Compiling a list of the 10 greatest guitarists is a near-impossible task. Through the last half-century, dozens of these talented musicians have catapulted their bands and musical careers to new heights, captivating the world with their unique sounds. Any of the guys listed below serve as role models to future generation of guitarists. Although some prominent plank-spankers were omitted – like Malmsteen, Vai, Rhodes, Berry, Townsend, Santana and Slash -it’s not a slight to them. Nevertheless, here’s an interchangeable list of the top 10 guitarists of all-time.

1. Jimi Hendrix
   Hendrix revolutionized playing the guitar and rock music as whole. The former backup guitarist for the Isley Brothers, Little Richard and King Curtis burst onto the scene in 1966 with his first hit, “Hey Joe,” which was followed shortly after by “Purple Haze” and “The Wind Cries Mary.” During his career, Hendrix recorded just three studio albums because a number of disputes with record companies. Despite the personal and career problems that plagued him during the end of his life, he’s still considered by many as the greatest guitarist ever to have graced this earth.
2. Stevie Ray Vaughan
   Vaughan is widely credited for reviving blues during the 1980s, when big hair and new wave bands had risen to the top of the charts. Among the most popular songs he recorded during his career include “Pride and Joy,” “Texas Flood” and “Wham!”. Although his life was tragically cut short in a helicopter crash in August of 1990 – he was just 35-years-old, his legend as an elite blues musician and guitarist will never die.
3. Eric Clapton
   Clapton’s music was also deeply influenced by blues; he patterned his style after BB King and Robert Johnson. Additionally, he has successfully sampled with different genres, including reggae and adult contemporary. His versatility is unmatched, and as a result, he has produced numerous hits – perhaps the most famous of which is “Layla” with Derek and the Dominos, Cream, The Yardbirds and as a solo performer.
4. Duane Allman
   Allman’s rise to fame didn’t last long. Like so many other talented musicians – guitarists especially – his life was cut short well-before he had reached his full potential. Even still, his brief presence brought his bottleneck slide and Southern-influenced blues-rock to the forefront. One of Duane’s greatest admirers was Eric Clapton, who asked him to join Derek and the Dominos after their collaboration on “Layla” in 1970.
5. Jimmy Page
   Before his work as a member of Led Zeppelin, Page paid his dues by becoming a session guitarist, working with iconic bands including The Rolling Stones and The Who. In 1966, he joined The Yardbirds, which featured fellow all-time great guitarist Jeff Beck. The band was remade and renamed after the additions of Robert Plant and John Bonham, and Led Zeppelin went on to sale more than 200 million albums worldwide.
6. Keith Richards
   Richards has maintained his status as a rock legend due to his prowess as a rhythm guitarist and relentless partying. And despite his morbid appearance, he’s can still strum with the best of them at the ripe age of 67. He has cited Chuck Berry as his inspiration, and he has long favored the acoustic guitar even though he’s regarded as an elite player of the electric guitar.
7. Eddie Van Halen
   Eddie Van Halen revolutionized the use of the electric guitar with his lightning-fast technique, which has often been mimicked but never duplicated. The energy he displays on stage with Van Halen (the band) has made its performances must-see events through four decades.
8. Robert Johnson
   Almost an entire generation of guitarists cites Robert Johnson as its primary influence, including some of the aforementioned performers. Those who had the privilege of experiencing Johnson’s music live swore that he made a pact with the devil – he was that good – and his music has remained timeless decades after his premature death. In 1990, Sony released a two-box set containing every known song he recorded, and it became the first blues recording to sell more than a million units.
9. Yngwie Malmsteen
   Inspired by composers Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Vivaldi, and bands like Deep Purple and Rainbow, Malmsteen infused classical and rock stylings to make a unique sound of his own. He’s widely admired by guitarists for his heavy metal shredding technique, which features blisteringly-fast solos. But his zeal for perfectionism prevented him from releasing more albums during the prime of his career, allowing for his legacy to become somewhat overshadowed by other guitar-playing greats.
10. Joe Satriani
    Before Satriani hit it big with the release of his first album, Not of this Earth, he taught such renowned guitarist as Steve Vai, Kirk Hammett, Charlie Hunter and David Bryson. He’s regarded as one of the most technically sound guitarists of all-time; he credits Hendrix, Clapton and Page among others as his inspirations.

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