Top 20 Greatest Male Guitarists of All Time

[Applause] welcome to watch mojo and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 male guitarists of all time [Music] for this list we'll be ranking the most influential and iconic musicians to pick up the guitar taking into account their legacy and where they stand today we'll be saving talking about the ladies who rock for a list of their own who are your favorite guitarists do you dig guitarists who shred or play it subtle sound off in the comments if you like what you're hearing be sure to check out the full song at the link [Music] below [Music] number 20. carlos santana [Music] there's something to be said about crossover appeal bringing a new approach to an underrepresented genre and making it feel fresh to the masses carlos santana executed this brilliantly in the late 60s into the 70s when he combined latin rhythms and melodies with jazz fusion and hard rock fire carlos santana's fluid powerful playing style is a force to be reckoned with but his collaboration with future journey leader neil shawn on the band's third album would help make santana a group of immeasurable influence [Music] simultaneously progressive heavy and heartfelt in his playing style carlos santana has never been one to sit still after his decades of success the turn of the millennium saw the artist further innovate for his multi-platinum smash [Music] supernatural number 19 mark knopfler we've all heard the phrase less is more but dire straits main man mark knopfler took that idea one step further with his light and sensitive touch noppler is a finger player similar to fleetwood max lindsey buckingham and tends to shun heavy rifts and showboating [Music] instead knopfler uses a tasteful and melodic approach to weave a tapestry of emotion and feeling within each note and phrase for every up-tempo solo like the famous one in sultans of swing [Music] there are moments of quiet brilliance such as the delicate intro to romeo and juliet [Music] or the driving main hook of lady writer knopfler also branched out into a solo career after dire straits even composing a fantastic score for the classic 80s fantasy romance the princess bride as you wish as you wish was all he ever said number 18. billy gibbons billy gibbons is famous for many reasons from his pioneering psychedelic work with the moving sidewalks to the blues and southern rock royalty that is zz top was also reportedly one of jimi hendrix's favorite guitar players alongside chicago's terry calf and it's easy to see why the man is an under the radar ripper perhaps it's gibbons wealth of influences that make him such a versatile player incorporating everything from swamp blues and boogie woogie into zz top's brand of riff heavy rock and roll [Music] or maybe it's how gibbons and his crew embraced the synthesizer revolution of the 1980s with the eliminator album bringing us smash hits like legs and got me under pressure the answer is all of the above billy gibbons is the man [Music] number 17. ingva momstein okay so remember how we were just talking about less being more throw that idea out the window for a moment because that definitely does not apply to sweden's ingva malmsteen [Music] that's because malmsteen is all about the neoclassical shred style ensuing subtlety for a more is more approach that champions speed technique and precision [Applause] the man's early solo work after departing from the 80s metal band steeler is deeply indebted to the sort of classical composition pioneered by bands like deep purple in the early 70s [Music] [Applause] mixing up fantasy and romantic themes with guitar heroics that'll set your hair on fire [Music] mom steen is in that special master class of axemen think steve vi and joe satriani whose fretboard skills are simply not of this world [Applause] number 16 prince prince is a legend today for his work in the worlds of pop rock and funk fusion [Music] but with all the purple ones accomplishments it's sometimes easy to forget the man's prowess as a guitar player just take a look at prince's performance at the 2004 rock and roll hall of fame induction ceremony where he managed to outshine a stage full of icons with a performance that brought the house down [Music] he was a walking master class a man who truly played the guitar like it's an extension of himself laying down licks and solos that seemed to run like electricity through his fingers it didn't matter whether he was playing with the revolution or on his own prince was a one-of-a-kind talent number 15 dime bag daryl heavy metal like any other musical genre is in a constant state of evolution driven by inventive musicians pushing the limits [Music] pantera were just such a catalyst for change in the 90s a former hair metal act who embraced the power groove style developed by contemporaries x hoarder and gave it their own unique spin pantera's own impact however was largely driven by dimebag daryl's explosive guitar [Music] it was at once theatrical and yet tempered with an undying desire to play as heavy as possible riffs were daryl's game combining a thrashy sound with deliberate phrasing it had mosh pit drawing power sadly the metal icon's career and life was cut short by an obsessed fan while daryl was on stage in 2004. [Music] number 14 pete townsend style and substance both of these traits exemplified the playing of who guitarist and co-founder pete townsend who helped define classic rock in the 1960s and 70s [Music] townsend had the mark of a perfectionist an attention to detail that makes his riffing feel deliberate and thoughtful no matter how chaotic the performance with his energetic stage presence the guitarist simultaneously gave all young guitar players ideas while they were practicing in the mirror ever seen a local hotshot windmill their arm around while playing at your local pub yeah they're mimicking pete townsend [Music] more than that however pete had the chops and songwriting prowess to back up his bombast making the who one of the best english rock bands of all time number 13 brian may there's a lot of work that goes into recording an album but what if you want to venture into uncharted territory [Music] well then you get someone like brian may a guitarist who isn't just happy to kick out awesome riffs but wants to push the sonic barrier to the limit [Music] may's early approach to queen mainly plays with an epic heavy rock palette but as years progressed brian would add layers and layers of guitar tracks [Music] this resulted in sonically rich queen albums like a knight at the opera and news of the world brian may is a technician a melodic player that can also let loose with a surprising amount of grit when the situation calls his guitar playing is truly the work of an artist number 12. frank zappa genius or mad men [Music] both words suit frank zappa an anarchic sort of guitar player who couldn't ever be tied down to one's style the power of pop music to corrupt and putrify the minds of world youth are virtually limitless jazz fusion hard rock and psych were all part of the package for this unstoppable composer a guitar player with absolutely no limits to his talent and that's sort of the beauty behind zappa's recorded output there's something for everybody want some heavy psych moves check out one of his groovier albums with the mothers of invention [Music] into something truly out there and trippy dive into his film score for 200 motels or his twisted concept album joe's garage sadly frank succumbed to prostate cancer in 1993. we can only guess what other craziness he might have conjured thank you thank you up you thank you good night number 11 tony were there heavy guitar players before tony iomi sure but none crystallized the prototypical sound of heavy metal quite like this black sabbath co-founder [Music] legend has it this was due to an accident tony had on his last day of work at a factory that resulted in the loss of two fingertips on his fretting [Music] hand as a result naomi had to press harder thanks to handcrafted prosthetics changing his entire approach now iomi was playing heavy doomy and down tuned riffs that sounded birthed from some gothic horror movie [Music] meanwhile his underrated solo work again stood out thanks to his light slack strings and an approach that emphasized mood rather than flash said simply before any metal band did anything iomian sabbath did [Music] everything number 10 richie blackmore if tony iaomi is the godfather of heavy metal then deep purple's richie blackmore was nipping right at his heels [Music] blackmore had a flashy classically influenced style that was in stark contrast to the monolithic world of 1970s arena rock deep purple was a band rooted in psychedelia that embraced crazy fast tempos and indulgent solo runs getting more extreme as the decade progressed [Music] to uncover some of blackmore's best work listen to the mark iii lineup with future white snake singer david coverdale [Music] [Applause] the blazing lead guitar in bern and the understated emotion present within soldier of fortune really epitomized blackmoore's range [Music] richie wouldn't stay stagnant with the hard rock world either embracing melodic english folk years later with the project blackmoore's night [Music] number 9. bb king [Music] what can we say about blues legend bb king that hasn't already been said and i can't even close my eyes it can be difficult to stand out in the crowded arena of blues men and women seeking to make their mark in a genre so rooted in tradition the blues comes from deep within and simplicity is the key to bearing your heart and soul to the audience king communicated just as effectively using his trusted guitar lucille as he did when he sang classics like the thrill is gone his technique was smooth and seemed almost effortless as he glided across her strings to tell his story there's raw feeling honesty and guts in bb king's playing and that's just one part of what made the man so amazing number eight randy rhodes no what might have been there's no denying that former ozzy osbourne and quiet riot guitarist randy rhodes achieved a lot in a comparatively short amount of time still this young man was so talented that it's difficult not to imagine what more rhodes could have done had he not been lost in a tragic plane crash [Applause] make no mistake rhodes inspired generations of guitar players in his wake thanks to his perfectionist manner of mixing hard rock bombast with legit classical chops [Music] want proof check out laughing gas with quiet riot [Applause] or anything off the two full-length albums that rhodes recorded with ozzy he was an icon who may have been taken too soon but his spirit lives on forever [Music] number seven eric clapton clapton is god this was the famous uk graffiti slogan that championed a brash young bloke fresh on the scene after forming cream in 1966. at the party in the holocaust cream served as one of the transitional bands that was taking britain's love of the blues and making it harder heavier and more psychedelic [Music] the band served as a vehicle for a genre in transition and would help make eric clapton a legitimate guitar hero more classic stints would follow in derek and the dominoes as well as a solo career although battles with drug addiction a drunken anti-immigration outburst in 1976 and the tragic loss of his son had some complications on his career [Music] still there's no denying how influential eric clapton was and continues to be for generations of young guitarists [Music] number six stevie ray vaughan stevie ray vaughan played traditional down-home american blues no more no less [Music] it was the way in which he approached the blues however that made him a legend a blue-collar attack that was both approachable and mesmerizing [Music] vonn could take the most basic four bar arrangement and turn it into a sustained symphony of held notes and triumphant licks [Music] with a basic drum and bass backbeat vonn would figuratively set his fretboard on fire with songs like texas flood and crossfire [Music] earning himself critical acclaim and fan adoration from around the world sadly stevie ray was taken in a helicopter crash in 1990 robbing the blues and rock world of yet another shining star number five keith richards sometimes the best riffs are the simplest and most immediate [Music] [Applause] [Music] start me up and i can't get no satisfaction are two great examples and they have one great guitarist in common as their co-writer keith richards keith has that nebulous quality about him that just exudes a born rockstar swagger maybe it's how low richard sets his guitar his voracious appetite for the good life or those imminently hummable riffs keith just has it that isn't to say that richards isn't serious about rocking of course as the legions of stone's fanatics will tell you after all the rolling stones didn't get to become classic rock royalty by doing anything in half measures number four david gilmore pink floyd was already turning heads with their formative brand of psychedelic rock before 1967 but the band gained a whole other dynamic when david gilmour joined in december of that year [Music] [Applause] [Music] it was with gilmore that floyd would record such genre-defining albums as animals metal and dark side of the moon gilmore wasn't just a side man however and his influence grew until he actually took over the band when founder roger waters left in 1985. though this divided the fan base the albums after this were arguably even smoother more melodic and moving thanks to david's amazing tone and technique he is truly one of a kind number three eddie van halen his were the fingers that launched a thousand careers the guitarist who with one amazing instrumental put every other band on notice his name was eddie van halen the song was eruption and heavy rock was never the same [Applause] every hair metal band on the sunset strip attempted to ape eddie's furious technique and stylistic flair but no one ever did it like van halen [Music] this is likely because of eddie's classically based influences an honest-to-goodness approach to music theory that lifted every van halen banger to a game-changing level from atomic punk and jamie's crying to on fire light up the sky and mean street evh had the rifts the style and a band of stone cold killers backing him up it was a perfect storm number two jimmy page critics of jimmy page have called him sloppy and let's say enthusiastic about borrowing riffs from other bands but have any of those people ever played their guitar with a cello bow we think not criticisms aside page is one of the most influential guitar players to ever pick up the instrument he possesses a wide array of influences that permeated the music of led zeppelin from eastern scales and melodies to bombastic heavy riffs that predated heavy metal paige loved the blues and arguably rocked harder than anyone in his days both on stage and after the show there were very few performers who could out do jimmy page in the live setting in his prime he was absolutely a rock star's rock star [Music] before we unveil our number one pick here are some honorable mentions chuck berry for the duck walk and that boogie woogie [Music] robert johnson for allegedly selling his soul at the crossroads [Music] robert fripp for setting the progressive rock world on fire paco de lucia for his unmatchable skill and technique django reinhardt for doing all this with just two fingers eric johnson for all the faces he melted with cliffs of dover [Music] before we continue be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos you'll have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them if you're on your phone make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications number one jimi hendrix [Applause] his career burned out far too quickly but this rock legend quite simply revolutionized the electric guitar hendrix and his band the experience were more than just a bluesy psychedelic rock power group they were a showcase to the progression of rock music as a whole this was largely thanks to hendrix's chops and stage presence a hurricane of charisma that was far more than him setting his guitar on fire or playing with his teeth there was just as much tastefulness to his playing as there was an intense raw energy [Music] [Applause] this unstoppable force rightfully captivated anyone who was lucky enough to see the master at work [Music] do you agree with our picks let us know in the comments and hey if you're a fan of the song playing right now be sure to check out the music video for it right here [Music]

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Keywords: best male guitarists of all time, male guitarists, best guitarists of all time, best guitarists, best male guitarists, best guitar players, iconic guitarists, best musicians, best male musicians, iconic guitar players, iconic guitarist, jimi hendrix, jimmy page, keith richards, prince, carlos santana, pete townshend, brian may, david gilmour, eddie van halen, eric clapton, stevie ray vaughan, Music, Rock, watchmojo, watch mojo, top 10, list, mojo

Id: TFm0FDrzFY8

Length: 28min 0sec (1680 seconds)

Published: Sat Mar 06 2021

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"JIMI, EDDIE, JOE, and PAGE"