14 Most Influential Lead Guitarists of All Time

A good guitarist is someone with a distinctive style: As soon as we hear the first few chords of a song, we know the identity of the player behind the notes.

In order to transcend from good to great, that guitarist should also have influenced the next generation. Current musicians reference them as men or women who inspired them to start playing.

The guitarists on this list come from different eras and genres, but each has that quality in common. They have all influenced others to pick up an “axe.”

1. Rory Gallagher

When Jimi Hendrix was asked what it was like to be the best guitarist in the world, he is alleged to have said “Ask Rory Gallagher.” While there are conflicting reports as to what was really quoted, there can be no bigger endorsement.

Hendrix is known to have admired a musician who has influenced thousands to pick up a guitar. Gallagher is also said to have inspired artists as diverse as Slash, Brian May, and Johnny Marr.

2. Jimi Hendrix

There are plenty of fans on either side of the Rory Gallagher/Jimi Hendrix debate. We’re sitting on the fence, but we certainly can’t leave Hendrix out of a list such as this. For those who have yet to appreciate his playing, the recent documentary on the original Woodstock festival features a look at his unique style.

It’s more difficult to name a guitarist who wasn’t influenced by Jimi Hendrix, and the long list of those who took inspiration includes Eddie Van Halen, Prince, and Neil Young.

3. Chuck Berry

Many of the names that follow will confirm that Chuck Berry was a key influence on their careers. Of the early rock and roll classics, “Johnny B. Goode” is a standout and Berry’s playing on the track was like nothing anyone had heard before.

His personality and his position as the forerunner of a new movement can sometimes hide his ability with an axe. Make no mistake; Chuck Berry was up there with the best.

4. Bert Weedon

English guitarist Burt Weedon influenced other musicians in two different ways. His style of playing inspired many to pick up an instrument, with Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney included.

Weedon also published a key book called Play in a Day in 1957. If you pick up a range of autobiographies of musicians from the 1960s onwards, we promise this book will be referenced around 50% of the time.

5. Stuart Adamson

Many who read this will not be aware of Stuart Adamson. The Scottish guitarist provided the chiming chords that defined UK punk band Skids, before going to front his own band, Big Country.

Legendary DJ John Peel described him as the “Jimi Hendrix of his generation,” and that’s a testament worthy of a place on this list. Adamson’s swirling sound was inspirational, even if it was difficult to emulate.

6. Jeff Beck

Very few musicians make it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. Jeff Beck has been there with the Yardbirds and also as a solo artist. While with the Yardbirds, his path briefly crossed that of Jimmy Page. The two-guitar approach didn’t quite work, but Page would have learned a lot during that brief period.

Beck wasn’t a flashy guitarist: He wasn’t prone to jumping around on stage, and maybe that’s why he goes under the radar, but he was certainly a hugely influential musician.

7. Jimmy Page

Speaking of Jimmy Page, his brilliance with Led Zeppelin means that we couldn’t leave him off this list. Many consider him to be the inventor of the heavy metal sound, and while others would dispute that claim, his style was copied by many later musicians in the genre.

Page has enjoyed a long career, starting back in 1957, but he will be best remembered for his iconic riffs during 12 unforgettable years with Led Zeppelin.

8. David Gilmour

A progressive rock band isn’t always known for its guitar heroes. There’s certainly more to Pink Floyd, but David Gilmour has produced some of the best solos in the band’s catalog.

Check out the guitar break on “Comfortably Numb” as a perfect example of his best work. Gilmore’s playing is haunting and atmospheric, and a perfect part of one of the greatest progressive rock acts of all time.

9. Brian James

The original crop of punk guitarists was dismissed as far as their musical talents were concerned. Part of the ethos of punk was the encouragement to get up on stage, even if you couldn’t play an instrument.

Of all the early musicians in the movement, James was certainly one of the best by a distance. He was the influence for young punks to take up the axe before Captain Sensible took over and continued the trend.

10. Viv Albertine

Female guitarists who followed the punk scene would have undoubtedly been inspired by Viv Albertine. The lead guitarist in the all-girl band The Slits, her jangly chords are a key part of the group’s sound.

In her autobiography, Albertine confirms that she was taught to play by Keith Levene of The Clash. When you hear some of Levene’s later work with Public Image Ltd, you can identify some similarities.

11. Lita Ford

For female guitarists who preferred their music with a rockier edge, Lita Ford was the musician to follow. She was part of one of the most notorious girl bands of all time, and she also enjoyed a successful solo career when The Runaways came to an end.

She’s still performing, but Ford’s greatest legacy was as part of The Runaways, who influenced and altered the course for so many female musicians that followed.

12. Ritchie Blackmore

Lita Ford is among many artists to have been inspired by Deep Purple’s Ritchie Blackmore. Throughout the 1970s, Purple was seen as rivals to Led Zeppelin, and Blackmore was in direct competition with Jimmy Page.

He is credited with inventing “shredding,” while incorporating different styles into his play. Ritchie Blackmore went on to form Rainbow, but he’ll mostly be remembered for those stunning, screaming riffs as part of Deep Purple.

13. Pete Townshend

The theatrics that he displayed on stage ran the risk of masking Pete Townshend’s quality as a musician. Behind the flailing arms and the smashed instruments lies the driving force behind The Who.

Townshend has inspired many to pick up a guitar over the years, but perhaps his greatest influence was seen during the mod revival of the late 1970s. At that point, every guitarist wanted to be Pete Townshend.

14. Eric Clapton

No list of great guitarists would be complete without the inclusion of the old “Slow Hand.” Eric Clapton was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on three separate occasions, once as a solo artist, alongside his work with Cream and The Yardbirds.

A full list of artists inspired by Clapton would extend into another article, but it includes some of music’s greats. Brian May, Lenny Kravitz, and Mark Knopfler are among the many who cite him as an inspiration.