10 Most Underrated Guitarists In Rock Music History

Whenever you talk about the true guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, there's no question that John Frusciante deserves that kind of accolade. He has been the creator of some of the band's most iconic licks, and the Jimi Hendrix like aura that he brings to his playing on songs like Dani California or Under the Bridge is borderline impossible for anyone to replicate correctly. When you have rose colored glasses for one guitar player though, you tend to forget about the guy standing right in front of you.

Even though it was a no brainer for the Chili Peppers to drop Josh Klinghoffer for John when it came to make Unlimited Love, Josh had a lot more going for him than most people realize. Being much more minimalist in his sound, most of his role in the Peppers seemed to be about serving the rest of the band, laying right into the groove with Flea on songs like Adventures of Raindance Maggie or the funky scratching on Look Around. Outside of those few supportive moments though, he did have some legitimately great guitar chops, like creating a guitar symphony on the back half of Dark Necessities or footage of the live shows where he was able to flesh out a bit more.

Now without the Chili Peppers, Josh is still able to keep himself afloat with Pearl Jam, guesting with them on several shows and actually giving Mike McCready a run for his money on the solo to Alive. The Klinghoffer era might be remembered as an afterthought a few years down the road, but Josh is much more than a footnote. If anything, he's the one that was able to keep the Peppers together.