10 Greatest Rhythm Guitarists In Rock History
Digging Into the Groove.
If you think about the greatest guitarists of all time, you're going to think of the people who can tear the six string to pieces. Much like the Eddie Van Halens and the Steve Vais of the world, there's something about going on those long lead runs that leaves people with their mouths on the floor every time they hear it. There's no shame in filling out the space in the background as well.
In fact, if you look hard enough into rock's back catalog, the greatest guitarists of each generation have been about providing the rhythm, either by playing chords or pumping out the riffs while the showmen hog the center of the stage. While the lead players might be able to play a mile a minute, these are the band members who usually come up with the classic riffs that get us hooked in the first place, or the ones who help contribute in the overall sound of the rhythm section.
Hell, even some of the greatest lead players have been brought up having the most solid sense of rhythm by playing with these guys decade after decade. Rock and roll may be about having a certain sense of flashiness, but this is where these rock bands really start to find their swagger.
10. Johnny Marr - The Smiths
No guitarist looks at the six string the same way. While you do have some who are willing to just go to town playing as many scales as possible, it's always best to serve what's right for the song whenever you're presented with one. And while there are many people who have tried to capture a certain tone in a song, Johnny Marr is one of the few who sees the guitar as a texture more than anything.
Ever since rising to prominence as a member of the Smiths, Marr always felt like an odd throwback to the glory days of '60s rock and roll, complete with the Brian Jones style haircut to boot. When you listen to what he's doing in some of these songs though, there's a lot more under the hood than your traditional rock and roll rhythm playing.
Across albums like the Queen is Dead and Meat is Murder, a lot of the parts that Johnny plays seems to be more catered to guitar breaks than anything else, blending into a weird middle zone between rhythm and lead playing that made for everything sounding a lot more full that just your average post punk outfit. Though Morrissey can try to deliver the same magic from the Smiths' early days in his solo shows, Johnny Marr may be the one rhythm guitarist that you'd need 2 people to replace.