David Gilmour‘s inimitable guitar sound on Pink Floyd‘s 1979 track ‘Comfortably Numb‘ has been named as the ‘greatest guitar tone of all time’ by Guitarist magazine.
The track finished ahead of Jimi Hendrix, who placed second with ‘Voodoo Child (Slight Return), and ‘Sinner’s Swing‘ by Van Halen, which was third.
All the usual suspects are featured in the rundown, with the likes of Slash, Angus Young and Eric Clapton all claiming a place in the top 20. The most recent track to be named in the top 10 is Jack White‘s recording on the White Stripes‘ 2002 single ‘Dead Leaves and The Dirty Ground‘.
Other memorable tones including Keith Richards‘ peerless ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction‘, Noel Gallagher on Oasis‘ 1994 album track ‘Slide Away‘, and Pete Townshend‘s ‘Pinball Wizard‘, also featured in the top 50.
Top 20:
1/ David Gilmour – Comfortably Numb
2/ Jimi Hendrix – Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
3/ Eddie Van Halen – Sinner’s Swing
4/ Brian May – Play The Game
5/ Stevie Ray Vaughan – Couldn’t Stand The Weather
6/ Slash – Welcome To The Jungle
7/ Hank Marvin – Wonderful Land
8/ Angus Young – Highway To Hell
9/ Jack White – Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground
10/ Eric Clapton – I Feel Free
11/ Billy Gibbons – Gimme All Your Lovin’
12/ Ritchie Blackmore – Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll
13/ George Harrison – Something
14/ Peter Green – Stop Messin’ Around
15/ Jimmy Page – Whole Lotta Love
16/ Scotty Moore – Hound Dog
17/ BB King – When Love Comes To Town
18/ Paul Kossoff – My Brother Jake
19/ Jeff Beck – Where Were You
20/ Mark Knopfler – Money For Nothing
ok, they really forgot Eric Johnson (Cliffs of Dover, Manhattan, East Wes) Joe Satriani, (If I could fly, Always with me, Wind in the trees) Steve Vai For the Love of God, Lotus feet, Yngwie Malmsteen (Black Star, Far beyond the sun, Icarus dream suite), Randy Rhoads (Mr. Crowley, Over the Mountain, Diary of a Madman), John Petrucci, (dream theater) plus, Hendrix’s tones on Watchtower, Castles mad of sand and Wind cries mary always stood out more than voodoo. (still great song though)
Comfortably Numb is the best solo ever.!
Controversial! Where’s the “Lord of Riff Tony Iommi” where’s Yngwie Malmsteen ?
When you take it upon yourself to identify great guitarists give it more thought \m/.
Ask Brian May- he says he owes his sound to Rory Gallagher.