The Best Grunge Guitarists Of All Time Ranked

Grunge is generally characterized by a sludgy electric guitar sound with a thick middle register and rolled-off treble tone and a high level of distortion and fuzz, typically created with small 1970s-style stompbox pedals, with some guitarists chaining several fuzz pedals together and plugging them into a tube amplifier and speaker cabinet. Grunge guitarists use very loud Marshall guitar amplifiers and some used powerful Mesa-Boogie amplifiers, including Kurt Cobain and Dave Grohl (the latter in early, grunge-oriented Foo Fighters songs). Grunge has been called the rock genre with the most “lugubrious sound”; the use of heavy distortion and loud amps has been compared to a massive “buildup of sonic fog”. or even dismissed as “noise” by one critic. As with metal and punk, a key part of grunge’s sound is very distorted power chords played on the electric guitar. Here are all of The Best Grunge Guitarists Of All Time ranked.

See more: The Best Bassists Of All Time Ranked

See more: The Best Rock Singers Of All Time Ranked

18. Dave Grohl

“He is an incredible drummer, songwriter and overall musician. He is also one of the few people that you don’t get mad at his success, or jealous of it, because he is also another rare thing, a decent human being. You cheer him on, are happy for him, and you do this because you know that he would do the same for you.”

17. Daniel Johns

“The cool thing about Silverchair is they lived a life every teenager dreams. They were just 14-15 years old when they came up with their original numbers and got famous. Making own songs, doing live shows just imagine how fantastic this is!”

16. Roger Osborne

“Being one of the first grunge bands, the Melvins guitarist has to be on the list because of his influence on such guitarists as Mark Arm and Kurt Cobain. At first listen you can hear that the music is metal, but the guitar is starting a steady lean towards grugedom. From the screaming solos to the moaning power cords, Osbourne paved the streets of the 90’s with his guitar.”

15. Vernon Reid

“Although not so much grunge and more in the range of funk metal, Reid cannot be exactly categorized. From his crisp funk solos of Love Rears It’s Ugly Head to the famous guitar riffs of Cult of Personality Vernon Reid is an amazing, influential guitarist to all forms of hardcore rock, including grunge”

14. Dean DeLeo

“Dean DeLeo is an American guitarist and songwriter known for his work with rock band Stone Temple Pilots. Dean is also known for his role in the short-lived bands Talk Show and Army of Anyone. DeLeo is also known for his role in the short-lived bands Talk Show and Army of Anyone.”

13. Stone Gossard

“Stone Carpenter Gossard is an American musician who serves as the rhythm and additional lead guitarist for the American rock band Pearl Jam. Along with Jeff Ament, Mike McCready, and Eddie Vedder, he is one of the founding members of Pearl Jam. Stone wrote literally all the hits on Ten. Master songwriter.”

12. Pat Smear

“Georg Albert Ruthenber, professionally known as Pat Smear, was the rhythm guitarist for the grunge band Nirvana, and is currently the rhythm guitarist for the post-grunge band Foo Fighters. He is also best known for being the lead guitarist and co-founder of Los Angeles-based punk band The Germs”

11. Billy Corgan

“William Patrick “Billy” Corgan Jr. is an American musician, songwriter, producer, television writer, poet, and professional wrestling promoter best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and sole permanent member of The Smashing Pumpkins.”

10. James Iha

“He is best known as a guitarist and co-founder of the alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins. He was a member until the initial breakup in 2000. Among his musical projects of recent years, Iha has been a permanent fixture of A Perfect Circle.”

9. Jonny Greenwood

“British rock musician and composer Jonny Greenwood is best known as the lead guitarist and keyboardist of the alternative rock band Radiohead and for his aggressive guitar work. Such a genius and a true living legend. What Jonny can do with one instrument is what a entire orchestra couldn’t.”

8. Neil Young

“Cinnamon Girl, My My, Hey Hey (Into the Black), and Rockin’ in the Free World were the foundation of what the Melvins paved through for the invention of grunge. His elastic guitar solos influenced Mike McCready, his sloppily strummed chords were Kurt Cobain’s favorite technique, and his violent swinging of his guitar was copied by Johnny Greenwood. Without Neil Young, there would be no Grunge.”

7. Mark Arm

“In terms of alternative rock heroes, you don’t get much more revered than Mark Arm. The eloquent frontman of the Seattle grunge heroes Mudhoney is one of the most well-respected voices in modern rock and has enjoyed a career that many can only dream of.”

6. Steve Turner

“Best known as the lead guitarist with grunge pioneers Mudhoney, Steve Turner has also had his share of side projects over the years, playing with nervy garage-punkers the Fall-Outs, hard-edged blues-rockers the Monkeywrench, the thunderously obnoxious Thrown Ups, and New Original Sonic Sound, an all-star Sonics tribute band featuring members of Mudhoney, Girl Trouble, and the Young Fresh Fellows. “

5. Chris Cornell

“His vocal abilities far surpass the other singers on this list, he’s able to belt out powerful songs while still being able to sing more in more subdued songs. Which to me makes him without a doubt one of the best singer on this list.”

4. Kim Thayil

“Thayil is the ultimate grunge guitarist; he was the influence for nearly all of the bands of the 90’s. His untuned guitar and offbeat riffs paired with Chris Cornell’s projected voice made the ghouly effect of Soundgarden which inspired a generation of music”

3. Kurt Cobain

“He only admits it because he doesn’t like praising himself, but his wrong an everyone who plays guitar knows it, his genius is how he can invent those catchy melodic tunes and how he can play violently when he wants to, not to mention his distortion sounds that can’t be placed on paper, not mention his incredible vocal range that can be beautiful and can also wake the dead.”

2. Mike McCready

“Raised in the punk ridden 70’s McCready is unfluenced by both Kiss and SRV. Behind his lightning fast licks there is a blues influence that makes his music so enjoyable to listen to. Even some of his epic solos suck as the one in Black have blues influence. My only reason for not making him #1 was because of his lack of influence on modern music.”

1. Jerry Cantrell

“Clearly number one. Never considered much on true rock lists as ‘grunge’ gets distinguished by itself. Jerry has a very diverse and complex set of riffs. Truly one of the top performers ever. Fast paced metal riffs, soaring solos, this guy was the foundation of the emo rock era. Every note was hit to a metronomic beat which other grunge bands had ignored, a tequnique that made Cantrell’s music so different from all other grunge artist’s music.”