10 Greatest Rhythm Guitarists In Rock Music History

Not every punk song can really be called that complicated by any stretch. If you even have a few days of guitar experience under your belt, chances are you can get through the first Ramones record without even breaking a sweat all that much. Punk has always been about attitude though, and Billie Joe Armstrong has practically been using his guitar as a weapon of resistance for years.

Although not every Green Day album can be golden from top to the bottom, Billie's ability to play in lock step with Tre Cool is what really keeps the whole thing moving, taking the basic structure of writing pop tunes and turning them into hits for the band. While there are the occasional times where Billie might take a solo during the live show, his skills are much better suited to songwriting, taking basic power chords and turning them into classic riffs like the intro to When I Come Around or American Idiot.

After years of trying to set the world on fire with Dookie though, Billie has seemed to hone his skills even more on each subsequent project, either going for something more lyrical on records like Revolution Radio or playing at the kind of speed that could break your hand on songs like Platypus (I Hate You). This kind of strength is something that most of us would need to work years for, but as far as Billie is concerned, none of it is work when you look at it like a lifestyle.