It’s a conversation every music aficionado has had innumerable times, and will continue to have so long as the spirit of rock prevails; who is the greatest guitarist of all time? It’s an argument which involves questions of taste, of technical skill and of soul, an argument which will continue to haunt cultural critics and laymen alike for years to come. Here at Goliath, we’ve tried our best to whittle away the superfluous and narrow it down to the 10 greatest rock and roll guitarists of all time.
10. Jack White (The White Stripes, The Raconteurs)
For a while, rock’s reigning king of guitar could do no wrong; The White Stripes, despite their internal differences, were a massive commercial and critical success, with albums like White Blood Cells and Elephant and Icky Thump often credited with saving rock in its most desperate hour (the early 2000’s…shudder). His signature brand of electric blues will melt your face off (see below), and whatever he lacks in technical skill is more than made up for with a heaping dose of swagger. While his recent solo ventures have been less enthusiastically received, there’s no question that when it comes to playing rock and roll guitar in the 21st century, Jack White is the man everyone looks to. He’s eccentric, he’s electric and he’s got the moves to back up whatever trash he’s talking.