How the Greatest Guitarists List Works
The Greatest Guitarists list is an editorially curated ranking of the 100 most influential, innovative, and legendary guitarists in recorded music history. It is not a popularity contest — it is a considered judgment informed by community sentiment.
Editorial Criteria
Rankings are determined by a combination of factors, weighted in this order:
Influence
How many guitarists, genres, and musical movements did this player directly shape? Influence is the single most important factor.
Innovation
Did they expand the vocabulary of the instrument? Introduce new techniques, sounds, or approaches that others adopted?
Legacy
Does their work hold up? Are they still listened to, studied, and cited by working musicians today?
Technical mastery
Technical ability matters, but it is weighted below influence and innovation. A player who changed everything with limited technique ranks above a virtuoso who changed nothing.
Community sentiment
Votes reflect fan passion and can influence future editorial revisions, but they do not directly determine rank.
Community Voting
Every guitarist on the list can be upvoted or downvoted. Votes are stored locally in your browser — no account required. Voting data is used to inform future editorial revisions. Guitarists with strong community support may move up in future editions.
Submitting a Guitarist
Think someone is missing? Submit them using the form on the homepage. Submissions must include the guitarist's name, genre, era, and a written case of at least 100 characters explaining why they deserve inclusion.
Submissions that receive 50 or more community upvotes are reviewed by the editorial team for potential inclusion in a future edition of the list.
Community Guidelines
- Vote based on the guitarist's actual contribution to music, not personal preference alone.
- Submissions must be for real guitarists with a documented recording or performance history.
- Duplicate submissions are removed. If a guitarist is already on the list, vote on their existing entry.
- Submissions that are clearly satirical, fictional, or in bad faith will be removed.
- The editorial team reserves the right to adjust rankings at any time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is [guitarist] ranked so high/low?
Rankings reflect influence and innovation above all else. A guitarist who shaped an entire genre ranks above a technically superior player who had limited impact.
Can the rankings change?
Yes. The list is periodically revised based on community feedback, new submissions, and editorial judgment. No ranking is permanent.
Why are some genres underrepresented?
The list skews toward electric guitar because that is where the most documented influence and innovation has occurred. Future editions may expand coverage of classical, flamenco, and other traditions.
How do I get my submission reviewed?
Submit it on the homepage and share it. If it reaches 50 upvotes, the editorial team will review it for the next edition.