Brain Fertilizer

Please note: these are not the most skilled guitarists (different list; would include Rik Emmitt of Triumph), nor is it a list of my favorite guitarists (would include Tommy Shaw of Styx). These are the guys who I think you need to absorb if you want to really understand why you hear what you do on the radio, and if you want to be a well-rounded guitarist. These are the guys who when you hear a solo or rhythm part on a song, you can say, "Oh, that was clearly influenced by this guitarist." Without further ado:

1) Chuck Berry
Although Bill Haley's Rock Around the Clock and Elvis That's All Right (Mama) predated Chuck's Maybellene by a year, his signature licks and moves established what it meant to be a guitar hero with chops and flash.

2) Eddie Van Halen
Although "hammering on" predated Eddie, he made it popular. He also changed the guitar solo away from repeated patterns into more of a composed, prepared line of music. He also innovated songwriting structure in using more of the guitar fingerboard for rhythm work than most guitarists.

3) Yngwie J. Malmsteen
He inspired more stylistic imitation than perhaps any other guitarist ever. His sweep-picking and harmonic-minor scale and emphasis on pure speed set the standard for guitar work in genres far outside Hard Rock and Heavy Metal, to include Jazz and even Country (in a few examples). He set the course of guitar virtuosity that endured for a decade before giving away to Grunge (which itself was a reaction to Malmsteenian guitar hero excesses).

4) Jimi Hendrix
Distortion and blues were invented by others, but popularized by Hendrix. To be honest, I don't really get Hendrix that much. I listen to his songs and hear nothing that makes me say, "How'd he do that?" or makes me want to pick up my guitar to figure out a lick. But he does do that for thousands of others, so I'll put him at #4.

5) Joe Satriani
Joe took Malmsteen's virtuosity and applied mathematical and guitar theory permutations to it. Then he nearly single-handedly created the "solo for 3 hours over a few simple chord changes" style of guitar instrumental compositions. He's good, and if people aren't trying to be the next Jimi, they're trying to be the next Joe.

6) Jimmy Page
Another guitarist I just don't get. I do often hear things by Jimmy that makes me wonder "How'd he do that?", but the problem is that I also can't figure out, "Why'd he even want to do that?" But since so many other people worship him, he's gotta be here somewhere. I'd put him at #10 except for the Black Dog lick moves him up.

7) Stevie Ray Vaughan
For the most part, I didn't want to put derivatives on this list. So: no Steve Vai, because he didn't do anything Satriani didn't do at least as good. But while SRV built on Jimi, he also added flash and Yngwie-like virtuosity to his Blues playing. And he changed the direction of Blues compositions, too...in my opinion.

8) Carlos Santana
Smooth. Lyrical. Carlos is the guitarist that launched a guitar company. At least in my mind: when I think of Paul Reed Smith, I think of Carlos Santana and the tune Black Magic Woman floats through my head for the next hour. Carlos makes the guitar sing with soul, and anyone who wants to express themselves through the guitar tries to play like Santana.

9) Brad Gillis
Although he gets little credit for it, Brad was the original master of the tremolo system. Few use the trem better than Brad, and no one earlier came close to the stuff he could do. With Brad, the trem wasn't a trick or gadget, it was a vital tool of guitar solo expression.

10) George Lynch
He shared a style with Jake E. Lee (Ozzie) and Warren De Martini (Ratt), creating a certain sound and style of rhythm and solo work. But George was the oldest, and he was the one who influenced Jake and Warren to use a metal pick. I give him the credit for being the mentor...and let's face it: no one made a guitar sound more menacing than Lynch.

Not making the cut:
-Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top)
Awesome blues work, especially the slide. Almost bumped Lynch
-Steve Vai
He achieved fame as David Lee Roth's EVH imitation guitarist. He followed in his teacher's (Satriani's) footsteps of guitar instrumentals. He re-invented Gillis' tremolo skills, with less style. But he was good in Cross Roads.
Bill Haley
-May have mostly invented rock guitar...or may have just been the first one to get a hit using a style he learned from others. I think the latter.
Randy Rhoads
-He didn't do anything that Ritchie Blackmore and the Scorpions didn't do earlier, or Yngwie Malmsteen didn't do better.
Ritchie Blackmore
-See Yngwie Malmsteen. Ritchie was totally eclipsed.
Kurt Cobain
-He didn't do anything special on guitar. His influence was as a singer and lyricist.
Neal Schon
-See Carlos Santana.

Update:
Diamond Dave asks: "What? No Eric Clapton?"
Well, I know many people think 'Clapton is God', but honestly: what influence has he had on modern guitar? He might have had something to do with overdrive distortion, but it seems like Hendrix gets the credit for that. Maybe I'm missing something, though; I have never heard anyone say, "Clapton made me want to play guitar." I have never seen Clapton's solos listed as the best ever. I have never heard a solo that made me think, "How did he come up with that? (musical expression, rather than technical skill)." He isn't technically proficient. He doesn't do that many styles. Again, I may be missing something, but I defy you to pick out any guitar solo on a CD in the last decade and say, "That was influence by Eric Clapton's playing." Which is what this post is all about...hmm, may need to add that to the intro, eh?

Other notables not making the list: Joe Perry, Ronnie Montrose, Tony Iommi, Vivian Campbell, Chet Atkins (though it was close), Les Paul, Screech Slash, Mick Mars, Trevor Rabin, Dan Huff, Robin Trower, Rick Derringer...sheesh, there's a lot of really, really good guitarists out there. But only a few have set standards, and they are pretty much those in the list.