The key word is influential. A lot of great guitarists are listed but who influenced them? Lonnie Mack.
Ozz54 - 6 months ago
Everyone that has proclaimed EVH, should know that he was influenced by Eric Clapton,who was influenced by Robert Johnson and Sister Thorne and many other early blues and roots players. It's a generational thing. There is no one greatest influential player.
Azizul - 6 months ago
Matt Bellamy had definitely influenced me to picking up electric guitar! Fond his style of playing and he absolutely got influenced by other legendary as well. Great mixture of guitar playing personality and his band MUSE is so underrated in this modern rock era. Loved them since highschool. Vote for Matt Bellamy!
puffer fish - 6 months ago
definitely matt bellamy by a mile, his approach to instruments transcends genres. With a blend of classical influences and multiple genres of rock, Bellamy's signature style has redefined the boundaries of what a guitar can achieve. His insane use of effects pedals, intricate fingerpicking, and the ability to seamlessly fuse rock, electronic, and symphonic elements showcase a boundless creativity that has left an indelible mark on the world of music. While there are many esteemed guitarists, Matt Bellamy's unparalleled inventiveness and versatility make him a true trailblazer, inspiring countless musicians to push the boundaries of their craft. Not to mention how completely mentally talented he is, he truly is the epitome of a true musician. I vote for matt and you should too.
Matt.Muser - 6 months ago
For Me Matthew Bellamy MUSE …Very Super…The king…The Legendary leader of our time… Matt Bellamy MUSE…
Matt.Muser - 6 months ago
For me Matthew Bellamy MUSE ???????????? …The King…The Boss… Mythical Legend N1 of our times…Very Super…
Rhyker Wells - 6 months ago
Love Matt Bellamy
Snake - 6 months ago
If you ask almost any guitarist who was their biggest influence one name comes to mind. and that name is ACE.
Helen - 6 months ago
Matt Bellamy every day !
Tyler - 6 months ago
It's Matthew Bellamy! I love his unique style and sound of playing! I really hope to meet him one day! He deserves the title for the most influential guitarist of all time!
Dave - 6 months ago
I've grew up listening to so many guitarists from the past 5 decades, but none of them blew me away as much as Prince did. But he didn't follow a single style of playing as most of us know, he didn't label himself as just a guitarist. But he played it like a god! I think it's personal preference though. Be good to see the poll.
Jag Mister - 6 months ago
Matt Bellamy is an undisputed legend!!
Dave - 6 months ago
I've grew up listening to so many guitarists from the past 5 decades, but none of them blew me away as much as Prince did. But he didn't follow a single style of playing as most of us know, he didn't label himself as just a guitarist. But he played it like a god! I think it's personal preference though. Be good to see the poll.
LouLou - 6 months ago
PRINCE ????☮️????
Yugi ibnu nurmawan - 6 months ago
Its matt bellamy!!!!love the manson guitar and all the unique guitar sound from him!!love when he use the octav and thick sound from fuzz!!!!
Becky - 6 months ago
To me , Jeff Beck was the most influential musician in my life. He was always progressing. He did it all , rock, jazz and played with so many talented musicians. He could make his guitar sing. Sometimes he worked with a singer , sometimes not . His style was always changing, to me that’s talent- he could do it all
Bob Kutchko - 6 months ago
I'd also like to say, it's easy to call somebody influential. But in reality, a lot of that influence is primarily media presence and dominance of things ranging from MTV thru YouTube, and the likes. Grabbing eyeballs and clicks is marketing theory and promotion for profit, and not a true measurement of a musician's worth or uniqueness. There's many a mediocre band out there, but capitalist marketing made them "influential" stars that their fans think are just the greatest ever.
Bob Kutchko - 6 months ago
Rory Gallagher and Jimi Hendrix truly grabbed my attention, making me want to play guitar. I consider them the two greatest, and most unique, guitarists of all time, unmatched to this day. They had the emotional passion, the playing ability and originality, the performance chops, the singing ability, the song and lyrical writing ability, etc. They had it all, and they didn't need a second guitarist and a vocalist on stage like most bands have. Incidentally, as much as I enjoy many instrumental guitarists, by definition they are not the total musicians that the singing virtuosos like Rory and Jimi are. And too many are basically cut and paste and/or YouTube guitarists these days, not really live performers. That's an argument to be discussed another time. But for me, Rory is number one, Jimi is number two. If you aspire to be a total guitar playing musician, look at them, and think about everything they did on stage. And marvel and weep, cause so darn few of us will ever come anywhere close to developing their talents and be able to totally command the stage. If you just want to play guitar, and sound like everybody else, there's a million others to choose from to be your muse.
Sasha - 6 months ago
It has to be Prince for me, lead, rhythm & bass, he’s a master of all 3. And he can take on any style. He breathes through and exists through the instrument. I don’t know any musician with his versatility and yet his power is just as strong as the likes of Keith, Jack, Jimi, Les etc.
Gentry - 6 months ago
Jimi Hendrix and Prince for me.
Trey - 6 months ago
It’s gotta be Keef right? He is the archetypical rock and roll guitar player. EYERYONE that picks up a guitar wants to be him in some way, whether it’s the riffs, the stage persona, the lifestyle, the song writing, etc. No one picks up a guitar, straps it up to their chin and says I want to be George Harrison/John Lennon. I’ve never seen anyone in a bar band that resembled Van Halen or Clapton either, I’ve seen a lot of ‘em trying to be Keith though.
M S - 6 months ago
Les Paul
no questions
Innovations galore, a great player, successful recording artist & part of modern guitar, effects & recording evolution for decades
Anyone played a solid body guitar recently?
Les Paul gave future guitar players the solid body in 1941 !!!
eva - 6 months ago
WHY WAS KIRK HAMMETT NOT ON THERE BRO
Han-Tyumi - 6 months ago
STU!!!!! He probably won't win but I just love that he's getting acknowledged among the greats on here.
Rejean Tremblay - 6 months ago
Les Paul. Pioneer of the solid-body electric guitar, overdubbing ,delay effects , phasing, and multitrack recording. He is the only inductee in both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
Ted k - 6 months ago
STU!! WOOO!!
Mitch - 6 months ago
After the Beatles broke, guitar sales exploded. Lennon and Harrison were the guitarist who caused that. Did they influence how people played? No, but they influenced people to play.
Mr. Pushups - 6 months ago
"INFLUENTIAL". Not best. Not most talented. Not most innovative. Instead, WHO made you want to pick up the guitar..
Easy. Ace Frehley, No, he wasn't the greatest, or most technical, or most innovative. But he WAS the poster child for guitar during most of the 70's and inspired a crap-ton of kids to pick up the axe.
Dave - 6 months ago
The man that made a deal with the devil and influenced generations of guitarists that followed (Buddy Guy, Clapton, Page, Jeff Beck, Knopfler, …………….), gets my vote.
Robert Johnson.
Lucid954 - 6 months ago
I'm an idiot. Stevie is on the list. I apologize. For me it's Jimi Hendrix then Stevie.
Lucid965 - 6 months ago
Stevie Ray Vaughan isn't on this list? He was brilliant and beloved. Eric Clapton called him a pure channel. He's influenced so many despite only being here a short time. People like John Mayer, Doyle Bramhall II, and Gary Clarke Jr. claim him as a major influence. Not including him is just wrong.
Grant Duncan - 6 months ago
Stuuuuuu. Wooooooooo
Evh729 - 6 months ago
Eddie buy miles. He influenced every facet of guitar. Playing, tone, amp manufacturing, guitar manufacturing, pickup manufacturing, and everything else. If we're talking about influence, no one has been more influential in the last hundred years then Eddie. It's a no brainer. Sorry Jimi fans.
WhoCares - 6 months ago
lol!! Lots of evh ball suckers in here.
So many better and more influential guitarists than him on that list, and many who are not on that list.
Tony - 6 months ago
Half (or more) of the great guitarist would’ve never picked up a guitar if it wasn’t for Eddie Van Halen. He changed everything with his playing, his tone and quite frankly his innovation.
Gina - 6 months ago
Eddie Van Halen!
His two handed tapping techniques, aggressive playing, and distinctive style made him a legend!
Mark - 6 months ago
When you consider his overall impact, his revolutionizing of the recording industry, etc. Les Paul is THE most influential guitarist ever.
1. Les Paul
2. Jimi Hendrix
3. EVH
4. Jimmy Page
5. George Harrison
Theo - 6 months ago
Dickey Betts pioneer of country Rock influence on Marshall Tucker etc.
Pete Legowski - 6 months ago
Eddie Van Halen, for a whole list of reasons. He really is the greatest of all time.
Grant - 6 months ago
Any list of influential guitarists without Ace Frehley is not a comprehensive list. Ace inspired more kids to pick up and learn guitar than anyone else in the ‘70’s.
Ice - 6 months ago
He may not be the most influential or even a conversation of great players, but I'm pretty sure a lot of our favorite players would credit Ace Frehley as being the reason they picked up a guitar
Titan - 6 months ago
Les Paul not being on this list is insane.
Gioiello - 6 months ago
It seems that many commenters do not understand the word “influential.” In my opinion there are only very few influential guitarists and they reside mostly in the different categories of jazz/fusion, rock, country, and blues. There other categories to be considered, as well, such as flamenco, etc.. Blues could be combined with rock in some cases because many of the influential rock guitarists were first and foremost blues guitarists. At any rate, this category should be based on quantitative data, hence the descriptor, “Infuential.” In other words, “How many guitarists did this guitarist influence?”
Dan - 6 months ago
Its a shame, influential is not about the songs..smh...buddy guy, BB king etc. influenced many guitarists , and in turn others had taken that background and become influential themselves, you think eddie didnt listen to other earlier influences? I dont necessarily think there is a defacto most influential, you cant necessarily measure who had a bigger impact. Hendrix ( and others) continue to have an impact today of new and existing musicians.
Eric Charlton - 6 months ago
Mark Knopfler is not on the list , but after Sultans of Swing's success, nearly every guitarist changed their tone & style to that stingy ,sinewy approach , which was based partially on Richard Thompson & Robbie Robertson (and partly on the under rated Welsh band Man, and their mainstay guitarist, Micky Jones)
Sam - 6 months ago
why isnt my dad on here
Jeydub5150 - 6 months ago
The guitarist with the single largest impact on the music industry was most definitely Les Paul. The guitarist that had the biggest impact on other guitarists is most definitely Edward Lodewijk Van Halen. Absolutely no one else has an argument otherwise.
Ty - 6 months ago
despite this being an objective answer, these polls will always be filled with subjective votes… NOBODY has been as influential as eddie. nobody has influenced guitar playing, guitar building and design , and even guitar rigs, as much as eddie. Nobody with anything close to those credentials has sold #1 songs and albums on top of it.
I swear to god if I see hendrix or david gilmour I’ll lose a brain cell. put your biases aside people!!
Altaltcountry - 6 months ago
The logical choice (whatever one's personal taste) should be fairly early (e.g. the guitarists who influenced Hendrix rather than the guitarists that Hendrix influenced. I would think Sister Rosetta is about as "recent" as an influencer would go. I added Merle Travis as a suggestion, but my money is on Tharpe.
Christopher - 6 months ago
Some of these comments are ridiculous. Most of you are just naming random guitarists that didn't make the list. Read the poll question it asks who is the most influential guitarist. It's not asking people who should be on the hundred greatest guitarist list.
lists are silly - 6 months ago
I will never get the preoccupation with JH...influences should be about the songs...and there are so many other guitarists with longer lists of material that seem more influential...but maybe it's a generational thing..
JP Gordon - 6 months ago
How could you leave out John McLaughlin? Or Eric Johnson for that matter?
RyanC - 6 months ago
I would love for a guitar-based source to actually try to improve this top 250 that Rolling Stone just put out. So many here are good, but not close to the right order. St. Vincent at #26? Get the F out of here.
How can you leave off Bob Dylan, Terry Kath, and Tom Johnston? Especially Bob Dylan and his impact on music and our culture in the 60's!
Hugo - 6 months ago
How can this list not include Buddy Holly .influenced the Beatles stones Clapton Nash grateful dead
Arauka - 6 months ago
I wouldn't expect him to win the vote, but leaving Ace Frehley off any list of influential guitarists is a ridiculous oversight, considering how many (including some on your list) he inspired to take up the guitar.
Leopold Luvlock - 6 months ago
VH is the GOAT.
Ryan - 6 months ago
I love that Stu from King Gizz is on this list but my vote is for Steve Howe
Hockenduke - 6 months ago
Bogus list if it doesn’t include Sister Rosetta Tharpe.
Matthew Bellamy of course.
The key word is influential. A lot of great guitarists are listed but who influenced them? Lonnie Mack.
Everyone that has proclaimed EVH, should know that he was influenced by Eric Clapton,who was influenced by Robert Johnson and Sister Thorne and many other early blues and roots players. It's a generational thing. There is no one greatest influential player.
Matt Bellamy had definitely influenced me to picking up electric guitar! Fond his style of playing and he absolutely got influenced by other legendary as well. Great mixture of guitar playing personality and his band MUSE is so underrated in this modern rock era. Loved them since highschool. Vote for Matt Bellamy!
definitely matt bellamy by a mile, his approach to instruments transcends genres. With a blend of classical influences and multiple genres of rock, Bellamy's signature style has redefined the boundaries of what a guitar can achieve. His insane use of effects pedals, intricate fingerpicking, and the ability to seamlessly fuse rock, electronic, and symphonic elements showcase a boundless creativity that has left an indelible mark on the world of music. While there are many esteemed guitarists, Matt Bellamy's unparalleled inventiveness and versatility make him a true trailblazer, inspiring countless musicians to push the boundaries of their craft. Not to mention how completely mentally talented he is, he truly is the epitome of a true musician. I vote for matt and you should too.
For Me Matthew Bellamy MUSE …Very Super…The king…The Legendary leader of our time… Matt Bellamy MUSE…
For me Matthew Bellamy MUSE ???????????? …The King…The Boss… Mythical Legend N1 of our times…Very Super…
Love Matt Bellamy
If you ask almost any guitarist who was their biggest influence one name comes to mind. and that name is ACE.
Matt Bellamy every day !
It's Matthew Bellamy! I love his unique style and sound of playing! I really hope to meet him one day! He deserves the title for the most influential guitarist of all time!
I've grew up listening to so many guitarists from the past 5 decades, but none of them blew me away as much as Prince did. But he didn't follow a single style of playing as most of us know, he didn't label himself as just a guitarist. But he played it like a god! I think it's personal preference though. Be good to see the poll.
Matt Bellamy is an undisputed legend!!
I've grew up listening to so many guitarists from the past 5 decades, but none of them blew me away as much as Prince did. But he didn't follow a single style of playing as most of us know, he didn't label himself as just a guitarist. But he played it like a god! I think it's personal preference though. Be good to see the poll.
PRINCE ????☮️????
Its matt bellamy!!!!love the manson guitar and all the unique guitar sound from him!!love when he use the octav and thick sound from fuzz!!!!
To me , Jeff Beck was the most influential musician in my life. He was always progressing. He did it all , rock, jazz and played with so many talented musicians. He could make his guitar sing. Sometimes he worked with a singer , sometimes not . His style was always changing, to me that’s talent- he could do it all
I'd also like to say, it's easy to call somebody influential. But in reality, a lot of that influence is primarily media presence and dominance of things ranging from MTV thru YouTube, and the likes. Grabbing eyeballs and clicks is marketing theory and promotion for profit, and not a true measurement of a musician's worth or uniqueness. There's many a mediocre band out there, but capitalist marketing made them "influential" stars that their fans think are just the greatest ever.
Rory Gallagher and Jimi Hendrix truly grabbed my attention, making me want to play guitar. I consider them the two greatest, and most unique, guitarists of all time, unmatched to this day. They had the emotional passion, the playing ability and originality, the performance chops, the singing ability, the song and lyrical writing ability, etc. They had it all, and they didn't need a second guitarist and a vocalist on stage like most bands have. Incidentally, as much as I enjoy many instrumental guitarists, by definition they are not the total musicians that the singing virtuosos like Rory and Jimi are. And too many are basically cut and paste and/or YouTube guitarists these days, not really live performers. That's an argument to be discussed another time. But for me, Rory is number one, Jimi is number two. If you aspire to be a total guitar playing musician, look at them, and think about everything they did on stage. And marvel and weep, cause so darn few of us will ever come anywhere close to developing their talents and be able to totally command the stage. If you just want to play guitar, and sound like everybody else, there's a million others to choose from to be your muse.
It has to be Prince for me, lead, rhythm & bass, he’s a master of all 3. And he can take on any style. He breathes through and exists through the instrument. I don’t know any musician with his versatility and yet his power is just as strong as the likes of Keith, Jack, Jimi, Les etc.
Jimi Hendrix and Prince for me.
It’s gotta be Keef right? He is the archetypical rock and roll guitar player. EYERYONE that picks up a guitar wants to be him in some way, whether it’s the riffs, the stage persona, the lifestyle, the song writing, etc. No one picks up a guitar, straps it up to their chin and says I want to be George Harrison/John Lennon. I’ve never seen anyone in a bar band that resembled Van Halen or Clapton either, I’ve seen a lot of ‘em trying to be Keith though.
Les Paul
no questions
Innovations galore, a great player, successful recording artist & part of modern guitar, effects & recording evolution for decades
Anyone played a solid body guitar recently?
Les Paul gave future guitar players the solid body in 1941 !!!
WHY WAS KIRK HAMMETT NOT ON THERE BRO
STU!!!!! He probably won't win but I just love that he's getting acknowledged among the greats on here.
Les Paul. Pioneer of the solid-body electric guitar, overdubbing ,delay effects , phasing, and multitrack recording. He is the only inductee in both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
STU!! WOOO!!
After the Beatles broke, guitar sales exploded. Lennon and Harrison were the guitarist who caused that. Did they influence how people played? No, but they influenced people to play.
"INFLUENTIAL". Not best. Not most talented. Not most innovative. Instead, WHO made you want to pick up the guitar..
Easy. Ace Frehley, No, he wasn't the greatest, or most technical, or most innovative. But he WAS the poster child for guitar during most of the 70's and inspired a crap-ton of kids to pick up the axe.
The man that made a deal with the devil and influenced generations of guitarists that followed (Buddy Guy, Clapton, Page, Jeff Beck, Knopfler, …………….), gets my vote.
Robert Johnson.
I'm an idiot. Stevie is on the list. I apologize. For me it's Jimi Hendrix then Stevie.
Stevie Ray Vaughan isn't on this list? He was brilliant and beloved. Eric Clapton called him a pure channel. He's influenced so many despite only being here a short time. People like John Mayer, Doyle Bramhall II, and Gary Clarke Jr. claim him as a major influence. Not including him is just wrong.
Stuuuuuu. Wooooooooo
Eddie buy miles. He influenced every facet of guitar. Playing, tone, amp manufacturing, guitar manufacturing, pickup manufacturing, and everything else. If we're talking about influence, no one has been more influential in the last hundred years then Eddie. It's a no brainer. Sorry Jimi fans.
lol!! Lots of evh ball suckers in here.
So many better and more influential guitarists than him on that list, and many who are not on that list.
Half (or more) of the great guitarist would’ve never picked up a guitar if it wasn’t for Eddie Van Halen. He changed everything with his playing, his tone and quite frankly his innovation.
Eddie Van Halen!
His two handed tapping techniques, aggressive playing, and distinctive style made him a legend!
When you consider his overall impact, his revolutionizing of the recording industry, etc. Les Paul is THE most influential guitarist ever.
1. Les Paul
2. Jimi Hendrix
3. EVH
4. Jimmy Page
5. George Harrison
Dickey Betts pioneer of country Rock influence on Marshall Tucker etc.
Eddie Van Halen, for a whole list of reasons. He really is the greatest of all time.
Any list of influential guitarists without Ace Frehley is not a comprehensive list. Ace inspired more kids to pick up and learn guitar than anyone else in the ‘70’s.
He may not be the most influential or even a conversation of great players, but I'm pretty sure a lot of our favorite players would credit Ace Frehley as being the reason they picked up a guitar
Les Paul not being on this list is insane.
It seems that many commenters do not understand the word “influential.” In my opinion there are only very few influential guitarists and they reside mostly in the different categories of jazz/fusion, rock, country, and blues. There other categories to be considered, as well, such as flamenco, etc.. Blues could be combined with rock in some cases because many of the influential rock guitarists were first and foremost blues guitarists. At any rate, this category should be based on quantitative data, hence the descriptor, “Infuential.” In other words, “How many guitarists did this guitarist influence?”
Its a shame, influential is not about the songs..smh...buddy guy, BB king etc. influenced many guitarists , and in turn others had taken that background and become influential themselves, you think eddie didnt listen to other earlier influences? I dont necessarily think there is a defacto most influential, you cant necessarily measure who had a bigger impact. Hendrix ( and others) continue to have an impact today of new and existing musicians.
Mark Knopfler is not on the list , but after Sultans of Swing's success, nearly every guitarist changed their tone & style to that stingy ,sinewy approach , which was based partially on Richard Thompson & Robbie Robertson (and partly on the under rated Welsh band Man, and their mainstay guitarist, Micky Jones)
why isnt my dad on here
The guitarist with the single largest impact on the music industry was most definitely Les Paul. The guitarist that had the biggest impact on other guitarists is most definitely Edward Lodewijk Van Halen. Absolutely no one else has an argument otherwise.
despite this being an objective answer, these polls will always be filled with subjective votes… NOBODY has been as influential as eddie. nobody has influenced guitar playing, guitar building and design , and even guitar rigs, as much as eddie. Nobody with anything close to those credentials has sold #1 songs and albums on top of it.
I swear to god if I see hendrix or david gilmour I’ll lose a brain cell. put your biases aside people!!
The logical choice (whatever one's personal taste) should be fairly early (e.g. the guitarists who influenced Hendrix rather than the guitarists that Hendrix influenced. I would think Sister Rosetta is about as "recent" as an influencer would go. I added Merle Travis as a suggestion, but my money is on Tharpe.
Some of these comments are ridiculous. Most of you are just naming random guitarists that didn't make the list. Read the poll question it asks who is the most influential guitarist. It's not asking people who should be on the hundred greatest guitarist list.
I will never get the preoccupation with JH...influences should be about the songs...and there are so many other guitarists with longer lists of material that seem more influential...but maybe it's a generational thing..
How could you leave out John McLaughlin? Or Eric Johnson for that matter?
I would love for a guitar-based source to actually try to improve this top 250 that Rolling Stone just put out. So many here are good, but not close to the right order. St. Vincent at #26? Get the F out of here.
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-guitarists-1234814010/
Most influencial? Has to be Jimi Hendrix.
How can you leave off Bob Dylan, Terry Kath, and Tom Johnston? Especially Bob Dylan and his impact on music and our culture in the 60's!
How can this list not include Buddy Holly .influenced the Beatles stones Clapton Nash grateful dead
I wouldn't expect him to win the vote, but leaving Ace Frehley off any list of influential guitarists is a ridiculous oversight, considering how many (including some on your list) he inspired to take up the guitar.
VH is the GOAT.
I love that Stu from King Gizz is on this list but my vote is for Steve Howe
Bogus list if it doesn’t include Sister Rosetta Tharpe.