who is the most influential guitar player of all time?

Question

please help my 17 yr.old son thinks it's kurt cobain(sorry if i misspelled the name) . i know my answer is almost anyone but him.he's learning to play and i think he needs to hear from others to guide him along . of course he won't listen to me,I tell him about who i've seen jeff beck,clapton,alvin lee,john mcglauclin,al demiola,buddy guy,randy california even, to name some. please help him make a more informed decision. he hasn't even heard of these people i know there are other new talents out there but i can't think of any at the moment that compare.

Answer 1

I know that what really blew my mind was the first time i heard "eruption" from van halen...........amaaazing.....

Answer 2

First of all, no normal 17 year old is going to listen to the artists that you proposed. What made Kurt Cobain such a great guitar player was not his skills, it was the emotion with which he played the guitar. However, Cobain displayed excellent guitar skills on Nirvana's MTV Unplugged album.
Pretty much all of the big "grunge" bands of the 90's had great guitarists (Stone Temple Pilots, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, etc...) but if you're looking for something more modern check out Audioslave, Army of Anyone, Velvet Revolver, Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Personally, I recommend Ozzy Osbourne's "Tribute" album if he's into that.

Answer 3

Cobain my butt! Look the dude was a good musician, but there were so many others who led the way before him! Here is a list of a few: (not in any particular order)

1) Jimmy Page
2) Slash (Guns and Roses) one of the best in my opinion!
3) Eric Clapton
4) Peter Frampton
5) Jimi Hendrix
6) Ted Nugent
7) Carlos Santana
8) Stevie Ray Vaughn
If he needs proof let him listen to November Rain from Guns and Roses and he will hear on of the best 3 part solos from Slash!

Answer 4

I play the guitar, and I have for decades. Jimi Hendrix is THE most influential guitar player of ALL time. Kurt Cobain is an influence on some people, but compared to Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain is like the lightning bug versus lightning. Your son is ignorant of rock history. Ask him how much one of the guitars used by Kurt Cobain is worth, and then show him what guitars owned by Jimi Hendrix are worth.

Answer 5

First off, kurt cobain really wasn't that bad of a guitar player. In fact, I think rolling stone has him in top 10 of all time. I think, however, what you're taking issue with is the genre. I teach high school. Sometimes, you've gotta teach young people about history without them knowing it. My suggestion would be listening to somebody like John Frusciante. He plays for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but also has some excellent solo stuff. Listening to Frusciante will teach you all you need to know about some of the greats, IE jimi hendrix, satriani, rhoads, etc. So that is my answer - John Frusciante. One word describes him, his music, and his life - amazing.

Answer 6

You listed some great players. But the answer to your question is really: Who influenced them? Players like Hendrix and Clapton came up after Chuck Berry and BB King. It's more of an individual perception. Your sons influences will be different from your own. My personal favorite is Hendrix. I looked around and found Rolling Stone's list of 100 greatest of all time. I posted the link below so you and your son could look at the list together and discuss it. He may not be familiar with a lot of them. This will be and opportunity for you to share your passion together. Good Luck.

Answer 7

Jimi Hendrix

Answer 8

I think Stevie Ray Vaughan or Jeff Beck are 2 of the best and Dimebag Darrell with Pantera was good too.

Answer 9

I'm going to say Esteban. The guy is great, guitar player and he's blind. Talk about talent. You're son should look up to Esteban as a guitar hero. He should also consider the people that you listed. All those men are great guitar player. I hope your son finds a better influential guitar player.

Answer 10

Jimi Hendrix

Answer 11

Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin