name... I don't understand why these guys get so much notoriety... no, I take that back... I do. If by chance you do not listen, then you're in denial.

Everyone plays Texas Blues to emulate Charlie Christian. Everyone plays octaves to emulate Wes Montgomery, and everyone bends the hell of the notes and uses sound effects to emulate Jimi Hendrix. Maybe all the critics are listening to the sound of their own interpretation.