David Gilmour

Pink Floyd's sonic architect and one of the most emotionally devastating guitarists ever recorded, Gilmour sculpted sound with Fender Stratocasters, Big Muff fuzz pedals, and Hiwatt amplifiers to create the definitive landscape of progressive rock from 1968 onward. His solos on Comfortably Numb (The Wall, 1979) are routinely voted the greatest guitar solos in history, combining slow melodic bends, immaculate phrasing, and a tone so distinctive it is recognizable within a single note. On Wish You Were Here and Animals, he demonstrated that restraint is the most powerful tool a guitarist possesses.