Top 10 Best Guitarists of All Time

Nicknamed "Slowhand" and "God" by London fans, Clapton bridged British blues and rock with unmatched tone and emotional depth across six decades.

Led Zeppelin's architect played everything from delicate acoustic finger-picking to thunderous stadium riffs, combining studio genius with live ferocity.

The father of rock'n'roll — Berry's duck-walk, double-string bends, and propulsive rhythms gave the electric guitar its defining vocabulary.

"Eruption" was a two-minute shock to the music world. Van Halen single-handedly reinvented rock guitar technique and inspired a generation of players.

The King of Blues and his beloved guitar "Lucille" produced a vocal, sustain-heavy style that influenced every rock and blues guitarist who followed.

The mythic Delta bluesman who supposedly sold his soul at the crossroads — Johnson's 29 recordings from the 1930s are the bedrock of rock'n'roll.

The Stones' human riff machine — Richards' open-G tuning and infectious groove-based playing made the Rolling Stones the greatest rock'n'roll band in the world.

Santana's melodic Latin-rock fusion and lyrical sustain created a signature sound instantly recognizable anywhere in the world.

SRV revived the blues for the MTV generation with a jaw-dropping technique and raw emotional power that packed stadiums before his tragic death in 1990.

Nicknamed "Slowhand" and "God" by London fans, Clapton bridged British blues and rock with unmatched tone and emotional depth across six decades.

Led Zeppelin's architect played everything from delicate acoustic finger-picking to thunderous stadium riffs, combining studio genius with live ferocity.

The father of rock'n'roll — Berry's duck-walk, double-string bends, and propulsive rhythms gave the electric guitar its defining vocabulary.

"Eruption" was a two-minute shock to the music world. Van Halen single-handedly reinvented rock guitar technique and inspired a generation of players.

The King of Blues and his beloved guitar "Lucille" produced a vocal, sustain-heavy style that influenced every rock and blues guitarist who followed.

The mythic Delta bluesman who supposedly sold his soul at the crossroads — Johnson's 29 recordings from the 1930s are the bedrock of rock'n'roll.

The Stones' human riff machine — Richards' open-G tuning and infectious groove-based playing made the Rolling Stones the greatest rock'n'roll band in the world.

Santana's melodic Latin-rock fusion and lyrical sustain created a signature sound instantly recognizable anywhere in the world.

SRV revived the blues for the MTV generation with a jaw-dropping technique and raw emotional power that packed stadiums before his tragic death in 1990.