Everyone is encouraged to contribute "best" list for their favorite guitarists - top overall guitar performances, top solos, top riffs, top live performances, top guitar compositions, etc. anything that you think is interesting. You can also write little bios as introduction for those new to various guitarists.

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Guitarists listed so far - alphabetical, by last name:

Jan Akkerman
Duane Allman
Trey Anastasio
Jeff Beck
Eric Clapton
Marty Friedman
Jerry Garcia
David Gilmour
Peter Green
Steve Hackett
Eddie Hazel
Terry Kath
Paul Kossoff
Dave Mustaine
Jack White


Pending: Adrian Smith, Roy Buchanan, The Beatles, Joe Satriani, Dick Dale (?), Tipton/Downing, Scottie Moore, Andy Timmons, Ritchie Blackmore (?), Tony Iommi, Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Steve Vai


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Jan AKKERMAN (Focus, solo)
list by The Seeker

Focus (Progressive Rock) – Studio albums

Moving Waves
Focus 3
Hamburger Concerto


Studio Albums – Solo

Tabernakel - Predominantly Lute and acoustic renaissance music.
Jan Akkerman – Self titled. Wonderful jazzy, smooth, funky
Aranjuez – With Claus Ogermann orchestra – contains ‘that’ concerto
Pleasure Point – Contains pioneering work with guitar synths – could be called Jazz
Focus in Time – Lilting acoustic to orchestral shred and everything in between
C.U. – Made with a DJ and sampled beats – Rock/dance
Jan Akkerman 3 – Disco/Funk
Profile – Half of it sounds like drug ridden avantguarde proto thrash
Art of Noise – Commercial comeback album after being out of the biz for a few years


Live Albums

Focus Live at the Rainbow – Classic and one of the best live albums out there.
Passion – Live solo acoustic double album. Some great fingerstyle playing
10,000 clowns on a rainy day – One of the 2 shows on this was recorded outdoors in sub-zero temperatures - playing is hot though !
Live at the Priory – Was very rare CD, but has been released on MP3


Youtube Illustrations

Streetwalker - classic
Great rhythm playing
Lute masterpiece
Blues shred at 64 years old
Adagio from Concerto Aranjuez
Full Improv avantguade thrash prog (if such a thing exists – this is part 1 of a 20 minute opus)
Live solo acoustic fingerstyle
Acoustic tribute to George Harrison – played on the day he died
Django style Gypsy jazz with the Rosenberg Trio
From his Funk phase
Improvising with Paco
UrbanString - Example of the dance beat music on CU album
'That' version of Hocus Pocus
Focus' worldwide smash hit Sylvia
Fusion Shred on the remarkable Roland GR707 Synth Guitar
Tommy from Eruption - Live - The single note at 1:46 is my favorite individual note in rock music


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Duane ALLMAN (The Allman Brothers Band, Session Work)
list by a_man_named_gray

Studio
Whipping Post
One Way Out
Blue Sky
Don't Keep Me Wondering
Midnight Rider
Little Martha
In Memory of Elizabeth Reed
Dreams
Stand Back
BB King Medley(Hour Glass)
Ain't No Good to Cry(Hour Glass)
Shape of Things/Spoonful(Allman Joys)
Goin Down Slow(Duane Allman)
Road of Love(Duane Allman)
Down Along the Cove(Duane Allman)
Please Be With Me(Duane Allman)
Amazing Grace(Duane Allman)

Session Work

Why Does Love Got to be So Sad?(Derek and the Dominoes)
Anyday(Derek and the Dominoes)
Key to the Highway(Derek and the Dominoes)
Layla(Derek and the Dominoes)
Push Push(Herbie Mann)
Darkness(Soul Survivors)
Beads of Sweat(Laura Nyro)
Loan Me a Dime(Boz Scaggs)
Finding Her(Boz Scaggs)
Hey Jude(Wilson Pickett)
Relativity(Sam Samudio)
Road of Love(Clarence Carter)
I Walk on Gilded Splinters(Johnny Jenkins)
Down Along the Cove(Johnny Jenkins)
Rollin' Stone(Johnny Jenkins)
Voodoo in You(Johnny Jenkins)
The Weight(Aretha Franklin)
It Ain't Fair(Aretha Franklin)
Come On In My Kitchen(Delaney and Bonnie)
Livin' On the Open Road(Delaney and Bonnie)
Don't Want Me Around(Delaney and Bonnie)
Hey Joe(King Curtis)
Foot Pattin'(King Curtis)
Games People Play(King Curtis)
Dirty Old Man(Lulu)
Shake For Me(John Hammond)


Live

Statesboro Blues(At Fillmore East)
Trouble No More(At Fillmore East)
Don't Keep Me Wondering(At Fillmore East)
Done Somebody Wrong(At Fillmore East)
Stormy Monday(At Fillmore East)
One Way Out(At Fillmore East)
You Don't Love Me(At Fillmore East)
Midnight Rider(At Fillmore East)
Hot 'Lanta(At Fillmore East)
In Memory of Elizabeth Reed(At Fillmore East)
Whipping Post(At Fillmore East)
Mountain Jam(At Fillmore East)
Drunk Hearted Boy(At Fillmore East)
Blue Sky(Live at Stonybrook)


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Trey ANASTASIO (Phish, solo)
list by San Tropez

Select Live tracks(with links)

Slave to the Traffic Light 11/26/1994 Link
You Enjoy Myself 12/9/1995 Link
David Bowie 6/18/1994 Link
Run Like an Antelope 12/31/1993 Link
Harry Hood 10/29/1994 Link
Reba 10/31/1994 Link Link
Divided Sky 6/18/1994 Link
Fluffhead 8/17/1996 Link
Tweezer 6/18/1994 Link
Possum 5/17/1992 Link
Down with Disease 10/29/1994 Link
Yamar 11/2/1996 Link
Bathtub Gin 6/28/2000 Link
Stash 7/8/1994 Link
Piper 12/29/2003 Link Link Link
Split Open and Melt 6/11/1994 Link
Mike's Song 4/16/1992 Link
Weekapaug Groove 12/6/1996 Link
Chalk Dust Torture 7/10/1999 Link
Julius 10/31/1994 Link


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Jeff BECK (The Yardbirds, Jeff Beck Group, solo, session work)
list by George

Top guitar pieces overall (for whatever it's worth, my comments on each are included below)
-Seasons
-Where Were You
-Cause We've Ended As Lovers
-Goodbye Porkpie Hat
-Nadia
-Diamond Dust
-JB's Blues
-Two Rivers
-Angel (Footsteps)
-Trouble Man

______________________________________________________________________

Jeff has an extensive session discography from the early- and mid-1960s.
This clip includes five early tracks. It's mostly screamy, bluesy guitar playing... it's certainly edgy but it doesn't stray too far from his influences, and pales in comparison to what was to come... but still some of the best guitar work to be heard from 1964-65. My favorite of these is the Tridents' "Wandering Man Blues".
Five more, later tracks here. The best of these is "But She's Mine" by John's Children, featuring this hot guitar break.
(his session work from 1967 and onwards is listed below)


Yardbirds (1965-66)
-Jeff's Boogie (chuck berry on steroids; excellent showcase of jeff's abilities at the time; live staple)
-The Train Kept A Rollin' (big proto-metal sound: some of the heaviest, most devastating guitar work recorded up til 1965)
-You're a Better Man Than I (classic solo)
-Shapes of Things (classic solo)
-Happenings Ten Years Time Ago (jeff + jimmy; in/famous for the psychedelic freak-out guitar break in the middle)
-Over Under Sideways Down (one of the first attempts to introduce exotic influences to rock guitar and rock music)
-Heart Full of Soul (ditto)

Jeff Beck Group era (1967-1973)
Plynth (riffathon extraordinaire)
Definitely Maybe (classic theme, beautiful slide work)
Ice Cream Cakes (features a brief, but freaky, ADD-inspired solo)
Beck's Bolero (jeff on lead, jimmy on rhythm, moon on drums and vocals)
Blues Deluxe (lots of guitar here for those who enjoy beck's heavy blooze [size=10]imnotoneofthem)[/size]
Greensleeves (english renaissance warhorse given a pretty steel-string acoustic treatment)

Beck Bogert & Appice (1973-74)
their lone studio album is mediocre... the live album is where it's at... so i'll make an exception and offer these:
Superstition
Black Cat Moan
Lady

fusion period (ca. 1975 - 1980)
Cause We've Ended As Lovers (an all-time great guitar piece; inspired by and dedicated to roy buchanan; a great live staple)
Diamond Dust (masterpiece composition; exceptionally beautifully built solo from jeff - both the dynamic and harmonic tension and release are simply masterful)
Goodbye Porkpie Hat (jmac's version may be more influential... i think this one is even better; utter genius)
The Final Peace (an underrated masterpiece; at least leslie west agrees with this)
Led Boots (classic theme, volcanic solo)
Love Is Green (half acoustic, half electric beauty)
El Becko (wailing guitar work)


transition period - Flash (1985) - most songs are mediocre by jeff's standards, imo, but the playing is still top notch
People Get Ready (with Rod Stewart)
Gets Us All in the End (features beck's impressive EVH-inspired lead work)
You Know We Know (the best guitar song on the album)
Back On the Streets (best song on the album, and jeff's guitar is all over this)


Crazy Legs (1993) is an album of Gene Vincent covers where Beck replicates all off Cliff Gallup's solos. You can hear the whole thing here.

modern period (1989-now)
Where Were You (a holy grail for guitarists; joe satriani's favorite guitar piece of all time; played almost entirely using harmonics)
Nadia (it's all already been said; a modern classic; sheer beauty)
Seasons (the most tightly composed piece beck ever conceived of... the apex of all electric guitar)
JB's Blues
Two Rivers (one of the most beautiful themes ever played electric guitar, done entirely using harmonics)
Brush With the Blues (jeff's most successful concert piece of the past 10+ years; the studio version is relatively tame but still excellent)
Angel (Footsteps) (beautiful theme, beautiful soloing... another piece best experienced live, esp. with jeff's inclination to bring it to a climax by playing slide beyond the fretboard)
Blackbird (duet with an actual bird; apparently beck used a kitchen fork to coax the sounds out of his axe here)
Blast from the East
Declan (a donal lunny piece... beauty to die for)
Grease Monkey
Suspension (perhaps the most pensive and introspective piece beck's ever recorded; gorgeous and brilliant)
Trouble Man (some of the nastiest guitar tones ever put on record; maybe the ultimate example of the way jeff has managed to tame the instrument and make it do whatever he wants; unique and mind-boggling from a technical perspective)
Somewhere Over the Rainbow (sublime; best served live)
Nessun Dorma (...ditto)
Hammerhead (jeff's latest instant classic)
Bulgaria (what else can i say - jeff has an ear for wonderful melodies)
Roy's Toy (tonal wankery extravaganza - i mean this in the best way possible - i love it; exciting experience live)
Another Place (beautiful stately theme, almost baroque in mood)
Behind the Veil (minimalistic piece by jeff's standards, with very nice themes)
Line Dancing With the Monkeys
Guitar Shop (clearly work of a guitar fetishist, made for other guitar feitishists; bozzio narrating)
Big Block (very noodly and very good)


Top Session Work (1967 and onward) :

The Essentials:
Skinthieves - Moodswings (1992; "america's most wanted" theme song; epic playing from jeff)
Amazing Grace - Merry Axemas (1997)
A Day in the Life - George Martin (1998; a very popular concert staple)
Django - John McLaughlin (1995)
Looking For Another Pure Love - Stevie Wonder (1972; "do it, jeff...")
What God Wants, Part III - Roger Waters (1992; pink floyd's first choice to replace syd barrett was beck, who refused the invitation... well, this is what floyd may have sounded like with beck. not too shabby)
Journey to Love - Stanley Clarke (1975; classic solo)
Hello Jeff - Stanley Clarke (1975)
Three Wishes - Roger Waters (1992; also from Amused to Death)
Drown in My Own Tears - Lulu (this is a famous live version too, without Lulu)
House of the Blue Danube - Malcolm McLaren (1989)
Rock & Roll Jelly - Stanley Clarke (1978)
Saint and the Rascal - Narada Michael Walden (1976)
Legalise Me - Pretenders (1999)
Everyday I Have the Blues - Jimmy Copley
Rocking at Midnight - Honeydrippers (1984)
The Guv'nor - Brian May (1998)


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Eric CLAPTON (Yardbirds, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, Blind Faith, Derek & the Dominoes, solo)
list by Negative Creep and Wanted Dead or Alive

Studio (listed in chronological order; album in parentheses):

Have You Heard (John Mayall's Bluesbreakers w/Eric Clapton)
Hideaway (John Mayall's Bluesbreakers w/ Eric Clapton)
Steppin' Out (John Mayall's Bluesbreakers w/Eric Clapton)
Sleepy Time Time (Fresh Cream)
Sunshine Of Your Love (Disraeli Gears)
Tales Of Brave Ulysses (Disraeli Gears)
White Room (Wheels Of Fire)
Sitting On Top Of The World (Wheels Of Fire)
Had To Cry Today (Blind Faith)
Presence Of The Lord (Blind Faith)
Let It Rain (Eric Clapton)
Have You Ever Loved A Woman (Layla)
Key To The Highway (Layla)
I Shot The Sheriff (461 Ocean Boulevard)
While My Guitar Gently Weeps (The Beatles)
Five Long Years (From The Cradle)
Someday After A While (From The Cradle)
Groaning The Blues (From The Cradle)

Live:

Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad (Live At The Fillmore)
Crossroads (Wheels Of Fire)
Have You Ever Loved A Woman (Live At The Fillmore)
Spoonful (Wheels Of Fire)
While My Guitar Gentle Weeps (Concert For George)
She's Gone (One More Car, One More Rider)
Double Trouble (Live at MSG)
Voodoo Child (Live at MSG)
Old Love (24 Nights)
Edge Of Darkness (24 Nights)


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Marty FRIEDMAN (Megadeth, Cacophony, solo)
list by Sid_Vicious_24

Top Ten

Valley of Eternity (Solo): this is it, boy; you won’t get better than this. Just when you thought you’d seen it all, Marty comes with a powerful guitar solo to end slowly. Enchanting song, simply the best.
Forbidden City (Solo): this is Marty showing skills, but more showing how to use those skills. Every single second counts here.
Tornado of Souls (Megadeth): coolest guitar solo in metal. Yeah, just that.
The Ninja (Cacophony): for me, the best by Cacophony come with the exotic songs, the ones that sound a little dark, like this. No offense to Jason Becker (I love him), but the best by this band came when Marty showed his style.
Hangar 18 (Megadeth): you know what’s so great about this song? The way Marty let his hands fly, he sounds really free. He’s too professional to think he improvised but the way he plays here is so fresh, even when the tempo changes he looks so sure. It’s always easy when you have Dave Mustaine playing with you, of course.
Lovesorrow (Solo): this melody is so cool, you close your eyes and you’re in a new world, full of guitars coming from nowhere.
Glowing Path (Solo): this is one of his most complex works, with so many changes, using scales that I’m still trying to get. The whole song could be an opera.
Devil Take You Tomorrow (Solo): to be honest, the perfection of this songs scares me. The variety of sounds makes you believe that that guitar has its own life.
Bittersweet (Solo): this is a weird choice, I guess, but it shows the Arabian style that Marty loves. Wonderful piece.
Speed Metal Symphony (Cacophony): well, this is like the Holy Bible of guitar virtuosity.

Runners-Up (still great)

Coloreas Mi Vida (Solo)
Concerto (Cacophony)
Dragon Mistress (Solo)
High Speed Dirt (Megadeth)
Jewel (Solo)
Lucretia (Megadeth)
Namida (Solo)
Night (Solo)
Saturation Point (Solo)
Thunder March (Solo)


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Jerry GARCIA (Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia Band, solo, session work)
list by San Tropez

Eyes of the World (10/19/1974, Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack)
Dark Star (10/31/1971, Dick's Picks Vol 2)
Weather Report Suite (6/28/1974, Dick's Picks Vol 12)
Music Never Stopped (5/7/1977, Link)
Mississippi Half Step Uptown Toodeloo (9/3/1977, Dick's Picks Vol 15)
Franklin's Tower (5/9/1977, Link)
That's It for the Other One (2/14/1970, Dick's Picks Vol 4)
Hard to Handle (8/6/1971, Link)
Playing in the Band (8/27/1972, Link)
Dancing in the Streets (5/2/1970, Dick's Picks Vol 8)
Morning Dew (5/26/1972, Europe '72)
Not Fade Away>Going Down the Road Feeling Bad (8/7/1971, Dick's Picks Vol 35)
Sugaree (5/22/1977, Dick's Picks Vol 3)
Truckin' (11/6/1977, Link)
Scarlet Begonias>Fire on the Mountain (5/8/1977, Link)


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David GILMOUR (Pink Floyd, solo)
list by a_man_named_gray


Atom Heart Mother- Probably David Gilmour's first classic performance, the twenty three minute epic contains wonderous playing.

Time- The blessedly drawn-out notes and expert bends in this solo make for some beautiful music.

Money- This song is a classic rock staple due in no small part to Gilmour's massive guitar solo.

Any Colour You Like- With an irresistable watery tone, the guitar of this song makes for a groovy and highly texturized instrumental.

Shine On You Crazy Diamond(Pts. I-V)- This benchmark, nine-part suite has numerous stylistic shifts, and the each movement is kept moving along by Gilmour's soloing ability.

Shine On You Crazy Diamond(Pts. VI-IX)- See previous.

Have a Cigar- Not a bad hook at the beginning, but the end solo is what its all about. Absolutely ripping.

Wish You Were Here- Great acoustic play from Gilmour, something I wish he tried more often. Fantastic heartfelt intro solo.

Pigs(Three Different Ones)- Aside from another vintage Gilmour performance, he interestingly also plays bass on this song.

Dogs- Kept afloat by rigourous strumming and typical electric excellence, this seventeen minute marvel doesn't have dull moment.

Hey You- A somewhat ominous performance, the wailing guitar and powerful rhythm behind make the most of the time Gilmour was allotted for this one.

Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2- Very nice playing at the end, love the relaxed feel of it.

The Thin Ice- Some powerful playing here, the mighty notes that introduce the solo are enough to send shivers down any spine.

Comfortably Numb- No introduction needed.

On the Turning Away- Sounds pretty much like any Gilmour solo, but it is a great one.

Marooned- Wonderful lamenting solo, probably his best recorded performance since Comf. Numb

Coming Back to Life- Great guitar all around, Gilmour plays with a bit of twang here.

High Hopes


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Peter GREEN (Fleetwood Mac, Bluesbreakers, solo)
list by Nick-ola

The Fundamentals of Green:
studio work only

The Supernatural (Bluesbreakers)
Oh Well, parts 1 & 2
Need Your Love So Bad
Albatross

Recommended Further Listening:

The Apostle (solo)
Love That Burns
Merry Go Round
Temperature Is Rising 100.2F (with Otis Spann)
Black Magic Woman
The Stumble (Bluesbreakers)
My Love Depends On You (with Otis Spann)
Out of Reach (Bluesbreakers)
Stop Messin' Round
Love That Burns

All tracks with Fleetwood Mac, unless otherwise stated.


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Steve HACKETT (Genesis, solo)
list by Forgotten Son

The Musical Box (Genesis, 1971) Our first introduction to Steve Hackett's playing after he joined Genesis and he does so in a very restrained manner, adding very simple layers of guitar and faint arpeggios to add depth to the track rather than dominate it. That is until about 7 minutes in where and Banks tears things up with a storm of duelling lead guitar and keyboard.

The Return of Giant Hogweed (Genesis, 1971) This one features Hackett far more prominently, starting off with one of the first examples of two-handed tapping in rock playing a classical-sounding motif in harmony with Banks' keyboard, some solid riffing throughout and a top-notch solo toward the end.

Horizons (Genesis, 1972) An early example of Hackett's classical guitar playing. A development on a theme from a Bach piece, this is relatively simple but nonetheless beautiful for that.

Supper's Ready (Genesis, 1972) This 23 minute epic features a large amount of superb playing, including another tapping lick and some brilliant riffing in 9/8 time. My favourite bit, though, comes during the climax of the song with Hackett playing a flurry of lead licks, bends and volume swells which lead into and embellish a repeated theme.

Dancing With the Moonlit Knight (Genesis, 1973) Very probably my favourite Hackett performance with Genesis. The simple chord riff with the bridging trill he plays at the beginning and end of this song (and reprises on a later one) is beautiful. What originally hit me about this song however, was his barnstorming solo around 3 minutes in after Banks kicks in with a proto-metal keyboard riff. Awesome stuff.


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Eddie HAZEL (Funkadelic, solo)
list by George

Maggot Brain (Funkadelic) (if the electric guitar ever needed to justify its existence, this is it...)
Super Stupid (Funkadelic) (and if he never made Maggot Brain, this song would still guarantee Eddie a place in the rock guitar pantheon... scorching hot playing!!)
California Dreamin (solo)
Pray My Soul (Axiom Funk)
I Want You (solo)
Good Thoughts Bad Thoughts (Funkadelic)
Free Your Mind and Your Ass Will Follow (Funkadelic)
Unkut Funk (solo)
Orbitron Attack (Axiom Funk)
I'll Stay (Funkadelic)
Hit It and Quit It (Funkadelic)
Red Hot Mama (Funkadelic)
Vital Juices (Funkadelic) (the extended part of "Red Hot Mama" featuring Hazel's guitar jam)
Comin' Round the Mountain (Funkadelic)
From the Bottom of My Soul (solo) (another equally great version of it exists as We Three on the album Rest in P)
Un Bel Di (Ruth Copeland)
Gimme Shelter (Ruth Copeland & Funkadelic)
The Medal (Ruth Copeland)
Miss Lucifer's Love (Funkadelic)
Soul Mate (Funkadelic) (a 7 minute instrumental counterpart to the original tune; found on P-Funk Demos & Outtakes)
Frantic Moment (solo)
Physical Love (solo)
Shakey Ground (Temptations) (rhythm guitar only)


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Eric JOHNSON (solo)
list by rockvirtuoso

(definitive version in parentheses)

Cliffs of Dover (any recording)
Desert Rose (studio)
Trademark (studio)
Trail of Tears (Live from Austin, TX)
Manhattan (G3)
Zap (G3/Live from Austin, TX)
Camels Night Out (G3 / Live from Austin, TX)
Rain (Alien Love Child)
Soulful Terrain (Live in Austin [7:38 track length])
East Wes (studio / Live from Austin, TX)
Lonely in the Night (studio)
All About You (studio)
Last House on the Block (Alien Love Child)
Song for George (studio)


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Terry KATH (Chicago)
list by George

The Big Five:
-25 or 6 to 4 (simply put, the greatest in-song rock guitar solo by anyone ever, in addition to the excellent background soloing!)
-Oh, Thank You Great Spirit (terry's godly tribute to jimi... no comment necessary)
-The Approaching Storm (furious funk strumming throughout, then a stunning jazzy solo)
-I'm a Man (brilliant volume knob and wah work here)
-In the Country (this is like a rock guitar concerto, of sorts, as the guitar is engaged in constant active interplay with the rest of the band through the song)

The Rest:
-Southern California Purples (blues by rednecks = purples classic riff, cool solo with a very nasty tone - negga would love it)
-Song of the Evergreens (top-notch strumming, excellent guitar moans and screams in the background to build intensity, capped off by a nice outro solo)
-Darlin' Dear (probably the premier example of terry's slide playing)
-A Hit by Varese (some insanely cool background soloing towards the end)
-Aire (terry plays his patented speedy jazzy solo here - it's very good, yet i'm afraid it's the worst thing about this song, but just because the rest of it is so good)
-Questions 67 & 68 (brief shredding in the intro)
-Scrapbook (killer guitar hooks, wah solo at the end)
-Takin' It On Uptown (plenty of guitar with plenty of wah)
-Make Me Smile (brief furious solo towards the end; not included on the single version)
-Fancy Colours (solo towards the end)
-I Don't Want Your Money (solo towards the end)
-Liberation (looong solo - no ADD cases allowed)
-Poem 58 (again, plenty of guitar kickassery here for kath fans)
-Introduction (featuring one of terry's more well-known solos, but i'm guessing mostly due to the overall quality of the song)
-Sing a Mean Tune Kid (long jammy solo for the last 5 minutes)
-Italian From New York (wah drenched solo)
-Lowdown (typical wah kath solo, fine strumming)
-Listen (typical if unoutstanding solo)
-Dialogue I & II (first-rate strumming, wah background solo towards the end)
-State of the Union (background soloing towards the end)


Songs based on Kath's strumming:
-Free
-Byblos (acoustic)
-Happy 'Cause I'm Going Home (acoustic)
-An Hour in the Shower suite (acoustic)
-Your Love's an Attitude (acoustic)
-Mississippi City Delta Blues (acoustic/electric)
-Jenny
-Just You 'N' Me

Dishonorable mention:
-Free Form Guitar (the sounds of a guitar crying out for help)


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Paul KOSSOFF (Free, solo)
list by Nick

Back Street Crawler (solo)
Time Away (solo)
Tuesday Morning (solo)
Tuesday Morning Piano Jam (solo)
Dying Fire (Kossoff, Kirke, Tetsu, Rabbit)
Just For The Box (Kossoff, Kirke, Tetsu, Rabbit)
Fool’s Life (Kossoff, Kirke, Tetsu, Rabbit)
You And Me (Jim Capaldi)
Mr Big* (Free)
The Stealer (Free)
Come Together In The Morning (Free)
Heavy Load (Free)
Remember (Free)
Fire And Water (Free)
Be My Friend (Free)
I Know Why The Sun Don’t Shine (Frankie Miller)
Walk In My Shadow* (Free)
All Right Now (Free)
Fire And Water* (Free)
The Hunter* (Free)

*= live


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Dave MUSTAINE (Megadeth)
list by Negative Creep

The Definite Three :

Rust In Peace...Polaris
Holy Wars...The Punishment Due
Wake Up Dead

The Others(riffing still reigns supreme )


In My Darkest Hour
Five Magics
Ashes In Your Mouth
Skull Beneath The Skin
The Conjuring
Into The Lungs Of Hell
Set The World Afire
Kick the Chair
Take no Prisoners
The Mechanix


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Jack WHITE (The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather)
list by Pave

The Defining Three:

"Catch Hell Blues”.
This is exactly the track i would tell people to listen to for Jack White's musical mission-statement: repeated phrases, single-note attacks (a la Neil Young), sloppy delta blues licks (complete with missed notes), loud distorted riffs that weave in and out (and have several variations throughout), shifting levels/tempos, etc. he is not everyone's cup of tea, but you'll probably know if he's for you or not by listening to this.

"Ball and Biscuit"
perhaps the ultimate and most popular defense for most Jack White fans as an example of his talent as a guitarist, mainly because it seems basically designed as a jam for him to improv (i wouldn't be surprised if he improvised it in the studio).the thing that draws me in is the riff and the smaller licks that fill the gaps. the studio version doesn't do justice to his live versions, which you can find all over youtube.

"Seven Nation Army"
the riff that single-handedly made Jack White a guitar-icon and simultaneously made him the most despised guitarist in the world It's the most recognizable riff of the 00s, a throwback to Page/Blackmore riffs, and probably the most overplayed song among beginning guitarists next to "Smoke on the Water" since it was released.

Other essentials :

''Black Math'' .... with that signature dirty sound, signature riff and signature soloing style
"Let's Build a Home/Going Back to Memphis"... the essential live Jack White performance from Conan, a tour de force of punk-blues
"I Fought Piranhas"... the studio version is not all Jack, but the Under Blackpool Lights version is killer and its all Jack. and there is an awesome softer version of it from It Might Get Loud (deleted scene)
"I'm Slowly Turning Into You"... first that extremely dirty riff about a minute in and then the even dirtier solo in the middle
"Screwdriver"... Brilliant Billy Gibbons-esque riff that he repeats throughout
"300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues"... stream-of-consciousness structure with "torrential outpours" of distorted awesomeness
"Death Letter"... Son House was punk blues before punk blues existed, and White does a hell of a tribute with this
"Icky Thump"... that riff in between the verses is superb
"Level"... particularly the live music video version
"Blue Orchid"... the much heavier, spiritual successor to "Seven Nation Army"
"You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told)"... really belongs in the mid 70s
"Salute Your Solution"... with Brendan Benson, they power out a monster classic-rock riff as good as any i've heard


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Jesus, this list is gonna be hella long if all the lists are like that.

nah it doesnt need to be , see the difference is that these arent official , its not going to be numbered ..... so id appreciate any form of input , and on guitarists well known to most , we can discuss and put the names ..... that was an extensively done list by George, and by all means, if anybody can put in so much effort for one guitarist, so be it .....

very good. i'll help you edit it, yousha. btw i included "free form guitar" because it really is an infamous track and should be there. do you think we could include little bios, like the one i did? this could be a more complete guitarist information booth type of thread. (although we'll have to think about organizing it most optimally, otherwise it'll get bloated quickly)

beck coming (either today or tomorrow)

thanks very much for the support George , and i thought one shouldnt mention negative tracks, but if it really should be there, then be my guest ....

and yeah , with bios would be awesome i think .... it'll be very comprehensive and a brilliant place to go to for all guests/new posters ......

again , thanks much

best new thread in this place in a long time imo.

thanks pave, and contribute ? im sure you could do it on Jack White, and the input would be appreciated

I think I can make something with Marty Friedman, if you're OK with it (after all, he's not a beloved one here).

dude, any guitarist on the list would work ... and Marty's top 50 , this is supposed to be a place where people can turn to and find great recs of all guitarists .... so be my guest.... id have valley of eternity tops for him Btw .....

absolutely... do it.
marty used to be quite popular here about 5-6 years ago when this place was teeming with metalheads.
i also hope you include a lot of his solo work, from what i recall it contains my favorite playing by him (-:

If you're going to do Marty Friedman, you owe it to yourself to listen to these

and it doesnt need to be done by one person of course, if people are in disagreement over a song, of course there shall be discussion before the final list is put up ....

i think it's okay if multiple people come up with lists for the same guitarist... of course, ideally, we'd have only one strong list for each... but, i just don't want to discourage people from making a list for their favorite player just because there is one already

Do all these lists have to have the same structure as Kath's?

No, the lists aren't expected to be that thorough. And George's was meant for Nick anyway.