JIMI HENDRIX Tops Guitar Greats Poll

August 8, 2002

Rock legend JIMI HENDRIX has been voted the greatest guitarist of all time in a poll of readers of UK music magazine Total Guitar. LED ZEPPELIN's Jimmy Page came in at number two, while former CREAM member-turned-soloist Eric Clapton landed at three. Also appearing in the Top 20 are Slash (ex-GUNS N' ROSES),Eddie Van Halen, Kirk Hammett (METALLICA),James Hetfield (METALLICA),Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and Angus Young (AC/DC),among others.

Magazine editor Scott Rowley said the poll showed his readers were impressed by true talent rather than image.

"What's nice about it is that it's not some music critic's opinion of the best guitarists.

"These guys might not be cool by any music critic's viewpoint, but they genuinely are the fastest, loudest, most exciting players in rock and roll."

Here are the Top 20 greatest guitarists of all time, as selected by the readers of Total Guitar:

01. Jimi Hendrix
02. Jimmy Page
03. Eric Clapton
04. Slash
05. Brian May
06. Joe Satriani
07. Eddie Van Halen (VAN HALEN)
08. Dave Gilmour (PINK FLOYD)
09. Kirk Hammett (METALLICA)
10. Steve Vai (soloist)
11. Carlos Santana (SANTANA)
12. James Hetfield (METALLICA)
13. Tom Morello (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE)
14. Kurt Cobain (NIRVANA)
15. Mark Knopfler (DIRE STRAITS)
16. Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE)
17. Gary Moore
18. Jeff Beck (YARDBIRDS, JEFF BECK GROUP)
19. Stevie Ray Vaughan (STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN AND DOUBLE TROUBLE)
20. Angus Young (AC/DC)

Find more on
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • reddit
  • email

Comments Disclaimer And Information

BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. To comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. BLABBERMOUTH.NET reserves the right to "hide" comments that may be considered offensive, illegal or inappropriate and to "ban" users that violate the site's Terms Of Service. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends).