SiriusXM's Ultimate Guitar Player

alantig · 20 Sep 2006

For International Guitar Month, SiriusXM generated their list of the 101 Ultimate Guitarists. This article doesn't explain how the list was generated. I know these lists are generally clickbait, and I'm posting it here not because I want to argue any of the choices (although I could make cases for some to be moved around), but because this is not the list you'd typically expect to get. I found some of the choices interesting, some thoughtful, and some to be even a bit insightful.

Plus, I suspect Smiff stuffed the ballot box...

Quote:

Ultimate Guitar 101: SiriusXM names the all-time great guitarists

International Guitar Month got cranked up with SiriusXM’s Ultimate Guitar 101, a list of guitar greats compiled from all our axe-oriented channels – Classic Rewind, Classic Vinyl, Deep Tracks, Hair Nation, Jam_ON, Octane, BB King’s Bluesville, Liquid Metal, Lithium, Ozzys Boneyard, RockBar, The Spectrum, Classic College Radio, SiriusXM Comes Alive, Alt Nation, The Loft, SiriusXMU and Symphony Hall.

This isn’t your average list; the eclectic undertaking ranges from acoustic blues greats of the 78 rpm era to classic rock guitar heroes and avant-indie rock experimenters. Take a trip down the list and share your thoughts and reactions on Facebook and Twitter with #UltimateGuitar!

101. Dave Davies
100. Dan Auerbach
99. Rick Nielsen
98. Steve Cropper
97. Greg Ginn
96. Zakk Wylde
95. Kim Thayil
94. Dick Dale
93. Steven Van Zandt
92. Vernon Reid
91. Johnny Greenwood
90. Andy Summers
89. Wayne Kramer
88. Dave Mustaine
87. Ron Asheton
86. Alex Lifeson
85. J Mascis
84. James Hetfield
83. Leslie West
82. Steve Jones
81. Thurston Moore
80. Robby Krieger
79. Mick Ronson
78. Warren Haynes
77. Peter Green
76. Mick Mars
75. Mike Campbell
74. Mike Bloomfield
73. Lou Reed
72. Bonnie Raitt
71. Eddie Cochran
70. Derek Trucks
69. Lindsey Buckingham
68. Robbie Robertson
67. Johnny Winter
66. Trey Anastasio
65. Joni Mitchell
64. Randy Rhoads
63. Tom Morello
62. James Burton
61. Peter Buck
60. Roger McGuinn
59. Nils Lofgren
58. Steve Howe
57. Hubert Sumlin
56. Dimebag Darrell
55. Steve Miller
54. Bruce Springsteen
53. Albert Collins
52. Slash
51. Duane Eddy
50. Rory Gallagher
49. Joe Walsh
48. Angus Young
47. Johnny Marr
46. Muddy Waters
45. Prince
44. Robert Fripp
43. Billy Gibbons
42. Stephen Stills
41. Dickie Betts
40. Tom Verlaine
39. Joe Perry
38. T Bone Walker
37. Jorma Kaukonen
36. John Frusciante
35. John Fogerty
34. Ritchie Blackmore
33. Les Paul
32. Mike McCready
31. Neil Young
30. David Gilmour
29. Eddie Van Halen
28. Frank Zappa
27. Chuck Berry
26. Brian May
25. Bo Diddley
24. Richard Thompson
23. Johnny Ramone
22. Mark Knopfler
21. Freddie King
20. The Edge
19. George Harrison
18. Buddy Guy
17. Pete Townshend
16. Jack White
15. Tony Iommi
14. Carlos Santana
13. Jeff Beck
12. Jerry Garcia
11. Kurt Cobain
10. Ry Cooder
9. Kirk Hammett
8. Keith Richards
7. Jimmy Page
6. Stevie Ray Vaughan
5. Robert Johnson
4. Eric Clapton
3. BB King
2. Jimi Hendrix
1. Duane Allman

Jimbo · 19 Jul 2006

They managed to include a whole 2 women players on the list.

ted262 · 22 Aug 2004

Joni Mitchell? Sure. When I think about great guitar players she immediately springs to mind.

:roll:

JohnG · 03 Aug 2006

No Michael Schenker......hmmmm.

alantig · 20 Sep 2006

ted262 wrote:

Joni Mitchell? Sure. When I think about great guitar players she immediately springs to mind.

:roll:

In her defense, Michael Hedges (who should be on here - he's possibly the most amazing guitarist I ever met) idolized Joni and her playing. I remember my buddy and I looking at a magazine in a store with an article about Hedges, and the interviewer said someone told Hedges that Mitchell was playing live on the radio, so he grabbed a tape of one of his own concerts out of a drawer and recorded over it. We didn't even look at each other, just said, "Oh my...did you see the part..." "Yeah...I can't believe he'd do that..."

CO kid · 05 Jan 2007

I'm sure we all have a few favorites that didn't manage to make the list:

Of the top of my head, mine would be:
Bruce Cockburn
Terry Kath
Leo Kottke
Pat Metheny
Martin Barre
and of course Michael Hedges!

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

I like some of there choices. Garcia & Zappa would likely be my top 2. Cockburn would be my #1 acoustic (& he also belongs as an electric player). Hendrix, Beck, Prince, Gallagher, Rhodes, Joni, West, Ronson, Jorma (Airplane only) & Fripp also certainly belong. Where is Richie Blackmore? The 2 originals from Wishbone Ash? I agree the omission of Cockburn is inexcusable. Johnny Winter all the way down to 67?

And on the other side, while I am a fan, Lou Reed was not a great guitarist. He was a great songwriter & performer, & an adequate guitarist. And I love the Beatles, but McCartney was the only special instrumentalist in the band. Note: I just gave PM a compliment; he was a groundbreaking bass player. In fact he was the first truly creative rock bassist imo.

JohnG · 03 Aug 2006

Also no Guthrie Govan! :shock:

JohnG · 03 Aug 2006

Some people are way to high on the list.....Hammett, Cobain, Garcia, White, and The Edge.

Renny · 26 Jun 2006

no michael hedges + no phil keaggy + no terry kath = no legit list....at least for me.

duane allman was very very good, but jimi hendrix was , well, jimi hendrix.

and kurt cobain at #11 basically turns the whole thing into a big joke.

JohnG · 03 Aug 2006

Johnny Ramone at #23?

Kid Bailey · 16 Jul 2006

Renny wrote:

and kurt cobain at #11 basically turns the whole thing into a big joke.

I'm normally as big a fan of lists as the next guy as they can often produce interesting discussions, but I have to agree here.
Without even getting into any other name on or not on the list, this choice renders it silly.(unless, of course, someone agrees with Cobain at #11 and wants to discuss it)

Simon · **Joined:** 26 Oct 2006 **Posts:** 59406

No Uli Roth and no Yngwie Malmsteen? Rory Gallagher at #50 and Kurt Cobain at #11?

That's an absolute joke of a list.

JohnG · 03 Aug 2006

It's more about style points than actually being a guitar god.

Tricky Kid · **Joined:** 23 Sep 2007 **Posts:** 8297

Geff R. wrote:

He was a great songwriter & performer, & an adequate guitarist.

I think a lot of the list confuses songwriting with guitar playing... virtuosity is not necessarily required, but yeah, Cobain at #11 is the big sore thumb here as well.

Simon · **Joined:** 26 Oct 2006 **Posts:** 59406

Any list of guitar players where Kurt Cobain is considered 'better' than Buddy Guy or Steve Howe just gives me a headache, frankly. :lol:

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

JohnG wrote:

Some people are way to high on the list.....Hammett, Cobain, Garcia, White, and The Edge.

Garcia is #1 on my list! I'd agree with you on the rest.

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

JohnG wrote:

Johnny Ramone at #23?

I unfortunately saw the Ramones. They were awful.

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

Simon wrote:

Any list of guitar players where Kurt Cobain is considered 'better' than Buddy Guy or Steve Howe just gives me a headache, frankly. :lol:

You guys are right; I was too busy bitching about some of the others to even notice Cobain. I'd make the same comment about him i did about Lou Reed; though I consider Reed a much more important artist.

JohnG · 03 Aug 2006

Reed and Cobain are certainly icons but all time great guitarists? No.

Charles · 19 Dec 2007

Jim Babjak should be an any top 101 guitarists list.........too bad nobody remembers The Smithereens anymore.

(Dennis Diken should be on any best drummers list as well)

Linda · **Posted:** Sat Apr 25, 2015 5:17 pm

Geff R. wrote:

And I love the Beatles, but McCartney was the only special instrumentalist in the band. Note: I just gave PM a compliment; he was a groundbreaking bass player. In fact he was the first truly creative rock bassist imo.

Well, the second. Paul McCartney has always cited Brian Wilson as an inspiration for pushing his own bass playing itno a more creative, more melodic place.

SiriusXM's Ultimate Guitar Player

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