There have been hundreds upon hundreds of entries lately about everyone's favorite guitarists. This is great. But, taste IS relative 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.
There are guitarists who have exercised an enormous amount of influence on "Modern" music. This is undeniable. While not all of these men are technically the "best" players of the 20th century (none are slouches, by any means), it is only through their creation and innovation that we've arrived where we are today.
I consider all of the following to be musical catalysts. I've listed them in a loosely chronological order. I'm hoping to show how their influence and cross-influence helped to shape modern music as we know it. Keep in mind that trying to cover approximately 70 years of music with 10 guitarists is no easy task. Bear with me.
Self admittedly, I know there are some omissions here. I hope to cover this idea with somewhat more aplomb and perhaps, a bit less subjectively, at a later date.
Without further ado, here goes nothin' chumlies:
1. Robert Johnson - Influenced by Willie Brown, Son House, Scrapper Blackwell, Blind Blake, Kokomo Arnold, Lonnie Johnson, et al. Masterly musician that he was, R.J. was able to soak up influences like a sponge and blend them into something undeniably his own. Johnson was a powerful player often sounding like 2 or 3 guitarists at once. His songwriting was exemplary as well. Johnson had the ability to weave his lyrics with strong thematic unity. Most blues lyrics of the day (esp. Delta Blues) were often nothing more than just random verses strung together in a rather surreal fashion having little or nothing to do with the song or title. He was a huge influence on Post WW2 Bluesmen such as BB King, Elmore James, Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson # 2, Robert Jr. Lockwood & more.
The above mentioned artists in turn served as inspiration and mentors to the Stones, Hendrix, Cream, Johnny Winter, Butterfield Blues Band, CCR and more. Robert's sound lives on in the contemporary blues of artists: Alvin Youngblood Hart, Corey Harris, Keb Mo and R.L. Burnside. to name only a few.
2. Charlie Christian - Picking up inspiration from jazz pioneers like Eddie Lang, Lonnie Johnson and Western Swing pioneers like Leon McAuliffe, Charlie was just as influential to bluesmen in his own right as Robert Johnson was in his. Charlie helped not only to define the modern electric Jazz guitar with his groundbreaking work with the Benny Goodman Sextet, but also helped to inspire a whole school of Jump Blues cats out of the Southwest. T-Bone Walker, Lowell Fulson, Pee Wee Crayton & Goree Carter are all indebted to him. Les Paul, BB King, LC McKinley, and many others also claim his influence.
3. T Bone Walker - Aaron Thibodeaux Walker. His oft imitated, but never quite duplicated style is mix of Texas country blues (he worked as a sideman and a guide for Blind Lemon Jefferson in his youth) and the high flying swing sounds of Charlie Christian, Freddie Green (of Count Basie's Band), Les Paul and others.
Article comments
1 - Taloran
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!
2 - duane
"... 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?
3 - HW Saxton Jr.
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.
4 - Eric Olsen
Excellent and informative, HW. Nobody knows what you know better than you know it, if you know what I mean.
5 - HW Saxton Jr.
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.
6 - godoggo
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.
7 - HW Saxton Jr.
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.
8 - Christina
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.
9 - Steve Laughton
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
10 - parsifal
Albert king is a must in any list of top guitarrists.
11 - Antfreeze
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.
12 - valante
where is jimmy page being the fastest is not the best
13 - Mr. Guitar
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.
14 - mimi
I'm sorry but jimi hendrix should of been on the top of ur list!!
15 - HW Saxton
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.
16 - Jon
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.
17 - SFC SKI
"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.
18 - DrummerPete
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
19 - Steven Brennan
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!
20 - keith
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.
21 - jake hheath
yo put jimmie hendrix at the top of the list not number 19
22 - taojones
when you talk about influential i think you need to give your Kudos to arlen Roth . His Hotlicks tapes and lessons in Guitar player magazine shared more of the nuts and bolts of how to approach the axe as a whole instrument ad get more out of it in a pure way. plug directly into the amp control tone and volume with the knobs n the ax above the nut stretches , harmonic squeaks and impeccable phrasing . his example led literally hundreds of guitarists ti sit down and tape lessons a who,s who of ax men (buddy guy, robin trower, duke robilard, mick taylor,to name a few)
there's a reason that there a picture of him and les paul playing on stage on les's birthday there on his site.I argue that this man although he did not become publicly famous influenced more people than anybody .he is the consummate musicians musician
listen to "laughing at the blues" for some really great slack string tuning or go watch "crossroads" and listen to arlen who was actually playing against Steve vie in the duel with the devil the whole story is on his site
http:arlenroth.com
23 - Phil J
I love most everyone on the list. My only argument is that I think Frank Zappa totally revolutionized the "shred" and should at least get an honorable mention. Great job though
24 - Trebor Lloyd
It's very popular today to diss Eric Clapton (yeah, yeah, i've heard it all and don't buy a lot of it). But we're talking about influential here and I didn't see any limits on the influence being only from American guitarists. When I was growing up, Clapton was "god" and every kid wanted to play like him. Dance around it all you want, but I call that influential.