Rolling Stone Ranks Top Guitarists of All Time

If you had to pick the top guitarist of all time?

Rolling Stone distilled the list of the greatest rock and roll axe slingers down to 250, with the top spot awarded to none other than Jimi Hendrix.

“He was a showman who played with his teeth or behind his back,” Rolling Stone writes. “But underneath all the theatrics is the true master of the instrument.” The mag adds, “His career may have lasted eight years, but musicians spend a lifetime studying his dazzling technique and improvisational genius.”

The top spots were rounded out by Chuck Berry in the number two position, followed by Led Zeppelin‘s Jimmy Page at three, Van Halen‘s Eddie Van Halen at four,  Jeff Beck at five,  Sister Rosetta Tharpe at six, Nile Rodgers at seven, B.B. King at eight, Joni Mitchell at nine and Duane Allman at number 10.

As for the other sure-to-be debated placements on the list, Carlos Santana at 11, Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi at 13, Prince at 14, The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards at 15 and Stevie Ray Vaughan at 20.  Buddy Guy is at 27, while Queen’s Brian May is at 33, Eric Clapton is at 35 and The Who’s Pete Townshend is at 37.  Red Hot Chili Peppers’ guitarist John Frusciante and St. Vincent ranked ahead of all of them at 25 and 26, respectively.