Guitar World's Top 100 Guitarists

01. Tony Iommi (BLACK SABBATH)
02. Kirk Hammett & James Hetfield (METALLICA)
03. Angus & Malcolm Young (AC/DC)
04. Randy Rhoads (OZZY OSBOURNE)
05. Eddie Van Halen (VAN HALEN)
06. Jimmy Page (LED ZEPPELIN)
07. Dimebag Darrell (PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN)
08. Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY)
09. Adam Jones (TOOL)
10. Kerry King & Jeff Hanneman (SLAYER)
11. Dave Murray & Adrian Smith (IRON MAIDEN)
12. Jimi Hendrix
13. Glen Tipton & K.K. Downing (JUDAS PRIEST)
14. Ace Frehley & Paul Stanley (KISS)
15. Slash (GUNS N' ROSES)
16. Ritchie Blackmore (DEEP PURPLE, RAINBOW)
17. Yngwie Malmsteen
18. Joe Perry & Brad Whitford (AEROSMITH)
19. Dave Mustaine & Marty Friedman (MEGADETH)
20. Chuck Schuldiner (DEATH)
21. Brian May (QUEEN)
22. Michael Schenker (MSG, UFO)
23. Nigel Tufnel (SPINAL TAP)
24. Jeff Beck
25. Tom Morello (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE)
26. Head & Munky (KORN)
27. John Petrucci (DREAM THEATER)
28. Kim Thayil (SOUNDGARDEN)
29. Vivian Campbell (DEF LEPPARD)
30. Daron Malakian (SYSTEM OF A DOWN)
31. Scott Ian (ANTHRAX)
32. Tom G. Warrior (CELTIC FROST)
33. Chris Degarmo & Michael Wilton (QUEENSRŸCHE)
34. C.C. Deville
35. Marten Hagström & Fredrik Thorndendal (MESHUGGAH)
36. Alex Lifeson (RUSH)
37. Paul Gilbert (MR. BIG, RACER X)
38. Jerry Cantrell (ALICE IN CHAINS)
39. Mantas (VENOM)
40. Jason Becker (DAVE LEE ROTH)
41. Phil Collen & Steve Clarke (DEF LEPPARD)
42. Mikael Åkerfeldt & Peter Lindgren (OPETH)
43. Fast Eddie Clarke (MOTÖRHEAD)
44. Nuno Bettencourt (EXTREME)
45. Warren DeMartini (RATT)
46. Mick Mars (MÖTLEY CRÜE)
47. George Lynch (DOKKEN)
48. Ted Nugent
49. Jake E. Lee (OZZY OSBOURNE, BADLANDS)
50. Rudolf Schenker & Uli John Roth (SCORPIONS)
51. Oystein "Euronymous" Aarseth (MAYHEM)
52. Scott Gorham & Brian Robertson (THIN LIZZY)
53. Steve Vai (DAVE LEE ROTH)
54. Reb Beach (WINGER, DOKKEN)
55. Trey Azagthoth (MORBID ANGEL)
56. John Sykes (THIN LIZZY, BLUE MURDER)
57. Hank Shermann & Michael Denner (MERCYFUL FATE)
58. Richie Sambora (BON JOVI)
59. Jon Donais & Matt Backhand (SHADOWS FALL)
60. Stephen Carpenter (DEFTONES)
61. Alex Skolnick & Eric Peterson (TESTAMENT)
62. Brian Tatler (DIAMOND HEAD)
63. John Christ (DANZIG)
64. Scott "Wino" Weinrich (THE OBSESSED)
65. Pepper Keenan & Woody Weatherman (C.O.C.)
66. Tommy Victor (PRONG)
67. Leslie West (MOUNTAIN)
68. Vernon Reid (LIVING COLOUR)
69. Glen Buxton & Michael Bruce (ALICE COOPER)
70. Bjorn Gelotte & Jesper Stromblad (IN FLAMES)
71. Jim Matheos (FATES WARNING)
72. Gary Holt & Rick Hunolt (EXODUS)
73. Donald Buck Dharma Roeser (BLUE ÖYSTER CULT)
74. Michael Amott (ARCH ENEMY)
75. Robert Fripp (KING CRIMSON)
76. Andre Olbrich (BLIND GUARDIAN)
77. Joe Satriani
78. Frank Hannon & Tommy Skeoch (TESLA)
79. Ty Tabor (KING'S X)
80. Mark Morton & Will Adler (LAMB OF GOD)
81. Dino Cazares (FEAR FACTORY)
82. Pete Townshend (THE WHO)
83. Jon Schaffer (ICED EARTH)
84. Timo Tolkki (STRATOVARIUS)
85. Neil Young
86. Abbath Doom Occulta (IMMORTAL)
87. Kai Hansen (GAMMA RAY)
88. Uffe Cederlund & Alex Hellid (ENTOMBED)
89. Leigh Stephens (BLUE CHEER)
90. Jim Martin (FAITH NO MORE)
91. Michael Romeo (SYMPHONY X)
92. Bill Steer (CARCASS)
93. Piggy (VOIVOD)
94. Tony Bourge (BUDGIE)
95. Sammy Hagar (VAN HALEN)
96. Alexi Laiho (CHILDREN OF BODOM)
97. Akira Takasaki (LOUDNESS)
98. Michael Angelo
99. John Kay & Michael Monarh (STEPPENWOLF)
100. Nick Bowcott (GRIM REAPER)

Highlights:
02. Kirk Hammett & James Hetfield (METALLICA) [Maybe a bit too high but oh well!]
06. Jimmy Page (LED ZEPPELIN) [The essential on the list!]
09. Adam Jones (TOOL) [A very innovative guitarist, deserves to be up there]
27. John Petrucci (DREAM THEATER) [Should be in the top ten, but at least he's on here!]
35. Marten Hagström & Fredrik Thorndendal (MESHUGGAH) [The eight-stringers are amazing axemen]
42. Mikael Åkerfeldt & Peter Lindgren (OPETH)[FINALLY, these guys get credit for amazing acoustic work and the finest riffs ever made]
91. Michael Romeo (SYMPHONY X) [I am so glad he made this list, he's the Yngwie Malmsteen of today, he plays with so much intensity!]

DISAPPOINTMENTS ON THE LIST:
26. Head & Munky (KORN) [What the hell, these idiots ahead of Petrucci?]
98. Michael Angelo [More machine than man, very bad composer with all his talent]
60. Stephen Carpenter (DEFTONES) [Don't think he's on the same level, good but not great...]

 

Thanks for that...I think they got quite a few mixed up though

 

the list sucks, wes borland should be top 100 ahead of korn + deftones

 

hey it's better than Rolling Stone's list...Jack White in front of Tom Morello, come on! (talking bout the RS one)

 

Most of the list is crap, but Tony Iommi is definite. Greatest guitarest that lived, IMO.

 

Steph, Head and Munky deserve to be up there. Why people think Wes Boreland is so great I'll never understand.

 

Yeah, most definitely.

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Pretty good list. They've got a lot of good metal bands up there. B)

 

That, and Joe Satriani wasn't even on the thing.

 

Angus Young deserves #1. All I gotta say is: "Thunderstruck"

 

Pretty good list, some deserved better spots but what can we do?

Thanks for sharing that with us .

As for Hammett and Hetfield, they deserve their positions .

 

@ Cameron: Joe Satriani is at #77

I thought Steven Wilson (porcupine tree) deserved to be up there but i can't have them all. There are plenty of prog metal guitarists up there anyways!

 

I didn't say anything about them

 

I didn't say anything about them [/b][/quote]
I think he was confused, I said something about them...but seriously, all that they play is wrecking ball power chords with buzzing distortion....I can't think of one thing that they did that was innovative or unique....Thats my reasoning, anyways.

 

Oh, okay

 

Mayby the fact that wes is one of the most creative guitarists of his style?

 

I was referring to the Rolling Stone's list.