Music Militia Top 100 Guitarist

Guitar World has picked the 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists for their upcoming March 2004 issue, while the magazine states:

"This is not a list that ranks who can play the fastest or with the most taste, feeling or technique (although many players on our list have all of those arrows in their quiver)," the editors stress in the accompanying introduction. "It is, rather, a tribute to the great men who shit iron and piss stainless steel razor blades, and do it every time they plug into an amplifier."

Although this list has a lot of great guitarists which no doubt are "top metal guitarists" (like Kirk Hammet of Metallica, Slash of Guns N' Roses, Eddie Van Halen, Tom Morello and many many more), it is also include some definitely not metal guitarists, like Jimy Page of Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and Joe Perry.


1. Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath)
2. Kirk Hammett & James Hetfield (Metallica)
3. Angus & Malcolm Young (AC/DC)
4. Randy Rhoads (Ozzy Osbourne)
5. Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen)
6. Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)
7. Dimebag Darrell (Pantera, Damageplan)
8. Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society)
9. Adam Jones (Tool)
10. Kerry King & Jeff Hanneman (Slayer)
11. Dave Murray & Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden)
12. Jimi Hendrix
13. Glen Tipton & K.K. Downing (Judas Priest)
14. Ace Frehley & Paul Stanley (Kiss)
15. Slash (Guns N' Roses)
16. Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple, Rainbow)
17. Yngwie Malmsteen
18. Joe Perry & Brad Whitford (Aerosmith)
19. Dave Mustaine & Marty Friedman (Megadeth)
20. Chuck Schuldiner (Death)
21. Brian May (Queen)
22. Michael Schenker (Msg, Ufo)
23. Nigel Tufnel (Spinal Tap)
24. Jeff Beck
25. Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine)
26. Head & Munky (Korn)
27. John Petrucci (Dream Theater)
28. Kim Thayil (Soundgarden)
29. Vivian Campbell (Def Leppard)
30. Daron Malakian (System Of A Down)
31. Scott Ian (Anthrax)
32. Tom G. Warrior (Celtic Frost)
33. Chris Degarmo & Michael Wilton (Queensryche)
34. C.C. Deville
35. Marten Hagström & Fredrik Thorndendal (Meshuggah)
36. Alex Lifeson (Rush)
37. Paul Gilbert (Mr. Big, Racer X)
38. Jerry Cantrell (Alice In Chains)
39. Mantas (Venom)
40. Jason Becker (Dave Lee Roth)
41. Phil Collen & Steve Clarke (Def Leppard)
42. Mikael Ã…kerfeldt & Peter Lindgren (Opeth)
43. Fast Eddie Clarke (Motorhead)
44. Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme)
45. Warren Demartini (Ratt)
46. Mick Mars (Motley Crue)
47. George Lynch (Dokken)
48. Ted Nugent
49. Jake E. Lee (Ozzy Osbourne, Badlands)
50. Rudolf Schenker & Uli John Roth (Scorpions)
51. Oystein "Euronymous" Aarseth (Mayhem)
52. Scott Gorham & Brian Robertson (Thin Lizzy)
53. Steve Vai (Dave Lee Roth)
54. Reb Beach (Winger, Dokken)
55. Trey Azagthoth (Morbid Angel)
56. John Sykes (Thin Lizzy, Blue Murder)
57. Hank Shermann & Michael Denner (Mercyful Fate)
58. Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi)
59. Jon Donais & Matt Backhand (Shadows Fall)
60. Stephen Carpenter (Deftones)
61. Alex Skolnick & Eric Peterson (Testament)
62. Brian Tatler (Diamond Head)
63. John Christ (Danzig)
64. Scott "Wino" Weinrich (The Obsessed)
65. Pepper Keenan & Woody Weatherman (C.O.C.)
66. Tommy Victor (Prong)
67. Leslie West (Mountain)
68. Vernon Reid (Living Colour)
69. Glen Buxton & Michael Bruce (Alice Cooper)
70. Bjorn Gelotte & Jesper Stromblad (In Flames)
71. Jim Matheos (Fates Warning)
72. Gary Holt & Rick Hunolt (Exodus)
73. Donald Buck Dharma Roeser (Blue Oyster Cult)
74. Michael Amott (Arch Enemy)
75. Robert Fripp (King Crimson)
76. Andre Olbrich (Blind Guardian)
77. Joe Satriani
78. Frank Hannon & Tommy Skeoch (Tesla)
79. Ty Tabor (King's X)
80. Mark Morton & Will Adler (Lamb Of God)
81. Dino Cazares (Fear Factory)
82. Pete Townshend (The Who)
83. Jon Schaffer (Iced Earth)
84. Timo Tolkki (Stratovarius)
85. Neil Young
86. Abbath Doom Occulta (Immortal)
87. Kai Hansen (Gamma Ray)
88. Uffe Cederlund & Alex Hellid (Entombed)
89. Leigh Stephens (Blue Cheer)
90. Jim Martin (Faith No More)
91. Michael Romeo (Symphony X)
92. Bill Steer (Carcass)
93. Piggy (Voivod)
94. Tony Bourge (Budgie)
95. Sammy Hagar (Van Halen)
96. Alexi Laiho (Children Of Bodom)
97. Akira Takasaki (Loudness)
98. Michael Angelo
99. John Kay & Michael Monarh (Steppenwolf)
100. Nick Bowcott (Grim Reaper

100 Greatest Solos Of All-time

100 Greatest Solos Of All-time
Readers' Choice from Guitar World magazine, September 1998
Stairway To Heaven - Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page)
Eruption - Van Halen (Edward Van Halen)
Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd (Allen Collins, Gary Rossington)
Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd (David Gilmour)
All Along The Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix
November Rain - Guns N' Roses (Slash)
One - Metallica (Kirk Hammett)
Hotel California - The Eagles (Joe Walsh and Don Felder)
Crazy Train - Ozzy Osborne (Randy Rhoads)
Crossroads - Cream (Eric Clapton)
Voodoo Child (Slight Return) - Jimi Hendrix
Johnny B Goode - Chuck Berry
Texas Flood - Stevie Ray Vaughan
Layla - Derek and the Dominos (Eric Clapton and Duane Allman)
Floods - Pantera (Dimebag Darrell)
Heartbreaker - Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page)
Cliffs Of Dover - Eric Johnson
Little Wing - Jimi Hendrix
Highway Star - Deep Purple (Ritchie Blackmore)
Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen (Brian May)
Time - Pink Floyd (David Gilmour)
Sultans Of Swing - Dire Straits (Mark Knopfler)
Bulls On Parade - Rage Against The Machine (Tom Morello)
Fade To Black - Metallica (Kirk Hammett)
Aqualung - Jethro Tull (Martin Barre)
Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana (Kurt Cobain)
Pride And Joy - Stevie Ray Vaughan
Mr Crowley - Ozzy Osborne (Randy Rhoads)
For The Love Of God - Steve Vai
Surfing With The Alien - Joe Satriani
Stranglehold - Ted Nugent
Machine Gun - Jimi Hendrix
The Thrill Is Gone - BB King
Paranoid Android - Radiohead (Johnny Greenwood)
Cemetery Gates - Pantera (Dimebag Darrell)
Black Star - Yngwie Malmsteen
Sweet Child O' Mine - Guns N' Roses (Slash)
Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page)
Cortez The Killer - Neil Young
Reeling In The Years - Steely Dan (Elliot Randall)
Brighton Rock - Queen (Brian May)
While My Guitar Gently Weeps - The Beatles (Eric Clapton and George Harrison)
Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Top (Billy Gibbons)
Alive - Pearl Jam (Mark McCready)
Light My Fire - The Doors (Robbie Krieger)
Hot For Teacher - Van Halen (Edward Van Halen)
Jessica - The Allman Brothers Band (Dicky Betts)
Sympathy For The Devil - The Rolling Stones (Keith Richards)
Europa - Santana (Carlos Santana)
Shock Me - Kiss (Ace Frehley)
Master of Puppets - Metallica (Kirk Hammett)
The Star Spangled Banner - Jimi Hendrix
Since I've Been Loving You - Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page)
Geek USA - The Smashing Pumpkins (Billy Corgan)
Satch Boogie - Joe Satriani
War Pigs - Black Sabbath (Tony Iommi)
Walk - Pantera (Dimebag Darrell)
Cocaine - Eric Clapton
You Really Got Me - The Kinks (Dave Davies)
Zoot Allures - Frank Zappa
No More Tears - Ozzy Osborne (Zakk Wylde)
Money - Pink Floyd (David Gilmour)
Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden (Kim Thayil)
Little Red Corvette - Prince
In Bloom - Nirvana (Kurt Cobain)
Blue Sky - The Allman Brothers Band (Duane Allman & Dickey Betts)
Beat It - Michael Jackson (Edward Van Halen)
Starship Trooper - Yes (Steve Howe)
And Your Bird Can Sing - The Beatles (George Harrison)
Purple Haze - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Maggot Brain - Funkadelic (Eddie Hazel)
Walk This Way - Aerosmith (Joe Perry)
Stash - Phish (Trey Anastasio)
Lazy - Deep Purple (Ritchie Blackmore)
Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who (Pete Townshend)
Cinnamon Girl - Neil Young
Man In The Box - Alice In Chains (Jerry Cantrell)
Truckin' - The Grateful Dead (Jerry Garcia)
Mean Street - Van Halen (Edward Van Halen)
You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC (Angus Young)
Sweet Jane - Lou Reed (Steve Hunter & Dick Wagner)
21st Century Schizoid Man - King Crimson (Robert Fripp)
Scuttle Buttin - Steve Ray Vaughan
Santeria - Sublime (Brad Nowell)
Moonage Daydream - David Bowie (Mick Ronson)
Whipping Post - The Allman Brothers Band (Duane Allman & Dickey Betts)
Cult Of Personality - Living Color (Vernon Reid)
Kid Charlemagne - Steely Dan (Denny Dias)
Killing In The Name - Rage Against The Machine (Tom Morello)
Let It Rain - Eric Clapton
Heard It Through The Grapevine - Creedence Clearwater Revival (John Fogerty)
Stray Cat Strut - Stray Cats (Brian Setzer)
The End - The Doors (Robbie Krieger)
Working Man - Rush (Alex Lifeson)
Yellow Ledbetter - Pearl Jam (Mike McCready)
Honky Tonk Woman - The Rolling Stones (Keith Richards)
Cherub Rock - The Smashing Pumpkins (Billy Corgan)
Under A Glass Moon - Dream Theatre (John Petrucci)
Cause We've Ended As Lovers - Jeff Beck
Three Days - Jane's Addiction (Dave Navarro)