93X presents… the maestros, the flame throwers, and the wizards who built rock & roll riff by riff. These are the 25 Most Iconic Guitarists.
Listen Weekdays at 2pm & 5pm as we pay tribute to the most iconic guitarists of all time. Sound off your thoughts on our Facebook page: 93X Radio
FYI: This list is in no particular order. We’ll update this page every weekday.
01.16
SLASH
[Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver & solo projects]
No one did more to popularize the epic guitar solo (or the top hat) than Slash, who managed to play some of rock’s most famous riffs along the way.
2pm: “Sweet Child of Mine”
5pm: “Civil War”
01.17
DIMEBAG DARRELL
[Pantera]
With his brutal grooves and melodic solos, Dimebag forged a path for modern metal that others have followed long after his passing.
2pm: “Walk”
5pm: “5 Minutes Alone”
01.18
JOHN FRUSCIANTE
[Red Hot Chili Peppers]
Perhaps the most decorated guitarist in alternative rock, Frusciante’s playing combines Hendrixian influences with funk, Beatle-esque melodies and punk rock, turning the Chili Peppers from outsiders into one of the biggest American bands in rock history.
2pm: “Higher Ground”
5pm: “Dani California”
01.19
EDDIE VAN HALEN
[Van Halen]
Eddie Van Halen revolutionized rock guitar and the rock instrumental, with his finger tapping solos and mind-bending riffs. An endless copied and completely original virtuoso.
2pm: “Unchained”
5pm: “Eruption”
01.20
ADAM JONES
[Tool]
Equally comfortable with metal riffs, and art rock atmospherics, Adam Jones has shunned the spotlight, but became one of hard rock’s most revered guitar players anyway.
2pm: “Jambi”
5pm: “46 & 2”
01.23
TONY IOMMI
[Black Sabbath]
Guitar World’s Greatest Hard Rock Guitarist of All-Time, Tony Iommi is credited by some as “inventing” heavy metal. His gargantuan riffs served as a model for both metal and grunge guitarists everywhere.
2pm: “Iron Man”
5pm: “Heaven and Hell”
01.24
MICK MARS
[Mötley Crüe]
Mick Mars’ bluesy riffs and aggressive solos helped to define an entire era of hard rock.
2pm: “Primal Scream”
5pm: “Kickstart My Heart”
01.25
JONNY GREENWOOD
[Radiohead]
Innovative art-rocker who’s penchant for effects and aggressive soloing have made him one of the most influential and admired players in the 21st Century. In his spare time, is a an Oscar Nominated film scorer and classical music star.
2pm: “Just”
5pm: “Paranoid Android”
01.26
DAVE MUSTAINE
[Metallica & Megadeth]
Guitar player in two of the “Big 4” metal bands, Dave Mustaine has done as much as anyone to popularize thrash metal.
2pm: “Holy Wars… (The Punishment Due)”
5pm: “Sweating Bullets”
01.27
TOM MORELLO
[Rage Against The Machine & Audioslave]
With thundering chords, and effects-driven solo pyrotechnics, Tom Morello reinvented guitar for the age of hip-hop across two titanic bands and several solo projects.
2pm: “Cochise”
5pm: “Bulls on Parade”
01.30
RANDY RHOADS
[Ozzy]
Rhoads combined classical and jazz influences and helped to create a style of soloing that became the dominant form for hard-rock in the 80’s. We lost him too soon.
2pm: “Crazy Train”
5pm: “Mr Crowley”
01.31
KERRY KING & JEFF HANNEMAN
[Slayer]
Kerry King & Jeff Hanneman of Slayer combined complex riffs and sinister solos to help invent thrash metal.
2pm: “Raining Blood”
5pm: “Seasons in the Abyss”
02.01
KIM THAYIL
[Soundgarden]
2pm: “My Wave”
5pm: “Rusty Cage”
The architect of the wall of sound that was Soundgarden, Kim Thayil’s dark tunings and sludgy sounds helped grunge get its name.
02.02
ALEX LIFESON
[Rush]
Lifeson’s ability to flill-out Rush’s power trio sound was so profound, he often felt like two players at once. His taste for lush arpeggios and blistering solos won him the admiration of generations of musicians around the world.
2pm: “Freewill”
5pm: “YYZ”
02.03
SYNYSTER GATES
[Avenged Sevenfold]
Twice named “Best Metal Guitarist in the World” by Total Guitar magazine, Synyster Gates combines classical and jazz influences with impeccable metal technique and brilliant style. Watch or listen to Pablo’s recent interview with Synyster Gates.
2pm: “Afterlife”
5pm: “Beast And The Harlot”
02.06
ADRIAN SMITH & DAVE MURRY
[Iron Maiden]
Adrian Smith & Dave Murry combined to bring melody and brutality to help create the kind of epic noise that matched the band’s artwork.
2pm: “Aces High”
5pm: “Run To The Hills”
02.07
PRINCE
Prince played more than 30 instruments, but he was most accomplished with that signature axe in his hand. Effortlessly flitting between, rock, pop, r&b, funk, and countless other genres, Prince was equalily comfortable bringing the rhythm or a blistering lead.
2pm: “Purple Rain”
5pm: “Best of You” (Live from the Super Bowl)
02.08
JERRY CANTRELL
[Alice in Chains]
One of the instrumental titans of Seattle, Jerry Cantrell mastered the dark riff, but was equally potent with an acoustic in his hands.
2pm: “Check My Brain”
5pm: “Man In The Box”
02.09
JIMI HENDRIX
Singlehandedly re-invented the instrument and influenced pretty much every player on the list, the story of rock guitar begins with Jimi Hendrix.
2pm: “All Along The Watchtower”
5pm: “Voodoo Child (Slight Return”
02.10
JACK WHITE
[White Stripes & Solo Projects]
Stitched together blues, hard rock, and indie rock to form an entirely new vision of roots music. Jack White is somehow traditional and completely new all at once.
2pm: “What’s The Trick?”
5pm: “Ball And A Biscuit”
02.13
ZAKK WYLDE
[Ozzy & Black Label Society]
One of the great ambassadors of heavy and outlaw music, Zakk Wylde has stood beside Ozzy, stood out on his own, and is about to step into Dimebag Darrell’s shoes on the new Pantera reunion.
2pm: “No More Tears”
5pm: “Stillborn”
02.14
ANGUS YOUNG
[AC/DC]
“Malcolm and Angus have done more with three chords than any human being on Earth” – Slash
2pm: “Thunderstruck”
5pm: “Let There Be Rock”
02.15
MIKE MCCREADY & STONE GOSSARD
[Pearl Jam]
Grunge’s greatest guitar duo, grafted punk influences on top of a Hendrix and Who foundation to create the blueprint for Pearl Jam’s sound. Their live improvisations have allowed the band to maintain the largest live show culture outside of the jam bands.
2pm: “Alive”
5pm: “Porch” (Live)
02.16
JIMMY PAGE
[Led Zeppelin]
One of the original icons, Jimmy Page’s playing influenced nearly every rock guitarist who followed, especially the heavy ones. His willingness to experiment and production expertise played a massive role in Zeppelin’s sound, reverberating through the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s
2pm: “Dazed and Confused”
5pm: “The Song Remains The Same”
02.17
JAMES HETFIELD & KIRK HAMMETT
[Metallica]
Could you have Metallica without the breakneck rhythm? What about the blistering solos? James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett are equally essential, and completely iconic.
2pm: “Fade to Black”
5pm: “One”
