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Bluesdjben's 100 Best Guitarists of All Time

Name the guitarist based on a notable song.
This is a list I created based on my own research and listening.
View the list on my blog Blues Power with Ben
You can also check out my 100 best guitarists playlists on Spotify and Youtube.
Quiz by bluesdjben
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Last updated: December 17, 2022
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First submittedJune 11, 2017
Times taken263
Average score36.0%
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Rank
Notable Song
Answer
1
Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
Jimi Hendrix
2
Texas Flood
Stevie Ray Vaughan
3
Crossroads
Eric Clapton
4
Freeway Jam
Jeff Beck
5
Whipping Post
Duane Allman
6
Dazed and Confused
Jimmy Page
7
Stranglehold
Ted Nugent
8
Damn Right, I've Got the Blues
Buddy Guy
9
The Storm
Derek Trucks
10
Comfortably Numb
David Gilmour
11
Seven Nation Army
Jack White
12
Eruption
Eddie Van Halen
13
Come Together
George Harrison
14
Hellhound on My Trail
Robert Johnson
15
Black Magic Woman
Carlos Santana
16
Sultans of Swing
Mark Knopfler
17
The Green Manalishi
Peter Green
18
Jessica
Dickey Betts
19
Watermelon in Easter Hay
Frank Zappa
20
Brighton Rock
Brian May
21
Paranoid Android
Jonny Greenwood
22
Call It Stormy Monday
T-Bone Walker
23
Walk on Hot Coals
Rory Gallagher
24
Rego Park Blues
Ronnie Earl
25
Roy's Bluz
Roy Buchanan
26
Limehouse Blues
Django Reinhardt
27
East-West
Mike Bloomfield
28
Mean Town Blues
Johnny Winter
29
Mr. Sandman
Chet Atkins
30
Born Under a Bad Sign
Albert King
31
Maggot Brain
Eddie Hazel
32
Killing in the Name
Tom Morello
33
Rumble
Link Wray
34
Nitpickin'
Danny Gatton
35
Tender Surrender
Steve Vai
36
Mojo Hand
Lightnin' Hopkins
37
You Got to Move
Mississippi Fred McDowell
38
The Thrill Is Gone
B.B. King
39
Susie Q
John Fogerty
40
Ball and Chain
James Gurley
41
Boogie Chillen
John Lee Hooker
42
Frosty
Albert Collins
43
Marquee Moon
Tom Verlaine
44
La Grange
Billy Gibbons
45
Death Letter
Son House
46
Pony Blues
Charley Patton
47
Miserlou
Dick Dale
48
The Dark End of the Street
Ry Cooder
49
Solid Ice
Jimmy Thackery
50
Blackest Day
Joanne Shaw Taylor
Rank
Notable Song
Answer
51
Congo Square
Sonny Landreth
52
Rollin' Stone
Muddy Waters
53
Crazy Train
Randy Rhoads
54
Devil Got My Woman
Skip James
55
The Sky Is Crying
Elmore James
56
War Pigs
Tony Iommi
57
Cherry Red Wine
Luther Allison
58
I'm Going Home
Alvin Lee
59
Start Choppin'
J Mascis
60
Hideaway
Freddie King
61
Ted's Jam
Robert Randolph
62
Spoonful
Hubert Sumlin
63
All Your Love (I Miss Loving)
Otis Rush
64
L.A. Woman
Robby Krieger
65
Vital Transformation
John McLaughlin
66
Split - Part Two
Tony McPhee
67
Evil
Jim McCarty
68
Sympathy for the Devil
Keith Richards
69
Californication
John Frusciante
70
Still Got the Blues
Gary Moore
71
Teen Age Riot
Thurston Moore
72
Teen Age Riot
Lee Ranaldo
73
How High the Moon
Les Paul
74
Hotel California
Joe Walsh
75
Welcome to the Jungle
Slash
76
Close to the Edge
Steve Howe
77
Purple Rain
Prince
78
Bumpin' on Sunset
Wes Montgomery
79
Swing to Bop
Charlie Christian
80
Treetop Flyer
Stephen Stills
81
Blues Deluxe
Joe Bonamassa
82
Bridge of Sighs
Robin Trower
83
Bright Lights
Gary Clark Jr.
84
21st Century Schizoid Man
Robert Fripp
85
Fresh Air
John Cipollina
86
Soulshine
Warren Haynes
87
Somebody to Love
Jorma Kaukonen
88
Surfing with the Alien
Joe Satriani
89
Highway Star
Ritchie Blackmore
90
The Spirit of Radio
Alex Lifeson
91
Freebird
Gary Rossington
92
Freebird
Allen Collins
93
Drunkship of Lanterns
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
94
Boogie Stupid
John Scofield
95
Angel Eyes
Jeff Healey
96
Walk This Way
Joe Perry
97
Come As You Are
Kurt Cobain
98
Inside Looking Out
Mark Farner
99
Summertime Blues
Leigh Stephens
100
Vamos
Joey Santiago
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20 Comments
Walacama
+2
Level 82
Jun 13, 2017
I missed a few that I should have gotten, Trucks, Clark Jr., Santiago, etc... This is one of the better lists that I have seen. Nice work. I might disagree with some of the positions, but this is much better than many of the lists put out by Rolling Stone, or VH1 or other publications. Thanks.
bluesdjben
+1
Level 74
Jun 13, 2017
Walacama, thanks for the nice comment! I always thought the Rolling Stone list was cool but that they gave too much weight to popularity and reputation, so it was fun to make my own list relying on my own ears.
kenpo17
+2
Level 66
Sep 26, 2017
I think your list, like most, is way too light on metal guitarists. But I appreciate that at least you're trying to weigh the list on real criteria instead of popularity and word of mouth.
bluesdjben
+1
Level 74
Oct 4, 2017
Thanks. I do acknowledge that metal guitarists are the group that was probably the most hurt by my personal taste. Since I'm a blues fan, I put more weight into feeling, expression, and soul whereas if I liked metal more I would have given more weight to the technical brilliance of guys like Hammett & Hetfield, Zakk Wylde, Dimebag Darrell, Jason Becker, and more.
johnthetoff
+1
Level 9
Aug 24, 2018
How many more time - IT'S VOODOO CHILE, not CHILD. If you can't get the basics right don't submit a quiz.
bluesdjben
+2
Level 74
Nov 5, 2018
Actually, I've wondered about the Chile/Child discrepancy for a while, but I've never bothered to look it up. It turns out Hendrix used both spellings in the notes he sent to his record label (whether he meant to or not), so the US release of Electric Ladyland featured the titles "Voodoo Chile" for the 15-minute song on side 1 and "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" for the more famous song on side 4. However, the UK release spelled both songs with "Chile." Because I'm from the US, I've usually seen the spelling "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)," and that title seems to be used more frequently in official Hendrix media. If this was a song titles quiz I would definitely accept both spellings as type-ins.
GAH1968
+4
Level 69
Jan 5, 2019
Top five omission: Terry Kath of Chicago. Often overlooked on lists like these.
bluesdjben
+1
Level 74
Jan 6, 2019
He is really good. Didn't quite make my list, but he was an honorable mention in my blog post.
musiclistsareus
+2
Level 62
Sep 20, 2021
Good list and good quiz. As a jazz fan, I would include Pat Metheny and Joe Pass, at least, and probably Tal Farlow, too. But I know it's hard to be diverse and not go on forever
bluesdjben
+1
Level 74
Sep 20, 2021
Thanks. Joe Pass and Pat Metheny were honorable mentions on my blog post too, as well as Lenny Breau. I need to check out Tal Farlow. I feel like a lot of the things that great jazz guitarists do are kind of hard for me to fully appreciate as a non-musician, so it was kind of hard for me to know exactly how to compare them.
bluesdjben
+1
Level 74
Sep 20, 2021
Thanks for the Tal Farlow recommendation. He's great too!
musiclistsareus
+2
Level 62
Sep 20, 2021
Yes to Breau also, I havent listened much to him, but I've liked what I heard
musiclistsareus
+2
Level 62
Sep 20, 2021
Appreciating jazz isn't that much more complicated than rock or blues. There is more emphasis on solos; instead of a single 12 bar solo, there might be several choruses shared among the soloists. And there are fewer lyrics, and a larger palette of chords--nothing that some listening couldnt remedy. On YouTube, Rick Beato and Adam Neely are two of my favorite content creators; both are conversant in rock and jazz, and have videos that are helpful in expanding horizons, if and when you desire. Of course, blues is great, too
bluesdjben
+1
Level 74
Sep 20, 2021
I've really been enjoying Rick Beato's videos this year and have learned a lot from them. I need to watch more of Adam Neely's stuff too.

It seems like with a lot of jazz there is a much greater emphasis on novel chord progressions and finding new ways to improvise around the chords, and I think the more knowledge you have, the more you are going to appreciate why what they are doing is impressive. Whereas with blues, it's more about expressing emotion through one's playing whether or not you are a highly technical player, and that just naturally connects with me more. So it's kind of a challenge to compare something that connects with me on a more visceral level with something I process more intellectually.

bluesdjben
+1
Level 74
Nov 3, 2021
Just watched Beato's video on Pat Martino. He would be another good contender for the list. Incredible that he was that good, lost it all after a hemorrhage, and was able to get back to that level and then some.
WWEFan619
+3
Level 61
Mar 8, 2023
Glad to see Joe Satriani on this list. In my opinion, he is the greatest guitarist of all time.
MeisterDejv
+1
Level 65
Feb 20, 2024
I don't get why guys like Jack White and Kurt Cobain are on these type of lists. I'm not saying every top guitarist should be technical monster but these guys are alt rock songwriters not names you think of when you have to define guitar heroes.
bluesdjben
+1
Level 74
Feb 21, 2024
If I redo this list at some point, I don't think I would include Cobain again. But White is an incredible player, and he has plenty of songs that feature his guitar at the forefront. My personal favorite examples of his playing include Ball and Biscuit, Catch Hell Blues, and Seven Nation Army.
Maximirb13
+1
Level 77
Jul 3, 2024
Fantastic list. As a huge blues enjoyer myself, I won't find many lists I enjoy more than this one. I also appreciate your through responses in the comments (as well as being a Rick Beato fan). A few blues recommendations: Jimmie Vaughan (while on the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Family Style album, and solo stuff), Sister Rosetta Tharpe for delta blues, and Taj Mahal.
bluesdjben
+1
Level 74
Jul 4, 2024
Thanks for the great comment! Nice to hear from a fellow blues fan.
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