Litterbox jukebox - Rolling Snubs
Biggest internet music debate going on right now is the Rolling Stone top 250 guitarists list and I agree with everyone who says it's rather lacking. Granted, I appreciate when they go global and picked out some unknowns (no debate from anyone), but they picked a lot of punk rock influences (artists who even they themselves admit can't play). Another oddity is rhythm guitarists and not the leads (i.e.: Heart, Halestorm, etc). A ton of newer artists, which I appreciate (the list came out now and Kurt Cobain, with 3 albums over 10 years is there, no one bats an eye, but say this came out in 1995 with him on it? Would people care? I would, mostly because even though I love the guy, he's overrated).
Here's my choices for surprising snubs and my song selection.
Janick Gers - Sign of the Cross
Granted, Smith/Murray did make the cut, but even though they were the dynamic duo in Iron Maiden's peak albums, but Smith and Gers have been in the band for pretty much the same number of years. They're all there currently, they're all lead guitarists. If you're going to mention Maiden, include everyone who makes them a success.
Claudio Sanchez - Welcome Home
Speaking of Maiden, I describe Coheed and Cambria as a fusion of Iron Maiden and Rush. The compliment has been mentioned to them and they're obviously flattered. So if both those guitarists made the cut, why not the guy who meshed both styles flawlessly?
Jeff Hanneman - Angel of Death
Often, Rolling Stone lumped bands with two guitarists together on a single spot on the list. The fact Kerry King made it and Hanneman didn't is bizarre. Slayer is not Slayer without both thrash guitar gods.
Zakk Wylde - No More Tears
This omission makes no sense. A star in Ozzy's early 90s heyday, the two have remained friends and collaborators throughout the decades. Zakk has put out a ton of amazing work with Black Label Society and his Black Sabbath cover band, and now even has taken over the guitar duties in Pantera with ease. Listen to his solos. Notice his versatility. How he's not here is beyond me.
John Petrucci - Panic Attack
My motto: anyone who denies the talent of Dream Theater has never listened to Dream Theater. Apparently that somehow includes Rolling Stone.
Neal Schon - Don't Stop Believin
This alone made people throw their magazine in the fireplace. Completely absurd. Here's a guy that played behind Carlos Santana and was considered so good the record label and Santana himself insisted he needed his own band. He's so talented that Prince called up Journey because he was worried they might sue him since Purple Rain had some similarities to Faithfully. An absolute legend and not just a pop star. Shameful omission.
Tom Scholz - Long Time
Another crazy snub. Boston is a one man band basically. Tom got so much out of his primary instrument though. Seriously. An engineer by trade, he pretty much invented a lot of the equipment he and now other players use. Most artists that made the cut owe him and probably said so. Doesn't mean the writers will care.
Neil Giraldo - Heartbreaker
Pat Benatar was full of tough hitting guitar parts in a ton of songs that received constant airplay in the 70s and 80s. She just finally made the RRHOF. Neil made that happen. No credit. Odd since many of the HOF voters are also RS writers.
Roland Orlazabal - Everybody Wants to Rule the World
Yes seriously. Don't just listen to the memorable lyrics of Tears for Fears. Listen to the guitar. Roland is one of the most underrated in the biz.
Yngwie Malmsteen - Heaven Tonight
I admit, probably a longshot due to his lack of commercial success, but his actual talent is undeniable. He's in a league with Ritchie Blackmore, and that's good company.
Phil Collen/Steve Clark - Armageddon It
My jaw was on the floor when I noticed Def Leppard was nowhere to be found. Listen to the guitar work, then the solos. This isn't a debate.
Peter Frampton - Do You Feel Like We Do
Yes, it's fair that his most known work is a double live album. But it's Frampton Comes Alive. Few live records are as awe inspiring and brilliantly produced as this one. We're going on 50 years of failure in trying to duplicate it.
Richie Sambora - It's My Life
Rolling Stone has always had a bias for 70s punk and anti 80s hair metal. There's some undeniable talent, despite all the fluff. Bon Jovi is one of the rare survivors of that era to remain relevant. Most of the punk rockers were always too drugged out to be able to play, then died young. Richie was never that guy. He wrote and played better than anyone until he got booted from the band he founded.
Dave Grohl - Monkey Wrench
A drummer by trade, he picks up a mic and a guitar and gets into the HOF on the first opportunity. Clearly didn't do it with talent apparently.
Josh Homme - 3s and 7s
A man of many talents, I feel he really hit his stride with Queens of the Stone Age. Listen to the riffs, then the solos. Then report back and tell me how he's not on this list.
Dan Auerbach - Gold on the Ceiling
A star with the Black Keys, he also has a solo career and worked with The Arcs. No matter what he does, it's brilliant and complex. Most notably, it sounds like it came out of the 70s, so his omission is confusing to say the least.
Vicki Peterson - Hazy Shade of Winter
Four words to describe the guitar talent of the Bangles: Hazy Shade of Winter (you thought I was going to say Walk Like an Egyptian?). Granted, it's not their song, but Paul Simon, for all his abilities, could not transform this track into a hard rock classic. A band that gets ignored way too much by serious music critics.
Vivian Campbell - We Rock
I decided to separate him from the rest of Def Leppard due to him being a founding member of Dio, a major player on the multi platinum 1987 Whitesnake album, and his return to Dio style metal with the Last in Line. I mean seriously. He fits in anywhere and can play anything.
James Iha/Billy Corgan - Zero
The Smashing Pumpkins changed music. In the 90s, bands wanted to be them. Every group of friends had that one person with a Zero t-shirt they wore everywhere (in my case, it was me. Actually, it was all of us). And they're still putting out amazing work.
Dave Mustaine/Marty Friedman - Holy Wars
When RS brought up Metallica, they mentioned their founding member. But then never again. Mustaine had a chip on his shoulder and even though he's notoriously difficult to work with, no question can the guy write and play. Megadeth's best days were the near decade span Friedman was by Dave's side, and they both still influence a ton of other artists.
Mike Rutherford - Silent Running
Showcasing his guitar work with the Mechanics, Rutherford became the solo guitarist for Genesis upon the departure of Steve Hackett. Brilliant in his own right, Rutherford is different from Hackett, not less.
Terry Kath - 25 or 6 to 4
The founding guitarist of Chicago, Kath's solo on this track probably turned a lot of heads when they first heard it alongside trumpets. And people wanted more. The only thing that put brakes on his career was when he played an ill advised game of Russian Roulette with what he assumed was an unloaded gun.
Mick Jones - Cold as Ice
Foreigner, Boston, Chicago, and Journey are all bands that made a name for themselves in the 70s, all had staying power. Pink Floyd and Fleetwood Mac got credit, the others don't. Why?
Chris DeGarmo - Warning
Queensryche is super underrated, even among metal fans. Gotta go back to the Dream Theater standard: listen to them before judging them.
My snubs:
I like these acts, but they would be on the outside looking in.
Adam Jones - Tool
Personally, I think they're all amazing. Guitar parts rarely stand out though. They seem to play and write as a unit.
Charlotte Caffey - The Go-Gos
Roaring back on to the scene every couple years, the principal songwriter and guitarist for the most successful all girl group up to that point needs more recognition.
Dave Matthews
If John Mayer's in, so is this guy.
Herman Li - Dragonforce
Clearly influenced by the aforementioned Yngwie Malmsteen and Dream Theater, points off due to listeners not knowing if the guitar work is real or just built in a studio on a computer.
Next time: picks I was shocked, but happy to see, on the list.