Any list such as this is subjective. I am not saying that these are the best guitarists of all time but most influential. Each guitarist on the list has had a massive influence in the way blues/rock guitar has evolved. And each one was a pioneer, daring to go where no one had before by experimenting and pushing the boundaries of popular music in their time.

 

1. Robert Johnson. Where it all began. His influence is astounding. He must be the Great Grandfather of modern blues/rock. Everyone on this list has been influenced directly or indirectly by this legend. How many versions of his great hit Crossroads have you heard?

 

 

 

2. Muddy Waters. Dubbed the Grandfather of Chicago blues, Waters has influenced some of the other greats on this list like Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page and the Rolling Stones who actually derived their name from one of his songs.

 

 

 

3. Chuck Berry. Heavily influenced by Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters. Berry was arguably the father of 12 bar blues and boogey rock. His songs are still covered all over the world today.

 

 

 

4. Jimi Hendrix. Do I need to explain this one. Hendrix was the first to incorporate feedback into his solos in a positive way. He was also one of the first to experiment with guitar effects.

 

 

 

 

5. Jeff Beck. The man who has been a part of blues/rock forever. From his early days with the Yardbirds through to his current jazz fusion genre, Beck has influenced other guitar greats such as Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. Even Rolling Stone magazine described him as “…one of the most influential guitarists in rock.” Check out what Jeff Beck is up to now on our forum page.

 

 

 

6. Robert Fripp. Fripp is one of the most innovative guitarists of all time. With his band King Crimson in his early career he pushed the limits of sound and music. Fripp also developed the art of cross picking and new standard tuning which he taught in his Guitar Craft serious of lectures.

 

 

 

7. Dave Gilmour. What can I say about Gilmour except he, like his band, Pink Floyd, are completely unique. Gilmour has influenced so many guitarists and bands through his feel and technical excellence.

 

 

 

8. Eddie Van Halen. Van Halen was extremely influential with his finger tapping and hammer on technique which became so popular in the early eighties. He is the pioneer in this field.

 

 

 

9. Jimmy Page.  I have said it before and I will say it again: Every guitarist that plays blues/rock solos today plays Jimmy Page licks.

 

 

 

 

10. Steve Vai. Vai would be the most influential guitarist of the modern era. His technical ability is incomparable. He has designed several guitars including his famous seven-stringer and a three neck model that he plays at his gigs. James “Munky” Shaffer of Korn, Mike Eizinger of Incubus and Tom Morello of Audioslave all cite Vai as a major inspiration.

 

 

There are of course other great guitarists and legends of rock but I can’t think of any that have had more influence then the ten above. If you can please add a comment and let me know.

- Axel