Top 10 Punk Guitarists
Thursday July 31, 2008
IGN.com has posted it's list of Punk Rock's 10 Mightiest Guitar Gods. The concept of "top punk guitarists" seems almost antithetical to the idea of punk music... most punk bands reject traditional musical proficiency. Fittingly, this list focuses on guitarists who have attitude and presence, rather than those with technical virtuosity.
Here is a summary of the list (visit IGN.com for the full article, which features profiles of each guitarist, with recommended listening for each).
- Lou Reed (Velvet Underground)
- Johnny Thunders (New York Dolls)
- Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith)
- Johnny Ramone (The Ramones)
- Steve Jones (Sex Pistols)
- Mick Jones (The Clash)
- Tom Verlaine & Richard Lloyd (Television)
- Robert Quine (Richard Hell & the Voidoids)
- Ricky Wilson (B-52's)
- Billy Zoom (X)
Related:
Top 100 Guitar Solos
Comments
where is Tom Morello?!?!
Umm, because Tom doesn’t play punk-rock, maybe?
Dumbass
Umm …Tom Morello is more of a punk guitarist
then 3/4 of the people on that list Dumbass !!
And why not Brian Baker and Greg Hetson. How can a punk category even be suggested without including the names of these two individuals. Along with Bad Religion, they’ve been in well over a few significant punk bands (Minor Threat and DagNasty, anybody?).
Buzzcocks
Pete Shelley
Nuff Said!
Dr Know – Bad Brains…East Bay Ray – DKs…Ex Con Ron – MDC…?
What about Mike Palm of Agent Orange…??? A real innovator!
Can we keep this civil or reveal yourselves as being just more mindless troglodytes that have your myopic heads up one’s own backside?
How about Bob Mould from Husker Du? D Boon was fairly influential with Minutemen. I find it kind of funny that Lou Reed is considered a “punk” guitar player, so I guess we should include Dean Wareham in there as well….so many options so little room to include our favorites, no?
Billy Joe Armstrong
Tim Armstrong
Black Francis
The essence of punk is a slam’n rhythm guitar & “feel”. That’s why Thunders will always be an icon. That’s why Gregory Ambrose Pitman from Gregory’s Funhouse is an unacknowledged hero.
She’s not gonna be on the list because she’s pretty obscure, but check out Keikos in the now-defunct Japanese punk band Super Junky Monkey. Look up “Buckin’ the Bolts” at YouTube or wherever. Not really my kinda tunes, but she’s got serious, no bull**** chops.
An amazing guitarist, even by conventional rock standards. She did a stint in the GWAR-ish trio eX-Girl for the album “Endangered Species” – on the last cut, “Letter From Mr. Triscuits,” she goes off on an improv jam that sounds like she could be Michael Schenker’s kid sister.
I’d just about give up beer for the chance to catch Keikos live…
what about East Bay Ray?
The late, great James Honeyman-Scott and Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders.
What about Jade Puget of A.F.I. amazing guitarist there
How about El Hefe??
NOFX!!!
It depends how broadly one wishes to define punk rock. Lou Reed may have been a punk in his day and he played rock music. Was he a punk rocker? Not in my opinion but that’s because I have a narrow definition of punk rock. In my book, Lou Reed, Tom Morello, and James Honeyman-Scott are/were not punk rockers. Talented musicians, yes. Punk rockers, no.
Big ummmmm…. Where is BILLIE JOE ARMSTRONG?????????? Have you lost your minds?
i think angus young shud b on here man hes **edit** awesome!!!