The top 100 metal guitarists? Let the debate begin...
Let the flailing begin! Guitar World picks the "100 greatest metal guitarists of all time" in its March issue, due out next week. Tony Iommi is numero uno - pretty hard to argue with that.…
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776 - lol
Totally enjoyed the first 3 pages of Josh and California boy
777 - AbiusX
@Californa Boy
You're totally wrong, its just that metal fans are not gay. They love their music and enjoy it, they don't buy music to boast.
778 - iGouger
I would agree with the original post, which says that "if you're talking about "innovation" that some of these earlier guys should be much higher." I'm not going to dispute Iommi's place at the top, but as for a lot of other guys, I think they should be a lot higher. And some guitarists are plain overrated or don't belong on a metal list.
Michael Schenker. If he hadn't played in UFO, the NWOBHM wouldn't have happened. He needs to be much higher on the list. Unquestionably the second most influential heavy metal guitarist. Hell, if it wasn't for Schenker, we wouldn't have Kirk Hammett, Dave Mustaine, Adrian Smith, Randy Rhoads, Paul Gilbert, George Lynch, Slash, Dave Mustaine, Marty Friedman... the list goes on.
Schenker's older brother, Rudolf, and the great Uli Jon Roth also should be much higher on the list. "Sails of Charon" was undoubtedly the first neoclassical-metal composition, and yet Malmsteen, Becker, Gilbert, and the like are listed higher than Roth, despite the fact that they were influenced by him. As for R. Schenker... it's hard to deny his influence on 80s metal. Arguably, Scorpions were the first glam metal band.
Ted Nugent. Hard to believe he's at 48. He was playing metal before it really took off, and his riffing and soloing outclassed that of Angus Young and Jimmy Page, both of whom are considered highly influential in heavy metal. Uncle Ted had more influence on the genre than both of them combined.
Joe Satriani. He is, simply put, raw talent incarnate and taught at least two of the guitarists on the list--Hammett and Vai.
Ritchie Blackmore. Doesn't even need to be explained.
Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing. I don't think 13 is high enough for them.
Buck Dharma. Shame on people that only voted him as 73.
Leslie West. Ever heard the monster riff from "Mississippi Queen?" Need I say more?
Richie Sambora. If Def Leppard got #41, then Sambora should deserve at least 42. He, along with Clark and Collen, defined what Glam/Hair Metal was in the mid-late 80s.
Brian Tatler. "Am I Evil?" YES I AM!
Michael Angelo Batio should be higher up on the list if they're going to include other neoclassical shredders.
I don't know what to say about Jimi Hendrix. I'm convinced that he's the most influential guitarist in rock and roll... but where does that put him in the realm of heavy metal? You have to either put him at number 1, or not include him at all.
As for guitarists that I think are placed too high, let's start with Jimmy Page. Page never played metal. Led Zeppelin were never metal. And yet they're always hailed as one of the two seminal metal bands (the other being Sabbath). THEY WERE NEVER METAL. In the words of Eddie Van Halen, he was decent in studio, horrible live. In my opinion, Page is the single most overrated guitarist of all time.
Hammett and Hetfield.... I love Metallica, but I don't think they should be so high on the list. They were nowhere nearly as influential as Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, UFO, Thin Lizzy (speaking of which, where's Phil Lynott?), Blue Oyster Cult... heck, even Dio. Hammett and Hetfield belong closer to the likes of the Megadeth guys, the Slayer guys, and the Anthrax guys.
Angus Young. Seriously? Number 3? AC/DC sold the second most popular album worldwide, but this was in 1980. They didn't influence anyone, save for maybe those oddball nu metal modern bands. By the time Angus Young started playing guitar, Sabbath and Purple had released several albums each. And don't get me started on Schenker...
Zakk Wylde, while a decent guitarist, doesn't belong anywhere near the top 10. He was influenced by a lot of the guitarists on this list; it wasn't the other way around.
Adam Jones didn't play metal. Tool are a great band, but I'd classify them more as prog rock... maybe prog metal. But again, how does he stand in terms of influence? Pretty much any metal guitarist from the 70s or 80s is more influential than he is.
Alex Lifeson never played metal.
Robert Fripp never played metal. He's a genius though.
Pete Townshend never played metal. He's a genius though, and was very influential in rock-and roll.
Did Neil Young ever play metal...?
Brian May never played metal. "Stone Cold Crazy" is the hardest they got, but I still don't call that metal. I guess you could argue that he did influence a lot of metal guitarists, so I'll let that one slide.
On a side note, Vivian Campbell also played 3 albums with Dio; the list incorrectly says that he only played with Leppard.
Korn should not be on this list. Anyone can play two chords on a disgustingly overdriven guitar. Not to mention the fact that they didn't influence any metal bands.
Slash is kind of overrated in terms of talent, and he wasn't influential at all in the world of metal. There are at least 5 guitarists listed after he is on the list that influenced him.
Also, where's Gary Moore, Phil Lynott, Janick Gers, Adrian Van den Berg, the Wishbone Ash guys (Andy Powell & Martin Turner), Steve Morse, Eric Clapton (wasn't metal, but neither are half the guys listed on there; he was at least more innovative and influential than they), Rick Nielsen, Billy Gibbons, Robbie Krieger, Tom Scholz (without him and his Rockman amps, Def Leppard's "Hysteria" album wouldn't have been recorded), Keith Richards, that guy from Twisted Sister, the Gaines brothers from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Craig Goldy (Dio's 2nd guitarist), and Carlos Cavazo? All of the guys I listed are much more influential and/or innovative than most of the players on that list.
779 - amir
boolllshit
780 - Doesn't matter
WHERE'S JOHN 5
781 - bear
where the fuck is Janick Gers from iron maiden?!!!!
782 - Justin
Where are Trent Reznor, Twiggy Ramirez and John 5? Wtf! And how is Hendrix #12? Thats blasphemy!
783 - Justin
Wheres Tony Rombola? Curt Kobain?
784 - Dr Dreadful
Never mind all those eejits - where's Waldo??
785 - Ben
dimebag should be in the top 5.
786 - keith
oh my god.. you guys are kidding! John Petrucci of DREAM THEATER must be the number 1, he has a dramatic melody which you can't find in other guitarist..
787 - John Petrucci
What a shitty list!
788 - Chris
Angus, Malcolm, Jimmy Page, & Hendrix are some of my favorite guitarists. But they shouldn't be on a metal list at all, let alone in the top ten.
What an indictment on metal!
Iommi is great -no doubt the man who established metal, but Randy Rhoads would be #1 on my list.
789 - e
Jake e. lee top 5. In his prime, could have played circles around just about anyone. He mismanaged his own career. ps the MAJORITY of these guitarists are not metal
790 - Brutha V
WTF, no Robin Trower?!!
791 - where is chuck from death??!
where the fuck is chuck schuldiner from death??! i cant believe hes been completely left off the list. hes one of the greatest metal guitarists of all time. what bullshit!
792 - lol
Man you all cry a lot, make your own stupid post with top 100 if you care so much
793 - guest
where the hell is synyster gates???? :O
794 - Christian Joeansson
27th- John Petrucci. Is this a joke? The man is the most talented guitarist who has ever entered the scene. He defines technicality, innovation and above all perfection. Skills that should be the criteria of this list.
795 - RM
And there is no Michael Schenker. At all.
796 - Msin
Mark morton and willie adler at 80?!korn 26?? And you made this list absed on what again?
797 - Wolf
James & Kirk @ #2????????
James has nvr played any solos ibn his life, and kirk is an average guitarist.
u gotta be outa ur mind, visit a mental hospital once. Dave shud be up there u faggot Metallica fanboy!!!
798 - Confused
Hahahaha So according to this list skill has nothing to do with greatness?
799 - Luz
wow! Black Sabbath!
800 - Pinak wildchild sk
So where's herman li and sam tottman of dragon force. . .they are indeed top guitarists of all time
801 - Leo Uwazuruonye
The very fact that Hetfield and Hammett sit firmly at #2 while Alex Skolnick & Eric Peterson are at #61 is a huge turn-off. I know we all have our basis, but just wow. The only thing that redeems this list is that Iommi is placed as #1, and that is it.