Rolling Stone’s new (and always controversial) greatest guitarists of all time list

[Greg_L]

All I know is Rolling Stone got what they wanted - millions of arguments. I've been barraged pretty steadily in the meat world with people asking me what I think of this list. My answer is a very disappointing "I don't give a fuck, it's stupid".

[Greg_L]

Hold up...LOL...I just realized....someone correct me if I missed it but how is Ace Frehley not on this list?

Technically amazing? No, but that obviously doesn't matter for this list. Iconic? Famous? Influential? Successful? Very very much a huge yes to all that. He's not more worthy than 250 other people? This list really is stupid!

[Lt. Bob]

All we can do is judge by output. Doesn’t matter if I know them or not. The fact that all three are on the list means it’s not about skill.

and what I'm saying is we can't judge and the list means absolutely less than nothing

All I know is Rolling Stone got what they wanted - millions of arguments. I've been barraged pretty steadily in the meat world with people asking me what I think of this list. My answer is a very disappointing "I don't give a fuck, it's stupid".

a better more cogent answer than mine

I mean, TBH, no one asks me about such stuff since I have zero friends but if I did and they asked, this will be my new response

I will say though, that this list gives me a good reason to continue having no interest in reading Rolling Stone

[Greg_L]

no interest in reading Rolling Stone

I honestly don't think I've ever even opened a Rolling Stone magazine. They do not and have not ever covered music that interests me.

[Lt. Bob]

no interest in reading Rolling Stone

I honestly don't think I've ever even opened a Rolling Stone magazine. They do not and have not ever covered music that interests me.

well .... like many things they had their day but really, it wasn't about just music .... it was the counter culture and anti-Viet Nam and that sort of stuff.
When I started college in '69 they were one of the few things that spoke to us and about us.
It's difficult today to quite grasp how little there was back then that didn't just toe the " 'merica .... love it or leave it" line.
Pretty much everything was 'godless commies need killing'
I remember noticing more social shit in Rolling Stone than music because they ( and music ) were the social media of the day.


But just like every other culture thingie, as time passed they lost their relevance and now that there is actual social media they have no purpose.

Haven't even glanced at one in decades

[vomitHatSteve]

That's something I personally judge git players on ... the ability to 'hired gun' your way thru a gig

That is a good criterion. Did anyone get a count of how many members of the wrecking crew were in the list?

Hold up...LOL...I just realized....someone correct me if I missed it but how is Ace Frehley not on this list?

I'm pretty sure he was in there, but I might be misremembering.

[rayc]

I haven't looked at the list but saw someone's post elsewhere about Ace not being on it...then rambling on about how many people he influenced etc. The lt gets people talking about Rolling Stone and possibly checking the list - marketing with controversy.
I've read about three Rolling Stone mags in my time. Not a fan of their general thing.
In the 70s & early 80s I read NME & Melody Maker plus the Australian paper RAM weekly. In the late 90s and 2000s I bought UNCUT becasue of the free CD with every issue.
Each with a grain of salt but also an ear to something new.
NME connected me with Television for example.

[Armistice]

I haven't looked at the list but saw someone's post elsewhere about Ace not being on it...then rambling on about how many people he influenced etc. The lt gets people talking about Rolling Stone and possibly checking the list - marketing with controversy.
I've read about three Rolling Stone mags in my time. Not a fan of their general thing.
In the 70s & early 80s I read NME & Melody Maker plus the Australian paper RAM weekly. In the late 90s and 2000s I bought UNCUT becasue of the free CD with every issue.
Each with a grain of salt but also an ear to something new.
NME connected me with Television for example.

I still remember the free plastic singles you used to get in RAM - on which you had to put 20c pieces to ensure they spun correctly once the stylus was on it. And you needed to check that you got one that hadn't been bent in handling. Think that was RAM, anyway? A must read in my yoof.

How I discovered Elvis Costello - a free single with Watching the Detectives and a few others on it from memory.

I read Rolling Stone when I could, but not sure I ever forked out for it.


And yes, lists are all about marketing and selling stuff and having arguments etc. Always has been.

Some really obscure names on the list - all part of the marketing push - to get people talking.

[Armistice]

If Ace Frehley was in the Beatles, he'd have easily outshone John Lennon. And not put up with any shit from Yoko, either.

But would he have been better than Paul?

[Lt. Bob]

If Ace Frehley was in the Beatles, he'd have easily outshone John Lennon. And not put up with any shit from Yoko, either.

lol .. prolly not ...... well, except Yoko never gave anyone any shit ...... but yes, Ace wouldn't have put up with the imaginary shit Yoko never did.



And BTW ....... I really like Ace Frehley

[Greg_L]

Ace Frehley by himself is better than all of those boy band Beatles combined.

[Lt. Bob]

Ace Frehley by himself is better than all of those boy band Beatles combined.

maybe .... if we hadn't already established that such comparisons mean nothing.

[Greg_L]

maybe .... if we hadn't already established that such comparisons mean nothing.

Ace Frehley's guitar smokes and shoots rockets. Beatles guitars gently weep like sissies. There is no comparison.

[rayc]

How I discovered Elvis Costello - a free single with Watching the Detectives and a few others on it from memory.

Yes RAM presented the STFF FOURPLAY: Ian Dury, Elvis Costello Welcome to the Working week & WTDs & The Damned New Rose. Loved it and bought the 1st EC album that week.
It took me longer to get into ID&TBHs...nothing they did quite matched the glory of Wake Up & Make Love To Me. My mate already had the Damned LP and I had a cassette of that. HELP - superb, New Rose brilliant...Neat Neat Neat! They died in the arse when Brian James left.
I still have my copy as well as a flexi by a Newcastle band called Daniel...Last night in the city. fab song. I eventually found the LP 30 years later. As an LP it's a great single.

[Lt. Bob]

Ace Frehley's guitar smokes and shoots rockets.

lol .... ok, I'll give ya the rocket thing.

[Armistice]

maybe .... if we hadn't already established that such comparisons mean nothing.

Ace Frehley's guitar smokes and shoots rockets. Beatles guitars gently weep like sissies. There is no comparison.

You need mad skill to play a guitar that's firing rockets.

[rayc]

maybe .... if we hadn't already established that such comparisons mean nothing.

Ace Frehley's guitar smokes and shoots rockets. Beatles guitars gently weep like sissies. There is no comparison.

Clever twist, but the weeping was Clapton.
LOTS of people try to get Ace's tone, I suppose his licks aren't too hard for a lead player to learn but he, generally, came up with a cool set of ideas for them in the 1st instance.

[CrowsofFritz]

no interest in reading Rolling Stone

I honestly don't think I've ever even opened a Rolling Stone magazine. They do not and have not ever covered music that interests me.

I bought a record at a store once and the store gave me three free issues. I cancelled my subscription before it was up. Was still getting magazines. I cancelled again. Still getting them.

I canceled online and over the phone after calling many different places because they were deflecting who has the authority over the subscription.

On my third and latest attempt to cancel I emailed two different parties, I told them I informed my bank to not allow the charges for a subscription and if you send me magazines, they will be coming to me for free.

It’s predatory shit.

I only flipped through the stuff they sent me. It’s mostly garbage. The only thing the piqued my interest a little was an anniversary interview of the cast from School Of Rock since I liked that movie. Even that was garbage.

[Greg_L]

You need mad skill to play a guitar that's firing rockets.

I bet you'd do it if you could.

[Greg_L]

Clever twist, but the weeping was Clapton.
LOTS of people try to get Ace's tone, I suppose his licks aren't too hard for a lead player to learn but he, generally, came up with a cool set of ideas for them in the 1st instance.

Beatles...Clapton....same limey different day.

The point is it makes no sense that Ace isn't on a list of 250 guitar players. He ticks every box you could want for a famous guitar player.