It’s post-Memorial Day, which means it’s also supposed to be the start of summer. Maybe the season shift doesn’t directly effect the percentage of air guitars, but the nicer weather feels like a good enough reason to believe so, to have faith in good riffs and well-oiled six strings. Rolling Stone fulfills the need — or at least provides the blueprint for a guitar-centric mixtape — with a list of the “100 Greatest Guitar Songs Of All Time.” As they write:
This is what makes a great rock & roll guitar sound: an irresistible riff; a solo or jam that takes you higher every time you hear it; the final power chord that pins you to the wall and makes you hit “play” again and again. Every song here has those thrills. But these are rock’s greatest guitar moments because of what’s inside the notes: hunger, fury, despair and joy, often all at once. You hear the blues, gospel and rockabilly that came before, transormed by the need to say something new and loud, right away. Rock & roll has been the sound of independence for half a century. The guitar is still its essential, liberating voice. These are the 100 reasons why.
Be prepared to be taken higher. Etc.
100 Tool – “Vicarious”
99 My Morning Jacket – “Run Thru”
98 Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Under the Bridge”
97 Queens of the Stone Age – “No One Knows”
96 Hüsker Dü – “New Day Rising”
95 Moby Grape – “Omaha”
94 Dire Sraits – “Money for Nothing”
93 My Bloody Valentine – “Only Shallow”
92 Mick Jagger – “Memo from Turner”
91 The Mars Volta – “Drunkship of Lanterns”
90 The Smiths – “How Soon Is Now?”
89 Joan Jett and the Blackhearts – “I Love Rock N Roll”
88 Quicksilver Messenger Service – “Mona”
87 King Crimson – “Red”
86 Jeff Beck – “I Ain’t Superstitious”
85 Phish – “You Enjoy Myself”
84 John Mayer – “Gravity”
83 Sublime – “What I Got”
82 The Ventures – “Walk — Don’t Run”
81 Michael Jackson – “Beat It”
80 Steely Dan – “Kid Charlemagne”
79 Sonic Youth – “Silver Rocket”
78 Buddy Guy – “Stone Crazy”
77 Pearl Jam – “Even Flow”
76 Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “American Girl”
75 Frank Zappa – “Willie the Pimp”
74 ZZ Top – “La Grange”
73 Blue Cheer – “Summertime Blues”
72 Weezer – “Say It Ain’t So”
71 The Strokes – “Take It Or Leave It”
70 Smashing Pumpkins – “Bullet With Butterfly Wings”
69 Pink Floyd – “Money”
68 B.B. King – “The Thrill is Gone”
67 Bruce Springsteen – “Adam Raised A Cain”
66 Stevie Ray Vaughan – “Texas Flood”
65 The Police – “Message in a Bottle”
64 Lynyrd Skynyrd – “Freebird”
63 Guns n’ Roses – “Sweet Child O’ Mine”
62 Albert King – “Born Under a Bad Sign”
61 Sam And Dave – “Soul Man”
60 Funkadelic – “Maggot Brain”
59 Jeff Beck – “Freeway Jam”
58 Link Wray – “Rumble”
57 Grateful Dead – “Dark Star”
56 The Byrds – “Eight Miles High”
55 Cream – “White Room”
54 Stevie Ray Vaughan – “Little Wing”
53 Creedence Clearwater Revival – “Born on the Bayou”
52 Radiohead – “My Iron Lung”
51 Ozzy Osbourne – “Crazy Train”
50 Pixies – “Debaser”
49 Jimi Hendrix – “Machine Gun”
48 The Clash – “London Calling”
47 Van Halen – “Panama”
46 Dick Dale and the Del-Tones – “Miserlou”
45 The Beatles – “I Saw Her Standing There”
44 Sleater-Kinney – “Dig Me Out”
43 The Sex Pistols – “Holidays in the Sun”
42 John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers – “Hideaway”
41 Television – “Marquee Moon”
40 The Who – “I Can See for Miles”
39 Santana – “Black Magic Woman”
38 The Faces – “Stay With Me”
37 Elvis Presley – “That’s All Right”
36 Pink Floyd – “Interstellar Overdrive”
35 The Stooges – “1969″
34 Aerosmith – “Walk This Way”
33 Metallica – “Master of Puppets”
32 Dire Straits – “Sultans of Swing”
31 Queen – “Keep Yourself Alive”
30 Bill Haley and His Comets – “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock”
29 AC/DC – “Back in Black”
28 U2 – “Where the Streets Have No Name”
27 The Paul Butterfield Blues Band – “Look Over Yonders Wall”
26 B.B. King – “How Blue Can You Get”
25 The Rolling Stones – “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking”
24 Rage Against the Machine- “Killing in the Name”
23 The Yardbirds – “Over Under Sideways Down”
22 The Beatles – “A Hard Day’s Night”
21 The White Stripes – “Seven Nation Army”
20 The Impressions – “People Get Ready”
19 Prince and the Revolution – “Purple Rain”
18 Ramones – “Blitzkrieg Bop”
17 Black Sabbath – “Black Sabbath”
16 Neil Young with Crazy Horse – “Cowgirl in the Sand”
15 The Who – “My Generation”
14 Bruce Springsteen – “Born to Run”
13 Derek and the Dominos – “Layla”
12 The Jimi Hendrix Experience – “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)”
11 Led Zeppelin – “Whole Lotta Love”
10 Nirvana – “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
09 The Allman Brothers Band – “Statesboro Blues”
08 Led Zeppelin – “Stairway to Heaven”
07 The Beatles – “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”
06 Van Halen – “Eruption”
05 Rolling Stones – “Brown Sugar”
04 The Kinks – “You Really Got Me”
03 Cream – “Crossroads”
02 Jimi Hendrix – “Purple Haze”
01 Chuck Berry – “Johnny B. Goode
It’s worth checking out the write-ups at RS, too. Gives some context to the decisions, and you’ll be able to read hopped-up prose like this:
Before he was known as a songwriter, Springsteen was the fastest guitar player in Asbury Park. And in this bluesy hard-rock blast, he lets those chops loose again, pushing the E Street Band to garage-land with the angriest lead guitar on record.
The angriest lead guitar on record! Erik Rutan just called up to disagree. (Not really.) Also, I would’ve added “Teenage Riot” somewhere. And the lack of Dinosaur Jr. seems weird. Should likely also be some Pavement. So as not to be pigeonholed as a purely indie-rock dissenter: “Smoke On The Water.” Still, fun list.
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I stopped reading this fucking thing when it said that Tool’s Vicarious was one of the greatest guitar songs.
Fucking Tool….
The list was absolutely awful. Clearly not made by a guitarist. Missing a lot of stuff. A lot of stuff shouldn’t be on there.
Would Rolling Stone stop sucking on the nuts of Kurt Cobain?
Amen! shit they seriously kiss kurt cobains dead ass all the time…like seriously hes an average guitarist,lyricist, and vocalist at best…but thats it. he is definitely fuckin overrated!!!
wrong, f all the bullshit Nirvana killed live. Was Cobain using sweep technique and lighting up some crazy finger work,not at all but they put on a show bro. I’ve seen Slayer ,Metallica, Megadeth,countless classic rock bands(the who, floyd, page plant,etc……) and Nirvana in the summer of 92,best show I’ve ever seen
Agreed on the pavement, brandon!
Which one do you think though,; I know i can’t help humming the guitar parts to summer babe, but even a song like “grounded” could find a place on this list.
“Summer Babe” was the first one to come to my mind, but agreed — there are other candidates. I’m currently rifling through my Pavement CDs. (Re: Dinosaur, I was also thinking kinda obviously: “Freak Scene.” Again, though, there are plenty of others…)
Do you have the Watery, Domestic EP? Best thing Pavement ever did–and that’s saying a LOT. “Frontwards” has some really good guitar parts, but you really can’t go wrong with anything on that disc.
Silly me for suggesting “grounded”, though; Rolling Stone gave Wowee a negative review. Idiots.
Yeah, I’m a big fan of Watery, Domestic. That and Slanted are my favorites — the two from 1992. Actually, all the stuff from the early and mid ’90s is pretty magical, I think.
You mean ALL the stuff from the early to mid-nineties?
That’s a lot of stuff, right there. Better get listening.
Hi Haukur. As far as Pavement: Basically up to and including Wowee Zowee.
Agreed, and I have a few songs I really like from their last couple albums, but as a whole they don’t touch the first three and watery. Shady lane is pretty good and I unapologetically love carrot rope. Whoops I didnt just say that! :p
yawn…
is prince covering radiohead on the list?
no, prince removed himself from the list due to copyright issues
when did rolling stone become relevant again?
oh, wait. they didn’t.
of course, what would a music list be without nirvana somehow mistakenly slipping into the top 10?
“Vicarous”? If any Tool song should be on there, it has to be “Parabola.” Also, I think My Morning Jacket deserved more than one song up there. Where is “One Big Holiday”? It’s one of the greatest guitar songs of this decade (especially live, on the “Okonokos” 2-CD).
And I’m sorry, but the Pixies “Debaser” is not a GREAT guitar song. Influential to Niirvana? Yes. But it does not belong up there on a list like this. And why is “Gravity” the one John Mayer song in this list? “No Such Thing” is his best guitar song.
Perhaps the biggest omission from this list is “Yellow Ledbetter” by Pearl Jam. “Evenflow” rocks, but “Y.L.” is one of the all-time greatest PJ songs. How RS could leave this out is anybody’s guess.
I could go on and on, but I digress. (It’s an okay list.)
what are you talking about?
no such thing is not his best song, just his most well-known (except maybe your body is a wonderland). and it is definitely not his best guitar song. i agree that there should be more john mayer songs on the list, but not that one.
and if i were to add any songs to the list, they would be welcome home by coheed and cambria (epic), through the fire and the flames by dragonforce (just for sheer skill and speed), black dresses by the spill canvas (great guitar parts), and walk by pantera (driving riff and great solo), to name a few.
the list has too many older songs, but whatever, if rolling stone doesn’t want to recognize any newer musical trends, good for them,
Dire Straits “So Far Away”
Eric Clapton “Cocaine”
Something with Lindsey Buckingham needs to be in there, whether it be solo or with Fleetwood Mac. He is an underappreciated guitar player.
So many other that deserve to be on this list
Totally agree! Either “Go Your Own Way” or “I’m So Afraid”.
So, My Iron Lung is on here but Paranoid Android isn’t?
Note: A list like this can never be successful, therefore it’s pointless.
Yeah, when i didnt see paranoid android skimming down, I was sure it would be number 1. Should certainly be there.
I think Jonny’s solo at the end of “Just” is better than both of those songs.
very much agreed
link wray doesn’t crack the top 5 and gang of four isn’t even on the list? shite
14 Bruce Springsteen – “Born to Run”
As a Springsteen fan, I think this is a pretty misleading choice when it comes to being a guitar song. “Born to Run,” along with the entire album actually is more piano and sax than anything. “Born in the U.S.A.” would have been more understandable, especially if we’re going to call it “the angriest lead guitar on record.”
i agree
once again, this list just seems to be an assemblage of songs that the authors like. many of these tracks are clearly, very obviously, not really known as ‘guitar tracks’ in the first place. ‘Brown Sugar’? as a great guitar track? huh? ‘only shallow’ by MBV? its just cause its the first track on the album and they wanted to throw something on! ugh, I would remove most of this list and replace it with, well, tracks which really feature the guitar. ‘debaser’? when ‘where is my mind’, ‘dig for fire’, and ‘holiday’ exist? what are they thinking? most Kinks songs have a more interesting guitar part than ‘you really got me’, but I can understand the reason for including it. ok i’ll stop now, no one cares anyways, but this list is, once again, just crap.
i agree but “You really got me” in my opinion is a great guitar song ever created by the gods of guitar Listen to the opening guitar riff and then after the 2 phrase Dave Davis played a brilliant guitar DAVE DAVIS and his brother work with piano on this 2 chord guitar riff which is one of the most unforgettable sound ever. As a guitar fan i would like to place Dave Davis riff over ERIC CLAPTON “Crossroad” i know you are not the only one who would disagree with me but it doesn’t matter
every one has it own reason to dislike if it was not this list would have not been got too many negative comments
why didn’t ‘Gum post this in “Shit List”? and WHERE ARE STONE TEMPLE PILOTS???
You must be kidding with this list. Zeppelin at number 8? And that’s only one of many borderline retarded rankings. You suck. Forever. I hate this site. I hate you.
you do know this list is from Rolling Stone and not stereogum right?
The majority of this list is the reason to hate the guitar. You know, every time rolling stone reminds us that Bruce Springsteen exists, some one loses their soul.
I was just asking myself today, “Self, isn’t about time for another pointless and ill-informed list from Rolling Stone?” I guess the answer is “yes”.
As much as I’m tired of dinosaur classic rock, where the hell is “Smoke on the Water?”
I’m glad this list came out, cause i haven’t had anything to disagree since… yesterday
What a horrible list. Rolling Stone, forever stuck in the 60′s (except for the predictable Nirvana nod)
its funny
So the people at Rolling Stone couldn’t find a single BB King song that has better guitar than songs by either Tom Morello or Jack White??!!? *sigh*
Yeahhhh… Pretty ridiculous, isn’t it? I’m also surprised by the SRV choices; “Couldn’t Stand the Weather” should definitely be there, but instead they chose a cover of a Jimi Hendrix song. Really? REALLY?
I mean presumably Rob Sheffield had some influence on this list. So why the fuck isn’t Pavement here? Maybe it’s because he’s the only writer at RS with a clue. Fucking “Rattled by the Rush” is my vote – that opening riff and the guitar solo kick fucking ass. But “Summer Babe” and “Frontwards” both deserve consideration. Also where the goddamn fucking hell is Television? I’d vote for Hell’s “Blank Generation” and “Love Like Anthrax” as well.
I guess “Marquee Moon” is on here. Apologies.
Geez. I really didn’t mean to say fuck so much. I’m normally not so inarticulate.
For God’s sake, Van Halen’s “Eruption” is apocalyptic guitar masturbation, but not a song. Replace it with “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love” or “Mean Street”
Should I piss in your mouth now or later? Van halens eruption is the greastest instrumental guitar song ever created by the gods of rock.
fuck you
I generally respect people’s rights of preference, but this list is a complete joke and your comment is an even more outrageous.
Wait a tick… Pink Floyd’s “Money” made it on the list even though it is mostly driven by Richard Wright’s plinky-sounding keyboards while “Comfortably Numb”, generally considered to be Gilmour’s greatest solo turn, isn’t?
And where’s Rush? No love for “Limelight”, you wrinkly hacks? Leave it to the old, revisionist farts at Rolling Stone to choose their favorite, logic be damned.
What a joke….. as much as I love “Money” it doesn’t really fit this list… But more importantly, the fact that “Comfortably Numb” and “Wish You Were Here” are NOT on this list is just rediculous. David Gilmour is one of the two most expressive guitar players I have ever heard. The other(to my ears) being Robert Cray… who’s “Time Makes Two,” among many others, should be on here as well. BUT I am not surprised because I have never seen lists like this make sense, no matter who voted on the tunes. Lists like this are stupid since it is not really possible nor is it justifiable to try and rank so many great songs. If you are a person who’s job is to sit around all day and make lists like this then clearly you are not the person to even try to make these judgements in the first place! Thanks!
Listen to the studio version of both “Comfortably numb” and “Money” you will defiantly know why “Rolling stone” placed “Money” instead of “Comfortably numb”?
Completely disagree. Comfortably Numb is one of the greatest songs ever written, let alone Gilmour’s greatest ever solo. You cant have a top 100 Greatest Guitar songs list without one of the world’s greatest ever guitarist’s best work on it. Pink Floyd, Comfortably Numb. You could even extend it to Gilmour’s work post Waters, with Coming Back to Life, brilliant intro. But there’s only 100 spots :-)
Where is Built to Spill on this list???? C’mon Rolling Stone… Doug Martsch is unquestionably one of the greatest guitar masters of the last two decades, and you can’t include even just one song by this remarkable band. That is a travesty.
Search and Destroy needs to be on there. Shameful. Absolutely shameful.
Also: No Bowie? Wtf.
Are you having a laugh? Is he having a laugh?
Funny how Sweet Child ‘O Mine is only at number 63.
Well, at least the song Black Sabbath is getting the recognition it deserves.
Once again people, it is just a list. Like, the one I found yesterday on Yahoo music, we all have songs, favorite artists, and Guitarists that many critics overlook. We all have songs from artists on this list that would been better suited for a list like this then the ones picked. This list is a guide and nothing more. It is not set in stone. I know if I created a list of what I thought were greatest guitar songs, I am sure nobody would approve of it and like wise.
I know it’s just list, but, the makers of the list should, at least, be somewhat competant. How could they possibly leave off “Smoke on the Water,” “All Right Now,” “The Boys are Back in Town,” and “Mississippi Queen”?
No Hawkwind? No Magic Band? No Keiji Haino? No Don Cab? No Mick Barr? Most tragic and dumbfounding even by Rolling Stones standards, no Mark Ribot? I feel as though the “music journalists” at Rolling Stones are only allowed to listen to Oldies stations and own the same 150 [mediocre] pop records.
A great guitar songs list that includes the fucking Beatles more than once? They couldn’t even come with enough songs to not have repeats? Beat It?! Where the Streets Have No Name? Real shredders there! Ridiculous. This shit has to be payola.
JESUS H. TAPDANCING CHRIST, Sublime? John Mayer?! I think I just vomited in my mouth a little bit.
Listen to the solo work from Gravity on the Where the Light Is live album (link below). It’ll change your mind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TErQbwHHh_w
having the strokes on there without gang of four and marquee moon at only 41 is a crime, half these bands owe everything to television alone. And Silver Rocket? Run Thru? Arguable forgettable songs that are easily overshadowed by say, Candle or Teen Age Riot and Mahgeetah or One Big Holiday (respectively, of course.) These lists are bullshit, but Rolling Stone does apparently know their audience: pavement who?
songs that were left off:
Kings of Leon: “Four Kicks”
The Black Keys: “All hands against his own”
Karate: “Ice or Ground”
Les Savy Fav: “The Sweat Descends”
really most anything by any of the above (excluding L.S.F. because I am not too familiar with the rest of their stuff)
Dude…No.
‘Shot By Both Sides’ – Magazine
’nuff said.
voodoo chile is at 12 …
how is that possible, I refuse to believe that there music fans out there who didn’t shivers down their backs the first time they heard that intro.
I don’t care what you think about him now, eric clapton deserves to be in the top 10. Not in the top 100, that’s just fish with titties crazy.
the included Elvis song should be Mystery Train. talk about a riff that has been used over and over again. another list that essentially ignores the 50s. you know, the era where everything was guitar driven. Dale Hawkins – Suzy Q; Duane Eddy – Rebel Rouser… two very obvious omissions.
I love the Beatles more than anything, but seriously these are not their best guitar songs. Where is “Taxman?” George rips through that and it opens one of the best classic rock albums of all time. Also, “My Iron Lung” over “Paranoid Android” I don’t think so.
Ok, so you’re probably never going to read this, but Paul actually plays lead on Taxman. The more you know.
It’s just funny to see how they define “guitar songs”.
You know, this whole disingenuous Sonic Youth name-dropping really gets on my nerves. It’s obvious that some of these critics never really absorbed Daydream Nation and they’re just throwing it in as an obligatory music critics’ reference. What… “Teenage Riot” was too obvious a choice so instead you chose the SECOND song on the album? The amazing headfuck guitar doesn’t even really kick in on that record until four or five songs in. Also.. Husker Du’s “New Day Rising”? Why that song? Because it was the first song on the record and they couldn’t be bothered to listen past it? What a bullshit list.
Wow… I didn’t even realize that they completely neglected Dinosaur Jr. Can these mainstream critics just admit that they don’t know what the fuck they’re talking about? I can pull a better list out of my ass. It’s like they used Music Critic Madlibs to put the list together.
At first I too was confused as to the appearance of My Iron Lung as opposed to Paranoid Andriod. But on second listen, Lung is far more guitar driven then Android which (the first section is just some light acoustic progressions over more overstated electronic noises and the distorted guitar only kicks in about half way through), then the guitars essentially drop off during the Rain Down segment and re-appear only for the last 30 seconds or so, where Jonny reprises his solo. Wheras Iron Lung is uncompromising (and impeccable) guitar all the way through. So for once I actually see the logic in a Rolling Stone song pick.
Also Taxman should be on there (FYI Paul plays the blistering solo not George), Guitar Gently Weeps should not
Also Pixies/Debaser = awesome
FYI Tennage Riot is way better than Silver Rocket; the one song on which Sonic Youth dosen’t devolve into unlistenable feedback and soundscaping really should have gotten some love
The first 15 seconds of Search and Destroy are better than at least half of this list.
Wow! Sleater-Kinney at #44! Haha that’s impressive, well done ladies.
No Velvet Underground?
why in the hell is “smells like teen spirit” placed number ten but pixies didnt even crack the top 50?
this list is not as humorous
as the comments on it.
of course its just the writers personal favorites
what else would it be? they dont know enough music to give a complete and
comprehensive list.
For example, the lack of representation of real blues (SRV is not sorry)
is deplorable, as well as the inclusion of songs that are almost devoid of
guitar (eg: What I’ve Got…that solo is cool, but not top 100 worthy).
All in all, its a nice list of some famous people who played the guitar with famous bands.
does “johnny” really think he knows more about music than David Fricke at Rolling Stone? God people on the fucking internet are arrogant and stupid. Makes me hate myself for blogging etc.
Yes, Bret, believe it or not, simply having access to a significant media outlet doesn’t make you any fucking smarter than the next guy. David Fricke’s knowledge of music is pretty pale in comparison to classical and jazz critics, musicologists and even your typical experimental rock fan. Pretty sad if he’s the most well-read the mainstream has to offer.
Keep us stupid, so we keep spending money on records that keep us stupid. To quote Zappa, “Most rock journalism is people who can’t write, interviewing people who can’t talk, for people who can’t read.”
yea but they still had terrible picks for the bands that they did include. i mean, picking “my iron lung’ over say ‘paranoid android’, “my generation” over ‘pinball wizard’ (or pretty much anything else they wrote), and especially “born to run” (considering the guitar is not featured prominently in that song -at all-)
i just dont get this list. it just seems sloppily put together. i know rolling stone tends to fawn over classic rock stuff, but this list shows they cant even critique that stuff correctly. the whole thing is sloppily put together, although i guess what more do you expect from rolling stone these days
Sonic Youth covering “Touch Me I’m Sick” by Mudhoney.
Thurston is a guitar god. Period
http://www.savefile.com/files/1546947
wow – sorry to show my age
anyone ever heard “loan me a dime” by boz scaggs” who played guitar?
i never particularly liked the band, but…soundgarden’s “outshined” missing while some tool song i never heard of is there?
Fuck you. Gravity is a GREAT song.
Pardon my french but Mayer needs to concentrate on mastering his guitar and face. His songs suck.
No “Beck’s Bolero”? I call bullsh*t.
“Wow! Sleater-Kinney at #44! Haha that’s impressive, well done ladies.”
It’s called a diversity pick. A more worthy white male created song was left off the list.
Like Jeff Beck’s Bolero.
The instrumental Beck’s Bolero on his 1968 LP TRUTH by his post-Yardbird’s band, the Jeff Beck Group was actually a leftover Yardbird’s jam written in tribute to Beck by the man who followed him as lead guitarist in that band, Jimmy Page. It was one of four songs the Yardbirds recorded with Beck & Page on dual lead guitars.
Didn’t dare leave Crimson’s “Red” off the list, but no Amboy Dukes “Journey to the Center of the Mind.”
If this was really 100 Greatest Guitar songs, and not 100 Songs We Picked To Represent All Decades + Throw A Bone So We Don’t Get Accused of Sexism, the Yardbirds/Beck would have 7 or 8 songs, and the 50s/60s/70s would have about 80.
This is list is waaaaay too political…but then this is Rolling Stone, so why state the obvious?
Television is top 5 at least and where is Santo & Johnny?
My first thought upon reading this in the magazine the other day was, “No ‘SludgeFeast’? Really?” As far as Sonic Youth goes, “‘Cross The Breeze” is easily their best “guitar song.” I’ve never listened to the John Mayer and Tool songs on the list (I’m sure they’re just as shitty as everything else by them), but I doubt they’re as a good as any number of R.E.M. songs that should be here, especially “Begin The Begin.” And also, Rapeman’s “Steak And Black Onions,” The Jesus Lizard’s “Monkey Trick” (even though the bass and drums are equally badass on that song), Modest Mouse’s “Never Ending Math Equation,” Guided by Voices’ “Everywhere With Helicopter,” and Chavez’s “Break Up Your Band.”
Oh, and whoever defended David Fricke on here is severely misguided. That guy represents everything that’s wrong with music criticism–namely that he never fucking criticizes anything! Seriously, this guy seemingly likes every album ever released. (Anyone who names Phish as the best band of the ’90s clearly doesn’t have his head in the right place.) His reviews are always the same, too: “The guitars rip like Jimmy Page circa ‘Houses of the Holy’, while the bass thuds in perfect time with the stampeding drums, as if a resurrected John Entwistle got together to jam with Jon Theodore!” If Rolling Stone were smart they’d replace this bum with Chuck Klosterman. Or anyone not named Sasha Frere-Jones.
Whoever said that Eric Clapton should be in the top 10 should be informed that he indeed is… twice– with Cream Crossroads and also he played the lead guitar for The Beatles on While My Guitar Gently Weeps. He still has an abhorrent neck beard though
run dmc: “rockbox”
janes’s addiction: “ocean size”
dinosaur jr.: “start choppin’ ”
p.i.l. : “fff”
Johnny B. Goode by Chuck Berry (#1), replaced by his Roll Over Beethoven
Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana (#10), replaced by In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida by the Iron Butterfly
Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath (#17), replaced their Iron Man
Purple Rain by Prince (#19), replaced by Aqualung by Jethro Tull (guitar by Martin Barre)
People Get Ready by the Impressions (#20), replaced by People Get Ready by Jeff Beck & Rod Stewart
A Hard Day?s Night by the Beatles (#22), replaced by their Taxman
Where the Streets Have No Name by U2 (#28 the #1 offender), replaced by Still Raining, Still Dreaming by Jimi Hendrix
Interstellar Overdrive by Pink Floyd (#36), replaced by their One Of These Days
Stay With Me by the Faces (#38), replaced by their Sweet Little Rock & Roller
Black Magic Woman by Santana (#39), replaced by their Soul Sacrifice
I Saw Her Standing There by the Beatles (#45), replaced by Whiskey Train by Procol Harum (guitar by Robin Trower)
Panama by Van Halen (#47), replaced by their Ain?t Talkin? ?Bout Love
London Calling by the Clash (#48), replaced by Green Grass & High Tides by the Outlaws
Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne, replaced by his No More Tears
Soul Man by Sam & Dave (#61), replaced by Heart Full of Soul by the Yardbirds
The Thrill is Gone by BB King (#68), replaced by All Day & All of the Night by the Kinks
American Girl by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (#76 ? too wimpy), replaced by Sweet Leaf by Black Sabbath
Kid Charlemagne by Steely Dan (#80), replaced by their My Old School
Gravity by John Mayer (#84 ? too understated), replaced by I?m A Man by Chicago (Transit Authority)
Red by King Crimson (#87), replaced by their 21st Century Schizoid Man
Mona by Quicksilver Messenger Service (#88), replaced by We Can Be Together by the Jefferson Airplane
How Soon Is Now by the Smiths (#90), replaced by Drivin? Wheel by Foghat
Memo From Turner by Mick Jagger (#92), replaced by I Don?t Need No Doctor by Humble Pie
jeez, don’t take it so seriously, man
Can I just point out that ‘all time’ hasn’t actually happened yet ie:it’s only 2008 and mankind could live for another million years yet so how the hell can anyone be pretentious enough to make ‘the best fuckin anything of all time’ list?
The worst bit about lists like this is they change every 5 minutes or whenever anyone new comes along who the journo’s think they should say they like in order to look ‘cool’
It’s all bollocks if you ask me, quite possibly the biggest load of bollocks of all time but only time will tell! :0)
I’m 34 and I realize that I’m showing my age w/ these picks, but here goes:
Van Halen “Unchained”
Iron Maiden “Alexander The Great”
Aerosmith “Love In An Elevator”
Whitesnake “Still Of The Night”
No Slayer?
No Iron Maiden?
No Spacemen 3?
No Nine Inch Nails?
No Jane’s Addiction?
No Cocteau Twins?
And ‘Only Shallow’ was the only MBV song they thought worthy to be on this list? If anything, they should’ve gone with ‘To Here Knows When’ or ‘Soon.’ The guitar sounds in those songs are not of this earth and have never, and will never, be duplicated. How about that? I wonder if RS even listened to the whole album.
Once again, RS fails miserably in trying to maintain relevence.
cocteau twins! damn right, Robin Guthrie is an absolute genious of suspended chord and a master of reverb, this whole list comprises of mainly ‘mastabatory’ guitar where skills and technique have clouded perceptions of what actually sounds good. CREAM wtf?
dont forget other 80′s gods, whos perfectly structured guitar riffs go towards making real music, The Chamealeons for one, and i cant believe there is only 1 smiths song, Johnny Marr must be one of the cleverest guitarists ever?
NIN on a best guitar song list? lolwut. Not over Cat Power’s “He War,” Archers of Loaf’s “Last Word,” Slint’s “Breadcrumb Trail,” or Big Black’s “Kerosene.”
Am I the only person who thinks that Albini doesn’t get enough credit as a guitarist?
Most of the things people are naming here, and a lot on the list simply aren’t “great guitar” songs. They’re great, but the guitar isn’t the impressive thing. I love My Bloody Valentine, but the sound out of the amplifier is impressive, not the guitar playing itself. Their stuff would be on a list of best produced songs or best composed songs, but not greatest guitar songs. Ditto for Pavement, and yes, even Sonic Youth. And whoever mentioned Kings of Leon should be sent to the gulag.
That said, a greatest guitar songs list should be entirely dominated by blues, progressive rock and well, metal. Not my favorite genres, but the places where guitar skill is truly on display. The aforementioned Mark Ribot MUST be on this list for it to mean anything. Von Lmo is another tragically forgotten guitar great. Modern experimental metal acts like Orthrelm are redifining guitar technique. Also, left off was John Fahey.
It’s sad. These lists are always colored by mainstream critics’ lack of knowledge. I mean, it’s almost astounding. What does these people do all day if not research music? Yet I highly doubt the name “Russolo” rings any bells for most of them. Very sad when “music critc” and “music historian” couldn’t be further from each other.
How can we expect people to tell us what’s “good,” when they haven’t even heard it themselves?
Why isn’t there anything by The Lawn Grower on this list?
Get to myspace you wankers and listen to anything by Rachel & The Lawn Grower then you might learn something, and for all you smart ass guitarists try playing along I bet you can’t!.
MWAH X
This is so boring.. Does it ever change much year to year. Jimi Hendrix, Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton bla bla bla so what Fuck Rolling Stone.
man this is crap, nervana shouldnt even be in the top 20… and were the hell is comfortably numb. another thing out of all of sabbaths song why the hell is the song black sabbath on there befor a song like parinoid or iron man and springsting suck too shouldnt even be in the top 50 and metallica should also get nocked down in the top 15 this was bad…………….
i made a playlist for this beast…time to share.
http://www.nutsie.com/member/view_member/370435?playlist_id=2951555&user_id=370435
mxpx – chick magnet
I mean you skipped over the entire 80′s…ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND??? Hair Band rock DEFINED what it mean to play the fucking guitar!! This is a list of BEST GUITAR SONGS, RIGHT?? And you leave off some of the best guitar players, EVER? Where is Slash? (oh yeah, near Michael Jackson on your list) Where is George Lynch? Yeah not even on there…Neil Young ahead of OZZY? No Crue, No Whitesnake, but thank GOD Phish is on there. Hey Rolling Stone, smoke some weed for me!!! Who will make the 2009 list….Celine Dion at #1?? You guys SUCK!
you know too much of the wrong eighties!
The list is missing five of the greatest and most recognizable guitar riffs off all time:
1. Smoke on the Water
2. Iron Man
3. Sunshine of Your Love
4. Welcome to the Jungle
5. Enter Sandman
However, the list isn’t as bad as their 2003 list of 100 Greatest Guitarists where they listed Eddie Van Halen at number 71.
Every track on Dinosaur Jrs Youre Living All Over Me should be tied for #1
How can any list of the top 100 “Guitar” songs not have something Robin Trower. Bridge of Sighs, Toll Rolling Stoned, Day of the Eagle.
Like every Rolling Stone list ever made, too many singles, too much Beatles, but not wholly without merit. More of my thoughts are posted here. (page down just a bit)
the fall of troy – i just got this symphony goin’
Highway Star is the missing D Purple piece. Blackmore, love him or hat him, is the man.
You all do realize that R Stone does this just to piss you off – don’t you?
I thought of 10 songs from the Classic Rock pantheon that should have been on the list:
All Right Now – Free
Born To Be Wild ? Steppenwolf
The Boys Are Back In Town ? Thin Lizzy
Kashmir ? Led Zeppelin
More Than A Feeling ? Boston
Rockin? In The Free World ? Neil Young
School?s Out ? Alice Cooper
Smoke On The Water ? Deep Purple
Wild Thing ? The Troggs
Won?t Get Fooled Again ? The Who
Boston’s More than a feeling
Who was the person who created the greatest guitar songs of all time?
why the fuck is seven nation army even on the list and U2′s guitar cant even be heard in half their songs where the fuck is iron maiden, wolfmother, deep purple and queensryche
Ok, this list SUCKS.
Where are:
Deep Purple – Smoke On The Water, Highway Star
Pink Floyd – Comfortably Numb
Van Halen – Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love
Metallica – Enter Sandman
Black Sabbath – Iron Man
Guns N’ Roses – Since I Don’t Have You, Ain’t It Fun
AC/DC – Highway To Hell
Aerosmith – Cryin’
Rainbow – Black Masquerade
And there are lots more…
Right with this guy, where is november rain and all the other song that you just pissed on?
This is a list of the 100 singles that happen to have guitar parts worth noting. You would think they’d at least TRY digging deeper.
And I can’t believe MUSE hasn’t even been mentioned by the list or you guys. What’s wrong with you people? Listen to “Hysteria” or “Plug in Baby” and tell me they don’t rock your face off.
Sad, sad world.
Where is Green Grass and High Tides by The Outlaws?
sultans of swing?
All the young dudes-Mott the Hoople.
At least.
Then band on the run-paul mcartney.
Where’s Comfortably Numb??
What the hell is TOOL doing on this list???
Ridiculous.
Anyway, there are several solos missing. This list is absolutely terrible.
this list is embarrassing. too many horrible choices to pick out one, but i saw an 8 year old in guitar center playing 7 nation army, so that should put it out of the top 100 right there. the kid wasn’t a virtuoso, it’s just one of the easiest songs ever written. and smells like teen spirit is 4 chords, and not even that because they’re power chords played on two frest, so it’s more like 2 1/2 chords
every list without your favorite songs are bullshit to you.
i agree
is iron maiden on anywhere cause like number of the beast is one of the best songs ever
UP THE IRONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
really surprised that day tripper didn’t make list!
Rush- La Villa Strangiato
Satriani, Surfing With The Alien?
Come on man, this list is BS.
The boys at Rolling Stone have lost their touch on “guitar”
rather recognizable/known songs.
Sorry to repeat what’s been said many times but…
Teen Spirit C’mon. I could atleast deal with Cobain being on the sidelines of music. But now he keeps popping up in these rock music lists.
And BB King deserves a higher spot with a better song; Lucille, 3 o’ clock blues, etc.
“This is what makes a great rock & roll guitar sound: an irresistible riff; a solo or jam that takes you higher every time you hear it;”
OR
“This is what we think makes a good list, completely disregarding everything that has been contribute to Rock & Roll for the past 50+ years; Though you may disagree…suck it up, we’re Rolling Stone”
This is the worst list ever some of these songs dont even have guitars