Rolling Stone: The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time

[Synthaholic]

I found an unlocked door and snuck in from over in the Keyboard Corner to post this link, but you may not want to click it if you value your blood pressure:

 

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-guitarists-1234814010/andy-summers-3-1234815076/

 

Why do I say that? Because like all of Rolling Stone's lists, it's compiled by people who don't know what they are talking about, or they are deliberately trolling to generate controversy.

 

A few examples: They have Liz Phair and Dimebag Darrell way ahead of Eric Johnson, Steve Lukather, and Pat Metheny. 🫤 They have (imo) Top 3 guitarist Larry Carlton at #85. Wes Montgomery is only a few slots better. Joan Jett is ahead of them. They have St. Vincent ahead of Eric Clapton, Frank Zappa, Les Paul, Chet Atkins, and John McLaughlin. Left off completely: Kerry Livgren, Davey Johnstone, Paco de Lucía, Lee Ritenour, Robben Ford, Leo Kottke, and Al DiMeola, believe it or not. 🙄

 

Enjoy!

[Winston Psmith]

@Synthaholic- These lists are generally the subjects of derision or very dark humor among Guitarists. They're driven by popularity and name recognition, at best, at worst, they're complete BS.

 

A lot of truly great Musicians are left off of these lists because their work isn't the kind of thing you're going to hear in a commercial, or as the title theme to some action movie; it's not "Pop," however loose that category or definition.

[Larryz]

@Synthaholic, We had a lengthy conversation about the Rolling Stone list(s) on this forum.  It seems like it was trending about a year ago +/-.  I'm not wasting my time looking up the thread as the consensus is that it's bunk.  Everyone has noticed when the list is out of order putting lesser guitar players above your favorites and when they leave out the obvious.  It drives us nuts LoL!  Glad you stopped by from the Keyboard forum and you are always welcome here and hope you stick around.  Be happy if you see your favorites on the list (that is if you pay any attention to it LoL!). 😎👍

[KuruPrionz]

Nothing new at all. If we ignore it, it won't go away but we won't care. 

[Synthaholic]

3 hours ago, Winston Psmith said:

@Synthaholic- These lists are generally the subjects of derision or very dark humor among Guitarists. They're driven by popularity and name recognition, at best, at worst, they're complete BS.

 

A lot of truly great Musicians are left off of these lists because their work isn't the kind of thing you're going to hear in a commercial, or as the title theme to some action movie; it's not "Pop," however loose that category or definition.

Oh, but they list plenty of people from non-pop genres. And I think they have Maybelle Carter, June's mother, at #17. 

 

A few more names not listed: Alan Holdsworth and Alan Murphy. How do they "forget" Holdsworth? Django Reinhardt is #70, bested by PJ Harvey and Johnny  Ramone, who is apparently a better guitarist than Steve Cropper and Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew.  🤣

 

Anyway, great hanging over here for a spell. You have much better snacks! And if a moderator feels like adding the OT to the thread title, please feel free. I forgot.

 

 

 

P.s. for any Larry Carlton fans, I should post my MIDI sequence of 'The Philosopher' to play along with. I sequenced it probably 25 years ago, and still regularly play it (on keys) at my mellower gigs.

 

 

[surfergirl]

I actually did read the list. My biggest disappointments were Gary Clark Jr at 209 and, not surprising, no June Millington. I believe I counted 10 female artists in the top 100, a big improvement over previous lists.

[surfergirl]

43 minutes ago, Synthaholic said:

Oh, but they list plenty of people from non-pop genres. And I think they have Maybelle Carter, June's mother, at #17. 

 

A few more names not listed: Alan Holdsworth and Alan Murphy. How do they "forget" Holdsworth? Django Reinhardt is #70, bested by PJ Harvey and Johnny  Ramone, who is apparently a better guitarist than Steve Cropper and Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew.  🤣

 

Anyway, great hanging over here for a spell. You have much better snacks! And if a moderator feels like adding the OT to the thread title, please feel free. I forgot.

 

 

 

P.s. for any Larry Carlton fans, I should post my MIDI sequence of 'The Philosopher' to play along with. I sequenced it probably 25 years ago, and still regularly play it (on keys) at my mellower gigs.

 

 

You've let me hangout on your side for awhile now, so please hangout over hear some more. After all we share a love for music no matter what we play or listen to.

[Synthaholic]

1 hour ago, surfergirl said:

My biggest disappointments were Gary Clark Jr at 209 and, not surprising, no June Millington.

They have Eric Johnson at 205.

 

I just thought of another one missing from the list: Steve Morse.

[Ivan May]

8 minutes ago, Synthaholic said:

They have Eric Johnson at 205.

 

I just thought of another one missing from the list: Steve Morse.

Was John Petrucci on the list of Rolling Stone 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time? If not he definitely shoulda been on there.

[Caevan O’Shite]

Rolling Stone magazine hit the skids decades ago; RS = TP.

Regarding the link and the content on the other end of that brown rainbow, to paraphrase the vernacular of the texter generation, 'TS/DR'.

Any such moronic drivel put out by that ghost-fart of a corporate entity has as much merit as that of the Rock & Roll Hall of Sham.

They're the establishment and the enemy.

[Synthaholic]

16 hours ago, Caevan O’Shite said:

Rolling Stone magazine hit the skids decades ago; RS = TP.

Regarding the link and the content on the other end of that brown rainbow, to paraphrase the vernacular of the texter generation, 'TS/DR'.

Any such moronic drivel put out by that ghost-fart of a corporate entity has as much merit as that of the Rock & Roll Hall of Sham.

They're the establishment and the enemy.

Music-wise I agree 100%. But they do very good political reporting, under editor-in-chief Noah Shachtman, who was with The Daily Beast before that, and before his journalism career was a touring musician. He just announced yesterday that he was leaving Rolling Stone.

 

But their lists are always infuriating, from who they pick to who they left out to who is in the Top 10.

[o0Ampy0o]

The Rolling Stone(s), band, wrote a song mentioning The Kennedys. Has anyone written a song mentioning a Rolling Stone magazine article? Sort of. Cameron Crowe worked for Rolling Stone magazine and his experiences resulted in a career including Almost Famous (about a writer going on a tour to write an article about the band), Jerry Maguire and marrying one of the most attractive guitarists in the business, Nancy Wilson.

 

An interesting list might be Guitarists Among US Presidents except all I could find was that Chester Arthur supposedly played banjo and John Tyler's wife Julia played guitar.

________________________________

 

(In no particular order)

A general list of US Presidents with  musical ability:

 

 

Thomas Jefferson: Vocalist and violinist (owned three)
“[Music] is the favorite passion of my soul, [but] fortune has cast my lot in a country where it is in a state of deplorable barbarism.”

 

 

Abraham Lincoln: Violinist

 

 

Woodrow Wilson: Violinist

During World War I, "Music now, more than ever before, is a national need.”

 

 

John Quincy Adams: Flute. Partook in drunkin’ late-night jam sessions but studied it seriously.
“I am extremely fond of music, and by dint of great pains have learnt to blow very badly the flute…. I console myself with the idea of being an American, and therefore not susceptible of great musical powers.“

 

John Tyler: Violinist. As a young man was accomplished enough to consider becoming a concert violinist. He entertained guests by playing duets with his wife, Julia, a guitarist.

 

 

Warren Harding: Boasted that he “...played every instrument but the slide trombone and the E-flat cornet,” and used his musical knowledge to organize the Citizen’s Cornet Band, which played at both the Democratic and Republican Party’s rallies. As a gimmick, he even played the tuba at the 1920 Democratic convention to celebrate his nomination.

 

 

Calvin Coolidge: Harmonica

 

 

Harry Truman: Pianist

“My choice early in life was either to be a piano-player in a whorehouse, or a politician. And to tell the truth, there’s hardly any difference.”

 

 

 

 

Richard Nixon: Pianist, also played saxophone, clarinet, violin, and ACCORDION. Though Nixon allegedly didn’t know how to read music, he picked up complex pieces by ear and was a talented improviser, as evidenced by his famous appearance on Jack Paar’s Tonight Show playing his “Piano Concerto No. 1.”

 

 

 

 

Bill Clinton: Vocalist in the school choir and practiced the saxophone as many as four hours a day, winning first chair in Arkansas’ All-State Band. But, echoing Harry Truman, he stopped short of a professional career, later explaining, “I loved music and thought I could be very good, but I knew I would never be John Coltrane or Stan Getz.”

 

 

 

Barack Obama: Vocalist

 

 

 

[Winston Psmith]

I recall a perfectly absurd photo of the 1st President Bush pretending to play a cheap Epiphone Guitar, with "The Prez" badly painted on the front.

 

To correct a misimpression, which was my own fault, "Pop" isn't exactly the right word for what I meant, although "mainstream" or "accessible" aren't much better?

 

While Blues, Folk, Country, and Gospel aren't "Pop" in the most simplistic, reductionist sense, any one of them is likely to be more popular, and have a wider level of general acceptance than Prog Rock, or even Jazz Guitar. Those lists aren't made for Musicians, by Musicians, they're made for people who will feel good about recognizing most of the names on the list, and having their choices re-affirmed. Name recognition counts for a great deal, in the public's perception of success.

 

 

[Scott Fraser]

1 hour ago, Winston Psmith said:

I recall a perfectly absurd photo of the 1st President Bush pretending to play a cheap Epiphone Guitar, with "The Prez" badly painted on the front.

Challenging levels of absurdity (as well as perceptions of competency,) on my Facebook page I have a pic of Brit ex-PM Boris Johnson with a guitar strapped on, confidently gripping the neck behind a capo. 

[Sharkman]

11 minutes ago, Scott Fraser said:

Challenging levels of absurdity (as well as perceptions of competency,) on my Facebook page I have a pic of Brit ex-PM Boris Johnson with a guitar strapped on, confidently gripping the neck behind a capo. 

That definitely qualifies as absurd.

[Caevan O’Shite]

1 hour ago, Scott Fraser said:

Challenging levels of absurdity (as well as perceptions of competency,) on my Facebook page I have a pic of Brit ex-PM Boris Johnson with a guitar strapped on, confidently gripping the neck behind a capo. 

I've seen and reposted that before, myself. I believe he was supposed to APPEAR to be busking in a subway station, with canned guitar strumming backing him. The ridiculous stupidity and shallow fakeness boggle the mind.

[o0Ampy0o]

3 hours ago, Winston Psmith said:

I recall a perfectly absurd photo of the 1st President Bush pretending to play a cheap Epiphone Guitar, with "The Prez" badly painted on the front.

 

 

[Synthaholic]

6 hours ago, o0Ampy0o said:

 

 

With the odious Lee Atwater.

[Mark Schmieder]

On 2/9/2024 at 2:06 AM, Synthaholic said:

I found an unlocked door and snuck in from over in the Keyboard Corner to post this link, but you may not want to click it if you value your blood pressure:

 

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-guitarists-1234814010/andy-summers-3-1234815076/

 

Why do I say that? Because like all of Rolling Stone's lists, it's compiled by people who don't know what they are talking about, or they are deliberately trolling to generate controversy.

 

A few examples: They have Liz Phair and Dimebag Darrell way ahead of Eric Johnson, Steve Lukather, and Pat Metheny. 🫤 They have (imo) Top 3 guitarist Larry Carlton at #85. Wes Montgomery is only a few slots better. Joan Jett is ahead of them. They have St. Vincent ahead of Eric Clapton, Frank Zappa, Les Paul, Chet Atkins, and John McLaughlin. Left off completely: Kerry Livgren, Davey Johnstone, Paco de Lucía, Lee Ritenour, Robben Ford, Leo Kottke, and Al DiMeola, believe it or not. 🙄

 

Enjoy!

 

There is a song that one of my bands covers, called "2 Kool to be Forgotten". Rolling Stone has inverted that song's meaning, to be "2 Afraid 2 Not Be Kool".

 

In other words, Rolling Stone wants to "prove" they are "with it" by randomly elevating people from different eras and genres to show they are "current" and "balanced".

 

Having said that, I also dislike lists that solely include mainstream rock guitarists from the 60's through the 80's. Perhaps someone could strike a happy balance?

[Mark Schmieder]

On 2/9/2024 at 12:23 PM, surfergirl said:

I actually did read the list. My biggest disappointments were Gary Clark Jr at 209 and, not surprising, no June Millington. I believe I counted 10 female artists in the top 100, a big improvement over previous lists.

 

Progress comes in little steps...

 

Perhaps by the next Millennium, they will catch up.

[p90jr]

On 2/13/2024 at 6:50 PM, Mark Schmieder said:

 

There is a song that one of my bands covers, called "2 Kool to be Forgotten". Rolling Stone has inverted that song's meaning, to be "2 Afraid 2 Not Be Kool".

 

In other words, Rolling Stone wants to "prove" they are "with it" by randomly elevating people from different eras and genres to show they are "current" and "balanced".

 

Having said that, I also dislike lists that solely include mainstream rock guitarists from the 60's through the 80's. Perhaps someone could strike a happy balance?

 

I started a thread about this list a few months ago... and yeah, it has little to do with anything other than generational hipness positioning by Rolling Stone, Inc.

 

It reminds me of another thing that happened with "music journalism." First, The Village Voice fired Robert Christgau as its chief music writer because he refused to write "listicles," articles in the form of short and easy-to-breeze-through lists, which "research has determined increases web traffic and sharing and 'interaction (arguments)' on social media"... then right after that the "record of the year" on their annual Pazz and Jop Critic's Poll was a record by a band called tUnE-yArDs, and someone bemoaning the end of their relevance and music criticism in general said "in 2 years people will ask 'tUnE-wHo?' Not taking into account the possible merits and quality of that record... it is not a record that has captured the broader listening public's ears and imagination, just the insular world of music writers and bloggers... and it has no relevance to this year in history. So while we all love the Velvet Underground's records, and Big Star and Nick Drake and The Modern Lovers' first record and Television, they were not broad successes... they excited a small group of people who were musicians and writers and over time their reverence and popularity and influence blossomed and grew organically. The problem is in thinking you can determine that and force it, and claim credit for it... and you can't. Mark my words: 'tUnE-wHo?'"

 

I know it annoys younger people that younger guitarists who aren't massively popular don't end up on these lists, but music is not as popular as it was from the early 60s to the earl;y 00s in general, and the guitar is not as popular in music as it was during that time frame... so...

Best just to not have lists that rank people like it's a competition, because the only metrics we actually have - record sales and concert ticket sales figures and guitar magazine newsstand sales - will always put the same people on top. If you let the public vote it will reflect those same things... as a kid reading Guitar Player before I even played guitar, I remember Bill Wyman always winning the bassist category in the reader's poll, and letters to the magazine and people I knew complaining that Geddy Lee or Chris Squire or somebody was better... but I realized more readers of the magazine just probably were Stones fans... a public poll is always just a popularity contest.