I agree. If Jimi were still alive today, I don't think he'd be as high up on the charts. I mean, he's not a terrible guitarist, but certainly one that's gotten a career boost because he happened to die before he faded out of the limelight.
I don't rank Jimi on top either but there's two factors that come into the equation with Jimi that don't apply to some of the others...and it's these two things that makes him continue to rank high and will always rank high... 1. no one would seriously question that Jimi was an innovator of his time and got alot of these other people interested in electric guitars 2. no one would seriously question that Clapton is better today than he was 30 years ago...Jimi was and is considered to have died before his prime so when these people make lists those two things usually factor into how they assess where to put him.
OK, but how would you factor in Joe Satriani, who literally picked up where Hendrix left off, and who trained Steve Vai and many other guitarists on the list?
Hi AT, I really don't know who he is...there's alot of names on these lists that I don't recognize...because I wasn't interested in their band, or wrong era, wrong style, or I just somehow missed them, etc... so...in regards to Joe Satriani I'll just assume that you are right and if that's the case and he picked up where Jimi left off and had a impact on budding guitarists and on innovations like Jimi then I would rate him equal or better. Jimi was not one of my favorites growing up, I didn't much care for the Doors either at the time...I was more into Cream, Ten Years After, Moody Blues, Blood Sweat & Tears, etc... But I was there in the sixties...and when all the girls were crying and wetting their pants over the Beatles and the Stones... all the boys wanted their daddies to buy them a guitar so they could be Jimi Hendrix...he was a guitar salesman's wet dream! Of all these guitarists mentioned very few, if any, had the impact on guitar sales that Jimi did.
Well whilst Hendrix and Claptons skill on the guitar is with out a doubt absolutely incredible, IMHO, their actual songs are bollocks. Too much focus on one lead guitar for my liking and the lyrics are tedious and tuneless. Bearing in mind I like blaring vocals alongside lengthy solos and riffs, so Pantera/Megadeth/Metallica rank a lot higher in my list of guitars.
I haven't listened to a whole lot of Hendrix, but as for Clapton, I think you're wrong about the "focus on one lead guitar." In live concerts, yes, he does a little bit of soloing n stuff, but that's what people expect in concert. Have you heard songs like Tears in Heaven, Change the World, and My Father's Eyes? Great songs, and I dont think they focus on the guitar too much at all.
its kinda pointless when theres a song specifically focused on the guitar, idk if its even possible, the songs have to originate from something or theres just no sense to play them its like, okay i wrote the fastest song in the world... why? also is rand-rhoads on the list? YNGWIE MALMSTEEN IS 60?! i guess there isn't an order to this chart?
I guess it's kinda pointless to make a "top 100 guitarists" list in the first place. Top at what, exactly? "Top 100 Fastest Guitarists" I could buy, or even "Top 100 Melodic Guitarists". Even then, there'd doubtlessly be less-than-famous people who trumped everyone else but weren't included on the list 'cause nobody'd heard of 'em. Oh well, whatever. Speaking of obscure but talented artists, if you haven't already check out Magnatune.com. Great label, great artists in every genre, and you can stream everything on the label @ 128kb for free. If you want to buy an album, you set your own price, and the artist gets half. Their motto is "We're a record label, but we're not evil".
magnatune is awesome, vry good if your recovering from a music fast. Also, I don't see rusty cooley up there yet I see james hetfield. looks like they haven't heard rusty cooley. Then again you have to take this into concideration. This top 100 list was posted in a magazine. The magazine was created to make money. They won't make ANY money posting people no one has ever heard of. However, they will make money posting what people want to hear.
Jimmy Page....Led Zepplin Forever! Although Joe Satriani KICKS ASS.... Always With Me, Always With You is an amazing song!
