10 Best Classic Rock Guitarists Of The '70s
4. Billy Gibbons - ZZ Top
If you want to know where rock and roll came from, it all circles back to the blues. No matter how you slice it, any type of rock and roll lick from Chuck Berry to Slash to Kirk Hammett all come back to the backwater sounds of the Mississippi Delta, with some of the most soul-shredding lyrics you'll ever hear. Even though rock had moved past its roots by the '70s, Billy Gibbons reminded us all why it was so powerful back in the day.
As ZZ Top started to get the ball rolling, it was clear that Gibbons was the star of the show, complete with some of the most seamless lead lines anyone had ever played. If you listen to something like La Grange, every single note is exactly where it needs to be, never feeling meandering or overstaying its welcome.
Even to this day, Gibbons seemed to be just a tad underrated when compared to his peers. How underrated you may ask? Well, when you have an admirer in none other than Jimi Hendrix, you know you're on a different level of playing, with Hendrix citing Gibbons' early work as a key starting point in his guitar journey. They don't really make guitar players like this anymore, so it's best to cherish the ones we still have while they're around.