10 Greatest Hard Rock Guitarists Of The '90s
3. Mike McCready - Pearl Jam
When the first grunge heavyhitters started to reach the mainstream, guitar finesse was definitely not a requirement. Though the riffs on Nirvana songs were great, no one was really speaking up to say that Kurt Cobain was the greatest guitarist in the world. On the other end of the spectrum, Pearl Jam came onto the scene with a guitar sound pulled straight from classic rock.
Across each of the band's records, Mike McCready's ability to wail was unmatched in the Seattle community. Originally forming a hard rock act while in his teens, McCready came back to Seattle and became transfixed on bluesy players like Stevie Ray Vaughan. When paired with the mammoth arena rock riffs of Stone Gossard, McCready added just the right amount of flash to give Pearl Jam a bit more street cred with the classic rock lovers. On songs like "Alive" and "Yellow Ledbetter," McCready offers up some of the most memorable licks of the decade, almost as if he is channeling the spirit of Jimi Hendrix when he plays.
Pearl Jam may have gotten the reputation as a grunge act, but McCready's guitar hero credentials put them one notch above the other Seattle transplants. Eddie Vedder may have been the primary vocalist, but McCready's prowess behind the guitar neck gave the band a second melodic force.