Who could possibly have the oddacity not to include Jimi Hendrix in such a list. Hendrix is the man that I credit for making me play the guitar. He was my hero, the man I wanted to be like. Hell, my first guitar was a white strat. In my opinion, Hendrix is the best all around guitar player I've ever heard. His ability to play a solid rhythm, create an amazing solo, sing and write decent lyrics, and to do it all at the same time still astounds me. He is and will always be one of the Gods of guitar.
Marquee song: Voodoo Chile: Slight Return, Purple Haze
Jimmy Page is the most imaginative song writer I have ever heard. I don't think I've ever heard one artist write so many songs that have given me goose-bumps. And that only describes his song writing. Page also has a tremendous sense of groove and increadible solo abilities. His solo in "Stairway to Heaven" was recently voted the greatest solo of all time by Guitar World readers. Together with the other memebers of Led Zeppelin, Jimmy has sold over 70 million records... not bad.
Marquee song: Stairway to Heaven, Kashmir
While his songs often lacked depth and meaning, his soloing was far and away the greatest I have ever heard. Besides that, he was also the most fun to watch. One of the most inspiring stories in music, he battled back from a drug and acohol addiction, only to be killed in a helicopter crash in 1990. His blazing speed and intensity has forever bought him a place in guitar history. He also had some really cool hats.
Marquee song: Texas Flood, Long Way From Home, Little Wing (Hendrix cover)
One of the guitar worlds most familiar and successful people. Clapton began his career with the Yardbirds (he was eventually "replaced" by Jimmy Page) and it spanned past Cream, Derek and the Dominos, and finally into a successful solo career. In the late sixties his imortality was bought by the simple statement spralled across a wall in England, "Clapton Is God." A great song writer and soloist, Clapton has been able to expand his talents into many different forms of music.
Marquee song: Sunshine of Your Love, Crossroads, Layla, Tears in Heaven
The spiritual King of guitar, Carlos Santana's name is synonymous with good groove and orgasmic solos. One of the most exhilarating performers of all time, Carlos seems to have some kind of weird ESP with the netherworld or something. Just listening to his music can transpose you to a world of unimaginable depth. He also plays a PRS guitar, which is made by an alumnus of my college, so he gets mad props for that too.
Marquee song: Black Magic Woman, Oye Como Va
Surely one of the most influential guitarist of our time, B.B. King has had a major impact on the development of modern blues and rock & roll music. Although he was a well known star on the "chitlin circuit" during the 1950's and 60's, B.B. King was relatively unknown to Middle America until the late 1960's. B.B. broke through the barriers of race and national boundaries when he recorded an adaptation of the Roy Hawkins'song, "The Thrill Is Gone." The song shot up to #15 on the Pop charts and topped out at #3 on the R&B charts in 1970, leading to the solidification of B.B. King as the premier blues artist of our time.
Marquee song: The thrill is gone
There are probably a lot of people out there who don't approve of Frusciante being among these other guitarists, and to be honest he probably doesn't belong with them. The problem with that argument though, is that if I was to keep everybody to the standard of those above this would be a very short list. I mean, if Al Simmons can be in the same hall of fame as Ty Cobb, then Frusciante most certainly deserves a place in these hallowed halls. The fact is that John Frusciante is an incredible guitar player. His amazing work on Blood Sugar Sex Magik and Californiacation has been jaw dropping. Even his simplist notes are filled with thick emotion and every chord has the ablitity to bring me to tears.
Marquee Song: Under the Bridge, Scar Tissue
