10 Best Classic Rock Guitarists

While many British Invasion bands of the 60's banged away on their instruments, Pete Townshend was the one guitarist who was always looking at the big picture. These sounds are loud and exciting, but what was the meaning behind it all?

Using the guitar as his emotional communicator, Townshend's work in the Who was always to make his music more important than just pop songs for a teenage demographic. As the Who's sound expanded to include operatic material, Townshend's work was what gave the band an added emotional depth that was needed to deliver these sprawling tales detailing the behavior of humans.

Townshend had described himself as one of the best rhythm players in the business, which is well-deserved thanks to the way he used basic chords to play off the song's backbeat perfectly. Even the lead breaks that Townshend takes on albums like Who's Next and the stunning Live At Leeds went on to inspire the harder genres of rock in the early 70's. With Roger Daltrey belting out Townshend's words with incredible empathy, Townshend made sure his guitar became the band's second voice as he punished it throughout the band's tenure.