Top 20 Most Underrated Guitarists
Here are some more underrated guitarists who deserve recognition beyond their dedicated fanbases:
1. **Alex Lifeson (Rush)** - Known for his versatility and technical skill, Lifeson has been a key component of Rush's complex and dynamic sound, yet often remains overshadowed by his bandmates.
2. **Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits)** - With his fingerstyle playing and melodic solos, Knopfler has crafted some of the most memorable guitar lines in rock history, yet he often doesn't receive the same accolades as some of his contemporaries.
3. **Steve Hackett (Genesis)** - A pioneer of progressive rock guitar, Hackett's innovative techniques and compositions have influenced countless musicians, but he remains relatively under the radar.
4. **Rory Gallagher** - An Irish blues and rock guitarist known for his passionate performances and exceptional skill, Gallagher is often cited as an influence by many renowned guitarists, yet he remains underrated by the general public.
5. **Warren Haynes (Gov't Mule, The Allman Brothers Band)** - With his soulful playing and powerful vocals, Haynes is a master of blues and Southern rock, deserving of more widespread recognition.
6. **Mike McCready (Pearl Jam)** - McCready's energetic and emotive playing has been a cornerstone of Pearl Jam's sound, yet he often doesn't get the spotlight he deserves.
7. **John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers)** - Known for his expressive and innovative playing, Frusciante's contributions to the Red Hot Chili Peppers have been crucial to their success, but he remains underrated compared to other guitar heroes.
8. **Nels Cline (Wilco)** - With his experimental approach and ability to blend different genres, Cline has brought a unique sound to Wilco, earning respect from musicians but not as much from the mainstream audience.
Feel free to add these talented guitarists to your list!
1. **Alex Lifeson (Rush)** - Known for his versatility and technical skill, Lifeson has been a key component of Rush's complex and dynamic sound, yet often remains overshadowed by his bandmates.
2. **Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits)** - With his fingerstyle playing and melodic solos, Knopfler has crafted some of the most memorable guitar lines in rock history, yet he often doesn't receive the same accolades as some of his contemporaries.
3. **Steve Hackett (Genesis)** - A pioneer of progressive rock guitar, Hackett's innovative techniques and compositions have influenced countless musicians, but he remains relatively under the radar.
4. **Rory Gallagher** - An Irish blues and rock guitarist known for his passionate performances and exceptional skill, Gallagher is often cited as an influence by many renowned guitarists, yet he remains underrated by the general public.
5. **Warren Haynes (Gov't Mule, The Allman Brothers Band)** - With his soulful playing and powerful vocals, Haynes is a master of blues and Southern rock, deserving of more widespread recognition.
6. **Mike McCready (Pearl Jam)** - McCready's energetic and emotive playing has been a cornerstone of Pearl Jam's sound, yet he often doesn't get the spotlight he deserves.
7. **John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers)** - Known for his expressive and innovative playing, Frusciante's contributions to the Red Hot Chili Peppers have been crucial to their success, but he remains underrated compared to other guitar heroes.
8. **Nels Cline (Wilco)** - With his experimental approach and ability to blend different genres, Cline has brought a unique sound to Wilco, earning respect from musicians but not as much from the mainstream audience.
Feel free to add these talented guitarists to your list!
Transcript
00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 underrated guitarists.
00:18For this list we'll be ranking the guitar players that may just deserve a little more
00:21love and respect outside of their hardcore fanbase.
00:25Who are some of your favorite underrated guitarists?
00:27Let us know in the comments.
00:29Let's shred!
00:3120.
00:33Robert Fripp – King Crimson The world of progressive rock is an interesting
00:41microcosm where its best musicians are often deified by a devoted cult fanbase, while simultaneously
00:48existing in a vacuum that's far away from the mainstream.
00:58Robert Fripp is certainly one of those aforementioned guitar gods, although King Crimson is a bit
01:03more commercially successful than your average underground prog band.
01:16This in part due to Fripp's quirky, heavy and influential guitar playing, a sort of
01:20mad genius that's never stopped moving creatively forward.
01:29Fripp embraced a wide variety of influences across the board.
01:33Oh, and did we mention that he even created his own tape loop system called Frippertronics?
01:38Yep, Robert Fripp is truly one of a kind.
01:4919.
01:51Poison Ivy – The Cramps Poison Ivy was a trailblazing guitarist for
01:55the weird and wild genre known as Psychobilly.
02:05Ivy also co-founded one of its most important and popular bands, The Cramps, and stood out
02:10as a beacon for the often male-dominated world of punk rock.
02:13Her style was ferocious, and her stage presence captivating from the very first note, embracing
02:19genres as disparate as surf rock, blues, and proto-garage attitude.
02:31And then, of course, there's that ever-present aggression that permeated nearly every note
02:36of her fiery playing, ensconcing Poison Ivy as a cult phenomenon for everyone lucky enough
02:42to hear her play.
02:5018.
02:52Eddie Hazel – Parliament and Funkadelic Fans of Parliament and Funkadelic will tell
03:03you the most obvious entry point for the legacy of Eddie Hazel is also his best.
03:08The song is called Megadbrain, and it's often cited as one of the best and most epic
03:12guitar solos ever recorded.
03:15Legend has it that the group's main man, George Clinton, instructed Hazel to play as
03:19if his mother was dead for part of the song, imagining how he would respond to the news.
03:31The results influenced countless guitarists in its wake, while Hazel's two brief careers
03:36showcased a guitarist with soul, fire, and an arsenal of far-out, psychedelic licks.
03:4517.
03:49Izzy Stradlin – Guns N' Roses Oh sure, Slash may receive a lot of the credit
03:54when it comes to the guitar department of Guns N' Roses, but we're here to sing
03:58the praises of his former partner in crime, Izzy Stradlin.
04:07The man has sleazy riffs burning in his blood, not to mention a serious set of songwriting
04:12chops.
04:13Stradlin wrote or co-wrote some of the band's best early hits on Appetite for Destruction
04:18and even took the lead vocal position on songs like Dust and Bones, Double Talk and Jive,
04:23in 14 years.
04:29In fact, it's not too much of a stretch to describe Stradlin as something of a secret
04:34weapon for GNR, a triple threat natural at his craft with an enviable amount of talent.
04:4316.
04:46John Sykes – Whitesnake Blue Murder and More We use the word more here to describe
04:51John Sykes because the man has been a go-to guitar hero for a number of high-profile rock
04:56and metal bands, chief among them is probably Whitesnake.
05:07But Sykes has also spent time on stage and in the studio with artists as varied as Thin
05:11Lizzy and the Tigers of Pantang, as well as his own band, the supremely underrated Blue
05:16Murder.
05:24Sykes' fast and aggressive playing style is notable for incorporating tons of pinch
05:27harmonics and influencing future stars like Zach Wild.
05:31Beyond this, Sykes also has an ear for composing great melodies.
05:42If there's one guitarist on this list that truly deserves a larger audience, it may just
05:46be John Sykes.
05:5115.
05:54Ani DiFranco Is the world of folk music a place where impressive
05:58guitar playing is a key to success?
06:01Sometimes, but not always.
06:04Ani DiFranco has the songs, but she also has the musical chops, utilising her dynamic finger
06:09style technique to get the most out of her instrument.
06:18DiFranco's vocals have always soared over her alternative rock-influenced material, while
06:23her taped-up fingers seem to tell a story every time.
06:36Sometimes that story is aggressive, like in The Million You Never Made, or melancholic
06:40and bittersweet, a la her hits, Dilates.
06:43Either way, what remains the same about Ani DiFranco is her consistent evolution and dedication
06:49to a fresh and confessionally personal style.
06:5914.
07:03Neil Sean – Santana & Journey Melody isn't important to every guitarist
07:08out there, but it seems to be absolutely essential for Neil Sean.
07:14It's written all over his playing, the way Sean makes his guitar sing, and writes solos
07:21that his fans can practically hum from the first note to last.
07:31Sean is another musician whose talents have been consistently in demand since he was a
07:35teenager, having joined Santana at the tender age of 17.
07:45From there, he would co-found Journey, while also finding time to play in projects like
07:50Hardline, Bad English, and HSAS along Sammy Hagar.
08:01Through it all, Sean's style has been distinct and immediately recognisable, a jazzy amalgamation
08:07of melody, emotion, and feeling.
08:1413.
08:16Graham Coxon – Blur Yes, we all know and love Song 2, but that's
08:21just the tip of the iceberg for this English guitarist.
08:30A multi-instrumentalist, Graham Coxon has had his biggest impact as guitar slinger for
08:35Brit rock band Blur.
08:36However, he has seen success as a solo artist as well.
08:47Primarily a Telecaster guy, Coxon has been known to use other models like Gibson's Les
08:52Pauls, ES-335s, and SGs when required.
09:03Regardless of the guitar in his hands, it is likely to be plugged into a Marshall amp
09:07delivering his signature over-driven riffs.
09:1412.
09:17Nancy Wilson – Heart Heart is definitely not your average
09:22classic rock band, just as Nancy Wilson isn't your average guitarist.
09:32She's incredibly talented, just like her sister Anne, and packs a playing style that's
09:37powerful, bombastic, and full of feeling.
09:46Nancy knows when it's time to rock like on Barracuda, and when it's time to take
09:50a step back and allow the music to breathe.
09:56Wilson's classical influences also make her playing dynamic, but we'd be lying if
10:02we said we didn't possess a real soft spot for Heart's polished and glammed up material
10:07from the 1980s.
10:08Ultimately, though, it doesn't matter which decade of Heart you pick, Nancy Wilson is
10:13always killing it.
10:1511.
10:16Rory Gallagher – Taste Our next entry can absolutely be described
10:21as a guitar player's guitar player.
10:23His name was Rory Gallagher, and he influenced some of the best to ever pick up the instrument.
10:35Players as varied as Slash, Brian May, The Edge, and Johnny Marr have all name-checked
10:40Gallagher as an inspiration, thanks to his revelatory approach to playing the blues.
10:48Gallagher's solo career combined with his early years with the power trio Taste left
10:56behind a treasure trove of studio and live albums that all sparkle with life.
11:06Meanwhile, Gallagher's ability to move from fragile, folky beauty to some of the heaviest
11:13blues riffs ever written made him a legend in his own time, and an icon forever.
11:2310.
11:27Robert Smith – The Cure Guitar playing is an art that can take many
11:32forms.
11:33It's not always about who plays the fastest or hardest, but sometimes how dynamic and
11:37focused a guitarist is to their craft.
11:46Robert Smith is one of those once-in-a-lifetime players.
11:49A man whose style is distinct and recognizable, yet simultaneously impossible to mimic.
11:55At least not to a T. It's not about Smith's unique approach
12:06to detuning his instrument, but also the attack of his picking style, as well as the tone
12:11he achieves both in the studio and in concert.
12:20The Cure has incorporated a variety of different styles throughout their longevity from post-punk
12:24minimalism to this layered sense of gothic grandeur.
12:28The uniting factor through it all?
12:30Robert Smith's devastating guitar playing.
12:369.
12:39Steve Clark – Def Leppard While hardly a member of an obscure band,
12:51in the hallowed halls of guitar heroes, the late Steve Clark is often rudely overlooked.
13:01As one half of Def Leppard's terror twins, Clark maintained a weaving guitar style with
13:06co-guitarist Phil Collin trading riffs, lead, and rhythm with each other throughout songs
13:11with no established roles.
13:19Referred to by the band as the Riffmaster, Clark wasn't the technical champ that Collin
13:24is, but instead played pure, inspired, mood-driven solos and leads by avoiding speed and flash
13:30in favor of feel.
13:32We say it worked out pretty well.
13:378.
13:41Gary Moore – Thin Lizzy Depending on whom you ask, the late, great
13:46Gary Moore is probably best known for his tenure in the Irish hard rock group Thin Lizzy.
13:57Picking up the guitar at age 8 and going pro at 16, Moore was actually left-handed but
14:02played the instrument right-handed.
14:11Known for his aggressive vibrato and speedy alternative picking, Moore often used a middle
14:16and index finger fretting style similar to Romani guitarist Django Reinhardt, although
14:21the results were worlds apart.
14:30Thin Lizzy aside, Moore played in multiple genres ranging from rock, jazz, metal, country,
14:36dance, and blues.
14:37Lots of blues.
14:457.
14:46Lindsey Buckingham – Fleetwood Mac Seventh in a long line of underrated guitarists,
14:59Lindsey Buckingham's presence in Fleetwood Mac was so weighty that it actually took two
15:03guys.
15:04Jimmy DeVito and Billy Burnett to replace him when he quit in the late 80s.
15:16Unlike his predecessors in the band, Buckingham uses a unique banjo-like finger style, despite
15:22early suggestions by the band to use a pick.
15:32Upon joining Fleetwood Mac, Buckingham played a Gibson Les Paul at Mick Fleetwood's request,
15:37but abandoned it completely when he found the Rick Turner Model 1, which has been his
15:41main guitar ever since.
15:476.
15:50Billy Gibbons – ZZ Top With a tone the size of Texas and chops from
16:01Oklahoma to Mexico, the Reverend Willie G is a lot more than just a bitchin' beard.
16:15Forever linked with Hot Rods and 80s playmates, it's easy for many to miss the man that
16:19oozes the blues… which is a shame.
16:29A picker since the age of 13, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons makes frequent, tasteful use of pitch
16:34harmonics as well as thick distortion, and has the unique ability to make almost any
16:39guitar sound like his beloved 1959 Les Paul, Pearly Gates.
16:485.
16:51Buckethead – Guns N' Roses While no one is quite sure what's going
16:55on under the bucket, we do know there's definite madness happening on the fretboard
17:00with him.
17:07Born Brian Carroll, Buckethead has recorded over 100 studio albums and has guested on
17:12at least 50 more.
17:20Dwelling largely in the shadows of his KFC headgear, Buckethead's biggest brush with
17:25the mainstream was his four-year stint with Guns N' Roses.
17:34Buckethead also auditioned for the Red Hot Chili Peppers at one point and was offered
17:37a gig by Ozzy Osbourne, but turned down the offer when Ozzy wanted him to ditch the bucket.
17:474.
17:50Nuno Bettencourt – Extreme You may know the acoustic ballad More Than
17:55Words, but that doesn't mean you know Nuno Bettencourt.
18:05Portuguese by birth and raised in Massachusetts, Bettencourt drew influence from Eddie Van
18:10Halen, Jimmy Page, Prince, and Al Di Meola, all of which filtered into Extreme's Van
18:16Halen meets Chili Peppers sound.
18:20Bettencourt's talents have been recognized by the Washburn Guitar Company, which has
18:26produced a series of guitars designed by him that are perfectly suited to his fast, slick
18:31shred-ability and fretboard tappery.
18:39Outside of Extreme, Bettencourt has formed a number of other side projects and even toured
18:44extensively with R&B star Rihanna.
18:513.
18:54Mark Knopfler – Dire Straits There may be other flashier, thrashier guitar
18:59heroes, but how many of them have had dinosaurs named after them?
19:11Left-handed, Mr. Knopfler plays right-handed, which the guitarist claims gives him a stronger,
19:15controlled vibrato.
19:25A confirmed sultan of swing with a Stratocaster MK becomes a whole new player with a Les Paul
19:30or Telecaster in his hands, but he plays them all with his signature claw-like fingerstyle.
19:41With Dire Straits, Knopfler sold over 120 million records.
19:45He also holds three honorary doctorates in music, which if you ask anyone who's listened
19:50to him, he's totally earned.
19:562.
19:59Alex Lifeson – Rush Wedged sonically between the bass of Geddy
20:04Lee and the drum virtuosity of Neil Peart, Alex Lifeson may be the most underrated guitar
20:09player in his own band.
20:17Largely self-taught, Lifeson's style is rich with open strings, drone notes, hammer-ons
20:23and pull-offs, while coloring over the band's frequent use of odd-time signatures.
20:35Lifeson is closely associated with the Gibson ES-355 guitar, but has used a wide range of
20:40guitars, amps and equipment throughout his career, including Strats, PRSs and Les Pauls
20:45equipped with whammy-ready Floyd Rose bridges.
20:55Before we name our number one pick, here are some shred-tastic honorable mentions.
20:59Larry Lalonde – Primus From death and thrash metal to prog funk in
21:04the blink of an eye.
21:12Danny Clark – St. Vincent Technical chops for days.
21:24Chris Poland – Megadeth Brought jazz fusion influence into thrash
21:29metal.
21:36Terry Cath – Chicago The guiding guitar force to Chicago's early
21:40jazz rock success.
22:07Prince – The Revolution A multi-instrumentalist who recorded all 27
22:18instruments on his debut album, Prince had guitar chops that were only overshadowed by,
22:23well, Prince.
22:30With his huge vocal range, production skills and songwriting capabilities, the artist was
22:35obviously more than just a guitarist, but his funky domination of the fretboard easily
22:40put him in the same league as Carlos Santana or Jimi Hendrix.
22:50Prince had the personality and the talent to be an icon, but he was ultimately an underrated
22:54guitarist in his time, and that's why he's on the top of our list.