The Best Classic Rock Guitarists Of All Time Ranked

Typically, classic rock stations play rock songs from the mid-1960s through the 1980s and began adding 1990s music in the early 2010s. Most recently there has been a “newer classic rock” under the slogan of the next generation of classic rock. Stations such as WLLZ in Detroit, WBOS in Boston, and WKQQ in Lexington play music focusing more on harder edge classic rock from the 1980s to the 2000s. There has been a recent revival in the older fashions of classic rock in the early 2000s. Back in the prime of classic rock radio during the 1970s and 1980s, when it was mainstream, and radio was the main form of accessing the music, classic rock soared in to every individual’s ear. Classic rock will not overtake the current style of hip-hop/pop, but teenagers specifically are set to introduce the contents of classic rock into their rotation of music. The peak of classic rock in the 1980s had its downfall in the 1990s and has risen back to streaming platforms and internet sources. Here are all of the best Classic Rock Guitarists of all time ranked.

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19. Todd Rundgren

“Todd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and record producer who has performed a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the band Utopia. Todd Rundgren not only played the guitar, but piano flute drums and way more, and he plays each and every instument professionaly, he also happens to be very respected.”

18. Alex Lifeson

“Even if he had never progressed beyond the brain-rattling riffing of “2112” and “Xanadu,” Rush‘s guitarist would have left his mark on Metallica and other like-minded metalheads. But he went on to fill out Rush’s power-trio sound with a seamless mix of lush arpeggios and rock crunch that sounded like at least two players at once. “The guitar just had to make a broader statement,” he says. Alex Lifeson reserves his most daring playing for his solos – just try wrapping your head around the extra­terrestrial lunacy of “Freewill.”

17. Angus Young

“Angus can play the guitar better than a lot of people on this list, but his best quality that makes him an even better guitarist is how he plays the crowd, he doesn’t just go on the stage play his stuff and go off, he goes onto the stage and plays his guitar while simultaneously playing his audience, it’s amazing how he can run around like a lunatic, play his music, and play his audience all at the same time”

16. Peter Frampton

“Peter Kenneth Frampton is an English-American rock musician, singer, songwriter, producer, and guitarist. He was previously associated with the bands Humble Pie and The Herd. Frampton Comes Alive is still one of the top selling live albums ever.”

15. Mark Knopfler

“The Dire Straits guitarist who pretty much invented his own style of guitar playing which turned him into a success by the early 80s, however he isn’t recognized by many as a great guitarist but I know his skills have never been similar to other guitarists.”

14. George Harrison

“John and Paul may have provided the lyrics, but George, along with Ringo, made the songs special. If only his ego could have competed with the two primary songwriters, he might be much more appreciated for the incredible talent he was.”

13. Keith Richards

“He has a well developed sense of tonal quality. Live and on recordings his musical sensibilities are consistently polished. Watching his technique demonstrates to anyone who knows good progressive guitar work a consistently high level of skill and dexterity.”

12. Joe Walsh

“He currently provides the big-guitar moments in the Eagles but Joe Walsh really wrote the book in the James Gang, one of America’s first great power trios. Not only did he provide them with killer riffs, but he stretched out to parts unknown in his solos. Check out the Gang’s epic “The Bomber” which starts out between-the-eyes heavy but visits echoed space in the solo; make sure you hear the unedited version (before Maurice Ravel’s estate got in touch) where he throws in a wah-wah “Bolero.””

11. Joe Perry

“It’s hard to conceive a better musical foil for Steven Tyler than his longtime partner and occasional adversary. For more than 40 years, Joe Perry’s monstrous, blues-on-steroids riffs have been Aerosmith‘s bedrock. And his solos, jutting out from “Walk This Way” or slashing boldly through the high-gloss production of later hits like “Janie’s Got a Gun” and “Cryin’,” have a caffeinated energy that’s every bit Tyler’s match. “He had a streamlined style that reminded me of Keith Richards,” said Slash. “And a careless style that’s really cool.””

10. Duane Allman

“We got a tragically small amount of music from Skydog, but Duane Allman left a mark on slide-guitar artistry for decades to come – not least with his guest spot on Derek And The Dominos’ “Layla.” His secret weapon was the soulful touch that he’d honed through a few years of work as an Atlantic sessionman and later applied to his time with The Allman Brothers, with his brother Greg, before his tragic passing in 1971.”

9. Jeff Beck

“While Eric Clapton brought passion to The Yardbirds and Jimmy Page brought technical wizardry, Jeff Beck brought aggressive firepower. Guitar playing doesn’t get more brutal than “Rice Pudding,” the killer cut from his Beck-Ola album.”

8. Pete Townshend

“Pete Townshend sometimes insists that he’s a mere rhythm guitarist – but given the number of deathless solos in The Who catalog, you could’ve fooled us. Sure, his furious acoustic strumming is key to the Who’s sound, but so are the near-violent solos he unleashes at the peak moments, whether it’s the confessional “However Much I Booze” or the feedback extravaganza on the Live at Leeds “Young Man’s Blues.”

7. David Gilmour

“As the lead man in Pink Floyd, David Gilmour added cheap thrills to a band that usually disdained them. During live performances of The Wall, all of Roger Waters’ psychodramas led to the earthshaking solo on “Comfortably Numb.” Gilmour had a lighter touch as well; “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” may be the only prog epic to begin with five straight minutes of lyrical guitar shimmers.”

6. Eddie Van Halen

“Eddie Van Halen was one of the most innovative rock guitarists, one of the fastest players, one of the catchiest writers…along with singing while doing all this…and stage presence.
He brought finger tapping to mainstream rock. His playing completely changed ALL genres of music. All your favorite guitarists from the 80s and more recent copy Eddie, or copy someone else who copies Eddie. It’s inevitable. Somewhere in your guitar playing is a piece of Eddie.”

5. Stevie Ray Vaughan

“Stevie Ray Vaughn wedded the flash of arena rock to the essential soul of Texas blues at a time when both needed a fresh kick (the various live versions of “Texas Flood” are a crash course in blues eloquence). The world was robbed of one of the greatest guitarists of all time when he died at 35, in 1990.”

4. Eric Clapton

“Slowhand is the absolute best ever! Consider where he came from, his tragic losses and his personal demons! Slowhand rocks! He is, has been and always will be the best for me. There are many talented guitarists and more evolving every day, but he is the best.”

3. Jimmy Page

“The person who is responsible for starting the greatest rock and roll band of all time. 9 studio albums that were all critically acclaimed, 200-300 million records sold, the greatest riff maker of all time… Whole Lotta Love, Heartbreaker, Kashmir… The list goes on. Jimmy Page is one of the greatest to ever play the instrument.”

2. Jimi Hendrix

“Many people have different opinions on what makes a guitarist great. Some point to technical ability. Some to legendary bodies of work. Some to influence they have had on musicians after them. JimI had all of that and more. He defined his own generation and many after it. He cultivated a bluesy guitar sound into hard rock with jazz elements and created a sound never heard before. If you listen to his straight up blues tracks, you will quickly come to realize Stevie Ray Vaughan owes him every dime he ever made”

1. Brian May

“This guy doesn’t just play guitar, he’s an artist. He can take any of the beautiful, amazing songs Queen produced and come up with the perfect guitar solo that COMPLIMENTS the music without DOMINATING it. In my opinion, that’s an incredibly important and admirable skill in a rock guitarist, when you see so many opting to steal the show with ridiculously overdone, over complicated riffs.”