The Best Guitar Players of All Time

Some guitar players are indelibly etched into the fabric of popular music’s history, but who makes up the top 10? We have compiled below a list of the most famous and influential guitarists ever. As with any Top 10 in a field spanning hundreds of fantastic players there will be some tough editorial choices, but here it goes:

1) Jimi Hendrix: At the top of almost every best guitarist list ever made, Hendrix was his music and he became one with his guitar, being especially incendiary during live performances.

2) Jimmy Page: Led Zeppelin are one of the most influential rock bands of all time, and Jimmy Page’s career embodied the dreams and hopes of thousands of guitarists all over the world: after all, what self-respecting rock guitarist hasn’t tried to play “Stairway to Heaven” at some point?

3) Kurt Kobain: The Nirvana front-man was certainly not the most technically proficient player out there but he defined a generation with his playing and songwriting.

4) Ry Cooder: an eclectic player with a career spanning gospel, blues, soul, folk and more Cooder was best known for his slide guitar work.

5) Chuck Berry: one of the “inventors” of Rock ‘n Roll, Berry had a long string of hits in the 50s and helped break down racial barriers as kids from all walks of life crammed venues to see him

6) Keith Richards: The Rolling Stones equal Rock 'n Roll to many people and Keith Richards has managed to stay alive through thick and think to show the world that even today the Stones can rock the socks off many young, up-and-coming bands.

7) Eric Clapton: Clapton is an essential part of the history of guitar music, no wonder he’s been inducted to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame three times, as part of the Yardbirds, as Cream and as a solo artist. Clapton's also keen on acoustic guitars with his "Unplugged" performance peaking at N.1 in the Billboard 200 chart.

8) B.B. King: now 88, King is still touring extensively around the world, a full 65 years after he started recording his own songs under KPM records. The guitarist is a blues legend, period.

9) Eddie Van Halen: Van Halen’s unique style and abundance of powerful riffs make him a mainstay of best guitar accolades.

10) Jeff Beck: alongside his two famous band-mates (Clapton and Page) Jeff Beck started out as part of the Yardbirds, but has become a guitar legend through decades of dedication as part of various outfits, he is the recipient of seven Grammy Awards.