10 Best Classic Rock Guitarists Of The '80s

Many of the bands coming out of the punk and new wave genres often got pelted for being less than stellar musicians.

While there may have been a few decent guitar stabs, no one was necessarily setting the world on fire with their craft. Though the Police fit pretty snuggly in the new wave category, Andy Summers may have been the most musically accomplished guitarist in the entire scene.

Starting with their punkish debut, Summers ran the gamut in terms of what the guitar could do, from the more ska rhythms to full on hard rock and classic rock. As time went on though, the sonic landscapes Summers made on songs like “Walking on the Moon” filled every room the band played in.

Even though something as popular as “Every Breath You Take” may seem simple enough, it will absolutely murder your fingers once you try to play it the proper way.

He may seem like just a standard rock guitarist, but Andy Summers work on some of the band’s deep cuts are more indebted to the jazz world, like the changes in “Murder by Numbers” or the strange chords on “Synchronicity II.”

A lot of the credit for the Police’s longevity may go to Sting, but the band would sound so much different if Andy Summers had not been there to steer a clear path through the song.