THE GUITAR 1970-1979 | THE DECADE OF LEGENDS

[@Zelomeisterdude]

Rick, you could easily do a half dozen more videos of guitar players from the 70s without a drop off in quality. It truly was a golden age for guitar.

[@kylergarcia7359]

The sheer amount of people complaining about players being left off this list just shows you how fruitful the 70's were for guitar. Truly a magical era.

[@manuelquinones2689]

I agree. Ricks video was still very well done.

[@rokkkrinn2793]

Dude! Absolutely. I can't agree more. Did Uli Roth debut in the 70's?

[@Kylora2112]

Yeah, he was in Scorpions from like '72 to '78, and Sails of Charon (from 1978) is still the premier neoclassical shred guitar solo.

[@unclespongehead]

+Tom Cass For every guitar player I felt left out there was one Rick included where I said to myself, yeah, he's good.

[@billdowhen703]

I didn’t see in the video or read in the comments anything about Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons of The Doobie Brothers. Both could and did play lead. Johnston was also a fine songwriter and superior vocalist. Have to say Jeff Baxter of Steely Dan is a personal favorite. He was also an accomplished drummer who played in concert with the original Doobies when they used a dual drummer configuration. He is also a virtuoso pedal steel guitar player. And of course he’s a top consultant to the Department of Defense on missle defense systems.

[@Patflute65]

I would have mentioned Rory Gallagher and Michael Schenker for sure, but making a complete list like that is just impossible. Well done Rick.

[@spinynormanbest6410]

Well don't have frampton, Boston blokes all the ones from the previous vid, aerosmith, etc

[@tommccafferty5591]

I agree about Rory for sure. Brian May attributes his sound to Rory.

[@joeycarter8846]

Dwayne Allman & Dickey Betts could hold my attention with solos for 4 hours with beautiful, melodic, flowing, harmonious playing.

[@HelenamariaRusso]

Hello Mr. Joe how are you doing😊

[@blaze262332]

EVERYONE GIVE IT UP FOR RICK BEATO THANK YOU FOR WORKING TO KEEP MUSIC ALIVE, REAL AND SHARING YOUR INFLUENCES AND HISTORY FOR EVERYONE! YOUR EFFORT DOES NOT GO UNRECOGNIZED

[@tinyb69]

A few that would have been included on my list from all over the spectrum. Jan Akkerman, Al Di Meola, Steve Morse, Larry Coryell, Larry Carlton, Mike Stern, Gary Moore, RORY GALLAGHER, Tommy Bolin, Mick Taylor, Ronnie Wood (The Faces had some of the greatest riffs of the 70's), Richard Thompson, Jerry Garcia, Steve Hillage, Steve Hacket, all guys named Steve, Paul Kossoff, George Kooymans, Glenn Branca, David Lindley, Fred Frith, Sonny Sharrock, Tony Rice, Norman Blake, Pepe Romero, and I'll end with Gary Richrath, because his playing just screamed 70's rock. Just my thoughts... Great list, Rick. I understand how hard it is to make these kind of lists, and appreciate that you did this. As always, quality stuff.

[@rafaelpretto292]

Sure all of them should be, including Mick Ronson too.

[@johnnysurfs]

I saw Rory open up for Rush in like 83. As good as it gets.

[@kentissue2215]

Gary Richrath! 💚

[@ER-me1ii]

Adrian Belew.

[@Relayer6a]

I saw Beck and Mclaughlin in '75, I think, when they toured together. Beck played a blues bottleneck piece that brought tears to the eyes of pretty much the entire audience. Everyone around me had tears flowing down their faces and chills. I actually liked Beck better than McLaughlin. But I must admit McLaughlin's music was over my head.

[@leosag816]

Thank you for acknowledging the great Johnny Winter. He is so underrated.

[@keep_walking_on_grass]

Alex Lifeson is one of a kind. absolutely a legend.

[@ramspace]

Where is Rory? I have no ability to judge technical playing, but Rory's tone, melody, and overall total love for his craft stirs my soul like no other guitarist can do, except maybe for Peter Green.

[@davidvanwagener6097]

He was in an earlier list.

[@3storiesUp]

@@davidvanwagener6097 He wasnt in any list this guy has ever made. Don't kid yourself.

[@marcleonhardt3928]

I also miss Rory in this list. He was amazing.

[@AntonXul]

The 1970s is truly the apex in music. I wasn’t born yet so I didn’t grow up in the era, but listening to music all of my life from the past to today, I can say in my opinion, the ‘70 was the greatest decade for music. A truly magical era.

[@smacker2182]

Great to see Terry Kath amongst the greats, so underrated for so long.

[@mikesherwood7022]

Kath was a monster for sure

[@richardmiller191]

You got that right. He played like he invented the guitar. So sad his life was cut so short....

[@williamstefens]

Yay, as a big Chicago fan, so glad you included Terry Kath. Hendrix and Kath had gotten together and had considered collaborating on music, but sadly Jimi was taken away far too soon. Could you imagine what is the music of Terry Kath and Chicago with Jimi Hendrix could have been like?

[@allancrow134]

Canadian guitarist Frank Marino and his band Mahogany Rush made a huge impression on me during that era. Still a huge fan.

[@djmccloskey1755]

Rory Gallagher is surely the most glaring omission here (and I agree with all the others mentioned and sympathize with Rick's impossible task.... 70s was definitely the decade of the guitar... so many awesome players in so many different genres. But Blues guitar trajectory was defined by 4 mind blowing players: Robert Johnson, BB King, Jimi Hendrix and Rory Gallagher... its that simple. The sad part is Rory like Lifeson seems to get way less credit than he deserves. I was also surprised that Gary Moore didn't surface here, his playing has blown minds in both blues and rock for decades, perhaps he's more 80s?. But his playing and writing with Lizzy in the 70s was incredible. I think the fender anniversary version of Red House played as a tribute by Gary to Jimi and the Stratocaster was the best version of that piece I've ever heard.

[@Saitentanz]

Thank you for this great aproach. I miss some great names e.g. Frank Marino, Al De Meola, Steve Lukather, John McLaughlin, Rory Gallagher, Steve Morse, Robin Trower, Tommy Bolin, Michael Schenker and JJ Cale just to name a few. Maybe you can make a follow-up to this decade. I´m sure lots of people will appreciate it.

[@ChrisStrat67]

Spot on. I like all these guys too. Great players.

[@mandomike45]

@@ChrisStrat67 Absolutely, can't believe John McLaughlin and Al Di Meola were left out.

[@ChrisStrat67]

@@mandomike45 I am a big Mahavishnu Orchestra fan so I agree on McLaughlin. I hate to admit I have not heard a lot of Al Di Meola's work. I need to check it out.

[@tweettweetjones1262]

Also Ace Frehley!! Kiss became the biggest rock band of 1977. That's when kiss cards, shirts, dolls, make-up, etc. explodes. I was only 7 but I remember. Also, should of put John Fogerty on here. He's not only an adored American songwriter, but an excellent all-around guitarist/musician.

[@zoso4rune504]

Agree Where is Frank Marino. Rick completely dropped the ball on that one.

[@cutty-sark]

I feel so privileged to have grown up in the 60s & 70s and got to experience all this music!

[@HelenamariaRusso]

Hello Mr. Michael how are you doing😊

[@craigw1911]

Chicago's Terry Kath was criminally underrated. His guitar on their debut album's "Poem 58" and their second album's "25 Or 6 To 4" are what I tell others to listen to when they tell me Chicago is just a ballad band. Their years with Kath were spectacular. Hendrix saw them play at the Whisky and told them, "You've got a horn section that sounds like one set of lungs and a guitar player that's better than me!"

[@randymeyer6482]

That's the same quote I tell people!!! I have a friend who was a close friend of Terry Kath...he's a great player too.

[@JohnSmith-mx8wp]

@Craig W Absolutely! As good as "Poem 58" is, check out the rest of Chicago's debut album - Kath just solos all over that joint. Try the final track, "Liberation" for a real guitar workout. And the icing on the cake is that he was a top vocalist, his gruff delivery complementing the syrupiness of Cetera/Lamb. What a loss.

[@craigw1911]

@@JohnSmith-mx8wp I'm 60 years old, been listening to the original Chicago since the early 70's when I found Chicago (the unnumbered second album) & Chicago III in my older brother's record collection when he went into the Marines and left the records at home. Then I backfilled my own collection with CTA in the early 70s and got each subsequent release when they came out. Well familiar with the album :) The last one I bought was Chicago 17, the sound was just too different after XI without Terry and I hung in as long as I could. I did buy a few compilations on CD including the massive 16 disc one Lee Loughnane worked on that has ALL the Carnegie Hall shows (2 discs for each of the 8 shows).

[@nippynf4l831]

Glen Campbell was versatile. Don’t forget all the pop music he played on that is the soundtrack of our lives. From The Beach Boys to his own solo work. Amazing guitarist and talent.

[@Slightedge101]

The Best

[@billgreen6263]

Yup versatile for sure. Glenn was an amazing player.

[@shawnmurdock4982]

Roy Clark was just so good; and he was just a pleasure to listen to and watch - great entertainer.

[@clash5j]

I never realized he was so good until I happened to catch his performance on The Odd Couple right here on youtube. He was phenomenal.

[@davidwynn6148]

And a really nice guy! Way the opposite of Eric Clapton, great guitarist but a real jerk to deal with!

[@dalemartell8639]

As was Glen Campbell who played with Clark a lot.

[@ianedmonds9191]

Jeff Beck is always otherworldly. He's an alien Musician in human form here to teach us music. Luv and Peace.

[@nabucodonosor863]

Rory Gallagher was one of the best guitar players that grabbed the Guitar, but people never remember him when it comes to these lists of guitarrists.

[@hwearrow]

That´s it, but if you notice this author is too much focused on comercial rock as Boston, Journey or Frampton. I don´t like Eagles, Boston, Journey or Frampton commercial live album super selling but almost empty of real music. I prefer hear Desire of Bob Dylan. Great compositions and great playing. I have all the Gallagher best albums!!! But I have nothing of Springsteen or Journey or Chip trick or Foreigner or Elvis Costello, or Clash or Eagles.

[@paulofreire7520]

Absolutely! One of the greatest! 👍🏻

[@barra6709]

Rory had a bad experience with his first band Taste and would not cave into record labels demands, let them get a cut of his music, release singles or videos in turn they didn't give him any promotion and he didn't get recognition he deserved. Given the circumstances he still done very well commercially selling millions of albums. He much preferred it being smaller and being free to do as he pleased.

[@tonyvoxu2]

I can't quite get it with Rory Gallagher. I know his tone inspired Brian May yet it sounds nothing like as impressive as BM's in Queen. I don't want to give up on him cos too many people rate him. I wonder if you have link to a really good way in?

[@pequeuxdarleux1480]

in France we worship him. He was scheduled in a "café" in the north of the country but he died the day before: great loss

[@weaesq]

The best decade of music.

[@gregoryball4450]

And the most diverse and creative. Commercially, nothing was out-of-bounds. You could get 4 or 5 styles of music in ONE SONG! (Check out bands like Gentle Giant).

[@soullessSiIence]

Rachmaninov wants a word with you

[@lessthanpinochet]

Hands down! The 90's is a close second.

[@jordanwatko2244]

80s

[@ayhamshaheed7740]

Gregory Ball lol gentle giant are really weird, but awesome!

[@kad285]

Awesome to hear one of my all time favorites Terry Kath acknowledged! Amazing soulful player and vocalist!

[@exciter2506]

As much as I love the rest of the band, they would never have hit the big time without Terry. Jimi Hendrix called him the best guitarist.

[@snekmeseht]

How is it possible to squeeze so much genius into only ten years? It was a mindblowing decade. Makes today's music scene seem like a desert.

[@samuelclemmons3915]

Drugs

[@austonboston4361]

Because it is just that, a desert. The 70's were more like a "wasteland" 😉👍

[@hugh-johnfleming289]

Glad you included Terry Kath... so often forgotten and so damn good.

[@chriss.570]

Finally a like mind. If Terry was left out I woulda raged.

[@SmashedBottleMan]

The best. Just watched his daughter’s documentary of him. Check it out.

[@GuitarSlinger2112]

I'm so ashamed of myself. I read your comment and said to myself "Who's Terry Kath?" then Googled him and facepalmed...

[@MrFrankqu58]

It was great to see Terry Kath's daughter at the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame to accept his induction.

[@Gledii]

How dare you to leave Gary Moore out of this amazing list :P Great series...looking forward for more

[@baronbeefcake4701]

It was so great to see Alex Lifeson! He doesn't get nearly the credit he deserves

[@SimpleManGuitars1973]

Neither does Elliot Easton and I don't think he was mentioned here either.

[@awookieandagerman]

Ged and Neil alone would not have been nearly everything Rush became. Alex was absolutely integral to the bands sound and function, and furthermore always was, no matter how many synths were covering his part. Without his voice in there somewhere, it ain't Rush.

[@SterlingSimmons22]

Robert Fripp too

[@thatpaulschofield]

DuckTalesWooHoo1987 I love Elliot Easton! He wrote some of the catchiest and most memorable solos ever.

[@relayer43]

Or Steve Hackett.

[@zimzimma5688]

It's amazing looking at these comments. Rory Gallagher is easily the most beloved guitarist that most people never heard of. It's like that thing about the Velvet underground's first album, not many people bought it, but everyone who did started a band.

[@aldito7586]

"This guy had this tone and it was just so unique". "I asked him about it". / "His name was Rory Gallager". / (Brian May)

[@jutta3378]

Rory was incredible! Made me want to learn to play guitar.

[@allen_p]

Roy Clark is greatly under-rated since his country roots. However, he was incredibly versatile

[@kumasan812]

My first concert, I was 11 when I went to see YES preform Close To The Edge (had it on 8 track and the album), and Steven Howe's picture stills sits on my wall in my music room.

[@ER-me1ii]

Kuma San good choice. Always been one of favorites.

[@BlunderCity]

I wasn't even born when this was released and I admit to not knowing every single Yes album but Close to the Edge is by far my favourite.

[@gregoryball4450]

That's an incredible first concert. I saw them preceded by King Crimson! Cant take anything away from Steve Howe, one of the most creative Prog. musicians of his day. But did anyone notice that his replacement in Yes, Trevor Rabin, was actually technically better? He was one of the few rock guitarists who could keep up with guys like John McLaughlin.

[@nandaseth]

Scott Gorham, Brian Robertson, Gary Moore (Thin Lizzy)

[@silgen]

Eric Bell (Thin Lizzy).

[@navajojoe6021]

Yep, couldn't agree more. The guitar solos on the album version of " the rocker , are some of my all time favourites

[@silgen]

Not just The Rocker, the whole album is great - Whiskey In The Jar, Little Girl In Bloom, and The Hero And The Madmen are all track where Bell shines.

[@kentissue2215]

Snowy White

[@eamonahern7495]

Roy Clark was an amazing guitarist as was Rory Gallagher.

[@rondunagan6339]

The first concert I took my wife to was at one of my all time favorite, Al Di Meola.

[@RU-HDD-4-HVN]

Ron....... I ran sound for Al at a guitar clinic some years ago. He was a very nice person and not pretentious as I thought he would be (my bad). During the clinic he noted that he was a drummer before he took up the guitar which at the time kinda surprised me. Now I see a whole lot of great guitarists were drummers before the guitar and was part of what made them better. A little extra info....... While he was giving the clinic and taking questions someone asked how he played a certain song and then he paused and then said....... I don't know let me see? Then humbly started breaking down his own song for the person. He was truly amazing to see and the finesse was spectacular and I wasn't yet a real fan until that day.

[@jmonty2005]

One of my favorites too. I especially love both Elegant Gypsy and Casino

[@CorbCorbin]

Race With Devil on Spanish Highway

[@ianramage1593]

Glad to see Johnny Winter on this list. I would also include Rory Gallagher, Alvin Lee, Lindsey Buckingham and Gary Moore. I think SRV would probably belong in the 80's.

[@RobertWhitfield]

Alvin Lee and Gary Moore were flat awesome!

[@helioboura2029]

Rory is man . The best off all

[@griffinconaway732]

Make your own video

[@desmondpacassidy]

I guess it's mainly down to sales in the USA ??

[@DougZbikowski]

Man- Glen Campbell, Roy Clark, Jerry Reed...all of those guys I skipped over because I didn't like that genre of music growing up, but I missed out on their shredding talent! I didn't discover them until years after they died :(

[@randymeyer6482]

When Chet Atkins needed some help figuring out a piece of music, he went to Jerry Reed..

[@pafe3079]

Great list. When I was a kid I listened to my fathers tapes and Wishbone Ash dual guitar play with by Andy Powell and Ted Turner hooked me. I think they have been a great influence for later bands.

[@johnmagee810]

A list of great rock guitarists from the 70’s without Rory Gallagher! The Taste performance at the Isle of Wight, and albums like Irish Tour ‘74 & Live in Europe place Gallagher up there as one of the great players. An unforgettable live artist. Major omission from the list.

[@cumbriatreesurgeons8943]

My first concert was Rory Gallagher in 1976 . 17yrs old - just sensory overload, took three days to recover, never been the same since.......

[@johndelaurentis9294]

For Blues, I would include Rory Gallagher. For jazz, Larry Coryell and Al DiMeola.

[@Circuit7Active]

and Kim Simmonds

[@acousticaacousticduo1458]

No mention of one of the all time best guitar duos in history, Thin Lizzy? This list could go on forever. Great guitar decade.

[@wadewilson8011]

Thank you for adding George Benson. He really didn't hit his plateau until he did give me the night in the '80s. But his blend of music was epic.

[@terrykathspotlight9916]

Love that you highlighted Terry Kath. He is unmatched.

[@mikesherwood7022]

For sure!!

[@richardmiller191]

Absolutely!

[@jmgmarcus808]

You forgot Steve Hackett, not only was his work in Genesis amazing, but his first solo album is guitar centric and incredible. Oh, and don't forget Leslie West of Mountain.

[@KennCramerHanberg]

Love Steve Hacketts guitar playing on genesis records and also his solo albums

[@jmgmarcus808]

@@KennCramerHanberg me too.

[@valuedhumanoid6574]

The amount of work that went into editing this video is just phenom. Rick is the best at soo many things

[@GeorgeSmiley77]

So glad he mentioned Steve Howe. He's special in that he can play fast AND musically at the same time. No one knows how good he is because with *Yes* his solos aren't recorded very high in the mix. Also glad he mentioned Terry Kath; his soloing on _I'm a Man_ is fantastic. A good video all round.

[@goodolarchie]

Glad you got Robert Fripp in there. I still learn new techniques after decades, studying his work through the 60's and 70's. Love King Crimson too

[@davidcopson5800]

I nearly died of shock. I was convinced he'd never heard of Fripp.

[@JamesBlevins0]

Rick Beato uses short clips under fair use, to respect copyrights. Longer clips may require licensing and time, which might be uneconomical for a KZbin content-creator. With Rick's knowledge and good will, he might be able to have a productive interview with Fripp, perhaps showing some licensed clips. I would love to have them discuss "Baby's on Fire", Fashion, or "The Sheltering Sky" --- or to have them discuss the time-discipline of Frippertronics and playing slowly.

[@jassie138]

Yes! I know it's often a joke because Court of the Crimson King is so popular. But he really is criminally underrated. However guitarist I have spoken to that knows him, absolutely admires him. He is sort of a guitarists guitar hero.

[@AyeCarumba221]

One notable omission: Tommy Tedesco from The Wrecking Crew. Glad you had Glen Campbell, Neil Schoen, (Journey) and Mark Knopfler.(Dire Straights). It’d be nice to see Denny Diaz (Steely Dan) in there too.

[@markmilner842]

I think you needed another 10 minutes for this one!

[@icecreaminc8013]

i could listen to 90% of the guitarists listed for ....well for the rest of my life. I think they are so great..that I put their music on my kids ipads/music boxes so they can hear what i hear. magic.

[@sdgakatbk]

A video like this, as well as his earlier one, is really just a jumping off point as to who to listen to more.

[@jjsmith706]

You misspelled hours.

[@alenico16]

I realize that not everyone can be mentioned in a synthetic video like this, but I noticed some important oversights: Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin, Larry Carlton, Kazumi Watanabe in the jazz/fusion area, but above all, about the rock guitar players, we can't forget Frank Marino, one of the greatest ever... A little note on the "guitars duo" part: if you mention Aerosmith, you can't fail to mention Thin Lizzy's Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham...

[@peterthart531]

I am thrilled to see so many people pointed out Rory. He was never huge in the states so Rick probably didn't care. But as somebody else pointed out the fact there are many names left of the list speak to the richness of the era. Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest,Clash, Pistols, Ramones it goes on and on. What do we have now? Nothing. Glad I came of age then.

[@pliccut]

Rick has given Rory his props in some of his other videos. Probably just an oversight.

[@jameswagoner3309]

Rory Gallagher toured with Rush... I caught him in 74 at B'ginnings a club in Chicago and I will never forget it. Saw him throughout the 80s touring with Rush.

[@jamesparker1063]

"Rory...was never huge in the states so Rick probably didn't care." - THAT is a lousy thing to say, about one of the NICEST (and most knowledgeable!) guys, in music instruction/journalism!! If everyones "pet faves" were on "the list", the vid would be 12 hours long.....maybe your "comprehension" levels are too low, to miss the inclusion of such as Holdsworth and Roy Buchanan, who were also, NOT "big in the USA"....

[@Tiger_carpenter]

You must know and appreciate Rory Gallagher to be able to give a list like this.

[@brucewilson1958]

Ditto! I'm all in on that.

[@joshhowe7795]

gorham / Robo Thin Lizzy also

[@claudioboafe6903]

RORY was a genius. Unforgettable, as Stephen Stills, Steve Howe and Steve Hackett. Great guitarists out of list.

[@TheMX007]

@@joshhowe7795 *f**f***f

[@laurentdelaigne5659]

Beaucoup de redite sur cette part 2 ! Et même pas de Rory Gallagher ??? What a shame !!!

[@sinane.y]

Jerry Garcia? Larry Coryell? Eddie Hazel? Steve Morse? Steve Hackett? Steve Hillage? Al Di Meola? Michael Karoli? Mick Ronson? John McGeoch? Neil Young? Danny Gatton? Tom Verlaine? William Ackerman?

[@mikehomner4724]

Great call on Neil Young!

[@Tzulander]

Eddie Hazel always gets overlooked, and it's a travesty. Dude was up there with Jimi and Prince.

[@marcgallegos2239]

I was hoping to see Mick Ronson too lol

[@jamesnation9889]

Eddie Hazel was out of control awesome...."Get Off Your Ass and Jam", for example Ouch!

[@amazonaochrocephala5491]

Garcia was mentioned in a previous video

[@jamesfarrington9030]

My fav twin guitar band is Wishbone Ash, particularly the album Argus. Pure masterpiece. Also, Bill Nelson of BeBop Deluxe. He could burn. Wonderful vibrato, second only to Trower, in my opinion.

[@kevinlalonde340]

RORY GALLAGHER...THE BEST BLUES GUITARIST

[@rodrigoodonsalcedocisneros9266]

One of the greatest for sure.

[@scotttimothy64]

I'm just glad you didn't leave out Steve Howe. Disappointed in leaving out the great Steve Hackett and Walter Becker, however.

[@kevinmcardle4087]

I'd like to add John Fahey and John McLaughlin to your list; they're both amazing, and deserve to be heard.

[@lars591]

I am not a huge Country fan, but I was so relieved to see that you included Glen Campbell in this list. It says a lot when Eddie Van Halen says he wishes he could take lessons from Glen Campbell.

[@mattbasford6299]

Eddie Van Halen did take some lessons from Glenn. In my book, Glenn Campbell is second to none.

[@mikesherwood7022]

Glen R Clark J Reed C Atkins killer

[@ignaciocordovadonoso8662]

@@mikesherwood7022 Jimmy Bryant, Hank Garland, Joe Maphis and so on...

[@wadewilson8011]

I love the fact that he added Jerry Reed. He never gets the credit he's do.

[@patriciakeith6755]

@Lars-You need to listen the the late great country guitarist Jimmy Capps. listen to the timeless classics he played on- Stand By Your Man, He Stopped Loving Her Today, The Gambler, The Rose (Conway Twitty's version), How Blue, After All These Years, 16th Avenue, Brown-eyed Handsome Man, Somebody's Knocking, Amarillo by Morning, Elvira, Sleeping Single In A Double Bed to name a "few". All of Ronnie Milsap's recording through 1988, including such hits Smoky Mtn Rain and Legend in My Time. So many other great country guitarists are overlooked/overshadowed by rock guitarists it's a shame. Such as Vince Gill, Luther Perkins, Ricky Scaggs, Joe Maphis, Doc Watson, Steve Wariner, Don Rich, Jerry Douglas, Tony Rice, Brad Paisley, Willie Nelson, Keith Urban, Albert Lee (from across the pond), Maybelle Carter, Brent Mason (one of the top session guitarist of all time). Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed, Roy Clark and Glen Campbell have all ready been mention.

[@kitekrazee]

I always loved the tone of Boston.

[@voteZDLR]

Yeah man, I heard actually that on top of being great musicians they were also SMART. Like, one of the members of the band went to MIT which is renowned as perhaps the finest engineering school in America (maybe even the world) and he designed his own effects boxes and even built a recording studio or something like that. But yeah Boston's tone is legendary.

[@gabeabraham9285]

@@voteZDLR instantly recognizable

[@stevechristy3244]

@@voteZDLR Tom Scholz is the one who went to MIT, graduated with his degree. Created the first Boston album by himself, and invented toys that are still being used in rock today. To say he was smart is an understatement.

[@voteZDLR]

@@stevechristy3244 For sure, he was a genius

[@Guitfiddlejase]

I knew Albert Collins personally..my late father opened for him and joined him onstage often..I appreciate your mentioning him.

[@terryb3388]

he ain't drunk, he's just drinkin"!

[@antiadam666]

Man the 70s had the best group of guitarists of all time

[@Saitentanz]

Absolutely! The 70s were the most creative years ever

[@Godisnotmyshepherd]

I‘d say 60‘s and 70‘s

[@stevechism4516]

Would Love to see you interview Phil Keaggy! It would really draw the attention and appreciation of a lot of people like myself who grew up with his music. I was so glad when Lee Sklar, who recorded with Keaggy on some of his albums, highlighted some of his music on his channel.

[@caballero2112]

Glad to see Lifeson made the cut -- he's often overlooked.

[@marcelaoyarce5384]

Rory Gallagher should be on any list of best, so many greats have mentioned him as a main influence.

[@paulofreire7520]

Absolutely! One of the greatest. 👍🏻

[@claytonwalter8700]

Crack is a helluva drug.

[@buska100]

@@paulofreire7520 Yes Indeed. Rory was definitely one of the Greatest

[@RICHBLACKCOCK]

Marcela Oyarce WHAT CHU TALKIN BOUT?!! U got that right. AL DiMeola also!!

[@liamg353]

totally agree, Voted best International guitarisr of 1972, ad very underrated. One of the very best

[@unixkobold]

Paco de Lucia, one of the greatest guitar players of all time...

[@jamestucker457]

Yes, I mentioned Paco among others as well. May he R.I.P. We'll give a pass, given the almost silly undertaking of such a subject. Be well!

[@InfinityX2]

Absolute master, but his style does not fit Rick’s categories (maybe his later jazz work 🤷🏻‍♂️).

[@elc1960]

Nice job man. One small bone to pick with you: Roy Clark did not debut in the late '60s; his show "Hee Haw" debuted in the late '60s. Roy debuted in the late 1950s as a session player for Capitol Records, playing on a lot of Wanda Jackson sessions, and came to prominence as a solo recording artist in the early '60s. But the man was amazing. He could play anything with strings.

[@horstbaur7797]

Warms my heart to see the love for Rory Gallagher in the comments. Another great post, Rick. Thank you.

[@rohanroll]

I was about to write that same thing. Brings me some kind of hope. Maybe this world is not completely fucked up... Rory was a force of nature... 💜💜💜

[@3storiesUp]

He was the greatest of all time .. no doubt mate.

[@marcelaoyarce5384]

I'm reading the comments an feel the same, not only a great singer guitar player who covered so many styles, Rory has a special place in our hearts.

[@victorlewis3251]

@@rohanroll I said exactly that too! A force of Nature!!

[@wilddjango]

How can we forget the amazing Rory Gallagher and Alvin Lee? Not only a great guitar players but also great voices. But maybe they were not so famous in America? I dont know

[@nightwishlover8913]

Two of the greatest. Alvin was a beast!

[@fhqwhgads1670]

10 years after....

[@pickolascage1283]

I met Alvin in Germany back in 1986 or was it 85? Anyway, it was like meeting royalty in my eyes. We miss him.

[@Mike7478F]

Alvin Lee fine guitarist. Good one!

[@coyleigh2860]

God damn!!! How can you people expect this dude to remember every fucking guitar player?

[@4ٴٴٴٴ]

Glad to see both Duane Allman and Dickey Betts in this, great video Rick.

[@CHlEFFIN]

It was a must!!!

[@davewoods4902]

Thank you for including Roy Buchanon , my personal greatest Albert King Glenn Campbell .You have put together a legitimate and comprehensive list . I havent heard Alvin Lee mentioned yet . But Roy Clark,Betts ,Allman Great JOB!!!

[@davewoods4902]

Carlos ,Rossington ,oh Did I mention ROY BUCHANAN JIMMY PAGE . SORRY GOT ME A LITTLE EXCITED. GOTTA GO PUT SOME MUSIC ON

[@robertmiller1842]

I'm glad you at least mentioned Roy Buchanan he's one of the obscure artists of the time. Not many know of him.

[@kiaweking]

I love Roy's musicality as well, and I would never disrespect Mr. Beato's choices in editing. For me, the comments are like a rabbit hole of search possibilities. Let us not forget Danny Gatton or James Burton, two other noteworthy pickers that represented in the '70's. Aloha from Hawaii, Thomas

[@HelenamariaRusso]

Hello Mr. Robert how are you doing😊

[@awookieandagerman]

Brian May and Alex Lifeson are the peak of rock guitar to me. Between the solo in Bohemian Rhapsody and the solo in Soliloquy (in 2112 for those non-Rush heads out there) lie worlds of pure imagination and inspiration that could be mined for innumerable years. Great video Rick, looking forward to the 80s and 90s! Unsure if this is going to last into the 00's or 10's though...well, for rock guitar anyway.

[@Lincoln12933]

Yep agree, Brian’s gift for melodic inventiveness and superb tone put him well above many of the other guitarists of the era. to me his playing was so serene that he didn’t seem like a guitarist. Hard to put into words..i hear the music more than the guitar

[@brockneil]

Brian May amazingly created ALL the sounds of a Dixieland jazz band in the song Good Company, and did all those sounds using his electric guitar!

[@rxtp17]

How about the smooth smooth solo on La Villa Strangatto... just absolute perfection.

[@awookieandagerman]

@@rxtp17 Totally!

[@Jellybeantiger]

Love for you to go through the drummers,incredible decade for drummers and keyboards,hammind,rhodes,mellotron,best guitar performance for mine,Tommy Bolin’s performance on Billy Cobham’s Spectrum album and John Mc Laughlin’s performances on the Mahavishnu records. Tony Banks of Genesis incredible keyboards,Herbie Hancock ,Jan Hammer,Rick Wakeman.

[@gregoryball4450]

Interesting, because Billy Cobham was the drummer for Mahavishnu. Probably best jazz drummer of his day. I saw Mahavishnu in Boston. My girlfriend said afterwards that she didn't know people could play like that. And the violin player, Jerry Goodman (formerly of The Flock) was also probably the best of his day. And Jan Hammer on keyboards. Hugely influential. Talk about a genius group.

[@georgemorley5926]

What no Alvin lee or Rory Gallagher , another that gets overlooked is Ritchie Blackmore so glad you included him

[@kentlewis987]

Steve Miller, Mick Taylor, Lindsey Buckingham, Neil Young, Phil Keaggy...and don't forget acoustic greats like Paul Simon, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, etc.

[@jwine4145]

Great to see Phil Keagy’s name 😎

[@GospelBluesMan]

Phil Keaggy , is one of thee Best. However, he is not a show off so he doesn't get noticed. being a Christian doesn't help either. He was instrumental in the launch of the E- Bow, although I don't think he uses it anymore.

[@MrFrankqu58]

God blesses Phil Keaggy. He is the best.

[@rickster1957]

Absolutely Kent, how can you mention Keith Richard without including Mick Taylor? But I get it you have to draw the line somewhere so many talented guitarist

[@RCAvhstape]

A video about 70s rock guitarists could easily go on for an hour and a half. Besides just naming players you could make it into a documentary about how the styles and techniques changed and how the players were influenced by each other. For instance, at the tail end of the 70s Alex Lifeson was heavily influenced by Andy Summers, and it starts to show on songs like Vital Signs and on through the Grace Under Pressure album. These guys were paying attention to each other and the music developed rapidly as a result.

[@Relayer6a]

Did you hear the HoF inductance speeches for Yes from Alex and Geddy? They said the first time they saw them they were profoundly influenced. They actually "got it" what being a professional was. It touched home with me because I first saw Yes on the Tales tour. They played the Close to the Edge and Tales albums in their entirety as the show. As an aspiring guitarist (who was clueless) I realized I knew nothing about playing the guitar. It almost ruined me because I thought I'll never play like that. Instead I took to studying and all of a sudden I started to "know" what Steve was doing. But while they were talking I thought, "Wow Rush felt exactly like I did when they saw Yes!"

[@wolvros6040]

How you haven’t mentioned Rory Gallagher is unbelievable; you can argue “oh he can’t mention everyone” but Rory Gallagher was one of the greatest most legendary to ever grace the planet; even Jimi Hendrix said he was the best in so many words.

[@whalencow]

Yeah, I remember that quote... I just looked it up again; According to lore, in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Jimi Hendrix was asked, “How does it feel to be the greatest guitarist in the world?” He is believed to have answered, “I don't know, go ask Rory Gallagher.”

[@mikesherwood7022]

@@whalencow Hendrix supposedly said that about Nugent, Kath, Winters

[@thesongremainsthesame76]

@@whalencow That quote is a myth, I’ve seen it been used over and over again with various different names. Unfortunately there is no proof of it ever happening

[@dermur68]

@@thesongremainsthesame76 You know what they say...absence of proof is not proof of absence.

[@nige3801]

Great to see Allan Holdsworth included, he was overlooked in the seventies, many have tried to copy him

[@stevegurgon]

Seen Buddy Guy and Junior Wells together in mid 70’s in Chicago ..Jimmy Page, Carlos Santana, Pete Townsend , Billy Gibbons, and Alvin Lee, another legend, all at the height of their careers ..what awesome memories.

[@sweeptapper]

Gary Moore, Uli Jon Roth, Scott Gorham & Brian Robertson, Rory Gallagher, Judas Priest, Wishbone Ash, Al Di Meola, Frank Gambale....

[@mikelecabezaguerrero]

Yeah man Glen Tripton and KK Downing

[@oliviermalhomme9923]

Gambale emerged in the 80's.

[@richmonksgtr]

I have long held the belief that EVERY form of music, including gospel was at it’s peak in the 70’s.

[@gooble69]

Mozart and Kurt Cobain might say otherwise...

[@isee7668]

@@gooble69 ...and they'd be wrong. Suicide is not the answer, kids.

[@gooble69]

@@isee7668 So Mozart wrote his best music in 1970's...

[@perijetton9275]

Duane ALLMAN and Dicky Betts twinning on the guitar was magic!

[@XxSkydog71xX]

Duane Allman, a straight up guitar legend. Oh and don’t sneeze at Dickey Betts.

[@badger1968]

Hello Mr Page how are the black swans

[@vbprogrammer2007]

Rory Gallagher....KK Downing/ Glen Tipton

[@miliziaOI]

@chris goodayle Rory ! Great!

[@chazlomack8662]

I question the veracity of any collection of great 70's guitarists that doesn't include Rory Gallagher! WTF!!!

[@kosmaspapadopoulos5819]

I am afraid Rory is not very well known in the States...

[@markviereck4547]

Great video. You hit all the greats. My favorite, Steve Howe.

[@patrickmcevoy5080]

Me too!

[@StephiSensei26]

Cool! John Williams / "Cavatina" from "The Deer Hunter" also helped open up the guitar's new sound for young people. A very fair overview. THX.

[@davecassady7468]

I'm happy that he mentioned Terry Kath & Malcolm Young, two criminally underrated guitarists. "Saxophone player Walt Parazaider said that after a Chicago Transit Authority gig, Jimi told him, "Walt, the horns are like one set of lungs & your guitar player is better than me."

[@MrFrankqu58]

Terry was the best of the best guitar player. Especially on the Transit Authority album. Poem 58, South California Purple, I'm a Man, and Liberation. Kath's playing is awesome.

[@dmljones2550]

Jim as in Hendrix! He’s far too modest.

[@blackcreekmusic783]

Honorable mention to Steve Hackett as well, who btw was pretty much the first one to incorporate tapping in 1971 with Genesis.

[@johndobson1899]

I didn’t know that ..thanks . I don’t go much before “The lamb lies down” , do you have an example for us to check out ?

[@robs1529]

The Return Of The Giant Hogweed from Nursery Cryme

[@TonalWorks]

Or "Dancing with the moonlit knight" from "Selling England by the pound"

[@blackcreekmusic783]

The Musical Box

[@EclecticHillbilly]

Chet Atkins was tapping before that.

[@themightydecibel-heavymeta4959]

Gary Richrath (REO Speedwagon) and Frank Marino deserve mentions here as well ...

[@mdmiller39]

Agree on Richrath. Very under appreciated as a guitarist IMO.

[@joedavis4096]

I was hoping to see Gary mentioned

[@darryljordan647]

Jazz guitarist Al Dimeola who performed with Chick Corea's Return to Forever and solo should be mentioned on one of your lists.

[@HelenamariaRusso]

Hello Mr. Darry how are you doing😊

[@Quadrant14]

Oh ok chuck in the guys from Wishbone Ash---Al Di Meola, Paco De Lucia, John Mclaughlin etc

[@dennisgoebel3615]

Saw all those guitar players...awesome list

[@MetallicAddict15]

Great list. Multiple people have mentioned him already, but Rory Gallagher's music will always hold a special place in my heart. Just listen to "A Million Miles Away" from the Irish Tour '74 record. Doesn't get any better than that.

[@Gallagherfreak100]

Sir Psycho Sexy: I'm sure you have, but, check out "walk on hot coals" from the Irish Tour 74. A veritable tour de force in electric guitar technique. Mind boggling, really. No other guitarist could have pulled that off. Not one.

[@3storiesUp]

@@Gallagherfreak100 Awesome choice ..

[@marcelaoyarce5384]

@@Gallagherfreak100 That's from another world! WALK ON HOT COALS, Irish Tour.

[@pratikhmasulkar]

I have been thinking that the German guitar hero Michael Schenker has not been given his due. He was one of the most influential rock guitarists from the mid 1970s. His guitar playing is a bridge between the bluesy sound of the 70s and the flashy neoclassical inspired shredding of the 80s. In fact, it may not be an understatement to say that he played a considerable role in the shaping of 80s guitar sound- his guitar solos from lights out and Obsession album were ahead of their time and gave us an introduction of what was going to come in the 80s. The most influential guitar heroes of 1980s Adrian Smith, Kirk Hammett, Dave Mustaine, Randy Rhoades, Slash, and so many others have acknowledged his influence on their guitar playing. Some even cite him as their main guitar influence. In fact, many people must have nicked quite a bit from the two German heroes-Schenker and Uli Jon Roth but never acknowledge it (example- Roth's influence is quite obvious in Malmsteen's guitar playing but Malmsteeen has never acknowledged it) because the two Germans started very young and many people they influenced were around their age so maybe there was some element of competitiveness. Anyway, I think we all should acknowledge Schenker at least as a rock guitarist of massive influence in the 1970....

[@jamescox4823]

Who? No influence in my world at the time...

[@AVIDEDITOR18]

If you were into hard rock, heavy metal in the '70's and never heard of Michael Schenker or Ulrich Roth....what godforsaken town did you live in?

[@rsteveh]

Grew up going to so many concerts seeing amazing guitarists of many genre's. Seeing Schenker in UFO 1977 was magical. Became obsessed- have seen him perform live 48 times. I don't necessarily think he's the most technically proficient, but the combination of his power, speed and melody is my absolute "favorite cup of tea".

[@jamescox4823]

@@AVIDEDITOR18 UFO was POP crap...

[@paulsegura4738]

Lets not forget Uli Jon Roth too.

[@fredpeeters1556]

Rick, you are Jan Akkerman from the Netherlands forgotten. The best guitarplayer we ever had.

[@Swampster70]

Michael Schenker? When guys like Slash and Marty Friedman rate him as one of their greatest influences and when one of his LP's, the live Strangers in the Night, is probably the best live heavy rock album released you have to wonder how this got missed. The trinity of Lights Out, Rock Bottom and Michael Schenker off that LP really is lightening captured in a bottle.

[@drewfireset2]

Alvin Lee 10 Years After, Double Lead guitar: look no further than Thin Lizzy and Wishbone Ash!

[@someguy2135]

I was thinking Wishbone Ash when he mentioned Double Lead guitar.

[@mairenared]

@@someguy2135 Me too. I was a huge fan back in the day. Their early albums are brilliant but I lost interest after Ted Turner left the band.

[@anton2417]

Thin lizzy one of the greatest rock bands in the history of rock. Truly underrated.

[@jonp4846]

Off the top of my head, I didn't see any of these mentioned. In no order: Steve Morse, Steve Lukather, John Goodsall, John McLaughlin, Larry Carlton, Larry Coryell, Pat Travers, Pat Thrall, Martin Barre, Rich Williams, Chuck Loeb, Jorma, Rory, Schenker, Ray Gomez, Montrose, Bill Connors, Al DiMeola, Rik Emmet.....

[@davemulder385]

It is not only who plays the guitar best but you are remembered for the compositions you made.

[@stevesuv]

Rick...Thank you so much for recognizing Dickey and Duane who so often get overlooked.

[@thegoodone2770]

Was about to say, if they weren't in here I would be mad. Then they were in here

[@sergkinder2382]

7:37 My favorite part! I think David Gilmour deserves a top place on the list!

[@mikelecabezaguerrero]

Totally he's the man

[@jakmak6454]

Agreed

[@davidbrother2200]

Couldn't agree with you more!

[@jura_rose]

The clip they showed was kind of crap for Dave. Wish they gave him a bit more spotlight. Just heard two or three note bends.

[@royaraman1898]

@@jura_rose Exactly my thoughts!

[@michaelknowler3057]

Nile Rogers was an important and innovative 1970’s guitar players & record producer. His band was Chic.

[@hijmestoffels5171]

I totally agree! There were many great guitarists in the 70’s, but most of them were developing innovations of the 60’s. Nile Rodgers was a real innovator.

[@TheHeeksy]

@@hijmestoffels5171 chukka chukka chukka etc plus tasteful licks. One third of a stellar trio with Bernard Edwards and Tony Thompson

[@fredleysmom]

Thank you for including the almighty Frank Zappa. Dweezil is quite awesome in concert too!

[@michaelesso5445]

Saw Dweezil in Calgary and he did a duet with video of virtuoso Dad Frank. Amazing