With the most under rated thread going Bill touched on something that got me to thinking. We always do a best of or most under rated. I don't think we have ever done a most influential on guitar playing itself. Lets complile a list of guitarist who changed guitar playing for their generation or some ground breaking technique.
These are in no particular order.
Chet Atkins - his hybrid finger picking style changed the face of country music. It can still be heard in todays modern country songs and some rock (Dire Straits).
Bob Marley - defined the reggae sound. No reggae then no ska bands from the late 70s and early 80s.
EVH - as doc would say "NUFF said".
Jimi Hendrix - guitar legend.
Robert Johnson - introduced the world to the delta blues.
Chuck Berry - pushed the boundries of rock in its infancy. first guitarist whose shoes weren't nalied to the floor. The famous duck walk.
Eric Clapton - On most list people slam him. But I think he deserves a spot on this list. His early work with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers inlfuenced the entire second wave of the british invasion. Townsend, Beck, Page. I think you can hear early Clapton in some of their early works. Plus Cream broke the ice for progressive music. Their concerts were nothing but jam sessions.
Ritchie Blackmore - To me the god father of heavy metal. Iommi comes to mind for most people. But Deep purple was already rocking when Sabbath was still a blues band called Earth. Blackmores solos were a little more technical than his compitition.
Yngwie J. Malmsteen - His Neo classical style gave birth to shred. Honorable mention Randy Rhoads. RR was branching into classical when he was killed I don't know if he would have continued to the point that Yngwie took it to.
Dick Dale - First guitarist to introduce a machine gun style strumming technique. Helped develope the Fender Strat.
SRV - brought the blues to the modern masses. Great blues lead player.
I am sure I have missed several people. Fire away.
Brian
These are in no particular order.
Chet Atkins - his hybrid finger picking style changed the face of country music. It can still be heard in todays modern country songs and some rock (Dire Straits).
Bob Marley - defined the reggae sound. No reggae then no ska bands from the late 70s and early 80s.
EVH - as doc would say "NUFF said".
Jimi Hendrix - guitar legend.
Robert Johnson - introduced the world to the delta blues.
Chuck Berry - pushed the boundries of rock in its infancy. first guitarist whose shoes weren't nalied to the floor. The famous duck walk.
Eric Clapton - On most list people slam him. But I think he deserves a spot on this list. His early work with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers inlfuenced the entire second wave of the british invasion. Townsend, Beck, Page. I think you can hear early Clapton in some of their early works. Plus Cream broke the ice for progressive music. Their concerts were nothing but jam sessions.
Ritchie Blackmore - To me the god father of heavy metal. Iommi comes to mind for most people. But Deep purple was already rocking when Sabbath was still a blues band called Earth. Blackmores solos were a little more technical than his compitition.
Yngwie J. Malmsteen - His Neo classical style gave birth to shred. Honorable mention Randy Rhoads. RR was branching into classical when he was killed I don't know if he would have continued to the point that Yngwie took it to.
Dick Dale - First guitarist to introduce a machine gun style strumming technique. Helped develope the Fender Strat.
SRV - brought the blues to the modern masses. Great blues lead player.
I am sure I have missed several people. Fire away.
Brian
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