Jimi Hendrix named greatest guitarist of all time

[Tom]

Jimi Hendrix exploded our idea of what rock music could be: He manipulated the guitar, the whammy bar, the studio and the stage. On songs like "Machine Gun" or "Voodoo Chile," his instrument is like a divining rod of the turbulent Sixties ? you can hear the riots in the streets and napalm bombs dropping in his "Star-Spangled Banner."

His playing was effortless. There's not one minute of his recorded career that feels like he's working hard at it ? it feels like it's all flowing through him. The most beautiful song of the Jimi Hendrix canon is "Little Wing." It's just this gorgeous song that, as a guitar player, you can study your whole life and not get down, never get inside it the way that he does. He seamlessly weaves chords and single-note runs together and uses chord voicings that don't appear in any music book. His riffs were a pre-metal funk bulldozer, and his lead lines were an electric LSD trip down to the crossroads, where he pimp-slapped the devil.

There are arguments about who was the first guitar player to use feedback. It doesn't really matter, because Hendrix used it better than anyone; he took what was to become Seventies funk and put it through a Marshall stack, in a way that nobody's done since.

It's impossible to think of what Jimi would be doing now; he seemed like a pretty mercurial character. Would he be an elder statesman of rock? Would he be Sir Jimi Hendrix? Or would he be doing some residency off the Vegas Strip? The good news is his legacy is assured as the greatest guitar player of all time.

http://www.rollingst...endrix-19691231

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How it should be... (Y)

Edited November 24, 2011 by SHoTTa35
Edited tag - profanity :D

[bjoswald]

Ugh. More overrated than Cobain, IMO. Anyone who tries to play their instrument with their teeth is automatically disqualified in my opinion.

[Buttus]

good, yes, best of all time? uhhh, not for me... there's too many to name one! just off the top of my head, joe satriani, eddie van halen, al dimeola, les paul, eric clapton, so many and too many different styles to name one

[OOOOOOOO]

Here's how it works ...

Hendrix kicks every single one of your asses because he beat the hell out of guitar and revolutionised a style of playing out of the current batch of rock music that was around at the time. NO ONE has revolutionised the guitar in the same way and changed the way people play like that since. No shredders, no blues players, no technical players ... no one.

That said ... Hendrix now, is not my all time greatest guitarist. Slash is. And you know why? His music resonates with me ... his style, his feel, his playing in general is what influenced me directly. And still does.

Is Slash better than Hendrix? To me, yes. Is he a more important player? No. I don't believe anyone is more important in the history of the guitar than Jimi Hendrix.

And no offence, but Buttus, you're talking crap if you think Van Halen, Satriani etc can hold a single candle to Hendrix. Even they would beat your ass for suggesting such things.

[CrimsonBetrayal]

If only they judged your work review they way they judge guitarists. ;)

[articuno1au]

Van Halen is a superb guitarist, but he isn't the greatest guitarist ever.

I'd be inclined to say Clapton, but it really depends on the criteria..

[Tom]

good, yes, best of all time? uhhh, not for me... there's too many to name one! just off the top of my head, joe satriani, eddie van halen, al dimeola, les paul, eric clapton, so many and too many different styles to name one

You're insane.

Here's how it works ...

Hendrix kicks every single one of your asses because he beat the hell out of guitar and revolutionised a style of playing out of the current batch of rock music that was around at the time. NO ONE has revolutionised the guitar in the same way and changed the way people play like that since. No shredders, no blues players, no technical players ... no one.

That said ... Hendrix now, is not my all time greatest guitarist. Slash is. And you know why? His music resonates with me ... his style, his feel, his playing in general is what influenced me directly. And still does.

Is Slash better than Hendrix? To me, yes. Is he a more important player? No. I don't believe anyone is more important in the history of the guitar than Jimi Hendrix.

And no offence, but Buttus, you're talking crap if you think Van Halen, Satriani etc can hold a single candle to Hendrix. Even they would beat your ass for suggesting such things.

Agreed.

We all have our favorite guitarists but the point is that this was an award for 'greatest guitar of all time.' Hendrix revolutionized music like no one before or after him.. THAT'S why he's looked up to so much.

Also @ bjoswald,

Cobain isn't overrated. In fact he's probably underrated. Cobain wasn't a fantastic guitarist when you compare his skill against someone like Hendrix or Satriani but the point is he also created a new genre of music that no one at the time had heard before. That's why he's famous.

[bobeck]

My personal opinion for what its worth...hendrix greatest of all time not to me...most revolutionary of all time sure I'd agree with that

[muratoner]

it's no question really Hendrix is the best guitar player/musician in rock/blues history.But if they did the same thing for the last 20-30 years i'd say Richie Kotzen #1 followed by Eddie Van Halen and Joe Satriani.

[starbearer]

Cannot access site on office server. "Entertainment" category. Could anyone post the full list here?

[Stonkwell Bogtrotter]

Mr Gilmour for me (Y)

[Farstrider]

As far as I am concerned there are so many that were great in their own way, that to single one person out as the greatest, is impossible! Hendrix was phenomenal that's fair to say, but I could compile a list that would be pretty long of many other absolute geniuses like:

Frank Zappa

Yngwie J. Malmsteen

Steve Vai

Stevie Ray Vaughan

Peter Green

Joe Satriani

John Petrucci

David Gilmour

Jeff Beck

B. B. King

Johnny Ramone

You could go on for quite a long time in fact!

[ozgeek]

"Respect the classics man, it's Hendrix"

:p

[Wakers]

I don't like these lists because I can never quite figure out what they used to judge them by.

Is it technical skill? Then Vai should be top of the list.

Is it iconic? Then maybe Hendrix should be there.

Is it influential? Then Slash or Hammett or Satriani should be up there.

[OOOOOOOO]

Frank Zappa

Stevie Ray Vaughan

Peter Green

David Gilmour

Jeff Beck

B. B. King

You could go on for quite a long time in fact!

I cleaned up your list ... you appear to have made a mistake :p

[Ezaura]

Certainly from the top 10, it doesn't seem any of these guitarist really revolutionized sound - which is what music is in the end. While Hendrix and his Experience were dulling composing standard rock songs like Purple Haze, The Velvet Underground were busy fingering out Sister Ray.

Did Django Reinhardt even make this list? He's pretty popular, wonder if Rolling Stones have jumped on that bandwagon.

[Wakers]

I don't actually see Hammett or Mustaine on this list, and they've been two of the most influential guitarists since the 1980s. So the list is a bit invalid in my view. There's a lot of no-hopers high up the list who didn't really do anything nor were particularly skilled.

[+jamesyfx Subscriber²]

There's a fine line between playing guitar like a virtuoso and just hammering the guitar a wee bit too much. John Petrucci dances on that line quite a bit. :p

[cork1958]

Hendrix is on the list mainly because he was the original. Greatest ever? No way in heck!!

Keith Richards and Pete Townsend?! Crap! Those guy's don't even "play" a guitar, IMO!

Saw that one poster here actually mentioned Jeff Beck. I'd agree he belongs on it.

Cobain? Shouldn't even be mentioned!!

Neat thing about these lists is we could discuss this forever and never agree, huh?

I bet I've seen this topic on at least a dozen sites already today!!

[Farstrider]

I cleaned up your list ... you appear to have made a mistake :p

Ha ha, ya I get what you did there but you have to remember that Stevie Vai plied his trade with Zappa for a long time and definitely is up there with the geniuses of modern rock guitar! He definitely learned a helluva lot from Frank, no doubt about it! Then again who would not have?

[scumdogmillionaire]

Stupid list. When Johnny Ramone & Angus Young appeared before Lindsey Buckingham and Mark Knopfler I gave up with it. For all I know they're not even on the list. And also, Jeff Beck is better than Clapton.

[Dusco25]

Most over rated is more like it.

[Anooxy]

Why doesn't anyone mention Rory Gallagher? His works are pure masterpieces.

[sanctified Veteran]

Cobain isn't overrated. In fact he's probably underrated. Cobain wasn't a fantastic guitarist when you compare his skill against someone like Hendrix or Satriani but the point is he also created a new genre of music that no one at the time had heard before. That's why he's famous.

What?

Nirvana wasnt the first grunge band. It was one of the first grunge bands that got popular, along with Pearl Jam, but he did not create anything.

[Soulsiphon]

Jimi Hendrix was a transformative guitarist. Probably THE transformative artist and guitarist of that generation and undoubtedly (and admittedly by countless guitarists since) an influence on just about every rock guitarist that followed.

I get that some of you weren't there, so you should also get that you have no idea what you're talking about when dropping other names on top of - or instead of Hendrix.

What an utterly useless thread, rife with flame-bait (and id10T's)