LET'S ARGUE: Most Overrated Guitarists of All Time

You guys really don't like Clapton.
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[@shrapnel77]

I will give you a quote from the late great Frank Zappa: "Rating guitarists is a really boring hobby."

[@corybarnes2341]

Yeah he said that writing about music was like dancing to architecture. Good point.

[@reminicrush9016]

I have to disagree about Frank Zappa being overrated, if anything, he’s underrated…

[@KptnHaddock_]

That’s a brilliant quote, and I would agree. However, I clicked on this link

[@reidwhitton6248]

The actual quote is "rating guitarists is a stupid hobby."

[@kowoh]

He’s right art doesn't fit in a box unless they don't fucking get It

[@jacobreichert3979]

idk about overrated but the most underrated guitarist of all-time is whoever played guitar for the power rangers

[@christineantal5045]

buckethead I think

[@tallguy8389]

Ron Wasserman! Such a legend

[@jakecompton9699]

@@christineantal5045really?

[@danieldippolito8927]

@@jakecompton9699 Nah Buckethead wrote a solo for the Mighty Morphing power rangers movie theme but not the Original TV score. That was Ron Waserman

[@maxsteinbeezly7904]

Bucket head IS a legend tho

[@draetonalimoffatt8780]

I find a lot of younger guitar players call older players "overrated" because even though back then, their playing was an advancement, it is now common place by modern standards. Doesn't mean they weren't innovative or influential.

[@pahwraith]

And now Guitar is a niche nerd hobby like playing trumpet or saxophone. We sit next to the jazz geeks now in the cool meter.

[@spoonermcgee]

This ^ … people can easily forget to consider the context of when someone released art and pushed into a new boundary. If what they came up with is now commonplace it means they INFLUENCED the genre/style completely and that deserves major respect!

[@gareginasatryan6761]

Artists aren’t noted for being hard to play. Mozart is played by children. He was a timeless genius, hands down.

[@TheBestofJuan]

@@pahwraith youd be right but guitar is still very much used in modern songs. popular modern songs too. they dont use virtuosic qualities like metal or rock might at times but that doesnt mean its as niche as a fucking saxophone lol

[@Podcastforthewin]

Even that chick, Tim Henson will be snubbed one day. Right now all the kids love him and defend him like Britney Spears.

[@lordthicknipples-gt2oq]

Zappa is easily my favorite guitarist. The solos he played were always fresh and interesting, without getting too weird. Not to mention, his ability to come up with interesting and original music was completely unmatched.

[@xposethatruth1682]

Without getting too weird? Have you listened to Frank? Every single thing he ever played was so technical and weird he never gained top tier status because of it. Never sold the same amount of records his contemporaries did because of that.

[@newbienewb4973]

@@xposethatruth1682I like frank he always changed things up and never sounded like anyone else

[@aLime404]

@@xposethatruth1682His records were too weird, but the solos weren’t really.

[@ianedmonds9191]

I love his playing because it's just so original. He didn't play any licks he played live compositions. He improvised from the heart. Very underrated guitarist. Watermelon in Easter hay is about the best guitar solo tune ever made. It hits me in the feels every single time. Luv and Peace.

[@alivstyson1864]

Yea he was my fav for years until I really started listening to Jeff Beck play a guitar but I still hold ZAPPA in Very High Regard

[@keaton4192]

"I enjoy some cream myself" -Anthony fantano

[@swarler]

"especially with berries" -Mr. bean

[@spec-fict]

yooo tell us bout that vegan cream boi

[@milojohnson6068]

Gross

[@bruh......2005]

Sus

[@reaverofsouls]

Giggity

[@canaanmeyers5982]

K. K. Slider is definitely a more impressive vocalist than guitarist. Nobody does an ohnahminaha better then him.

[@chromberries7329]

His guitar playing is nothing technical, but his ability to communicate emotion is unmatched. No one does it better for me.

[@philipvalenti6464]

I’d have to disagree. The dude can play virtually any genre in existence and can also perform acoustic arrangements of his recordings.

[@leonardo9259]

I disagree because both people above me did

[@Shakethe5Dusts]

That that sound eddie made when he tried to wack double d w that head volcano?

[@tyler_keeble]

K.K. Slider is the biggest sell out ever. Goes from a lone drifter with no intention of selling his music to some hot shit who can’t so much as take one step on my island if it isn’t up to his specific standards

[@taftoc7288]

if you want to take him out of context 5:04

[@matinx64]

I came looking for this comment (if you know what I mean)

[@MM-vs2et]

When your girlfriend asks you to partake after sex

[@NeonNights80]

EVH wasn't just speed and flash. His rhythm playing was sublime.

[@mikehemens9359]

Hell ya. Jimi's rhythm was good like his leads as well.

[@lesleylesley5821]

I'm not a VH fan, but you'd be a fool to say he didn't change guitar playing for the next 25 years. Insanely talented.

[@nickmetts]

I agree completely. He wrote some killer riffs and his sense of timing and groove are impeccable.

[@johnmcevoy3598]

Ed could swing and so could Alex. "Hot for Teacher" could have easily been a a big band song. They grew up in a big band home with clarinetist dad, Jan, as bandleader.

[@MvsG18]

"stealing blues riffs" Literally every single guitarist does that in every solo wtf

[@venge1894]

Blues is literally free stylin' it. Every now and then theres bound to be two solos that have bits that sound very similar or the ssme with how old the art is and how many guitarists there have been in the last sixty years.

[@alexanderkorte-stapff6824]

I guess it becomes stealing when you act like you came up with it by your genius and basically just take black musician's innovations and reframe them for a white British audience.

[@blindboygrunt7711]

@@alexanderkorte-stapff6824 yeah and then being a racist on top of it too

[@WolfHeathen]

@@alexanderkorte-stapff6824 First off, black people invented what's known as "proto-blues" in the 1860's, which was accapella working man's music. Blues as the genre we know today didn't appear until around 1902-03. W.C. Handy is credited as "the father of Blues", when, in actuality, Hart Wand notated and published Blues sheet music before Handy did. Thirdly, there are WAY more black people credited as the greats of Blues than white people. Regardless of who actually invented what genre, fact is that anyone can play it no matter their skin color an anyone can adapt said genre to fit whatever audience they want. If you truly believe in the concept of "stealing" inventions based on nothing but culture and skin color, I'd like to see you try to ban black people from using and/or manufacturing white inventions and see how well that turns out.

[@xwhite2020]

Aint much blues riffin on Diary of a Madman.

[@ok9908]

5:39 I'm not a big Van Halen fan but I find people who call musicians bad/overrated because it's easy to learn their songs very stupid. There is Nirvana for example. If you're an experienced guitar player, you can learn their whole discography in a 24 hour period. And there is nothing wrong with that, because it sounds awesome. It doesn't need to be complicated to sound awesome.

[@soundofscreambloodygore]

They're dumb for even saying Van Halen is easy, I want them to listen to Spanish Fly right now and tell me he's overrated. One of the stupidest takes I've ever heard.

[@dan182v]

another thing is, it may be easy to learn on guitar but only kurt can come up with riffs that aren't by the book or generic and make something unique

[@ok9908]

@@dan182v It's definitely not easy to come up with original riffs.

[@MrMetalhorse]

Yep. And on top of that, Eruption is NOT easy. Sure, everyone can do the tapping part, but there's 50 seconds of face melting shred that conveniently get ignored by most covers because they don't want to embarrass themselves. I would bet my savings that the guy who wrote that couldn't play it himself.

[@dancegod1691]

Easy to learn doesn’t equal Easy to write

[@alanbucholz1824]

Zappa also said "writing about music is like dancing about architecture". I agree.

[@HazeOfWhearyWater]

Is writing about architecture like dancing about music?

[@barneyonmovies5672]

I thought it was Elvis Costello who said that, who ironically spent ages writing about music 😆

[@user-ei7de4ld4l]

If only he where alive to answer@@HazeOfWhearyWater

[@jameshannagan4256]

I thought it was Steve Martin who said that.

[@alanbucholz1824]

Zappa dogging music critics @@jameshannagan4256

[@johnmordecai2776]

FYI, The Edge didn't name himself "The Edge." It was a nickname given to him by the street gang/social circle he and Bono were involved with (they also gave Bono his nickname), and it stuck.

[@synthwave.melancholy]

but people don't care, they go off with the shit they heard or read somewhere and continue to misinform people, knowingly or inadvertently. I like The Edge, that's enough,

[@tygrbyt3684]

social circle.........only their social circle ............ imagine bono whipping out a knife on ya.... yeah..... street gang my ass

[@mallninja9805]

Fun fact, Vai does a guitar camp every ~18 months or so with a couple hundred "campers", and the dude makes it a point to invite every single person to get up on stage to play with him for a few minutes. He & the band sit up there for 3+ hours every night so that everyone gets their chance to play. He's a cool dude.

[@JohnJohnson-op4gq]

That and he's super into promoting, working with, and endorsing new artists and seems to always be on the look out for them

[@asdfghjklnnlkjhgfdsa6470]

Steve vai is a genius and a wonder if you enjoy guitar centered music. I get people not connecting with him, but that just exposes their lack guitar knowledge, which is fine, I don't care either about violinists. Not a single soul taking guitar somewhat seriously will ever tell you he is not a beast

[@Shuffit]

Frank Zappa knew how to pick em. Whether you like his music or not he’s a virtuoso no doubt.

[@asdfghjklnnlkjhgfdsa6470]

@Bozz Dog tf you talking about, guthrie is one the most musically rich an interesting guitarists to ever live, man has toured even with hans zimmer. This is some of the dumbest bullshit I've heard in a while, I can understand the yngwie, vai or satriani argument, but this just shows you should take your ears out and put them in a drawer

[@asdfghjklnnlkjhgfdsa6470]

@Bozz Dog how did u recognize me

[@epsteinspilot3024]

Hate when people discard talent because you can play what is considered a legendary solo like 'Eruption' when it's way easier to learn that instead of creating a solo like that yourself, especially in that era.

[@adamfrost3139]

Yes, thats the biggest difference, some miss the point that they had to create those riffs to begin with,

[@TheAgentAssassin]

I think most people don't understand how much he changed the approach to guitar. When that first album dropped it was like an alien landed on the planet. Everyone was watching leave it to beaver , happy days and listening to folk music on the radio. Along comes the vastly different sounds that changed guitar forever. It's a shame young people will never experience this world changing sound again. Sure we had Led Zeppelin , Sabbath and even RUSH then but nothing sounded like VH , nothing , not one album , not one other guitarist did.

[@gustavoterzaghi2352]

And also, to play it and PERFORM aka entertain in front of thousands of people.

[@garrettwilson9664]

​@TheAgentAssassin Yeah Van Halen is actually a musical genius and I'm not even really the biggest fan of his.

[@videowatchaccount7551]

99.99999999999 percent of those that attempt Eruption can't play it well at all. That's nearly everyone who attempts it.

[@compucorder64]

Saying Thurston Moore (or Kevin Shields say) are overrated guitarists is a bit like saying Brian Eno is an overrated keyboard player. It misses the point. I'm not sure they'd even mind; since they probably rightly see themselves as artist musicians more than guitarists. And their influence was huge. Another list could be overrated musician artists. Steve Vai and Joe Satriani (amazing guitarists) could be on that list, but Jimi Hendrix could never be.

[@jonasjacobsen9702]

As a guitar player I must say John Mayer is definitely one of the best guitar players from the last couple decades. And yes, his music doesn't necessarily truly represent his chops on the guitar. But one example of a song of his that is extremely difficult to play is "Neon". That song is not only extremely difficult to play, but also a great song that's stood the test of time. It is also one of the first few songs he wrote before he got major recognition which just shows how brilliant he actually can be at playing and writing songs on guitar.

[@user-eb8nk4cq8c]

That song is not difficult, there has just been a million different ways people have played it because he never officially said how he played it, but it’s pretty easy if you’re just average

[@user-eb8nk4cq8c]

But yes he’s talented it’s just he’s not a “shredder and god” like ppl make him out to me b

[@fuzzywuzzy854]

@@user-eb8nk4cq8ctrppin bro

[@RubenSprng]

@@user-eb8nk4cq8chis work with the John Mayer trio is still something amazing…

[@aaartem]

@@user-eb8nk4cq8c if you think that neon is an average song to play, i do not think you have any idea what you are talking about

[@RJAPR2034]

I’m just glad someone didn’t actually think hendrix, that would’ve hurt me physically

[@aesop2733]

He was a wonderful musician. I love Jimi's work. But as a guitarist I find it hard to say his talent exceeds his art and influence. He wrote many beautiful pieces of guitar music. That is worth a lot. However on a level of guitar playing skill he's been long since passed by many a musician and that's where he is overrated to some degree. Obviously that doesn't matter much, who wouldn't cite Jimi as an influence? But it is what it is. He helped make guitar what it is today. Legends can have flaws

[@derHuckepackmann]

@@aesop2733 I wouldn't say that Jimi Hendrix was technically a very good player like Yngwie Malmsteen, Paul Gilbert, or Tim Henson. He could execute very well what he wanted to communicate and perform, and that's more important than the playing superclean. To me a good guitarist knows very well how to write a good riffs, write and perform a good solo and play with soul and communicate emotions quite well. Mark Speer (Khruangbin), Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimi Hendrix, Tom Morello (RATM, Audioslave), Frederick Thordendal (Meshuggah) are definetly some of my most favourite guitarists because then can do that incredibly well.

[@jesuskillmyopps]

because no one can deny liking a jiminhendrix solo

[@gregh5061]

@@aesop2733 Hendrix died at 27. I think his technical ability was almost exclusively limited by his lifespan and the fact that he taught himself and was more focused on composing music and writing songs. Definitely top 1 for me imo

[@devzeppalin]

@@aesop2733 One thing; Hendrix’s playing skill being surpassed is a inevitable, he’s been dead since 1970 and everyone has had his work to study. We can only imagine how else he would’ve continued to impact/evolve guitar playing had he lived longer.

[@SimonSater]

Technicality, speed and flashiness doesn't make a guitarrist automatically overrated.

[@Arian545]

No, but if a lot of people automatically view that as inherently better than other forms of guitar playing, which they often do, then that makes it overrated.

[@guillll]

They do if it's all he or she's got.

[@sunnyd7452]

It does make them unlikeable, when you put ego and patting yourself on the back over song writing I’m out

[@xXxzAAa0aAAzxXx]

Agreed, but those things also don't make someone a god, and it's so common to see every fast flashy guitarist get praised just because of that it kinda gives a reason for people to consider them overrated. But of course, this is extremely subjective. I personally feel like many shredders just don't serve the music very well, but this isn't a rule at all. I think EVH, Vai and Satriani are great examples of technical, fast and flashy guitarists who are truly amazing at what they do and guys like Malmsteen and Michael Angelo Batio are just terrible artists who just want to show off like it's a competition

[@kaingates]

@JAY CHROM3 compare Tosin Abasi (Animals as Leaders) Yngwie Malmsteen. You can clearly hear there’s more fleshed out ideas, variety in techniques and sound profile. Care for structure. And you can differentiate the song way easier from another. If you’ve heard one Yngwie song you’ve heard them all.

[@robertonome2448]

8:30 bruh really summed up Steve Vai as "sweep picking" lmao

[@ThisBirdHasFlown]

I hate these "overrated" topics. I usually ignore them at every point. They're inherently negative. I don't understand the need for people to put others down just because they don't personally get satisfaction from their art. The word "overrated" has got to be one of the most incorrectly used words in recent times, along with "masterpiece" and "literally". It rarely amounts to intelligent, insightful, open-minded discussion. It's mostly just shallow hatred.

[@cjaquilino]

Heavy on this. Saying something’s “overrated” is mostly just saying you didn’t like something but with the airs that that’s an objective fact. And it’s usually justified with either an overwrought take for why something is supposedly not good. Or based on the shallowest stereotypes about that something you dislike. We all have opinions. And it can be fun to compare artists. But yeah, it’s almost always an unconstructive conversation that’s mostly just shallowly negative that gets people on the defensive, instead of reconsidering their opinions.

[@corneliusrawness]

I feel you but this is human nature at work

[@Alberto-ny7kf]

"stealing blues licks" isn't a problem, blues soloing is totally based around "stealing" licks from other players, literally everybody did it, it's one of the core aspects of blues guitar lol.

[@kevinlittrell3407]

Yeah, if you’ve ever been to a jazz clinic, the old jazz guys, especially the black players, will grill you for NOT stealing blues lick. A lot of those guys see the lack of blues in white jazz artists playing as a form of disrespect for the genre. That’s at least what I’ve noticed personally.

[@copyb594]

@@kevinlittrell3407 based hard bop elitists

[@niceguy909]

clapton is still lame AF though

[@Jaggedknife11]

@@niceguy909 him as a person or as a guitarists?

[@pauligla]

THANK YOUUUU

[@mcdingus5081]

I'm not the biggest EVH fan. But honestly, the guy not only was a great player- he really influenced the tone of guitar for decades. That brown sound was mind boggling great and it changed everything when everyone started hearing it. And I don't think you can really appreciate it if you weren't around at it's inception. He really got guitarists thinking outside the box as to what they could do with the instrument.

[@AnnoyingOrange420]

I’m not really a fan either but ignoring his creativity and skill is idiotic, the person in the video said “anyone can learn eruption in a few days of practice,” but not everyone could write eruption, especially back then. That style and sound with the use of tapping was very small before Eddie did it

[@corybarnes2341]

He was a virtuoso. Everyone always talks about Eruption, but go ahead and try and learn the solo from Ice cream man or learn Top Jimmy. I'd be truly impressed if you could play it convincingly. Not just the notes, but the tone and rhythmic precision. By tone I don't just mean the "brown sound" he uses his picking technique to vary the tone of notes within phrases.

[@xTheOxx]

I agree. He's one of very few people who can't possibly be overrated. You can't change the world and then be deemed overrated.

[@xTheOxx]

@III Blind, huh? I don't know, seems like image meant a lot to them.

[@mcdingus5081]

@III not sure what your problem with the term is, but hey- everyone's got an opinion, right? It's just too bad yours smacks of elitism. In other words- get bent.

[@Gerardus1970]

Van Halen's rhythm playing is second to none. He's *underrated* not overrated.

[@GCKuss23]

Agreed. Those isolated guitar tracks on KZbin are a hidden treasure

[@finnsterling6514]

@DEA-I-H FVCK DES-I-ROYER Jesus. I don't think I knew this. Thanks for the info!

[@hceeslimey3312]

He's not remotely close to being underrated this just made me LoL

[@DTheAustralian]

Overrated? No, he's not. _Underrated?_ He's literally one of the most beloved guitarists of all time, he most DEFINITELY is not.

[@hceeslimey3312]

@@DTheAustralian seriously what is this guy talking about🤣 Van Halen UNDERrated? Bahahahahahahahaa

[@jevinday]

Damn, you mentioning watermelon in Easter hay by Zappa just blew my mind. It's a super slow song in 9/8 and his slow, expressive guitar playing is one of a kind. You are great at formulating arguments! I'm learning a lot from you. I remember when Continuum by John Mayer came out, I was like 15.

[@ZeRoUnload]

Yes calling Dave a total idiot for not having the same political views is a great argument. Learned a lot from that

[@okaight7248]

The Van Halen tweet was hilariously off. He's one of the most innovative and game changing guitarists of all time, shred didn't exist like that before and all the zoomer guitarists who love Polyphia type riffs wouldn't have that without him. I don't care about the band Van Halen much out of the bigger hits but to say overrated just comes off as a high school take.

[@hyhy4430]

Yes exactly. Im surprised melon didn’t defend EVH harder against that tweet

[@stevowilliams8279]

@@hyhy4430 yeah man Anthony doesn't seem to understand/care about the historical significance of these guitarists. Same with Clapton.

[@Tigether]

I have a friend who's a big classic rock guy and listens to very little modern stuff, I'm the opposite. I love Polyphia's style so whenever he showed me a video of Van Halen shredding it was incredible to see the pioneer. Vice versa with him, I remember showing him Nasty and he was thoroughly entertained.

[@cololollollolol7177]

Yeah this video isn’t it bro, literally hating on EVH, and many others eddies rhythm and lead was top notch god level don’t think he understand guitarists at all, although I love melon

[@martintorrebiarte5063]

Plus eruption isnt THAT easy you need at least a year of technique to play it well

[@ezreth]

making sure theres no David Gilmour slander here

[@FuckTheNewAliasSystem]

Big Surprise that he wasnt mentioned. He is the most enigmatic guitarist because his stuff shouldnt really be as good as it is.

[@dylanwesley3964]

I've seen and heard thousands of guitar players, whether it was live, live videos on KZbin, or recorded studio music, and I still have yet to find someone that has brought me to an existential zone quite like gilmour has. His tonality, and tastefulness is unmatched, and I don't think it can ever be truly replicated. I have heard hundreds of live bootlegs from floyd, and I can honestly say I have never heard him make a sloppy mistake, or miss a note. Most of that is probably attributed to his bending skills.

[@OhGodWhatIsThisAah]

@@dylanwesley3964 wow lol

[@bobganskow]

Thank you sir, you are doing god's work

[@joecostanzo9358]

Or jimmy page

[@speedkills4398]

Steve vai is certainly not overrated and most definitely should not be on this list. He has extreme technique ability which yes can lead to him being flashy. But he also has a deep knowledge in music theory and tends to use the Lydian mode in a beautiful way. He has shown time and time again he has the ability to create sweet and lush melody’s such as the one on for the love of god, and most of all he can actually play his instrument unlike Clapton and other guitar players on this list

[@KTF0]

Boring.

[@prsplayer210]

Fantano is a hack KZbinr who dislikes most actual competent musicians

[@NowhereMan7]

Did you just say that everyone else on this list cant actually play? That Steve Vai is the only guitarist among these people?

[@jonessii]

@@NowhereMan7 I wasn't thinking that but you kind of talked me in to it, yeah Vai is the only guitarist in this list. Suck it.

[@memesdotpng466]

If you actually studied music theory you arent a real musician

[@M4RCi92]

The Edge wins by a landslide. 1. he's shit 2. he's in U2 3. he's called The Edge.

[@cbfdxbxsb]

Hearing people discuss why various professional and talented guitarists are actually shit has taken me right back to my days in metal forums around age 14. It's crazy how much I don't miss it.

[@johncaccioppo1142]

I have the same problem, from a different perspective. As somebody who always stood outside watching these arguments, I never found the words until I realized it wasn't just guitarists, it was most of western music and it's bullshit sense of supremacy. It actually hurts the art imo.

[@fsrsaa]

Well put.

[@corybarnes2341]

Yes. The term for them is "ultracrepidarians"

[@Pundit07]

@@johncaccioppo1142 Yup. I’m always kinda astounded by the rude awakening people get when they realize that this is a problem when discussing music in general, not just metal.

[@prismonthethehorizon5793]

😂😂

[@MuiltiLightRider]

Thinking Eddie Van Halen's guitar playing can be reduced to Eruption just kinda shows an unfamiliarity with his playing. Dude was not just a beast on lead (and basically was the mold for hard rock guitar from the 80s onward hence all the tapping that came in his wake) but his rhythm playing was equally if not more ridiculous

[@Viper-dz2kw]

Yeah that oversimplification is really fascinating, I think Rick beatto made whole video about how that band wasn’t just crazy soloing like they’re remembered, they made crazy good pop music

[@philly_sports1558]

Eddie was both great as a shredder and as a riff guitarist that could drive the pace of the song perfectly. Ain’t Talkin Bout Love and Unchained are probably the two best examples of him doing both.

[@FuckTheNewAliasSystem]

I personally cant stand Eddie Van Halens playing. Or any late 70s or 80s hard Rock for that matter. But i wouldnt question his ability. What he does with it is a matter of taste in the end.

[@reallyonfire]

Eruption isnt even his best solo

[@FuckTheNewAliasSystem]

@ghost mall Also where am i generalizing anything? I only said that i dont like it. Any categorical statement about quality of music is retarded in its nature.

[@Angus_fO]

Clapton discog isn't necessarily what makes him so great imo, like the influence of clapton upon artists of his time, his work on songs like "while my guitar gently weeps", the Yardbirs and the Bluesbreakers stuff is just so hughly important for the context that it's hard to disregard him as on of the greatest players of the 60s

[@jeffreybabor2585]

You could say John Fogerty wasn't the greatest guitar 🎸 players but his limited chord use make him an incredible talent for songwriting and guitar sound made him pure genius

[@kevinskogg2179]

You could say that, in fact you did. Summary: because John Fogerty has limited talent he is one of the best. C'mon CCR had great songs. Many great songs are simple and do not take immense talent to play. Just accept that CCR falls in that category.

[@walkawaycat431]

Like Neil Young. Great songwriter, not the best guitarist though.

[@SmallvillenerdTwo]

@@walkawaycat431 love Neil Young's guitar work in Dead Man (1994)

[@corybarnes2341]

Neil Young and John Fogharty both light years better than Ted Nugent who is considered a guitar "hero".

[@Stratmanable]

I saw him a few years back, and BOY, can that guy play now. Just goes to show you what 5 hours a day practicing in self-imposed exile for a decade can do.

[@cornpop1363]

I love Kurt Cobain. he's the reason I picked up a guitar back in 93. but man is he overrated by Nirvana fans who don't play guitar. the funny thing is Kurt himself would be the first person to tell you he wasn't really all that great at playing guitar. he just wrote good songs.

[@cornpop1363]

@Jacque he is though. Granted it's usually Nirvana fans that don't play guitar, but still. Sh*t, Kurt is the reason I started playing guitar. Nevermind came out when I was in 8th grade, and I wanted to "be as good as Kurt Cobain" one day lol.

[@hidden7249]

"I don't even know how to play major and minor chords"-kurt

[@cornpop1363]

@@hidden7249 I don't doubt he said something like that, but I'm sure he knew that much about guitar lol. Kurt clearly had a basic understanding of music theory, but he was no Steve Vai. Kurt could write good music though, and it doesn't have to be hard to play to be good.

[@cornpop1363]

@Jacque yeah, Kurt used mainly basic major and minor chords as well as a lot of power chords. He obviously had a working knowledge of music theory, stuff like 1-4-5 and 1-5-6-4 chord progressions (the most common progressions in rock/pop music). The cool thing about Kurt is he didn't really play common chord progressions. He used unique progressions you don't really hear a lot of, even though most of his songs were basically 4 or 5 chords. I also like the way he would use regular chords and power chords mixed together in the same song. Like Polly for instance. It's the regular E chord, then the G power chord, then the regular D, then finally the C power chord. Usually on acoustic most players would have used regular chords throughout, and use power (or barre) chords on electric. But Kurt always mixed them up. That's just one little part of his style.

[@aleksastamenkovic5526]

@@cornpop1363 That means that hes an incredibly influential guitarist, but lets be honest, he wasnt great. His playing was very sloppy, but thats what also made it great cause of how intensely raw it sounded. I love Nirvana btw.

[@ILikeBongos]

K.K. slider is the most versatile musician of his generation, weaving through genres effortlessly. You dont hate him you're afraid melon of him. You're afraid.

[@OhGodWhatIsThisAah]

☠️❄️

[@Ade-ow5hb]

Buckethead isn't overrated, saying you don't like some of his music means nothing with the sheer amount of music in varying styles he has made. And his live shows aren't just gimmicks. Buckethead is an amazing improviser. Though this is of course my opinion

[@ZiddersRooFurry]

I'm not even into his music and I still think Buckethead deserves all the praise he gets. The dude might be a bit out there but most creative types are. He's a great player.

[@soyborne.bornmadeandundone1342]

Meh

[@tixximmi1]

I would have Buckethead more in the underrated column. He does have over 300 albums out. He's created different forms of tapping that are now used worldwide. And he is fast.

[@samsipprell7676]

The Edge’s nickname was given to him before his music career began based on his pointy chin. By making it his stage name he poked fun at himself, it was far from cocky.

[@charlesdinguss]

Zappa if anything was a very underrated guitarist. The majority of guitarists regurgitate the exact same solo for a song on stage night after night whereas Zappa would literally incorporate a completely improvised solo so as the crowd would hear something different every time he performed

[@georgekush6697]

He could play endlessly without ever repeating

[@Anton-wk8lv]

All I'm gonna say is Black Napkins. BLACK NAPKINS!!!

[@alvarotaranta]

A real genius. Whoever made that comment doesn't deserve to have ears and opinions

[@dylano3133]

Agree with everything you said, but beyond that I feel like he’d be the first to agree that he was an arranger and composer first and a guitarist second. But that only goes to show how great he was as a bandleader, because like the other person said, BLACK NAPKINS

[@jclopez5447]

Agree, and most prog rock bands in the 70's did that, it was unbelievable

[@devinphillips9704]

The thing to remember about Zappa is that most of his solos, particularly when he was playing live, were 100% improvised, done entirely on the fly. They were done as spontaneous compositions in real time, so yeah, they weren't always perfectly polished. Also I think a lot of people get his playing mixed up with some of his hired guns over the years, e.g. Steve Vai (talk about overrated guitarists!), Warren Cuccurullo, Mike Keneally, etc.

[@ZiddersRooFurry]

Vai isn't overrated. If you think that you have issues.

[@devinphillips9704]

@@ZiddersRooFurry Calm down, bunky. I like Steve Vai. I'm a huge fan of his even back during his time as "stunt guitar" when he was with Zappa. But he IS overrated.

[@erniericardo8140]

Anybody who can play guitar in front of a crowd of almost half a million people and on acid IS NOT OVERRATED! Viva Santana!!!

[@joe8133]

Loser Santana

[@bobnolin9155]

Play AND play it like no one before. Best song at Woodstock, IMO.

[@joe8133]

Not overrated just a loser

[@patwilson2546]

@@bobnolin9155 Going to disagree there. Woodstock was my introduction to live Santana and I thought "damn, this guy can't play live". A bit later I heard other stuff and changed my mind pretty quickly. Then I heard his story about being at peak on his trip when he went on and "ok, that explains Woodstock". Still don't think his Woodstock performance was great, but a lot of his stuff is.

[@lesleylesley5821]

Instantly recognizable sound, you know it's him. Whether the acid story is true or not, probably not true.

[@Akgn_]

Eddie Hazel is the most underrated guitar player

[@movimentodoscacos]

maybe in non-guitarrist circles, yeah. But every guitarrist I know loves and worships Maggot Brain

[@Sokdogg]

@@movimentodoscacos Maggot Brain is the absolute tip of the iceberg of fantastic Eddie Hazel playing though; his rhythm-leads on California Dreamin' off his solo album is my personal favourite Hazel moment.

[@sex6cult9revolution]

Eddie Hazel was a monster guitarist. Some of my favorite solos by him are on the Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On album - which was sort of supposed to be his masterpiece. Where most Funkadelic albums had more composition from Bernie Worrell and others - on SOTVOGIO, all of the music is Eddie's. And he only managed to be at the sessions for three of the songs, but his work on Red Hot Momma is scorching and Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts is pure bliss. Imagine Maggot Brain on ecstasy. Epic.

[@atquinn1975]

From what I've heard of him, Hazel always struck me as kind of the perfect next step after Hendrix solo-wise. He's incredible and definitely underrated as a musician in general imo.

[@Walrus286]

Doug Martsch is the most underrated guitar player

[@saidordep]

Santana is a good example of a great guitarist who has turned incredibly lazy over time. Most of his modern material consists of the same pentatonic/minor harmonic phrases being played over and over again for like the past 20 years

[@slackdog3705]

That's why I just listen to his earlier stuff, commercial rock is just bad compared to actually good rock, it gets you the money but just not really great(not saying all commercial rock is bad).

[@doperinterloper]

Same with David Gilmour

[@petedevriese]

Santana has always been not very good and way overrated. His technical facility and phrasing are amateurish, though I agree that his old stuff is better.

[@culturalartsandpoliticsrev6916]

​@@petedevriese His "technical facility and phrasing" lmao, you are like the party pooper of music.

[@icitnow]

I really love Santana and agree with you. I hated Supernatural. To me, he just allowed pop artists-some of whom I can't stand) to use his name but it really wasn't a "Santana" album and not his best playing. If you look at his work from when he started to the 1980's, he was innovative, fiery, and played with passion. Now it seems like he is just playing the same lines, and phrases like you mentioned. I think he needs to go back to the blues base. I am still holding out hope he can come back from where he is now.

[@chaza.2891]

I remember showing Richard Pryor to my younger brother once he was old enough and he didn’t laugh once. I then realized that he had heard some version of every Pryor trope on comic view. Richard Pryor, just like the EVH, Hendrix and Eric Johnson hopefully will never be overrated. They changed the game and Still sound fresh to THIS DAY. Love your channel

[@garypowell1540]

This rather depends on definitions. However, if we define this as the degree of innovation and influence they had rather than technical skill, musicality, or ability then we might get somewhere. This also depends on how rated one personally thinks that they are or were in the first place. I constantly hear people say someone is underrated for example Zappa, Hackett, Collins, Latimer, Gallagher, Lake etc., yet they seem not to understand that they were all very highly rated at the time, and still are.

[@analogskullerosis5056]

Mayer really let’s himself loose when he’s touring with Dead & Company. I’ve seen them six times and I’m always blown away by just how good he really is. I think if you just listen to his albums you’d never really get the impression that he’s an incredible player. It’s when he shares the stage with other artists and does his own live performances, that’s where I think he really allows himself to cut loose.

[@grantreill1966]

maybe Mayer also just likes to make pop music in the studio. partially to support himself monetarily so he can go tour with dead & co. whenever they come a-knockin', but maybe also because he just likes to make music like that in the studio. he said before sob rock, his most unabashedly pop rock output, that it was the only record he's actually listened to recreationally out of his ol' discog. perhaps that means he enjoys pop rock in the studio, but loves the stage chemistry with other awesome musicians when on tour/live. the whole live in l.a. record, dead & co., anything he does in support with other artists is always great because I think the guy just likes to have fun on stage. but can't translate that to a studio, which might be for the best.

[@jonwhispers]

I think he figured that out years ago. Playing less, gets more run than playing more. It's probably harder to play less, because you have to pick your spots, and have your best licks and riffs on the table at all times, as opposed to throwing all your notes and techniques into every song you do and exhausting the listener.

[@STSGuitar16]

Mayer is absolutely a total master of the instrument, there really are no two ways about it. I'm not the biggest fan of his music at all really, but I absolutely love his improvisation in a jam situation. We all know he can write pop stuff good enough, and then whenever you see him with Dead & Co, he demonstrates that he is also an incredibly adept guitarist who knows every single inch of that fretboard and can conjure up any sound he wants at any time. As you said, when he lets loose like that, it is clear just how good he is at guitar. Not only is he an incredibly soulful and tasty blues player, he also tackles that jazzy jam band approach incredibly well. That man knows his way around a guitar for sure, no matter what you think of him.

[@petarticinovic2710]

@300Thieves Mayer is boring.

[@zhiyangzheng2602]

And his john mayer trio live is also awesome, with pino on bass and Steve Jordan on drum. Their performance of blues is incredible.

[@sergio_carlos]

To anyone who still says that Steve Vai is overrated just go listen to his set in the G3 concert, live in Tokyo. I will not stand you guys disrespecting my man Vai like that.

[@FixtaFernback]

Nobody is saying he isn't skilled, but I agree with Anthony that his playing is just kind of boring and samey. I think someone like Satriani, who has a similar style to Vai, has much more varied and interesting catalogue.

[@no.7893]

@@FixtaFernback Even satrianis music gets to be a bit repetitive after a while.

[@noblemadethisone]

@@FixtaFernback go listen to candle power by vai

[@chucklefuck]

@@FixtaFernback Satriani is the soulless, less interesting Vai, not the other way around.

[@tomastextor]

Vai's music is very diverse, wacky, and sometimes quite complex. It is probably over some people's heads, but it certainly doesn't lack "feel". Plus, as other people said, Vai is a cool guy.

[@natej1026]

On the point of Buckethead, I feel people miss out that he has released more albums than most artists have singles in their lifetimes, and he always managed to do something unique and interesting; regardless of whether it was particularly "great" or not. Even greater that his overall ability and technique is almost unmatched, in that I can't think of many guitarists who are as good based on their technique or style alone.

[@AnnoyingOrange420]

He really does take it to another level, it’s not just constant guitar solos

[@sergi0YT]

well, for starters, he actually can play guitar. people don't like that, because it's hard to make excuses for "masters" like frusciante, hammet and other mu-stain's

[@gdub999tub.]

Buckethead is also virtually alone in having written beautiful, emotional guitar pieces in honor of his parents ("For Mom"; "I Love My Parents"). And he does it unapologetically and with real feeling, turning expressions that many would consider ridiculously uncool into something that makes people shed tears of love. Nothing about that could ever be considered underrated.

[@dingdongism]

I’ll tell ya a guitarist who isn’t overrated: J. Mascis.

[@jaden_bricker]

Amen he’s amazing

[@jacobneylon647]

If you do an “underrated guitarists” video, Dean Ween needs to be there. It’s about time for him to be rightfully recognized as one of the greats.

[@jv2781]

Weener and Homme for sure

[@spraynard9529]

Dean had one of the best bits of advice I’ve ever heard from a guitarist: Learn to play Maggot Brain and then steal all of the riffs.

[@jv2781]

@@spraynard9529 i watch his guitar moves episode once a week

[@Zultzify]

eric gales is pretty great too

[@connorcorn7309]

Deaner is underrated only amongst those who don't know him. Anyone who knows Ween knows what a guitar god Deaner is.

[@Joe.Genuardi]

In my lifetime two people changed the game of rock guitar, Eddie Van Halen and Jimi Hendrix. They can’t be overrated, they changed the game.

[@ER-me1ii]

Gotta agree with you on that. Can’t think of anyone after Eddie who did so and I’m not like a VH head either. Prior to jimmy I’d say Chuck Berry. Those three impacted like no one else. Maybe Jimmi is in my top ten faves.

[@Childofbhaal]

I mean what about Chuck Berry? Les Paul? EVH didn’t even invent tapping he only brought it to the mainstream.

[@Joe.Genuardi]

@@Childofbhaal chuck Berry and les Paul were ground breaking too. I agree. But your way off on EVH, he is so much more than the tapping, i could go on for days of how he kept evolving as a player.

[@rbnh9827]

In my lifetime it was Fredrik and Marten from Meshuggah.

[@coyotepeyote]

@@Childofbhaal he didn't invent tapping but he defined and mastered it.

[@arthurdurham]

No Jeff Beck? When I was younger I parroted the idea that he was this guitar god behind the scenes. The whole "Your guitarist's favorite guitarist" thing. I finally decided to give his output a strong listen and literally nothing he has ever done was anything more interesting or impressive than what others were doing then. I'd say he's like Clapton, who coasted on playing with more interesting people, but doesn't even have a Layla or Tears in Heaven to his name.

[@Alienkiwi730]

I'll tell you one thing about The Edge. I've heard numerous guitarists cover U2 songs, and about 95% of the time they get the sound completely wrong. It's actually more difficult to sound like him than some might think

[@PedrSion]

Those guitar players dont have a room full of computer like Mr. Evans ! Give me a shout when he plays a solo !

[@Rowe4900candymachine]

I think Alex Lifeson from Rush is Criminally underrated. Dude's played so many great riffs, and added so much to arguably the most iconic prog rock bands of all time. Yet you never see people really talk about him that much on the same level as Neil Peart or Geddy Lee.

[@elongatedborzoi1160]

i love lifeson's guitar work, famous guitarist is a saturated profession(?) but lifeson (and david gilmour) are some of my absolute favorites

[@SuperStrik9]

Alex is awesome. My favorite member of Rush. La Villa Strangiato is amazing.

[@MrRezRising]

I guess we'll find out just how good in 2112. Only 91 years to go!!! 🤘🤘

[@elongatedborzoi1160]

@@MrRezRising Hell yeahhhhhh

[@humanbeing2420]

He’s a fantastic guitarist, and Rush fans know he’s great. But relative to other players on their respective instruments, Peart and Lee both stand out more than Lifeson. Maybe it’s partially a function of there being just so many guitar players out there. Lifeson is a big fish in a big pond. Peart and Lee and are big fish in slightly smaller ponds.

[@goldenboy140]

Whoever mentioned Frank Zappa probably has never listened to much Zappa. He was an amazing guitarist.

[@natechenry]

I have never had this much fun since my last flash dance festival

[@Thirtle]

I haven't listened to his music

[@dudeman5303]

That and he isn't even really *talked about* for his guitar playing. He *should be* , especially for his contributions and his influence on others, like Introducing Hendrix to the wah pedal and all kinds of things. He does not get that much recognition for his musicianship, he's more renowned for his composition. He's way underrated as a guitar player in my opinion.

[@CoasterMagicX2]

@@Thirtle You should, check out Black Napkins, Zoot Allures, Watermelon in Easter Hay, or anything off of "guitar" or "shut up and play your guitar" two albums that are literally only guitar solos.

[@CoasterMagicX2]

My pick for the G.O.A.T, he never played the same solo twice either!

[@thespiciestmeme1181]

My personal favorite guitarist has always been Synester Gates. I love how much personality his style has and how it has develop over time. He also has great jazz chops

[@mitch5944]

Syns great

[@SubparLoki]

The John Mayer v. Slash duel clip over ZZ Top’s la garange really shows how he’s able to mesh with a band and find the pocket. Not my fav guitarist but a crazy good session guitarist and a modern blues great.

[@SirJake03]

I think Dave Mustaine has some of the coolest and most interesting riff/song creations. He made the Major 3rd power chord cool and nobody could use it quite like he did specifically on Rust in Peace. I agree he is an asshole though. He’s still my guitar hero.

[@blackbeansmatter1280]

Marty Friedman is also a beast.

[@mdnblues]

@@blackbeansmatter1280 It's so wonderful whenever I get reminded of this Marty Friedman quote: "Shredders are the guys in your friend's basement who play insanely fast, and it just looks so mind-blowing and amazingly cool with their fingers flying all around the neck, but if you close your eyes and actually listen, what you hear is a pile of shit."

[@SuperStrik9]

Mustaine's an awesome rhythm and really good lead guitarist. Great songwriter too. Dave and Marty Friedman were an amazing guitar duo.

[@danielbeotich1664]

Nah..... Dave's not an asshole....Hetfield and Ulrich are assholes

[@mothygryphon9111]

Thank God that being a great person isn't a bar that guitarists have to clear. Mustaine is not only a great song writer, he's a PHENOMENAL rhythm player and more than decent on lead. I have met him and he was super cool but the anecdotal evidence is just too numerous. He's a jerk. So is Malmsteen...still love some of his stuff though.

[@sonicaids]

Steve Vai doesn't even sweep pick that much.

[@BrofUJu]

Yeah I don't get this at all, lol. He's insanely musical, he's use of bends and expressiveness is insane. Excellent songwriter especially some later stuff. Weird.

[@milojohnson6068]

Yep. Sweep picking is more of a Malmsteen thing. Vai, on the other hand, has more of a legato technique, with lots of slides and glissando in his playing.

[@michaelhaydenbell]

Yeah I was pretty fuckin confused by that.

[@lollipophugo]

Fr he's got a sweep lick that he likes to use but even then it's a 4 string unusual shape which he slides between positions. He's definitely not a "run scale exercises up and down as much as you can" flash player eg Malmsteen. Gonna seem like a shill here but the prog guitar sound of today would be very different were it not for Vai. He practically owns the lydian sound, I can't hear it without thinking "that sounds like Vai".

[@ThisBirdHasFlown]

Listen to Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton and any Cream album. He's terrific. Especially on Disraeli Gears which is very innovative and is a hugely important part of that album's distinct sonic soundscape. Blind Faith is great, too. He's very melodic. I'm not a fanboy, but I certainly enjoy his work at all times. Bruce is an excellent bassist and vocalist indeed. Baker is an excellent drummer, too.

[@facemcshooty6602]

There's a reason it's called the first "supergroup"

[@sarawelling5271]

We of a certain age know that adopting new sounds trumped technical proficiency for decades. The "greatest" guitarists of the 60s - 80s were still very much learning; and pedals and effects were pretty much entirely new. It was, therefore, easy to impress us.

[@brandong1246]

Clapton wasn’t even the best guitar player in the Yardbirds

[@FuckTheNewAliasSystem]

/thread

[@cle9146]

He was the most influential however!

[@zamplify]

He was third best.

[@TruthAndReconciliation]

@@cle9146 Next to Page maybe

[@dahliafiend]

Not being better than Jimmy Page or Jeff Beck describes almost every rock guitar player alive.

[@theoccasionalmoonlight4050]

As a (passive) Sonic Youth fan, I've never heard Thurston in the conversation for "best guitarist" lol

[@franciscoduran4618]

Yeah. Only in Pitchfork, I believe. Him and Lee are insanely underrated.

[@krabbshaq3751]

Yea I've seen him and Ranaldo on a few lists, but SY was never about complexity and precision. It makes more sense when you look at what they did for the alternative rock genre and the amazing consistency of their records. They would fit much nicer on a "most influential guitarists list".

[@IK-yb5rn]

I see Kurt Cobain and Kevin Shields brought up on similar lists. They aren’t technical at all, but it’s hard to argue their influence on guitar-based music

[@JayPhonomancer]

@@franciscoduran4618 I think I prefer Lee overall but they are both hugely influential. Its hard to tell who's doing what on most SY tracks anyway!

[@jonathanlonidier]

SY was the shit and incredible live. Shame they kept it fresh by thieving from their influenced.

[@AfricanMilkTree]

I think confusing Van Halen's easy composition styles versus actual muscle memory, speed, and catchy lines is a different thing

[@thomasmartinson8208]

I'll stick up for Clapton a bit, Blind Faith, Cream and Derek and the Dominos are all top tier blues rock. His cultural legacy, in the UK in particular, is important. However his solo stuff is mixed at best

[@davidreichert9392]

I used to be in the Van Halen is all flash camp, but after actually listening to some VH overtime, if you listen to his work overall and not just his solos, he does a great job of bringing the song as a whole to life. There's more substance to EVH than people give him credit for.

[@hounsdjentlow3074]

Lol evh inspired a generation of guitar players with more than just solos

[@seanb7310]

Eddie’s rhythm playing was amazing. He could do anything.

[@tcollier5460]

EVH was an awesome rhythm player, so innovative! He completely changed the game

[@paulmurphy9293]

Yes, this was surely not one of his smarter comments. Sort of like saying David Bowie was just about playing dress ups or the Beatles were just about Submarines and Octopi. He is young though so maybe he has never actually sat down and listened to the records because if he did I am pretty sure he would say the exact opposite.

[@rodsmolter5046]

Yeah he was much more than just finger tapping. He could do it all.

[@IOxyrinchus]

If you do an underrated guitarists video I really hope Robert Fripp is included; considering he arguably established Prog as a genre with King Crimson & played on iconic records by artists like David Bowie, Peter Gabriel and Brian Eno it’s CRIMINAL how under appreciated he is

[@IAmInfinitus208]

*THIS* and Andy Summers! Also would Alex Lifeson count?

[@Threeducksisperfect]

I'd throw in Dickey Betts, he got overshadowed alot by being in the same band as Duane Allman but he could hold his own and he came up with some of the most iconic riffs in the band (mainly blue sky and jessica)

[@IOxyrinchus]

@@IAmInfinitus208 I would say Lifeson gets a fair amount of recognition now, but definitely Andy Summers

[@user-ss1yb5fn4j]

As a huge King Crimson fan I agree.

[@LG-dj9qr]

@@Threeducksisperfect Dickey also wrote a lot of their hits but is seldom recognized cus he didn’t get along with others apparently.

[@ThisBirdHasFlown]

4:30 "stole blues licks" while playing the blues? Did that person not realise he's first and foremost a blues guitarist? Even Cream, his heaviest work, is heavily blues influenced and they did many blues covers. Eric Clapton and the blues are inseperable. Also, rock from that time was heavily blues based in general. Blues is the foundation of rock, and rock was still in its infancy.

[@lozo2331]

Vai is the only guitarist probably besides Zappa on this list that can sight read. Definitely not really overrated. Dude has earned his place.

[@strachanspodcast5951]

If you’re gonna do an under rated guitar players, we need to bring up Peter Green from the original line up of fleetwood mac, if it wasn’t for him unfortunately becoming very sick I think he would be a lot more widely recognised, one of my favourite guitar players ever! Stevie Ray Vaughan another great player.

[@withnail-and-i]

Love his album The End of the Game

[@athas12]

The fact that everyone from Kirk Hammett to David Gilmour cite his as inspiration speaks volume on his influence. That being said, I don't think he is underrated. Short catalog, and not very successful commercially compared to the later FWM is the reason the average audience may not know him, but any rock fan appreciate him, and he is always in top guitarist of all time.

[@Zultzify]

really glad one of the top comments is about vaughan, he was one of my favourites growing up forsure, and still is! i just dont think many would even consider him overrated lol, hes that respected

[@georgekush6697]

Then Play On is Fleetwood's best album

[@TheErikjsm]

Out of all players from that era green is def my favorite. I have a feeling fleetwood mac would have basicly became zepplin before zeppelin had they continued. Just listen to green manalishi or rattle snake shake you can hear they were moving towards way more experimental heavier sounds

[@TheDankCat127]

To be fair, the Edge never claims to be a great guitarist. And regardless of how easy it is to play, his style was unique and innovative when it came out. Not to mention his sound has been copped by Christian Music bands for three damn decades now.

[@IcyScythe]

Why Christian music in particular? I don't ever listen to it myself but I'm somewhat exposed since I'm around a lot of people who do. Any specific examples? I'm curious.

[@VethoRinga]

@@IcyScythe You'll see a lot of "worship" songs use the reverbed-droning-minimalist style of guitar playing used by the Edge. One good example of that is I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For by U2.

[@n0denz]

Watermelon in Easter Hay is near-apotheotic for me. That and Muffin Man prove that even when Frank wasn't taking himself seriously, he was still more serious than 90% of everyone else out there. He definitely didn't joke around when it came to the sheer volume of work he produced.

[@newbienewb4973]

Michael Bloomfield is imo the most underrated guitar player of the 20th century, the first Paul Butterfield album in 65 started the 60’s guitar virtuoso trend where he brought he fire.. Clapton hadn’t played with Mayall or Cream, Jeff hadn’t started up with Yardbirds, no Jimi yet etc. He avoided becoming commercial even though he has developed a reputation as an American guitar hero. Clapton isn’t overrated before the age of 25 btw… he could have stopped after Cream and would still be a legend

[@LINKJW]

His work and live with Dominos are even more fabulous I think...

[@facemcshooty6602]

Derek and the Dominos was fire

[@RyanChansler]

Eddie Van Halen's rhythm is underrated and his swing/shuffle is untouchable. Also, if someone says Eruption is easy to play, they're doing it wrong.

[@kobaianvagabond1344]

Even if someone can learn to play Eruption, they didn't write it.

[@MreenalMams]

Yes I think that too.. What he did during Cream, John Mayall, Blind Faith, Derek is enough.. Yes there were other greats too but he was like the face of the guitar players.. and sure his stuff in the 70s & 80s are kinda lame but once in a while we do see his brilliance shine through in a song or two, or maybe in just a solo during a live video.. i personally think some of his albums from 90s to 2010s were really good (I Still Do, Sessions For Robert J, Unplugged, and a few others)..

[@timorean320]

I have heard a bunch "play Eddie", but dont quite have that vibrato, or tone. Mean Street, now that's a technical challenge (not that eruption is a breeze)

[@phoenixmichaels]

@@timorean320 I feel about "Mean Street" the same way I feel about The Stones and "Sympathy For The Devil". Two MONSTER, epic songs... then you hear the solo. And it's like: "REALLY?!? That's the one you want to KEEP?!?" The solo on Mean Street is disjointed and uninspiring... literally mailed in on the first take. And I adore the song.

[@timorean320]

@@phoenixmichaels Yea, I always figured he put all effort in opening, innovative, then you can skimp on lead

[@fathers_melk6608]

DJ Khalid is by the far most underrated guitarist of all time.

[@kodakwhite1696]

That title goes to lil Wayne

[@dogmachine2406]

Now that he has bob marley's guitar. There is no stopping him.

[@ogfit5448]

Anyone who thinks john mayer is overrated needs to go see him live. I saw him 2012 at Jones Beach and he shredded like a legit rock star. He improvises all of his songs live and never plays the same version its insane, and check him out with dead and company. He's a generational talent but I wouldn't say he's the BEST guitar player of the decade

[@soyborne.bornmadeandundone1342]

Sux that he's an azzhole lol and can't write a song. But yeah he has some skill.

[@FrankRizzo7080]

Could we please not even mention EVH or Jimi Hendrix- those two stand alone as guitar Gods! Seriously, those two took Guitar to new heights so nothing underrated about them.

[@Inabin]

Guy who called Zappa overrated is actually a lunatic

[@matthewgallant3622]

Seriously. Zappa was a beast.

[@Walkeranz]

Watermelon in Easter Hay

[@jasoncarey2092]

@Tyrone Biggun Zomby Woof

[@parmenides2576]

Zappa is overrated af, I tried getting into him and he doesn’t have even one good song. Anyone who acts like Zappa is good is one of those weirdos dying for attention for being different. Let me guess you read Finnegans Wake too and actually understood it?

[@fase1doughnut]

@Tyrone Biggun Muffin Man

[@BillBuchananFtw]

The Frank Zappa mention here triggered me so hard I nearly had a heart attack. I like to think opinions on art and music are subjective and theres no right or wrong answer but jesus christ saying Frank Zappa is an OVER rated guitar player is objectively wrong.

[@geoffpoole483]

Zappa never went in for shredding. Some of his albums are an acquired taste but his guitar playing is melodic. Perhaps people don't realise Steve Vai was in Zappa's band.

[@lonelycake4114]

Zappa is a sloppy songwriter but amazing guitarist. Maybe people confuse the two.

[@gonzadiazsola]

@@lonelycake4114 how can he be a sloppy songwriter? He would write every part for every instrument.

[@lonelycake4114]

@@gonzadiazsola Watermelon in easter hay is probably the closest zappa came to creating an illusion of what people expect from music, most of the time he was just toying with us

[@prismonthethehorizon5793]

😂😂 Yeah can't put him in this category.

[@Nogli]

If you think 'The Edge' is an arrogant name, remember that U2's frontman was 'Bono Vox' ('good voice' in Latin) before he dropped the 'Vox/Voice'. So now he's just Good (considering his association with philanthropy, this isn't remotely surprising).

[@leethomas7659]

Wanker of the highest order.

[@spiderseb]

Yeah mate, you might wanna check the facts first before commenting BS. 1) The Edge got his name from his friends group. U2 weren't even called U2 at that point and it referred to his edgy chin and/or his personality trait of looking on things from "the edge" before making his judgement. 2) Bono got his name from said friends group as well. He had a good voice, but essentially got that name after they walked past a store called Bona Vox Hearing Aids in Dublin.

[@virtuazoso]

Also, if you’re going to put Swans as the 2nd best album of the 2010’s, you owe it to yourself to listen to more Buckethead. Many of his tracks are incredibly emotional (Soothsayer) and innovative

[@patwilson2546]

Nottingham Lace is one oof my favorites. Interworld is a good one as is Animal Behavior.

[@DrSteveBrule552]

I never realized how great John Mayer was. I only knew him by his radio stuff which is ok but then I heard him at a blues festival a few years back and was like oh this guy can really jam.

[@algorithm007ify]

yes but so can 1 million other guitarists...and lots of them are way better

[@Luke101]

@@algorithm007ify lol no. Watch Mayer perform Crossroads with Clapton. He outplays him. His improving is ridiculous

[@bryonmollica]

Jamming is not an indicator of skill Usually mindless noodling

[@Childofbhaal]

@@bryonmollica Being able to improvise well is absolutely a skill. I know lots of players who are really skilled but can’t play a single thing off the top of their head. It has to be pre planned or pre written. One of my ex girlfriends was a brilliant violinist but take the sheet music away and she couldn’t play half as well

[@rocstarnol]

@@algorithm007ify John Mayer is ridiculous with his sense of Rythm and knowledge ab guitar he’s top 10 guitar player of all time

[@JeffScottKing]

Clapton is kind of an interesting case to me. I love Cream and I like Derek and the Dominos, but the solo stuff (outside of a few songs, as well as 461 Ocean Boulevard, which is hands down the best album Clapton made under his own name) does little for me. I wouldn't call him the most overrated guitarist ever (I enjoy his playing, it's more the songs themselves that get in the way for me), but I can't argue with people who say that he gets far too much mileage out of two great bands and only some good solo material.

[@iSkully99]

Blind faith and the bluesbreakers were good too!!

[@mrlalalaelmo7454]

5 years of greatness (but not even that great IMO) followed by 50 years of mediocrity = overrated

[@BJAdamBarry]

When I saw the video notification, the first name that popped into my head was Clapton.

[@martin2893]

@@mrlalalaelmo7454 name your top 10 guitarists

[@mrlalalaelmo7454]

@@martin2893 well I don’t claim to know all the guitarists out there, but here’s a few off the top of my head who are greater IMO: - Stevie ray vaughan - Eddie van halen - Bb king - Chet atkins - Tony iommi - Brian may - Terry kath - Carlos santana - Ritchie blackmore - Jimi hendrix - Pete townshend - David gilmour - Tommy emmanuel - Gary moore - Wes montgomery

[@thesollylama130]

Depends on the definition of over-rated. For example some iconic guitarists aren't known for being super technical or deep into music theory but are household names. Other guitarists are incredibly advanced technically but their music appeals to a much smaller audience. That's why Ace Frehely is a beloved guitarist and showman despite being a pretty standard rock guitarist. He wrote great riffs. While guys like John Petrucci are insanely talented and technical, but the music he makes is far more niche in it's appeal. I think Shred over on his channel discussed it well between being a Riff Lord versus being a Lead Lord. He used the examples of Kirk Hammett and Yngwie Malmsteen. Malmsteen is clearly more technical both in technique and composition, while Hammett knows how to write a killer riff people instantly enjoy. Is one more over-rated than the other? Not really. They do different stuff that appeals to different people.

[@DesusChristus]

For how little Buckethead is known outside of his fancircle and some projects he has been part of, i wouldn’t call him overrated, given what amount of talent he actually has.

[@FatBoySlim696]

Very true, he isn't very well known

[@jimmywebb4429]

It's weird to put musicians like the Edge and Thurston Moore in the list -- they were never interested in developing "chops" for better or worse. I also think it's weird someone went at Van Halen. He was incredibly influential and well ahead of the rock guitar pack in the late 70s.

[@joshhogan171]

glad someone else was thinking this.

[@rickygforce4217]

Yeah, Edge isn't technically amazing or anything, but it's not like he's trying to come across as such lol. Him being called "The Edge" is a little strange though

[@misorodzinak8829]

The Edge is the usual target of hate from guitarists who spend their entire free time learning flashy solos and perfecting their advanced soloing techniques only to be met with complete disinterest from their peers. Superior technique does not equal superior music.

[@lilacrain3283]

@@rickygforce4217 iirc “The Edge” was a nickname he had because he had a big nose. It predates U2

[@Adamdidit]

@@rickygforce4217 supposedly its a joke about the shape of his head and has nothing to do with his musical career

[@rex-1141]

2:04 that Santana solo was the musical equivalent of trying to tell a joke but forgetting the setup and skipping straight to the punchline to save a shred of dignity

[@ShadowDrake102]

Oh my God I can't believe how accurate this is. Then following it up with a shit tier pentatonic updown like "haha you shoulda been there"

[@ChrisDodgen]

That one note though…

[@rex-1141]

@@ShadowDrake102 yeah dude it was way funnier when it happened

[@notme810]

I have a good deal of respect for him myself. He explored a lot of things in his long career. From Crunchy chord structures with epic solos that in a time of pentatonic overload he could bring tasty chromatic licks into a really sweet context. And he was really percussive with his abilities to add strokes that complimented the percussion in ways that the instruments couldn’t go tonally but not overshadow the drive of the song. Electric Fire in his solos. We are talking about Carlos Santana right? If it were not for him when I was a teenager I would have never discovered “Return to Forever “ and Chick Corea, Al di Meola, Stanley Clarke or their virtuoso sounds, Jean luc Ponty or many other progressive Rock/Jazz fusion. I am richer for it! The much later collaboration with Rob Thomas on “Smooth “. That is Carlos. Few albums of his are the same. From Latin to USA Hard Rock. he can do it!

[@Eduardoyanez__]

@@notme810 He doesn’t really have much chromaticism in his playing nor are his chord progressions really that special. He has good music but nothing I would consider “crunchy”.

[@sephwarren9056]

I feel like you were talking about Steve Vai when you meant to say those things about Yngvie Malmsteen

[@jansingber376]

Stevie Vai "Flexible" is some pretty genius playing. Worth a second listen

[@BaritoneOneFive]

I remember 20 years ago thinking Carlos Santana might be over the hill. He was playing with BB King and I later realized it's not polite to try to play over your host. Then I saw Carlos on TV a few months later thinking he would suck. Carlos' solo started slow and ended up raising the hair on the back of my neck. LIVE, Carlos is one of the greatest, EVER!

[@joshd270]

Santana is amazing

[@synapsy9291]

Santana is under appreciated because the average person who listen to guitarists equate the number of notes you play each second to how much you are good as a player. Actually is the exact opposite, as a guitar player who hasn t a lot of technique i find easier to play fast because you don t have to think, you can play as many casual notes as you want as long as they are sufficiently close to each other so the only two notes that count are the first and the last of the lick u are playing. The reality is that playing slow in which every note you do must count is the most difficult thing.

[@synapsy9291]

Technique is just a shield to hide behind for players who don t know what they are doing

[@jamesduckery]

As a saxophonist, Santana is slick as ice 🧊. When he did his jazz funk era in the mid to late seventies with Amigos with Dance Sister Dance and those live albums (Viva Santana & Lotus). That made me wanna step up my technique on the horn.

[@claudiofarina7502]

@@synapsy9291 playing slow requires even more techinque. If you play slow, all your notes must sound perfect, and that's why BB King is one of the goats.

[@caiomesquita268]

Blackmore has earned the title of worst best guitarrist of all time after how much he consistently makes the bottom of best guitarrist lists

[@bungalo50]

yet he should be near the top smh

[@monsieurgolem3392]

Yes, I agree, he had one of the worst tones, it was watery and had no bite, he had moments with In Rock and Made in Japan but other than that...........

[@MutantMint]

Mdou Moctor is one of the greatest contemporary guitar players out right now along with so many amazing guitar players coming out of the "Sub-Saharan" area rn

[@themiller3319]

John Mayer has been acknowledged by blues guitar legends. He's toured with BB King and has been acknowledged by him. He's far from overrated. Incredible blues guitarist and a huge nerd. A far cry from several boomer guitarists who rest on the laurels of knowing their way around a couple scales.

[@mentalelixir7556]

Bucket head is incredible if you look in the right corners of his massive and overwhelming discography

[@Juli_is_Online]

You got any suggestions of where to start?

[@-.-6900]

@@Juli_is_Online Soothsayer and Aunt Suzie Welcome to Bucketheadland and Jordan Edit: Watch the video titled “most emotional Soothsayer….” or something along those lines

[@covepanda6051]

I also recommend Maggot Dream, Sail on Soothsayer, Maguas Scalp, Whitewash, For Mom, and Nottingham Lace. A few lesser known songs with a couple of his other popular ones (Maggot Dream is under the name "Death Cube K")

[@goldenboy140]

@@-.-6900 soothsayer is the most boring, basic b answer you could have given lmao. soothsayer sucks

[@-.-6900]

@@goldenboy140 Very interesting Funny how nobody asked you though

[@owl509]

Ain't no way people are saying Buckethead is one of the most overrated guitarists of all time

[@EzraTheEpic]

He is though. He's a very good guitar player just nowhere near as good of a guitarist as his fans claim him to be.

[@survivaloftheidiots6239]

@@EzraTheEpic I don't know I still think he's pretty good

[@Felldohswrath]

I think the overratedness lies in the music itself and not the technical skill. Dude's crazy good but he's definitely got a quantity over quality type of output.

[@lilacrain3283]

@JAY CHROM3 I don’t think anyone is criticizing any technical guitarists for not writing “hit records” lmao. You can not try to write a hit and still write subpar music

[@petterv6604]

first time I've EVER heard Anthony mention Frank Zappa, which is crazy he should cover him more

[@chefboyardeeznutsinyourmouth]

9 or 10 years ago he reviewed Hot Rats but other than that and his mention of FZ in this video I think that's it

[@zaneramsey]

What more can be said

[@petterv6604]

@@zaneramsey plenty

[@jordangreyling8820]

only just listened to clapton recently and i was trying to zearch the internet to see if anyne else thought his playing was boring and found this, dad rock is the perfect way of describing it

[@patwilson2546]

Some very good stuff in his Cream days and Layla (the whole album, not just the song) was very good. Still, by 1975 IMHO he was done.

[@johndef5075]

His acoustic version of Layla is audio ambien 😴. How you could take such a passionate song and turn it into a dirge is masterful I guess😅

[@zackzallie8735]

People still confused between hate and overrate. Clapton is still a great guitar player even though I think he's really overrated. He could made the guitar sing and I agreed on that, even though he's not in my Top 10.

[@martin2893]

name your top 10

[@zackzallie8735]

@@martin2893 not in real time, honestly. i keep changing it based around my mood or experience. but, Clapton still couldn't fit in my top 10 imo at any time. lol

[@martin2893]

@@zackzallie8735 just name ten based on ur current mood

[@martinsanchez4827]

@@zackzallie8735 would santana be in your top 10?

[@zackzallie8735]

@@martin2893 1. John Frusciante/Jimi Hendrix 2. Jimmy Page 3. Eric Johnson 4. Eddie Van Halen 5. Frank Zappa 6. Jonny Greenwood 7. SRV 8. Mick Taylor 9. Tony Iommi 10. David Gilmour I'm in a mood for sloppy dudes who could slide it in without sound pretentious or horrible.

[@WeskerFoda]

Frank Zappa was one of the most creative musicians i've ever listen to.

[@pete7164]

Listen to some serious jazz guys. Zappa is far less impressive by comparison

[@MrLuridan]

@@pete7164 I agree. FZ played a lot of random notes, without precision. I love Zappa, but not for his guitar playing.

[@mss11235]

@@pete7164 Horrible fucking take.

[@rickroybal7022]

Frank was a musicians musician

[@AndrewLoukidis-jr2bp]

Even studio pros like the Wrecking Crew couldn't believe Frank could play his charts on guitar Until they watched him do it. But yeah, rating guitar players is ludicrous

[@christopherfeeley1318]

Steve Vai, "For the Love of God" is a masterpiece.