por compilation of most famous guitarists in historyartists who have gained worldwide fame due to their guitar skills as soloists or as part of a band.
Prince, Jimmy Hendrix, Ozzy Osbourne or John Lennon are some of these myths that have greatly influenced the string instrument and music in general.
List of the most famous guitarists in history
1. Prince (1958-2016)
American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and producer. He was known for his eclectic work, his flamboyant stage presence and his wide vocal range.
He was considered a virtuoso on guitar, percussion, keyboards, and synthesizer. He has sold nearly 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time.
2. Jack White (1975)
American musician, singer, writer, producer, and actor.
He is best known for being the lead vocalist and guitarist for the duo The White Stripes, although he has also found success in other bands and even as a solo artist. He has won 8 Grammy Awards and both of his solo albums have reached number one on the Billboard charts.
3. Zakk Wylde (1967)
American musician, singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, and actor, known for having been a guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and for being the founder of the heavy rock band Black Label Society. He was the lead guitarist and vocalist in the band Pride & Glory and as a solo artist he has managed to release two albums.
4. Tom Morello (1964)
American musician, singer, songwriter, actor, and political activist. He is best known for having been part of the band Rage Against the Machine and later joining Audioslave.
He is currently a member of the supergroup Prophets of Rage. He is noted for his unique and creative style of playing the guitar.
5. Dimebag Darrell (1966-2004)
He was an American guitarist and songwriter, founder of the bands Pantera and Damageplan along with his brother Vinnie Paul.
He is considered one of the precursors of Groove Metal. He ranked number 92 on the list of the best guitarists of all time, according to the magazine. rolling stones.
6. Buddy Guy (1936)
American guitarist and singer, known for being an exponent of the Chicago blues genre. In the 1960s he played with the Muddy Waters band for Chess Records and formed a musical alliance with concert harmonica player Junior Wells. Guy was ranked as the 30 best guitarist of all time, according to rolling stones.
7.Kirk Hammett (1962)
He is an American guitarist and songwriter, known for being the lead guitarist for Metallica since 1983.
Before joining Metallica, he was part of a band called Exodus. Hammet was ranked number 11 on the list of the best guitarists of all time, according to rolling stones.
8. Ritchie Blackmore (1945)
English guitarist and composer. He was one of the founding members of the band Deep Purple in 1968. He went on to establish a metal band called Rainbow, which fused elements of baroque music with heavy rock. Finally, he created the folk rock band Blackmore’s Night in which the sounds of the vocalists predominated.
9.Albert King (1923-1992)
He was an American blues guitarist and singer. He is part of the «Three Kings of Blues Guitar» along with BB King and Freddie King. He is widely known for his 1967 single «Born Under a Bad Sign.»
10. John Lennon (1940-1980)
He was an English singer and songwriter. He was a co-founder of The Beatles, the most commercially successful band in the history of popular music. Lennon learned to play the guitar from the age of 16 and as his musical career grew he extended his mastery to a wide variety of electric guitars.
11. Mark Knopfler (1949)
He is a British singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer, best known for being the songwriter, guitarist, and lead vocalist for the band Dire Straits. founded with his brother David Knopfler in 1977. As a solo artist, Knopfler has released 8 albums, is a 4-time Grammy Award winner and holds 3 honorary doctorates from various universities in the UK.
12. Angus Young (1955)
He is a guitarist who was born in Scotland, but Australian nationalized. He is best known for being the co-founder and lead guitarist of the Australian rock band AC/DC.
He is characterized by his school uniform in his presentations. Both Young and the other members of AC/DC are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
13. Duane Allman (1946-1971)
He was an American guitarist, co-founder and leader of the band Allman Brothers. He died of a traffic accident at the age of 24. He was considered the second best guitarist of all time, according to the magazine rolling stones.
14. Billy Gibbons (1949)
He is an American musician, singer, songwriter, producer, and actor. He is the guitarist and lead vocalist for the rock band ZZ Top.
He began his career in the band Moving Sidewalks where they opened for four dates at the Jimi Hendrix Experience. He was ranked 32nd on the list of the best guitarists in history, according to the magazine rolling stones.
15. Pete Townshend (1945)
He is a British musician, songwriter and instrumentalist, best known for being the lead guitarist, background vocalist and main songwriter for the band The Who.
His career in this band spans over 50 years, during which the band grew, and is considered one of the most influential in the 20th century. Along with The Who, he is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
16. Kurt Cobain (1967-1994)
He was an American musician, artist, songwriter, guitarist, and poet. Cobain founded Nirvana, along with Krist Novoselic, in 1987. This group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.
17. Joe Satriani (1956)
He is an American multi-instrumentalist and instrumental rock guitarist. Satriani began his career as a guitar instructor to later pursue a very important career as a soloist.
He also had a short stint with Deep Purple in 1993. Since 2008 he has been the lead guitarist for Chickenfoot.
18.Steve Vai (1960)
He is an American guitarist, songwriter, singer, and producer. He has had a prolific solo career, winning 3 Grammy Awards. He has toured with Alcatrazz, David Lee Roth and Whitesnake, and has recorded with various rock artists.
19.Ozzy Osbourne (1948)
He is a British singer, songwriter and actor. He rose to fame in the 1970s as the lead vocalist for the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. In 1979 he was fired from the band and began a successful solo career.
He is part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Music Hall of Fame in the United Kingdom, both for his career as part of Black Sabbath and for his facet as a soloist.
20. Neil Young (1945)
Canadian singer-songwriter, producer and director. In 1966 he formed the band Buffalo Springfield along with Stephen Stills, Richie Furay and others.
His most notable characteristics were the distorted sound work of his guitar, the deeply personal lyrics of his songs, and a peculiar tenor voice. Is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for both his solo career, as well as Buffalo Springfield.
21. Randy Rhoads (1956-1982)
American heavy rock guitarist. In his career he managed to get to play for Ozzy Osbourne and the band Quiet Riot.
His guitar style combined classical musical influences along with his own brand of heavy metal. Despite his short career, he had a great influence on neoclassical metal.
22. Tony Yommi (1948)
British guitarist, songwriter and producer. Iommi is the lead guitarist and founding member of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath.
In 2000 he released his first solo album, followed by another in 2005. He was named number 25 on the list of the greatest guitarists, according to the magazine rolling stones.
23.B.B. King (1925-2015)
He was an American blues singer, electric guitarist, and producer. King was the person who introduced a solo style based on string doubling and vibrato that influenced many other later blues guitarists.
King is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and is considered one of the most influential blues singers of all time.
24. George Harrison (1943-2001)
British guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer who rose to worldwide fame as a member of the band The Beatles.
He is known for introducing the band to instruments of Indian origin in their music. Harrison released several solo albums and in 1988 he formed the supergroup Traveling Wilburys. He is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his participation in The Beatles and for his solo career.
25.Slash (1965)
British musician and songwriter, widely known for being the lead guitarist for the American rock band Guns N’ Roses.
After leaving the group in 1996, he founded the supergroup Velvet Revolver. He has released three solo albums. In 2016 he returned to Guns N’ Roses, 20 years after his departure. In 2012 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the band.
26. Keith Richards (1943)
British guitarist, singer and songwriter. His fame has reached him as one of the founding members of the band The Rolling Stones.
Many of the songs he wrote that have been sung by Mick Jagger are on the magazine’s «500 Greatest Songs of All Time» list. rolling stones.
27. Brian May (1947)
British musician, singer, songwriter and astrophysicist. He is known for being the lead guitarist for Queen.
Together with Freddie Mercury and the percussionist Roger Taylor, they founded this band in 1970. For their presentations he uses a guitar built by himself which he called «Red Special».
28.David Gilmour (1946)
British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He joined the progressive rock band Pink Floyd as a guitarist and vocalist in 1968.
After Roger Waters’ departure in 1985, Gilmour assumed leadership of the band. As a soloist he has made 4 studio albums.
29. Jeff Beck (1944-2023)
British rock guitarist. He has been one of three guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds, the other two being Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page.
He has received the Grammy Award 7 times and is part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for both his solo and group career.
30. Eddie Van Halen (1965)
Dutch-American musician, songwriter, and producer who is known for being the lead guitarist and co-founder of the heavy rock band Van Halen. He is considered one of the greatest guitarists in the world.
31.Les Paul (1915-2009)
American jazz, country, and blues guitarist. He was also a composer, inventor and luthier.
He was one of the pioneers of the solid-body electric guitar, which ushered in the sound of rock and roll. Paul is one of the few artists to have a permanent private exhibit in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
32. Stevie Ray Vaughan (1954-1990)
American musician, songwriter, and producer. While his career for the public was short, he is…