10 Most Influential Guitarists

created by phunkjunkie

Please note that these are the guitarists that had the most influence on music and not just the best guitarists. Comments that do not reference a particular guitarist's influence will not be approved. Don't agree with the list? Place your vote or if you are a logged in, add a new item for others to vote on.

Vote for Eddie Van Halen 1) Eddie Van Halen

he is very influential, i mean listen to eruption it will change your life.

whereangelsgrow

All of us know how influential Eddie is. He changed the way of play for lots of players around the world.

JR

eddie plays so unique and fast like no one before and after him!
it’s unbelievable...

richie4life


Vote for Hideto 'hide' Matsumoto 2) Hideto 'hide' Matsumoto

Japan’s most influential guitarist. no doubt about it


Vote for Jimi Hendrix 3) Jimi Hendrix

the reason so many great guitarists picked up a guitar. and who is hideto?

DylanBr00ks

Jimi Hendrix is THE GUITARIST. He is the most innovative, influential guitarist of all time. (And to you Slash lovers, he’s not INFLUENTIAL at all. He’s pretty much just like all the other 80’s guitarists.)

CrazedPoi

Page was on the scene and Bowed down to Jimi, and Van Halen followed and copied him, Hendrix hands down!

Greenmean


Vote for Angus Young 4) Angus Young

this guy is awesome he should be number 1 for everyone out there

rocker1796


Vote for Jimmy Page 5) Jimmy Page


Vote for Slash 6) Slash

his mad, crazy skills made the signature for gnr

ronluna

Slash made me a gn’r fan. when I was growing up it was slash n axl but as I matured all my feeling are for you slash. you have given me so many scripts for my air guitar. LEGEND


Vote for James Hetfield 7) James Hetfield

James creates the most amazing rythems and background sounds I have ever heard. Fade to black, ride the lightning... omg.. heavenly.

uZi91

When he was 3 years old his father left him and in his teens his mom died and he used the music get through all of it and not only can he play electric guitar and sing but he can also play the drums and the bass... one of the most inspirational of all time.


Vote for Richie Sambora 8) Richie Sambora

he’s fast, he has a great sound and
he’s a great improviser

richie4life


Vote for Duane Allman 9) Duane Allman

Helped bring slide-guitar and southern rock to the masses.


Vote for Eric Clapton 10) Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton is amazing. Enough said. =D

Li778


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Choices Not In The Top Ten

Vote for John Frusciante 11) John Frusciante

If not in the top 5 now, He will be later. He has written some of the greatest riffs in rock history and he is only 38.

RHCPfan

probably the best improviser and soulful of them all, don’t believe me go watch their new live stuff on youtube( greenfest, cigale, alcatraz, slane castle... )

Vote for Ken Kitamura 12) Ken Kitamura

one of the best and most influential japanese rock guitarists, so many cover artists and bands tribute to ken and L’Arc~en~Ciel. see it and you will believe it.

ronluna

Vote for Tom Morello 13) Tom Morello

Best guitarist. As soon as I listened to him, I thought that he was the best

Battlegun

Vote for Ichiro "Cipher" Takigawa 14) Ichiro "Cipher" Takigawa

idol of dir en grey from the band D’ERLANGER

Vote for Brian May 15) Brian May

Vote for Carlos Santana 16) Carlos Santana

amazing guitarist

Okami

No other guitarist has had hit in every decade that he has been alive. Carlos Santana has adapted each generation and has not gone away since he started.

Vote for Matt Bellamy 17) Matt Bellamy

Vote for Tomo Milicevic 18) Tomo Milicevic

Vote for Buckethead 19) Buckethead

go listen to soothsayer

Vote for Kurt Cobain 20) Kurt Cobain

great guitarist

Vote for David Gilmour 21) David Gilmour

Vote for George Harrison 22) George Harrison

Vote for Matthias Jabbs 23) Matthias Jabbs

one of the guitarists of a great band scorpions. he is one of the most influential guitarists since 1970s

ronluna

Vote for Zakk Wylde 24) Zakk Wylde

Vote for Paul Gilbert 25) Paul Gilbert

I think he influenced a lot of guitarists with his unique progressive metal style. And his music is so cool. Did you ever listen "Metal Dog"? Please, do.

Mouseclick

I think PG shreds the guitar cleaner and more accurately than the rest of the artists do.. the licks are just very catchy.. coolest player! viva PAUL GILBERT!

Vote for Keith Richards 26) Keith Richards

Vote for Chuck Berry 27) Chuck Berry

Vote for Edge 28) Edge

Vote for Frank Zappa 29) Frank Zappa

Vote for Todd Rundgren 30) Todd Rundgren

Todd is one of the most underrated guitarists out there, he plays like no one else.

CrazedPoi

Vote for Richard Thompson 31) Richard Thompson

Vote for Trey Anastasio 32) Trey Anastasio

Vote for Yuji Adachi 33) Yuji Adachi

like hideto matsumoto, he influenced lots of guitarists in japan but he is very underappreciated and not well known

ronluna

inspired Ken Kitamura and other great japanese guitarists

ronluna

from the most influential band in japan DEAD END

Vote for Prince 34) Prince

Vote for Neil Young 35) Neil Young

Vote for Joe Walsh 36) Joe Walsh

Vote for Stephen Stills 37) Stephen Stills

Vote for Dickey Betts 38) Dickey Betts

Vote for Herman Li 39) Herman Li

KKiller with the solos.

Vote for Tommy Bolin 40) Tommy Bolin

Vote for Amos Garrett 41) Amos Garrett

Vote for B.B. King 42) B.B. King

Vote for Tak Matsumoto 43) Tak Matsumoto

from the most selling japanese band B’z

Vote for Ace Frehley 44) Ace Frehley

WHY DO YOU THINK DIME BAG PICKED UP A GUITAR ACE INFLUENCED MANY GREAT GUITARESTS

Vote for Randy Rhoads 45) Randy Rhoads

Vote for Kaoru Niikura 46) Kaoru Niikura