In the past 60 or so years, the American music scene has grown considerably, partly due to the emergence of hundreds of great talents, among them guitarists. Much like their pop singer contemporaries, guitarists have swept audiences away with their riffs and rhythms, with their melodies and by their masterful handling of the guitar. Whether as solo artists or as parts of bands (think the Who, the Beatles, U2), many of them have gone on to become wildly popular and legendary. But who is the best guitarist among them all? We ranked 40 of the best guitarists of all time below.
Buddy Guy
Buddy Guy is known today for his long list of hit songs produced by his six-stringing guitar technique, such as ‘First Time I Met The Blues’ and ‘Stone Crazy,’ but it wasn’t always rosy. At the beginning of his career, he was once told by record executives that his music was just a ‘bunch of noise.’ Born in July 1936 as George Guy, the Louisiana native started playing guitar at a young age from home. He got schooled in the blues background that later influenced his guitar style and went on top to inspire some of music’s all-time greatest guitarists.
