Rolling Stone magazine Trivia

[surveyor]

In the summer of 2003, Rolling Stone magazine compiled a list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.

1 Jimi Hendrix
2 Duane Allman of The Allman Brothers Band
3 B.B. King
4 Eric Clapton
5 Robert Johnson
6 Chuck Berry
7 Stevie Ray Vaughan
8 Ry Cooder
9 Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin
10 Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones
11 Kirk Hammett of Metallica
12 Kurt Cobain of Nirvana
13 Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead
14 Jeff Beck
15 Carlos Santana
16 Johnny Ramone of the Ramones
17 Jack White of The White Stripes
18 John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
19 Richard Thompson
20 James Burton
21 George Harrison
22 Mike Bloomfield
23 Warren Haynes
24 The Edge of U2
25 Freddy King
26 Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave
27 Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits
28 Stephen Stills
29 Ron Asheton of The Stooges
30 Buddy Guy
31 **** Dale
32 John Cipollina of Quicksilver Messenger Service
33 Lee Ranaldo and Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth
35 John Fahey
36 Steve Cropper of Booker T. and the MG's
37 Bo Diddley
38 Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac
39 Brian May of Queen
40 John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival
41 Clarence White of The Byrds
42 Robert Fripp of King Crimson
43 Eddie Hazel of Funkadelic
44 Scotty Moore
45 Frank Zappa
46 Les Paul
47 T-Bone Walker
48 Joe Perry of Aerosmith
49 John McLaughlin
50 Pete Townshend
51 Paul Kossoff of Free
52 Lou Reed
53 Mickey Baker
54 Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane
55 Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple
56 Tom Verlaine of Television
57 Roy Buchanan
58 Dickey Betts
59 Jonny Greenwood and Ed O'Brien of Radiohead
61 Ike Turner
62 Zoot Horn Rollo of The Magic Band
63 Danny Gatton
64 Mick Ronson
65 Hubert Sumlin
66 Vernon Reid of Living Colour
67 Link Wray
68 Jerry Miller of Moby Grape
69 Steve Howe of Yes
70 Eddie Van Halen
71 Lightnin' Hopkins
72 Joni Mitchell
73 Trey Anastasio of Phish
74 Johnny Winter
75 Adam Jones of Tool
76 Ali Farka Toure
77 Henry Vestine of Canned Heat
78 Robbie Robertson of The Band
79 Cliff Gallup of The Blue Caps
80 Robert Quine of The Voidoids
81 Derek Trucks
82 David Gilmour of Pink Floyd
83 Neil Young
84 Eddie Cochran
85 Randy Rhoads
86 Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath
87 Joan Jett
88 Dave Davies of The Kinks
89 D. Boon of The Minutemen
90 Glen Buxton of Alice Cooper
91 Robby Krieger of The Doors
92 Fred "Sonic" Smith and Wayne Kramer of the MC5
94 Bert Jansch
95 Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine
96 Angus Young of AC/DC
97 Robert Randolph
98 Leigh Stephens of Blue Cheer
99 Greg Ginn of Black Flag
100 Kim Thayil of Soundgarden

 

[maximoiglesias]

Tim Renwick of Procol Harum and has also played with Al Stewart, Alan Parsons, Pink Floyd and many others.

 

[Shadow_Ferret]

I often wonder what their criteria is. Nearly every guitar magazine comes out with a top 100 list of guitarists and they each have different people at different positions.

For instance, I'd have Tony Iommi much higher and I'd probably drop Jimmy Page several notches.

I don't even think Kurt Cobaine would make my Top 100 or Johnny Ramone.

John McLaughlin certainly deserves higher than 49 since he popularized the whole jazz-fusion genre. And I can't help but wonder how he makes the list but Al DiMeola doesn't.

No John Petrucci?

And I'm not sure how you can have a 100 greatest without Django Rheinhart.

Again, I question their criteria.

 

[m3Ch]

Hi,

That list is way off! Joni Mitchel is higher then David Gilmour? Paige seems a bit low to me also. I know the previous post said he would have put him lower, but I would have to disagree.

 

[MDS]

You have to take those lists with a grain of salt as their criteria may not match your own. It's no different than 'Sexiest men/women alive' - some butt ugly people make those lists.

I like to watch the VH1 Classic shows where they do things like '50 Awesomely Bad Love Songs'. The comments from the comedians are sometimes funny, but the songs they choose as 'bad' are way off. For example, they put Milli Vanilli in the 40s but the number 1 bad love song was Turbo Lover by Judas Priest. Come on now...A JP song is worse than Milli Vanilli? Not in my book.

 

[maximoiglesias]

Hi,

That list is way off! Joni Mitchel is higher then David Gilmour? Paige seems a bit low to me also. I know the previous post said he would have put him lower, but I would have to disagree.

I agree with you.
The best guitarrist should be the ones that play the guitar better, good solos, good rythm, and good compositions and arrangements.
I have never heard a solo by Joni Mitchel by Bonnie Rait yes

 

[brian32672]

You've got to be kidding me, half those people don't belong on the list. I am much more into movies. But enjoy music as well. I am totally suprised one of the best is not on that list. Also that he is not in the top ten. Yngwie Malmsteen. Considered by true Guitarist magazines (Not Rolling Bones) to be about the best there is...

I don't even think Kurt Cobaine would make my Top 100 or Johnny Ramone.

Edit:: K.C. is one of the guys that I agree that should not be on that list. Although I like some of the Ramones Music, he to I agree would not make a true top 100 list... Also Randy Rhoads at #85 I would think he should be bumped up to at least the top 50. Yeah, that list is subjective by far....

EDIT:: Also where is Steve Vai ??????????? He should make the top 80, or better.
The only correct one in the right place would be Hendrix at #1.. And even some of those guys compare to him. Wow, this list is a mind boggler...

 

[Johnny Canuck]

My two favorite guitarists, Eddie van halen and Angus Young, are very low on this list. Both are great showmen as well, especially Angus. Nothing gives me more goose bumps than watching him perform.

Kurt Cobain??????? C'mon. Nirvana only played three cords!!!! To say he was a GREAT guitar player is ridiculous and I really lost some respect for such a great magazine. Nirvana is the most influencial group of our time as the release of "Nevermind" instantly killed bands such as Poison, Warrant, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Cinderella etc. . Rolling Stone has stated numerous times how they feel about Nirvan's music and how important it was but to say the guitar playing was better than the two masters i listed above and approx 80 others on that list is plain wrong.


And another thing? Where is Dirtbag from Pantera (not my kind of music but he could play for sure) and Randy Rhodes??

 

[surveyor]

You've got to be kidding me, half those people don't belong on the list. I am much more into movies. But enjoy music as well. I am totally suprised one of the best is not on that list. Also that he is not in the top ten. Yngwie Malmsteen. Considered by true Guitarist magazines (Not Rolling Bones) to be about the best there is...




Edit:: K.C. is one of the guys that I agree that should not be on that list. Although I like some of the Ramones Music, he to I agree would not make a true top 100 list... Also Randy Rhoads at #85 I would think he should be bumped up to at least the top 50. Yeah, that list is subjective by far....

EDIT:: Also where is Steve Vai ??????????? He should make the top 80, or better.
The only correct one in the right place would be Hendrix at #1.. And even some of those guys compare to him. Wow, this list is a mind boggler...

Joe Walsh should be on there near the upper 10, IMO.

 

[brian32672]

And another thing? Where is Dirtbag from Pantera (not my kind of music but he could play for sure) and Randy Rhodes??

85 Randy Rhoads

Yeah, but he should be in the top 50 at least... 85 is seriously a joke.
The editors must have been stoned to allow this list go through...(Hmm smoke another one bro)
Wow, what a joke... Once again, mind boggling

 

[nibhaz]

Where the hell is Les Claypool of Primus? I'd put him at least in the top 50...Joan Jett...that's a joke right?


The Stone's list are always way off, and generally skewed towards the recent and popular.

 

[brian32672]

Joan Jett...that's a joke right?

Actually I think she's in about the right spot #87.
Maybe a tad lower #90, She's pretty versatile.
Specially beginning in a Punk band with Lita Ford.

EDIT:: Also you have to throw some extra credit to women in a dominated mans profession.

 

[majorloser]

??????????????????

These guys are on crack!

Les Paul, Di ck Dale, Eddie Van Halen and David Gilmore that low?
All true gods of guitar.

Derek Trucks is too young to make any greatest list much less over Angus, Randy Rhoads, Neil Young and David "The God" Gilmore!

Without Les Paul most of these artists wouldn't be where they are now

(Sorry Mr. Dale for this lame censorship)

 

[jaxvon]

What about Denny Dias, Jeff Baxter, etc.? And what in the HELL is Kurt Kobain doing at #12. He's a terrible guitarist, and even worse on vocals. He doesn't deserve to be on the top 100, let alone the top 500.

I hope Pat Metheny is on there. Otherwise they're completely frickin' nuts.

 

[brian32672]

Well Amazon.com's vote is on Yngwie Malmsteen on the in order Albums.
And is also in the unordered solos.
As well as Steve Vai is there.
Also I threw in another web site as well.
Still these people think K.C was influential, which I can agree with. But #12 on a 100 list is a laugh.

Best Guitarist Albums (in order)- Amazon http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/listmania/list-browse/-/6MJQDFQTFG1E/002-4481730-0749607
Best Guitar Solos (not in any order)- Amazon http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/listmania/list-browse/-/1Q1K0IWAMIEOE/002-4481730-0749607
Close, on some stuff - http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/columns/junkyard/best_guitarist_the_criteria.html

 

[Shadow_Ferret]

I don't see Joe Satriani, either.

Still these people think K.C was influential, which I can agree with. But #12 on a 100 list is a laugh.

Influential as a songwriter maybe, as a guitarist? No.

 

[m3Ch]

Where the hell is Les Claypool of Primus? I'd put him at least in the top 50...Joan Jett...that's a joke right?


The Stone's list are always way off, and generally skewed towards the recent and popular.

Hi,

The only reason Les is not mentioned is because he is a bass player. Now that would start a whole other arguement or shall I say debate.

This reminds me of a joke my father used to say about Chet Atkins.

When Chet was a young boy he used to walk around and play his guitar all the time.

One day he got in trouble at school, and his father took Chet's guitar and threw it down the hole in their out-house.

Well you know what young Chet did? He went down that hole, grab his guitar and picked the SH*T out of it!!

 

[STRONGBADF1]

What about Alex Lifeson of Rush!!!!!!!!!!

Rolling Stone has always had it against Rush for some reason. I've read that Rolling Stone wont even consider Rush for the rock and roll hall of fame because they haven't done anything of significance...well just by this list you can see how qualified they are to make such decisions!!!!!!!!!!

also...Eric Johnson...maybe not very popular but had a hit or two and is insanely talented.

Ditto Satriani and Vai

I could go on for awhile but whats the point. The mags don't often list the criteria used to create lists. If they did they would have to inform people of the desire to get future interviews and advertising and to include all age groops and to look better to a certain demographic...and the most important...to create a controversy so every one would say "Hey did you see that Rolling Stone list..."

"There is no such thing as bad publicity"

Anyway, I had a bad week so far at work, can you tell???

 

[Mudcat]

What about ....Jeff Baxter, etc....

Ahhhh "Skunk" Baxter

Met him in Filthydelphia a few years ago at (of all things) the Kverna Masa Shipyard opening. He's advising politicians on scientific issues now. Somewhere along the way, he managed to get Phd from Wyoming in some sort of respectable scientific field (forget what he said).

The only reason I recognized him was that I had just watched Ken Burns "History of Rock n Roll" on pbs within the past week.

 

[PiPod]

85 is more than a joke. It's an outrage. Yeesh. This is why I no longer subscribe.