The Eight G.O.A.T.s of Rock Guitar

Your Opinion May Vary

Doubtless you will disagree with some of these choices, or omissions, if you have an opinion on who were or are the eight best rock guitarists of all time. There are, of course, many that could be paraded forth as honorable mentions and also-rans who are just a shade under these eight in talent or accomplishments, such as Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Mark Farner of Grand Funk (Railroad), Alvin Lee of Ten Years After, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, Dickey Betts of The Allman Brothers (I would choose him over Duane Allman), Robin Trower, Steve Miller (especially when the leader of his blues band), &c &c ad infinitum ad nauseam, but here are my picks of the top eight, not just for their virtuosity, but also for their versatility and originality/creativity.

I am listing them in alphabetical order (by surname), since they are all so close to each other in skill. If you feel moved to do so, nominate others in the comments section.

NOTE: This list admittedly suffers from Geezer Bias (most of these cats had their heydey in the ‘60s and ‘70s); I’m not qualified to “judge” newer axemen, as I haven’t listened to them much, if at all. To me, Eddie Van Halen is still somewhat new. Hey, I heard that laughter reverberating in the distance!

Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple and Rainbow); listen to Deep Purple’s Machine Head, where each player was at the top of his game and seemed to push and inspire the others to “up their game” — not a slouch in the bunch!

Eric Clapton of Cream; he shreds like a bearded rainbow

Rory Gallagher of Taste and his own band (listen to Against the Grain, at least); actually, to experience the epitome of rock energy and ebullience and sheer joie de vivre in action (one writer called him a “whirling dervish”), see the live version of Shinkicker here.

Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top

Jimi Hendrix

Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits

Carlos Santana

Eddie Van Halen

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