10 Best Classic Rock Guitarists Of The '80s

There almost seems to be an unspoken set of rules when it comes to ‘80s guitar. For as many people were making their voice heard, the post Van Halen world was still preoccupied with how fast you could shred rather the emotion you put into it. You needed either fast hands or neon sequins if you wanted to make it, but everything changed once Stevie Ray Vaughan arrived.

Coming in like a cowboy from an old Western, Vaughan’s style screamed the blues, from the standards that he put on his albums to the way he carried himself onstage.

Though the blues is a genre centered around emotion, Vaughan was able to bridge the gap between finesse and groove with some of the fastest solo runs in blues history on songs like on “Rude Mood.” Even when sitting in with acts like David Bowie, you could always hear Stevie’s spirit dripping through every note he played.

Other guitarists may have wanted to rule the world, but Vaughan could be able to jam with legends like Eric Clapton and BB King and still hold his own. Not only did Stevie clear the air of all the pretentious guitarists of the day, but also inspired everyone from John Mayer to Mike McCready to put soul back into their craft.

Blues may have seemed passe at the time, but the pure soul that radiated through SRV’s guitar is never going to go out of style.