Five of the Greatest Electric Guitarists of All Time
Few instruments have had a greater influence on modern music than the electric guitar. When Rickenbacher and Beauchamp created the first solid-body electric guitar in 1931 (technically called the Rickenbacher Electro A22, but known to most people as the “Frying Pan”), effectively solving the feedback problem that came with plugging in acoustic guitars, modern music began an exciting and at times meandering evolution that continues today. From Hawaiian music, jazz, blues, folk, and country to the many styles of rock ‘n’ roll, the electric guitar has been a driving force in musical innovation—not to mention the lead instrument in the vast majority of Western bands over the past century.
In contrast to the acoustic guitar, which is the ideal choice for establishing a song’s chord-based rhythm, electric guitars lend themselves to technical, flashy solos, ranging from the bluesy fingering of Muddy Waters to the distortion-driven scales of Jimmy Page. Over the years, lead guitarists have been celebrated nearly as much as lead singers—and in many bands, frontmen have done double duty, both singing and slashing their way across stage.
As guitar solos became more and more complex, it was only natural that people would start discussing the best electric guitarists in the business. Hundreds of lists have been made over the years, but while a handful of names consistently show up on nearly all of them, the debate still rages when it comes to the greatest of all time. The following are widely considered to be five of the best.
B.B. King
Widely considered the king of the blues, B.B. King started playing guitar as a boy, and was soon revolutionizing how musicians approached the instrument. His beloved Gibson, which he named Lucille, stayed with him his entire life, and he lovingly made her “weep” well into his late 80s. Emulating his childhood hero T-Bone Walker, B.B. bent notes better than anyone, and his free-flowing blues style has influenced virtually every guitar great since the 1950s. B.B’s Live at the Regal recording in 1965 is still considered one of the greatest electric guitar performances of all time, despite the 60 years and hundreds of virtuosos that have come and gone since then.
Eric Clapton
The perfect blend of blues and rock, Eric Clapton was the biggest thing to come out of England since The Beatles—but in terms of guitar licks, he was far beyond anything the Fab Four were capable of. “Clapton Is God” was graffitied on the walls of London in the 60s, bearing witness to his immense influence in the city’s music scene, and pop culture in general. Initially playing with the Yardbirds and then John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, Clapton eventually formed the supergroup Cream, which was arguably the most musically talented rock band of its time. Clapton eventually went solo, releasing album after album full of generation-bridging, genre-breaking genius, all the while staying true to his roots and love for the blues.
Jimi Hendrix
Hendrix takes the top spot on many people’s list of the all-time greatest guitarists, and it’s easy to see why. Not only was he a once-in-a-generation talent, but he was also years ahead of his time—the product of a quickly evolving instrument and the open-minded approach necessary to use it to its full potential. Hendrix took the electric guitar to its psychedelic limits, employing wah, distortion, and all sorts of other “modern” tweaks to create a style of music no one had ever heard before. Perhaps the most incredible thing about Hendrix’s music was that even though he was also a vocalist, it was his guitar that did the majority of the singing—and, contrary to expectations, audiences loved it. The fact that Hendrix was a Black musician bridging the racial divide and playing to a majority White audience—in a time when segregation was still very much a part of the American experience—would have been the most noteworthy aspect of his career, if it weren’t for his inarguable, otherworldly talent.
Stevie Ray Vaughan
By the 1980s, popular music had changed a dozen times since the first electric guitar was plugged into an amp. Rock ‘n’ roll had given way to the disco inferno, then made a comeback on with the help of the punk and metal movements. The ’80s were grungy before grunge was a thing, and you’d think that there was no room for a blues guitarist amid all the chaos. But Stevie Ray Vaughan’s talent was undeniable, and his synthesis of blues and rock—equal parts B.B. and Hendrix, but blended with his own unique style—reminded the world what a virtuoso sounded like when he played real music. Stevie had established himself as one of the greats long before he jammed until his fingers bled, but that only served to further his legend.
Eddie Van Halen
When it comes to the electric guitar, there’s jamming and then there’s shredding—and anyone who doesn’t understand the difference will find enlightenment the moment they put on a Van Halen album. Hard rock was dominating the airwaves by the mid-1980s, and with it had come a new era of guitar solos. Wailing and bending had given way to pure, high-octane scale destruction, yet it was being done in such a talented manner that it was simultaneously abrasive and beautiful. Eddie Van Halen was considered by most to be the greatest guitarist of his generation, both for his technical abilities on the fretboard and his innovative approach to the electric guitar as an instrument and machine. The fact that his band was named after him, and not its lead singer, David Lee Roth, speaks volumes about the influence Eddie had on rock ‘n’ roll, from the 1980s through modern day.