Ranking the 100 greatest guitarists

When naming the 100 greatest guitarists, most folks would suggest you start with Jimi Hendrix and just go from there. Hendrix was so good, so distinct, so incendiary that most people - critics, other guitarists, etc etc - have a hard time imagining ranking anyone higher than Jimi.

But Hendrix wouldn't feel that way, because he seemed to get it: Music is not competition. How can you rank people that aren't competiting with each other? Sure, you may like Jimmy Page better than Eric Clapton, but that doesn't make the Clapton fan incorrect. It's all just a matter of opinion.

So then, the idea of constructing a list of the 100 greatest guitarists is kind of a non-starter. Everyone has their favorites, everyone has those guitarists they dislike. Plus how do you work with someone like Pete Townsend? Townsend was without question an absolute master of the instrument, and an even better songwriter. But then something happened in the '80s. Maybe he just got too old, maybe the drugs went to his head a little bit, maybe it was the alcohol - "Who Are You" for example, is a song he wrote about waking up on a doorstep in the Bowery after a night of hedonistic excess. Well, Townsend was unquestionably great. But then, seemingly overnight, he became a parody of himself, someone who wouldn't be in shouting distance of the 100 greatest guitarists ever. Which Townsend do you rate?

Another problem is rating the "new" guitarists. Jack White is the real stand-out, and his body of work is reaching sufficient size to say "yeah, he belongs on the list." But what of the guitarist from "Muse", who've released two amazing albums but might not produce a third? Is that enough work to guarantee him a spot on the list? Is the list of the 100 greatest guitarists supposed to be based upon talent alone, or does productivity come into play?

I guess this is why it's such a fun subject to discuss. Everybody gets to have an opinion on it, and since it's all subjective, everyone gets to be correct! Personally my favorite guitarist of all time is David Gilmour of Pink Floyd. Others might turn their noses up a bit at that, but Gilmour's solos and fills move me in a way that others haven't. Notice, though, I said "my favorite" instead of "the greatest." You've gotta realize that subjectivity is the issue here.

So if you're attempting this list, keep that in mind. It's fun to debate, it's fun to rationalize, and it's a hell of a lot of fun to listen to some great music and figure out why you like one more than the other. But remember, your list of the 100 greatest guitarists is YOUR list, not anyone else's. It's a personal thing.

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