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Time Magazine's 10 greatest electric gutarist

Let me jump in on the side of style over speed--and I do play the guitar, if that matters to anyone, which it shouldn't as one doesn't need to be a musician to appreciate music. I can't remember a single Yngvie or Vai song or solo, and when I was younger I did listen to some of that stuff. It is technically impressive, but very forgettable. Hell, Vernon Reid from Living Color could play faster than hell, but he wasn't half the guitarist his hero Dr. Know from Bad Brains was.

I agree the list is missing many important guitarists. I think the list is mistitled; it should be 10 most important guitarists, not greatest. Greatest does imply pure musicianship. Was Hendrix technically the best? Probably not. Was he the most important guitarist? I'd have a hard time putting someone above him.

With that said, I'd nominate Thurston Moore over Ramone for the list and second Pete Townsend. And Prince is one of the most versitile guitarists ever. His music is certainly very hit and miss, but the guy know the guitar and can make you stop and feel like a Gilmore solo and then show off with the best of them.
 
aladinsane said:
I agree the list is missing many important guitarists. I think the list is mistitled; it should be 10 most important guitarists, not greatest. Greatest does imply pure musicianship. Was Hendrix technically the best? Probably not. Was he the most important guitarist? I'd have a hard time putting someone above him.
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If the list was "10 most well known guitarists that have had influence on popular culture", it would be valid. I wouldn't say they're the most important guitarists out there but they've certainly had influence and some of them have been important. But to consider some of those guys the "greatest guitarists" is laughable. Some of them are great guitarists, no doubt, and some of them have written some amazing music, but most of the list is really terrible.

I'll be first to admit that speed isn't everything, but phrasing, dynamics, vibrato and overall "tightness" are very important and the funny thing is some of these "PLAY WITH FEEL" guitarists actually fail at these things too. In fact, some of the players that get slammed by your generic classic rock fanboys for being "mindless shredders" have better phrasing, dynamics and vibrato than alot of your usual "LOL TOP 10 GUITARIST LIST" candidates. Better phrasing, dynamics and vibrato means better ability to play emotionally. Mr. Vai and Mr. Gilbert are two guys that seem to get attacked alot by pentatonic wanker fanboys, and the funny thing is they both put more passion into their playing than aforementioned pentatonic wankers.

Also, writing catchy riffs with overrated, well known groups and playing them sloppily doesn't mean you're a good guitarist. While being able to write riffs and improvise is an important part of being a guitarist, if you suck at actually playing the instrument in the first place, your ability to write catchy riffs means absolutely nothing.
 
Geckothan said:
aladinsane said:
I agree the list is missing many important guitarists. I think the list is mistitled; it should be 10 most important guitarists, not greatest. Greatest does imply pure musicianship. Was Hendrix technically the best? Probably not. Was he the most important guitarist? I'd have a hard time putting someone above him.
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If the list was "10 most well known guitarists that have had influence on popular culture", it would be valid. I wouldn't say they're the most important guitarists out there but they've certainly had influence and some of them have been important. But to consider some of those guys the "greatest guitarists" is laughable. Some of them are great guitarists, no doubt, and some of them have written some amazing music, but most of the list is really terrible.

.
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Well it is Time magazine after all. Notice on the list there is one non-pop guitarist, unless you add Malmsteen to that list, and that is Les Paul representing jazz:rolleyes: guitar. My theory is he was only added to the list making an 11 member top ten because he died right before the publication and Gibson choose to put his name on the headstock of a guitar chosen by many as their main axe.
 
The problem with lists like this is that the people making the lists aren't guitar players themselves (at least not professional players). Also, everyone has their favorites and that instantly skews any list, particularly based on everyone's "but what about?" comments here.
I seem to remember that a few years ago either Rolling Stone or Guitar Player magazine asked professional guitar players who the best players were and the list got a lot less negative feedback from this BBS.
 
Chaos Descending said:
Tuln said:
Chaos Descending said:
I could just about buy this comment. :techman:
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thanks. i think it is the truth
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It was adding David Gilmour to the list that REALLY sold it for me. I like Alex Lifeson a great, great deal, but I LOVE David Gilmour.
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I like them bioth. Gilmoure ould just stand on the stage, not move around at all, and just play his heart out. Showmanship isn't needed for him to draw an audioence in. What I like about Lifeson is that he always seems to be learning, whther its restraining himself an adapting to more keyboard-centric tunes in the early eighties, or learning to mute a heavier guitar sound on Counterparts. 1978's "La Villa Strangtiago" may have the kind of guitar solo that could rival anyone's but he didn't play simple variants of that solo throughout his career.

On the contrary I love Slash, and I like his stuff and his emotion enough to say he deserves to be on the list. He's a few of the most memorable solos in rock, bar none. But a Slash solo is a Slash solo, and you can kinda always tell.
 
I agree with those who said that Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew should be on the list.

I'd add Phil Manzanera and Reeves Gabrels.
 
No Joe Perry - Aerosmith
No Robby Krieger - The Doors
No Lars Ulrich - Metallica
No "Ace" Frehley - Kiss
No Ted Nugent
No Brian May - Queen

Why did they make this list?
 
^

Lars Ulrich is Metallica's drummer. Maybe the list is a bit better then you originally thought.
 
Several Guitarists who (IMHO) are better than Slash but did not make the list:
- Michael Schenker
- Robin Trower
- David Gilmour
- Peter Frampton
- Robert Fripp
- Pat Metheny
- Alex Lifeson
- Tony Iommi
- Ritchie Blackmore
- Alex Skolnick
 
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