Music Banter - The best, most innovative and most influential rock guitarists of all time.

Here's my list of who I think are the best, most influential and most innovative guitarists of modern rock. And I'm not rating them in order of how good they are it's just a list of guitarists that I like that are really important for rock music and how it is made today.

1. Jimmy Page. We all know Led Zeppelins most famous riffs such as Stairway to Heaven, Kashmir, Whole Lotta love and acoustic melodic songs like The Rain Song, Babe I'm Gonna leave You and Going To California. Jimmy Page has created some of the best riffs in rock history and is one of the first hard rock and heavy metal guitarists. He also was one of the most famous guitarists to use the Drop D tuning that Grunge bands like The Melvins, Soundgarden and Alice In Chains popularized which became the standard tuning for modern rock guitar in the 90's and 2000's. Jimmy Page is rightly considered a guitar legend.

2. Tony Iommi. Black Sabbath are credited for creating Heavy Metal. Even though Tony Iommi lost the tips of his fingers in a horrible accident he still was able to play guitar and be a pioneer of the heavy metal sound. You can clearly hear the techniques used on songs like War Pigs and Iron Man laid the groundwork for future hard rock and metal bands. I don't need to mention Black Sabbath's hits cause we all should know them already.

3. Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix had a really short career before he died but had a huge impact on guitar playing and rock music. His riffs for Purple Haze and Voodoo Child are classics to all guitar players around the world. He is considered one of the first people to use distortion which became standard for all hard rock and heavy metal bands. He is also one of the first guitarists to popularize effects pedals like the wah wah pedal which many guitarists like Kirk Hammet used.

4. Dimebag Darrell. Pantera are one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Dimebag's riffs were really unique and special. He used a lot of pinch harmonics and hammer ons like in the song Cemetary Gates. Not much else to say but Dimebag wasn't just a good metal and rock guitarist he was an amazing songwriter who demonstrated his range and diversity as a songwriter with the amazingly good quality songs on all of Pantera's albums.

5. Slash. Slash is a great guitarist and songwriter. His amazing riffs and guitar solos in songs like Sweet Child Of Mine, Welcome to the Jungle and Paradise City are enough to ensure Slash's place as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Another great thing that Slash popularized in guitar playing is E flat tuning which many bands have used after Guns N' Roses success.

6.Jerry Cantrell. Jerry Cantrell is not the most advanced guitarist of all time. He doesn't need to be. He's a great riff and songwriter and one of the best modern rock guitarists of our times. His songs are mostly in Drop D which he utilizes very well. His heavy palm muted riffs in songs like Them Bones and and It Ain't Like That have influenced many Alternative and Metal bands in the 90's, 2000's and even 2010's. He also has proved his songwriting range with his acoustic songs on the album Jar of Flies.

7. Dave Mustaine. Dave Mustaine is one of if not the most important Metal and Rock guitarists of all time. He and Metallica are credited as the originators of the Thrash Metal genre. His amazing riffs on the album Rust In Peace are enough to label Mustaine one of the greatest guitarists of all time. He created Spider Chords which is the greatest technique for metal guitar ever invented. It is done by using the third and pinky finger to fret a power chord either besides or right above the power chord you are already playing which makes power chord transitions easier and songs that would not be even possible possible. It even builds strength for the third and pinky fingers and makes them better at playing other guitar techniques. This alone makes Mustaine one of the biggest innovators in guitar history. It's unbelievable that Dave Mustaine is not listed on many Best guitarist of all time lists in magazines like Rolling Stone. They actually put the ****ing Edge instead of him. Absolutely ridiculous.

8. Eddie Van Halen. I'm not the biggest fan of Van Halen but even i know what a legendary guitarist he is and the huge influence he has had on guitar playing. With amazing solos such as Michal Jackson's Beat It and Eruption he is very known for his guitar virtuosity. Eddie Van Halen made string tapping famous and popular. Other guitarists such as Kirk hammett and Marty Freidman have used the technique for their soloing since then.

9. James Hetfield. James Hetfield is one of the best rhythm guitarists in rock and metal history. His extremely fast and heavy palm muted downpicking is one of the most emulated guitar playing styles in history. Even experienced guitarists still find it hard to downpick as fast as James hetfield did in the 80's. Besides those things James hetfield also is one of the greatest riff and songwriters in history.

There are definitely more great and influential guitarists that I have not listed but these are just my favorite guitarists that have influenced my guitar playing.