10 Most Underrated Guitarists In Rock Music History

10. Brad Whitford - Aerosmith

Once Aerosmith hit the charts in the early '70s, there were more than a few critics that felt like they were watching a discount version of the Rolling Stones all over again. It's not like they didn't have a point either, with the bands' emphasis on blues and a healthy dose of boogie putting them well in the same spot as Mick Jagger and Keith Richards a few years before. While Joe Perry may have been trying to channel Keith Richards though, Brad Whitford's style seemed to be more in line with what Jeff Beck was doing.

Going through Aerosmith's glory years, some of the best licks to come from their songs tend to be from Brad, only to be credited to Joe after the fact. Compared to Joe's fast and loose style, there's a certain precision to Brad's playing that seems one notch above almost everyone else in the band, bringing a gnarly edge to a song like Nobody's Fault and even delivering some of the most groove-centric riffs like the solo of Last Child.

Aside from just the raw performance aspect, Brad always seemed to be more in tune with the song, always willing to lay back when the song calls for it and playing just the right foil to Joe Perry, filling in the gaps whenever he goes off on his own tangents. Joe may be considered the rock star of the group, but if you listen to the back half of a song like One Way Street, you're missing the six string blues monster that Aerosmith have been keeping in the back all these years.