Few instruments in rock music have inspired as much innovation as the electric guitar.
While technique and speed can impress, truly distinctive guitarists often stand out not merely for virtuosity but for the way they sculpt tone, phrasing, and texture into something instantly recognizable. Some achieve this through technical innovation, pushing the boundaries of the instrument with new tunings, effects, or unconventional picking methods.
Others rely on tonal signature: a particular amp setting, a specific guitar, or a unique way of striking the strings that becomes inseparable from the player’s musical identity. Still others craft their distinction through composition itself, integrating melody, rhythm, and harmony into parts that function as both accompaniment and soloistic statement.
In the late 1960s through the early 1980s, rock witnessed a flowering of individuality. Jimi Hendrix revolutionized the guitar with expressive feedback and wah-heavy phrasing that could sound almost vocal. Queen’s Brian May created orchestral textures and harmonized leads, layering parts to expand the guitar’s role beyond conventional rhythm or solo. Meanwhile, Tom Verlaine of Television showed how interlocking, angular lines could redefine the guitar as a textural, melodic instrument rather than a mere rhythmic or soloing tool.
Across styles and genres, these 25 guitarists combine technique, tone, and compositional vision to create a sound that is unmistakably their own. They remind us that the electric guitar is not only a tool for playing notes but a medium for personal expression, capable of shaping the very identity of rock music.
Greatest guitarists
25. Angus Young
AC/DC's irresistibly charismatic guitarist deserves a place among any rundown like this, thanks to his gift for turning simplicity into something monumental. With AC/DC, Young proved that feel, rhythm and a nose for an incredible riff can be every bit as powerful as virtuosity. His playing is raw, direct, and unmistakably his – blues roots supercharged with electricity and swagger. Those opening chords of 'Back in Black' or 'Highway to Hell' are rock’s heartbeat: pure, unfiltered joy.
In 3 words: ferocious, swaggering, elemental
Key track: Back in Black
24. Tom Verlaine
Interlocking guitar lines, wiry tone, and icy angularity were Verlaine’s calling cards. With Marquee Moon, he crafted extended solos that felt both jagged and hypnotic, avoiding blues clichés in favour of lean, melodic invention. Equal parts minimalist and exploratory, Verlaine’s inimitable style laid blueprints for post-punk and indie guitarists who sought texture and tension over virtuosity.
In 3 words: angular, wiry, minimalist
Key track: Marquee Moon
23. Carlos Santana
Few guitarists have made the instrument sing quite like a human voice. Rooted in the blues yet infused with Latin rhythms, Santana's playing carries both groove and lyricism, weaving hypnotic solos that feel conversational rather than ornamental. A mix of experimentation and impeccable timing give Santana’s improvisations a meditative pull, while his warm, singing timbre – shaped by distinctive amp settings – bridges the worlds of rock, jazz, and Latin music with seamless ease.
In 3 words: sustain-drenched, conversational, Latin-inflected
Key track: Soul Sacrifice (live at Woodstock)
22. Ritchie Blackmore
Fiery neoclassical runs, dark-toned riffs, and razor-sharp phrasing marked the Deep Purple axeman as one of hard rock’s true originals. Blackmore merged blues grit with baroque elegance, crafting solos that were both virtuosic and melodic. His riffs – think 'Smoke on the Water' – remain iconic, while his improvisations veered between searing aggression and almost delicate ornamentation. That duality gave Ritchie Blackmore’s playing – and the Deep Purple sound – a dramatic edge that few could match.
In 3 words: fiery, dramatic, virtuosic
Key track: Highway Star
21. George Harrison
The Beatles guitarist earns his place here not through volume or flash, but through taste, tone, and melodic precision. His playing with the Fab Four reshaped the role of lead guitar – not as constant soloing, but as expressive voice. Harrison absorbed Indian classical music, slide guitar, folk music and soul, blending them into something quietly revolutionary. His solos were songs within songs, always serving emotion over ego. His influence is everywhere, though often subtly felt.
In 3 words: melodic, spiritual, lyrical
Key track: Something
20. Eddie Van Halen
Simply, Eddie Van Halen reimagined what the electric guitar could do. His explosive tapping technique, wild harmonic squeals, and fearless sense of play didn’t just raise the technical bar – they rewrote the rulebook. Yet beneath the flash was deep musicality and killer rhythm playing. He made virtuosity sound joyful, mischievous, and inevitable, dragging rock into a new era almost single-handedly.
In 3 words: volcanic, playful, revolutionary
Key track: Eruption
19. Jeff Beck
Jeff Beck is a chameleon of the electric guitar, constantly reinventing his sound across blues, rock, jazz, and fusion. His playing balances technical virtuosity with eloquent phrasing, bending notes and manipulating tone to create voice-like melodies. Beck’s fearless experimentation and touch make him both a guitarist’s guitarist and a deeply emotional performer, influencing generations while remaining utterly original.
In 3 words: emotive, innovative, fluid
Key track: Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers
18. Steve Howe
It's the sheer breadth and musical intelligence of his playing that marks Steve Howe as one of rock’s greatest guitarists. Rather than relying on volume or flash, Howe fused classical precision, jazz harmony, and rock phrasing into a uniquely architectural guitar style – one that helped define Yes’s expansive sound. His parts didn’t simply accompany songs – they built them. Few guitarists have shaped a band’s identity so completely.
In 3 words: elegant, inventive, panoramic.
Key track: Starship Trooper (Live at the Rainbow, 1972)
17. Johnny Marr
During the mid-1980s, The Smiths' guitarist redefined the guitar’s role in the 1980s – not as a vehicle for solos, but as a textural storyteller. His shimmering arpeggios, layered voicings, and melodic counterlines gave The Smiths a sound instantly identifiable yet impossible to imitate. Marr plays for the song, building atmosphere and emotional nuance with exquisite precision and imagination.
In 3 words: plangent, intricate, melodic
Key track: This Charming Man
16. The Edge
For The Edge, creating atmosphere was more important than showing off. His chiming, repeated patterns and echoing delay effects turn simple guitar parts into spacious, sweeping soundscapes. Rather than flashy solos, he shapes songs like a sculptor, using rhythm, space, and texture. Subtlety and timing are his trademarks, proving that restraint can be just as memorable as virtuosity.
In 3 words: chiming, minimalist, spacious
Key track: Where the Streets Have No Name
15. Frank Zappa
Eclectic, virtuosic, and unpredictable: welcome to the world of Frank Zappa. Rock’s arch-experimentalist blends jazz, rock, classical, and avant-garde phrasing with extended improvisation. A Zappa solo is typically angular, dissonant, and rhythmically complex, incorporating humour and irony alongside technical mastery. A key influence on progressive rock, fusion, and experimental guitarists alike.
In 3 words: avant-garde, unpredictable, eclectic
Key track: Peaches en Regalia
14. Mark Knopfler
Mark Knopfler’s fingerpicked, clean tone stands apart from the distortion-heavy guitar of his peers. His playing is understated, precise, and rhythmically fluid, with subtle dynamics and melodic phrasing. Knopfler’s solos often tell a story rather than showcase technical flash, blending clarity and emotion. The combination of his nuanced picking, warm tone, and conversational phrasing gives his style a timeless elegance, making it immediately recognizable.
In 3 words: fluid, understated, eloquent
Key track: Sultans of Swing
13. Steve Hackett
Atmospheric textures and technical invention defined Steve Hackett’s contribution to progressive rock. An early pioneer of two-handed tapping, he expanded the guitar’s vocabulary long before it was associated with shred. Hackett used volume swells, long sustained notes, and layered guitars to give Genesis a rich, almost orchestral sound. His playing made the songs feel bigger and more dramatic, adding a symphonic depth that turned each track into a mini musical journey rather than just a standard rock song.
In 3 words: atmospheric, intricate, progressive
Key track: Firth of Fifth
12. Slash
Slash is one of rock’s most instantly recognizable guitarists, blending blues-based phrasing with high-octane hard rock energy. His solos are memorable, melodic, and effortlessly dramatic, serving the song while leaving a permanent imprint. From the snarling riffs to the soaring lead lines, Slash’s playing embodies attitude, emotion, and showmanship, making him a defining voice of late-80s and early-90s rock. His tone, touch, and sense of timing have inspired countless guitarists worldwide.
In 3 words: bluesy, soaring, iconic
Key track: Sweet Child O’ Mine
11. Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend’s identity stems from his aggressive, rhythmic approach. His windmill strumming, power chord attacks, and percussive technique turn chords into driving forces. In a typical Who song the guitar comes across like a rhythmic engine, layering texture and energy with explosive dynamics.
Townshend’s solos, though less ornate, are melodically strong and integrate tightly with the band’s overall sound. His sense of timing, attack, and theatricality makes his style unmistakable – and deeply influential in rock rhythm guitar.
In 3 words: percussive, aggressive, dynamic
Key track: Won’t Get Fooled Again
10. John McGeoch
Mood, atmosphere, and unusual shapes: these were the hallmarks of the McGeoch style. Using a shimmering chorus effect, clever chord choices, and surprising little melodic twists, he gave post-punk songs a smart, artful edge. Instead of flashy solos, his playing created textures and soundscapes – guitars that could sparkle, slice through a mix, or echo in unexpected ways. Every note felt deliberate, adding character and tension rather than just showing off technical skill.
That creativity gave McGeoch’s bands (Magazine, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Public Image Ltd) their edge, and its surely no coincidence that the three ensembles on his CV are among the most distinctive voices of the post-punk era. Beyond the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, his influence reverberates in countless indie and alternative acts who prioritize mood and texture over flash.
McGeoch’s mix of minimalism and experimentation influenced a wave of 1980s alternative and new wave guitarists, including U2’s The Edge, The Smiths’ Johnny Marr and Red Hot Chili Peppers’s John Frusciante.
In 3 words: haunting, intricate, chiming
Key track: Spellbound (Banshees)
9. Robert Fripp
Intellectually rigorous and sonically adventurous, Robert Fripp transformed the guitar into a tool for intricate composition rather than just lead or accompaniment. Alternate tunings and complex polyrhythms lead to guitar textures that are both mechanical and organic.
Then there was ‘Frippertronics’, the technique Fripp pioneered in the 1970s, which involved feeding the guitar sound into a tape delay system so that the sound loops continuously. Result: dense, evolving textures that were often ambient, hypnotic, even orchestral in feel.
In 3 words: angular, cerebral, experimental
Key track: 21st Century Schizoid Man
8. Stevie Ray Vaughan
One for the blues rockers. A titan of blues-rock guitar, Stevie Ray Vaughan combines ferocious technique with raw emotional power. His playing fuses searing bends, explosive vibrato, and rhythmic drive, creating solos that feel alive with passion. Whether channelling heartbreak in a slow blues or unleashing fire in uptempo numbers, Vaughan’s tone and phrasing are instantly recognizable. He revitalized electric blues in the 1980s, influencing countless guitarists while retaining his own perfect marriage of soul and technical mastery.
In 3 words: fiery, soulful, passionate
Key track: Texas Flood
7. Neil Young
Neil Young is one of rock’s most legendary and unmistakable guitarists because of his raw, emotionally charged style. With Crazy Horse, his electric solos howl with ragged intensity, each note aching with defiance and vulnerability, as on 'Cortez the Killer' or 'Like a Hurricane'. On acoustic recordings, his playing is spare, precise, and profoundly eloquent. Young’s tone and phrasing are instantly recognizable – imperfect, unpolished, and deeply human – making him a singular, enduring voice in rock guitar.
In 3 words: raw, plaintive, untamed
Key track: Cortez the Killer
6. David Gilmour
Long, bending notes that seem to suspend time – these are David Gilmour’s signatures. His phrasing is deliberate and spacious, prioritizing melody over speed. With crystalline sustain and careful use of effects, he builds solos that feel like narrative arcs, often as memorable as the songs themselves. Whether in the dreamy textures of ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’ or the anguished peaks of ‘Comfortably Numb’, Gilmour’s guitar conveys emotion with startling clarity, bridging rock’s technical power and the intimacy of the human voice.
In 3 words: emotive, soaring, atmospheric
Key track: Comfortably Numb
5. Brian May
So central to Queen's sound, Brian May layers multiple guitar tracks to create rich, almost orchestral harmonies, making his parts feel bigger than a single guitar, while his homemade ‘Red Special’ guitar gives him a tone that’s warm but can still cut through a mix. May’s solos are melodic and precise, often stacked in harmony like a choir of guitars. He uses sustain and vibrato carefully, giving notes extra emotion and weight. More than just playing chords or riffs, May turns the guitar into a mini orchestra where every note and harmony adds to the song’s drama.
In 3 words: melodic, orchestral, precise
Key track: Bohemian Rhapsody
4. Eric Clapton
Clapton is, by anyone's estimation, one of rock and blues’ most influential guitarists, bridging American blues traditions with British rock. His expressive bends, smooth vibrato, and melodic phrasing helped define the electric blues sound for generations. From Yardbirds to Cream to his solo work, Clapton’s ability to convey raw emotion while maintaining technical mastery set a template for countless players. His tone, feel, and phrasing have become synonymous with blues-rock guitar excellence.
In 3 words: ardent, soulful, masterful
Key track: Crossroads (1968, live with Cream)
3. Keith Richards
If rock’n’roll has a heartbeat, it may well be Keith Richards’ rhythm guitar.
His open-G riffs pulse with attitude, delivering groove and bite in equal measure. Rather than technical flash, he offers economy and feel: sharp accents, rolling momentum, and an unmistakable swagger that defines the Stones’ sound. By stripping the guitar down to its essentials, Richards turned rhythm playing into lead storytelling – creating parts that are as singable as any vocal line.
In 3 words: rhythmic, raw, swaggering
Key track: Brown Sugar
2. Jimmy Page
Few players have fused heaviness with subtlety so seamlessly.
Page’s riff writing – anchored in open tunings, slashing chords, and blues-infused leads – defined hard rock. Yet behind the power lies a meticulous arranger who layered acoustic textures, folk nuances, and studio wizardry to create Zeppelin’s vast sonic landscapes. His solos veer from fiery bursts to delicate, echoing phrases, always serving the drama of the song.
Whether live or in the studio, Jimmy Page’s guitar spoke with swagger and mystery, inspiring generations of riff-driven rock bands.
In 3 words: layered, epic, bluesy
Key track: Since I’ve Been Loving You
1. Jimi Hendrix
No one before or since has reshaped the guitar’s vocabulary as radically as Jimi Hendrix.
His mastery of feedback, wah-wah, and sheer controlled chaos gave the instrument entirely new dimensions – turning distortion into beauty, and noise into poetry. Drawing on deep blues roots but exploding them with psychedelic imagination, Hendrix created soundscapes that were at once raw, explosive, and strangely lyrical. His live performances blurred the line between improvisation and composition: each solo felt like a dangerous, unrepeatable event, teetering on the edge of collapse yet landing with uncanny precision.
Beyond technique, it was the audacity of his tone – fiery, fluid, unmistakably his – that made Hendrix instantly identifiable. Hendrix’s reinvention of what an electric guitar could express continues to ripple through rock, funk, heavy metal and beyond, cementing his place as the most transformative guitarist in modern music.
In 3 words: explosive, expressive, innovative
Key track: Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
All pics: Getty Images
