Rolling Stone's DEI 250 Greatest Guitarists

[JohnRogers]

 

Rolling Stone published its original list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists in 2011. It was compiled by a panel of musicians, mostly older classic rockers. Our new expanded list was made by the editors and writers of Rolling Stone. This one goes to 250. 

 

Our guy made position 58.

 

Rick Beato is unimpressed.

https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/rick_beato_slams_rolling_stones_idiotic_top_250_guitarists_of_all_time_list_this_is_so_embarrassingly_bad.html

[pjbear05]

It's RSM- I'd also be unimpressed.

Edited October 25, 2023 by pjbear05

[zepphead]

Dear Oh dear .......... RSM have outdone themselves in the 'total crappola stakes'. 

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

6 hours ago, JohnRogers said:

 

Rolling Stone published its original list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists in 2011. It was compiled by a panel of musicians, mostly older classic rockers. Our new expanded list was made by the editors and writers of Rolling Stone. This one goes to 250. 

 

Our guy made position 58.

 

Rick Beato is unimpressed.

https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/rick_beato_slams_rolling_stones_idiotic_top_250_guitarists_of_all_time_list_this_is_so_embarrassingly_bad.html

 

I'm not surprised that RS didn't include certain players that only guitar players have heard of. I'm betting none of those editors and writers have ever heard of Guthrie Govan or Allan Holdsworth. But they did include Joan Jett. Yes, Joan f**king Jett, all the way up at #76, is ranked higher than Wes Montgomery and Larry Carlton. That tells us the real deal -- this is not a list of the most talented guitar players ever. That is not what RS does. Their interest in covering music is more about how culturally significant they think a band or player is. That said, do I still think this list is shit? Absolutely, and Rick Beato very efficiently outlined why.

 

If RS' aim is to list the top 250 culturally significant guitarists of all time, the fact that they didn't include Peter Frampton  -- who has both talent and cultural significance -- makes the list null and void all by itself.

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

 

Another criminal omission. Terry Kath -- the player Jimi Hendrix thought was the best in the world at the time, and who fronted one of the most unique and popular bands of the '60s and '70s -- didn't make the list.

 

You'd think Kath and Frampton would be on RS' radar? I do give them credit for including Tosin Abasi at 99.

[condemned2bfree]

Totally agree with Rick Beato here. The list is a joke. No Moore Malmsteen, Guthrie, and no Allan Holdsworth - the man who influenced a lot of guitarists on this list. . Rick puts it well, explaining songwriting over guitar solo playing, using Neil Young as an example. Suppose RS is getting extra publicity with these omissions.

[stoopid]

32 minutes ago, condemned2bfree said:

...Suppose RS is getting extra publicity with these omissions.

Sadly a lot is driven by publicity, whether positive or negative.  RS have been irrelevant for a while now (decades?), it wouldn't surprise me one bit (*puts on tinfoil hat*) that the list was intentionally bad.

 

(*removes tinfoil hat*) Whether or not it was done intentionally, I'm sure all their marketing metrics point to putting out lists like this periodically to keep their brand alive in the public's mind.

Anyone suspect AI / ChatGPT might have been the source for some or all of this?  (oops, forgot to put the tinfoil hat on!)

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

14 minutes ago, stoopid said:

Anyone suspect AI / ChatGPT might have been the source for some or all of this?  (oops, forgot to put the tinfoil hat on!)

 

AI would be smart enough to include Peter Frampton and Terry Kath in a list of the top-250 best guitarists of all time, even if asked to model a list that RS might compile. No, we're seeing human error here.

[Entre_Perpetuo]

I mean at a casual glance I don’t notice the omissions as much as how many definitely influential guitarists who are often totally forgotten about have been represented here. Sure there are some head scratchers, people more influential as songwriters than as guitarists for many cases, but I’m guessing dropping a few noteworthy names who are massive and often praised in favor of a few who are historically under-appreciated was the name of the game. And probably a big goal was to get more fresh blood in the list as well. 

[stoopid]

4 hours ago, 1-0-0-1-0-0-1 said:

 

AI would be smart enough to include Peter Frampton and Terry Kath in a list of the top-250 best guitarists of all time, even if asked to model a list that RS might compile. No, we're seeing human error here.

AI is only as good as the flawed humans feeding it data.  It's certainly a viable starting point, then curate the list from there.

[stoopid]

4 hours ago, Entre_Perpetuo said:

I mean at a casual glance I don’t notice the omissions as much as how many definitely influential guitarists who are often totally forgotten about have been represented here. Sure there are some head scratchers, people more influential as songwriters than as guitarists for many cases, but I’m guessing dropping a few noteworthy names who are massive and often praised in favor of a few who are historically under-appreciated was the name of the game. And probably a big goal was to get more fresh blood in the list as well. 

Sounds like something the staff at Rolling Stone would say.  

 

I suspect we have been infiltrated by the self appointed music police!  

[Entre_Perpetuo]

1 hour ago, stoopid said:

Sounds like something the staff at Rolling Stone would say.  

 

I suspect we have been infiltrated by the self appointed music police!  

I work for an architecture firm, sorry bud.

[taurus]

I suspect these lists use the same idea like sports radio/columnists do. Be controversial, intentionally annoy to get the clicks/eyeballs/attention that they all don't deserve. 

[stoopid]

8 hours ago, Entre_Perpetuo said:

I work for an architecture firm, sorry bud.

I knew it!

 

[tangy]

4 hours ago, stoopid said:

I knew it!

 

He writes about music quite well, I wonder how his dancing about architecture is coming along.....

Edited October 26, 2023 by tangy

[tangy]

23 hours ago, 1-0-0-1-0-0-1 said:

 

Another criminal omission. Terry Kath -- the player Jimi Hendrix thought was the best in the world at the time, and who fronted one of the most unique and popular bands of the '60s and '70s -- didn't make the list.

 

You'd think Kath and Frampton would be on RS' radar? I do give them credit for including Tosin Abasi at 99.

Two major omissions for sure.

 

Although animals as leaders never took off like I thought they would, they are still great.

 

I think the guys in Polyphia are the most best in the game for instrumental guitars at the moment. 

[Rick N. Backer]

23 hours ago, 1-0-0-1-0-0-1 said:

 

Another criminal omission. Terry Kath -- the player Jimi Hendrix thought was the best in the world at the time, and who fronted one of the most unique and popular bands of the '60s and '70s -- didn't make the list.

 

You'd think Kath and Frampton would be on RS' radar? I do give them credit for including Tosin Abasi at 99.

I thought Jimi said that Billy Gibbons was his favorite guitarist?

[JohnRogers]

WTF is with counting two people as one guitarist. 

[Rhyta]

No Al Di Meola?? Frampton?  What a mess

[invisible airwave]

Let me guess, Cobain is the highest ranked of the big Seattle 4 and above Corgan.  Am I hitting all Cylinders on the Wenner rag? 

[BastillePark]

12 minutes ago, invisible airwave said:

Let me guess, Cobain is the highest ranked of the big Seattle 4 and above Corgan.  Am I hitting all Cylinders on the Wenner rag? 

Too bad they can't oust him from the magazine like they did from the RRHoF.

[condemned2bfree]

3 hours ago, tangy said:

He writes about music quite well, I wonder how his dancing about architecture is coming along.....

Frank!!!

[pjbear05]

20 hours ago, stoopid said:

AI is only as good as the flawed humans feeding it data.  It's certainly a viable starting point, then curate the list from there.

Or more simply, G I G O.

Edited October 26, 2023 by pjbear05

[Texas King]

Terrible list made by total cretins. 

[Texas King]

Rory Gallagher is at #175? Travesty.