Guitar World Magazine Respons To Rolling Stone Magazine:Top 100 Rock/Metal Guitarists List GW Style

Guitar World Magazine -March 2004 Issue | 2-16-04 | my favorite headache

[My Favorite Headache]

March 2004 Issue Guitar World

Guitar World magazine has responded with their Top 100 Guitarists Poll of their own. In response to the outrage of many due to the Rolling Stone magazine issue which left off many names Guitar World conducted a poll of readers and internet browsers to vote for the Top 100 Guitarists of All Time. Here are the results:

01. Tony Iommi (BLACK SABBATH)

02. Kirk Hammett & James Hetfield (METALLICA)

03. Angus & Malcolm Young (AC/DC)

04. Randy Rhoads (OZZY OSBOURNE)

05. Eddie Van Halen (VAN HALEN)

06. Jimmy Page (LED ZEPPELIN)

07. Dimebag Darrell (PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN)

08. Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY)

09. Adam Jones (TOOL)

10. Kerry King & Jeff Hanneman (SLAYER)

11. Dave Murray & Adrian Smith (IRON MAIDEN)

12. Jimi Hendrix

13. Glen Tipton & K.K. Downing (JUDAS PRIEST)

14. Ace Frehley & Paul Stanley (KISS)

15. Slash (GUNS N' ROSES)

16. Ritchie Blackmore (DEEP PURPLE, RAINBOW)

17. Yngwie Malmsteen

18. Joe Perry & Brad Whitford (AEROSMITH)

19. Dave Mustaine & Marty Friedman (MEGADETH)

20. Chuck Schuldiner (DEATH)

21. Brian May (QUEEN)

22. Michael Schenker (MSG, UFO)

23. Nigel Tufnel (SPINAL TAP)

24. Jeff Beck

25. Tom Morello (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE)

26. Head & Munky (KORN)

27. John Petrucci (DREAM THEATER)

28. Kim Thayil (SOUNDGARDEN)

29. Vivian Campbell (DEF LEPPARD)

30. Daron Malakian (SYSTEM OF A DOWN)

31. Scott Ian (ANTHRAX)

32. Tom G. Warrior (CELTIC FROST)

33. Chris Degarmo & Michael Wilton (QUEENSRYCHE)

34. C.C. Deville (POISON)

35. Marten Hagstrom & Fredrik Thorndendal (MESHUGGAH)

36. Alex Lifeson (RUSH)

37. Paul Gilbert (MR. BIG, RACER X)

38. Jerry Cantrell (ALICE IN CHAINS)

39. Mantas (VENOM)

40. Jason Becker (DAVE LEE ROTH)

41. Phil Collen & Steve Clarke (DEF LEPPARD)

42. Mikael Akerfeldt & Peter Lindgren (OPETH)

43. Fast Eddie Clarke (MOTORHEAD)

44. Nuno Bettencourt (EXTREME)

45. Warren DeMartini (RATT)

46. Mick Mars (MOTLEY CRUE)

47. George Lynch (DOKKEN)

48. Ted Nugent

49. Jake E. Lee (OZZY OSBOURNE, BADLANDS)

50. Rudolf Schenker & Uli John Roth (SCORPIONS)

51. Oystein "Euronymous" Aarseth (MAYHEM)

52. Scott Gorham & Brian Robertson (THIN LIZZY)

53. Steve Vai (DAVE LEE ROTH,WHITESNAKE)

54. Reb Beach (WINGER, DOKKEN)

55. Trey Azagthoth (MORBID ANGEL)

56. John Sykes (THIN LIZZY,WHITESNAKE, BLUE MURDER)

57. Hank Shermann & Michael Denner (MERCYFUL FATE)

58. Richie Sambora (BON JOVI)

59. Jon Donais & Matt Backhand (SHADOWS FALL)

60. Stephen Carpenter (DEFTONES)

61. Alex Skolnick & Eric Peterson (TESTAMENT)

62. Brian Tatler (DIAMOND HEAD)

63. John Christ (DANZIG)

64. Scott "Wino" Weinrich (THE OBSESSED)

65. Pepper Keenan & Woody Weatherman (C.O.C.)

66. Tommy Victor (PRONG)

67. Leslie West (MOUNTAIN)

68. Vernon Reid (LIVING COLOUR)

69. Glen Buxton & Michael Bruce (ALICE COOPER)

70. Bjorn Gelotte & Jesper Stromblad (IN FLAMES)

71. Jim Matheos (FATES WARNING)

72. Gary Holt & Rick Hunolt (EXODUS)

73. Donald Buck Dharma Roeser (BLUE OYSTER CULT)

74. Michael Amott (ARCH ENEMY)

75. Robert Fripp (KING CRIMSON)

76. Andre Olbrich (BLIND GUARDIAN)

77. Joe Satriani

78. Frank Hannon & Tommy Skeoch (TESLA)

79. Ty Tabor (KING'S X)

80. Mark Morton & Will Adler (LAMB OF GOD)

81. Dino Cazares (FEAR FACTORY)

82. Pete Townshend (THE WHO)

83. Jon Schaffer (ICED EARTH)

84. Timo Tolkki (STRATOVARIUS)

85. Neil Young

86. Abbath Doom Occulta (IMMORTAL)

87. Kai Hansen (GAMMA RAY)

88. Uffe Cederlund & Alex Hellid (ENTOMBED)

89. Leigh Stephens (BLUE CHEER)

90. Jim Martin (FAITH NO MORE)

91. Michael Romeo (SYMPHONY X)

92. Bill Steer (CARCASS)

93. Piggy (VOIVOD)

94. Tony Bourge (BUDGIE)

95. Sammy Hagar (VAN HALEN)

96. Alexi Laiho (CHILDREN OF BODOM)

97. Akira Takasaki (LOUDNESS)

98. Michael Angelo

99. John Kay & Michael Monarh (STEPPENWOLF)

100. Nick Bowcott (GRIM REAPER)

[My Favorite Headache]

This should create an interesting conversation.

[ErnBatavia]

Did I just scroll too fast?...No Pat Metheney??

[My Favorite Headache]

Take it up with the voters!

[wardaddy]

Damn, I only know about half these guys.

"What a drag it is getting old"

[hometoroost]

Nigel Tufnel makes the list and Carlos Santana doesn't? That's a joke right?

[tbird5]

Randy Rhoads (OZZY OSBOURNE) should be #1.

[Docbarleypop]

What about BB King or Brian Setzer?

[My Favorite Headache]

Over 300,000 votes were cast...these were the results...I only report them! You have to remember...this poll was conducted in light of so many players being left out of the RS list. The one thing I was happy to see was NO Kurt Cobain or White Stripes in the Top 10 or list at all.

This is a Guitar Magazine and I think their credibility is a bit more than 30 writers for RS.

[af_vet_1981]

It's a reflection of the polled audience. Nothing more. Nothing less.

[GOPyouth]

I don't understand some of these rankins. They have Phil Collen and Steve Clarke ranked together, yet Phil Collen is one amazing guitarist. Steamin' Steve was a good showman, but a sloppy guitar player.

Also low ranked on this are Yngwie Malmsteen, Brian May, Steve Vai, and Joe Satriani.

[Magic Fingers]

Vai at #53 and Satriani at #77 - this was a joke, right?

[wtc911]

No John McGlaughlin and no Keith Richards but Leslie West? Why not just make Mark Farner #1...

[MetalHeadConservative35]

MUCH BETTER!!!!

[TheSpottedOwl]

Awesome! My son is listening to some vintage Sabbath right now :-)

Wow, all my favorite bands are listed!

[anobjectivist]

Jimi #12???? What's going on?

Also, Metallica beating out Rush? Come on!

[dead]

Any list that doesn't have Richard Thompson and Junior Brown in the top ten (let alone the top 100!) is just silly.

The voting community for this poll appears to have been heavily slanted toward pierced goth drop outs.

[Hank Rearden]

Question: how do all those "great" guitarists end up in such crappy bands?

[Little Pig]

What, no David Gilmour?

[MetalHeadConservative35]

Vai at #53 and Satriani at #77 - this was a joke, right?

its no joke..most of the guitarists on here are just as good as satch and vai (i would know i listen to alot of these bands)

this is a good list,but obiviously 100 guitarists arent enough slots on the list lol

[John H K]

Where the hell is Steve Howe?

[GOPyouth]

I think this list is metal guitarists. Gilmour bad ass rendition of Dogs and the solos on Comfortably Numb I don't think are considered metal. :) (even tho he's probably my favorite guitarist)

[Alberta's Child]

From the looks of this list, it appears that the typical Guitar World reader is a 30-something adolescent whose warped mind is stuck in the 1980s.

No Eric Clapton? No Duane Allman - Dickey Betts combination? LOL!

[Stellar Dendrite]

hmmm....there are only a few sensible choices on there.
i really despise "ranking" these guys...there really is no best. everyone has something different to "say"

these guys belong on the list (some are noodlers galore):

duane allman
bb king
pat metheny
jerry garcia
trey anastasio
mark knopfler
wes montgomery
john scofield

[taxed2death]

No, I checked twice.....no Metheney.

GW can now be relegated to the "fish wrapper" status.

Ever read Metheney's bio...as far as TEACHING at Berkely (sp) school of music at age 21?

[My Favorite Headache]

He was picked as one of the 25 honorable mentions. I couldn't believe he wasn't on the top 100 list and the dude from Budgie is!

[John H K]

Eh, Brian May and Alex Lifeson are on it and neither Queen or Rush is "metal" technically.

[RosieCotton]

This is just electric guitarists, right? Otherwise, any list that doesn't include folks like Doc Watson and Tony Rice is inherently flawed.

[Wumpus Hunter]

Hendrix is 12 spots down? No mention of Frank Zappa or Terry Kath either.

This list is bogus.

[dfwgator]

No Eric Johnson?!?

[John H K]

Anyone got a link to the Rolling Stone list?

[spodefly]

I'm sorry, but this list looks almost as stupid as the Rolling Stone list. (Tony Iommi #1 ???)

I am afraid that no one will be able to ascertain the Top 100 Guitarists of all time until I compile the list personally.

[evets]

Richie Stotts of the Plasmatics (Hey, if Spinal Tap makes #23...?!?)

[My Favorite Headache]

Aerosmith,Jeff Beck,Alex Lifeson,Budgie,and about 30 others are not metal...Townshead included.

[plain talk]

garbage heavy-metal poll. Even rocker Steve Vai is down at #54 and Satriani down at 77. Even these guys could cut it with the death metal crowd!

[TheBigB]

Helloo-ooo?

[dfwgator]

Where's Steve Hackett?

[GOPyouth]

From the looks of this list, it appears that the typical Guitar World reader is a 30-something adolescent whose warped mind is stuck in the 1980s.

The reason for this is b/c most guitarists today that get airplay are only trained in playing drop-d bar-chords. Doesn't take too much talent to do that. You throw in a two guitars and break up the chords...one lead and one rhythm (i.e. Malcom and Angus Young, or Viv/Steve Clarke with Collen with Leppard), and you get some pretty impressive stuff. Hell, even Brian May by himself was outstanding.

[rodomila]

WHAT A JOKE !!!!
NO Stevie Ray Vaughan, Duane Allman, Carlos Santana,Steve Howe, Pat Metheny, John McLaughlin, Leo Kottke, Mark Knoefler, Eric Clapton, etc. etc. etc.

[Tribune7]

And where's Roy Clark?

[rodomila]

WHAT A JOKE !!!!
NO Stevie Ray Vaughan, Duane Allman, Carlos Santana,Steve Howe, Pat Metheny, John McLaughlin, Leo Kottke, Mark Knoefler, Eric Clapton, etc. etc. etc.

[MetalHeadConservative35]

From the looks of this list, it appears that the typical Guitar World reader is a 30-something adolescent whose warped mind is stuck in the 1980s.

hey those 80's made me want to play in the guitar!!!!

[Tribune7]

Look they had to make room for Nick Bowcott. It was probably a tough call.

[Uncle Miltie]

I detect Media Bias! No Chet Atkins....

[spodefly]

No Allan Holdsworth, either.

[Alberta's Child]

LOL!!

:-)

[anonymous_user]

I'm not much of a country music fan, but I'm sure there's some good 'ol boys that could school a few of these spandex-wearing poodle-heads.

[Little Pig]

Or Sorrow from "Delicate Sound of Thunder". Maybe not thrashmetal, but hardly Flatt and Scruggs either.

[MarkL]

Guitar World is heavily weighted towards metal...

Every month they print a number of transcriptions of songs, and at least 80% are "headbanging!"

Guitar Player magazine would be more balanced.

Mark

[GOPyouth]

John Kerry should be on this list b/c he served in Vietnam.