51) Marty Friedman

We've watched Marty Friedman dating back to his days on Mike Varney's Shrapnel Records - the home of all the hottest shredders before the term was even coined - and through his long stint with Megadeth. His abilities are probably still largely unknown to the general public, but should be. Check out his latest, Music for Speeding for proof.

52) Wes Montgomery

Wes Montgomery's smooth octave playing is his trademark sound and style. Scores of blues and jazz players have copped those thumb-strummed intervallic riffs in the decades since he laid them down. But he was equally as fluent at chord soloing and comping jazz progressions. His records are an inspiration and really are an essential listen for any guitarist - jazz, blues or otherwise.

53) Frank Zappa

Frank Zappa may have been the King of Weird, but his guitar playing was leagues ahead of most of his contemporaries. His deep understanding of all musical styles allowed him to effortlessly change a tune from blues to reggae to jazz to heavy metal on the fly - and he required that his band members be able to follow wherever he lead. His sometimes complex arrangements showcased unending creativity. Listen to the disc Zoot Allures for some of his best playing, particularly the instrumental "Black Napkins." Besides, the guy who gave Steve Vai his first pro gig must have known what he was doing, right?

54) Lindsey Buckingham

Fleetwood Mac was resurrected for the third time and enjoyed their biggest and most lasting success after young guitarist Lindsey Buckingham (and his girlfriend, singer Stevie Nicks) joined the band in the mid-'70s. Buckingham's songwriting, producing - and his down-home style of playing - inspired millions to buy the album Rumours, or start playing guitar. He was a huge influence on many, many guitarists.

55) Nuno Bettencourt

Boston-based hard rockers Extreme hit their peak in the early '90s, and we haven't heard much from guitarist Nuno Bettencourt since. But he is a monster player who, at the time, was raising the bar higher with each of his band's A&M Records releases. He really deserves to bar far more well-known, and had grunge not come along and made virtuosity uncool for so many (lost) years, he might be a household name today. His former lead singer, Gary Cherone, went on to an ill-fated collaboration with Van Halen.

56) Pat Metheny

Sonic experimentalist Pat Metheny has been a leading force in the course of jazz guitar of the past 20 years. Already teaching at the University of Miami and Berklee School of Music in his teens, Metheny went on to become one of the best selling jazz artists of all time, and has a worldwide audience for his music. His penchant for layered, textural compositions and his fluent improvisational technique have made him a jazz kingpin.

57) John McLaughlin

Indian spiritualism has played a huge hand in the music and career of jazz guitarist John McLaughlin. His best known work, with various incarnations of his group The Mahavishnu Orchestra, leans heavily on Indian melodies and rhythms, as has much of his recorded oeuvre. He is truly adept at lengthy, complex passages and totally at home with free improvisation - with no allegiance to key. His work has opened new doors for both jazz and rock guitarists. Listen to The Inner Mounting Flame (1971) and Birds of Fire (1972) for his definitive work.

58) Billy Gibbons

That L'il Ol' Band from Texas has been rockin' us for decades now, and all fueled by the unmistakable style and tone of guitarist Billy Gibbons. His use of classic blues boogie, a la John Lee Hooker, and his growling tone - often courtesy of the vintage '59 Les Paul he calls Pearly Gates - has inspired countless celebrity and neighborhood jams. Get yourself some Mojo by listening to any of the group's excellent early works, such as Tres Hombres (1973), or Fandango! (1975) - or sample some of Gibbons' newest riffs on the just released Mescalero.

59) James Taylor

James Taylor can practically be considered the originator of the genre we all know as "singer/songwriter." His gentle musings on the guitar are not for everyone, but they have inspired more bedroom strummers than any of us will probably ever know. His fingerpicking work is actually pretty good, too.

60) Mark Tremonti

Creed guitarist Mark Tremonti would probably be playing heavier rock, a la Metallica, were it totally up to him. Fortunately for him and his bank account, however, it's not totally up to him. Tremonti and band have sold tens of millions of copies of just their first three albums, and have inspired countless imitators. Someday some of them may earn their own fame.

61) Steve Cropper

"Play it Steve!" is probably John Belushi's most famous quote, after "Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger; Pepsi, no Coke." Cropper was Belushi and Dan Akroyd's - make that Jake and Elwood's - right hand man in the immensely influential Blues Brothers band and movies (hey, they spawned a string of clubs we've all seen shows at, right?). But Cropper was hugely important long before that 1978 movie release. As a member of Booker T and the MGs, and a mainstay of the Memphis studio scene in the golden days of Stax/Volt, Cropper basically taught us all how pop/soul guitar is supposed to be played. Soul Man, indeed.

62) Mick Taylor

For any serious Stones fan, the group's recordings from the early '70s stand as their masterpieces. And for those who know those records, Mick Taylor remains the best guitarist the Stones ever had.

63) Keith Richards

OK, we gave our props to the guy who laid down the coolest guitar riffs in the entire Stones ouevre, so now we have to give our overdue credit to Mick Jagger's partner-in-crime. Richards would probably rank No. 1 on our list, were we to do the Top 100 Five-string guitarists of all time. But regardless, he's still rockin' well into his 60s. Whoda thunkit? It seems time really is on your side, Keef.

64) Slash

He's everywhere. Well, everywhere except where he should be: beside Axl Rose on a Guns 'n' Roses tour - but that ain't his fault. The top-hat-wearin' lead guitarist of one of the most successful and renowned rock acts of all time has spent the majority of his career circling the globe to sit in on celebrity jam sessions, instead of laying down a succession of chart-topping albums of his own. But that's what you can afford to do after your first album sells more than 10 million copies. Say hello to Charlie Sheen, mate.

65) The Edge

Easily the most successful of all "New Wave" bands, U2 went on to legendary status and to enjoy an ongoing, stadium-filling career long after most other early-'80s hitmakers were long forgotten. Coming up in an era of anti-guitar and anti-rock hero sentiments, guitarist The Edge found new ways to make use of the instrument, including featuring harmonics and simple, delay-heavy arpeggios as his primary sonic tools. Quite an unconventional player.

66) Pete Townshend

The driving force behind the Who, Pete Townshend is perhaps more important to guitarists as a songwriter than a player. But his understanding of and use of chord inversions and sophisticated progressions has informed many a classic rock staple. Listen in particular to Who's Next (1971) and Quadrophenia (1973) for some of his best work.

67) Group Recognition: Aerosmith - Joe Perry and Brad Whitford, guitars; Tom Hamilton, bass

Joe Perry gets all the credit, but Brad Whitford has played an equal hand in creating the sound of one of America's most successful, legendary rock groups, Aerosmith. Bassist Tom Hamilton should get a nod too, for his bass lines often laid out a deceptively simple path over which Perry and Whitford could soar. Listen in particular to their early work, such as Get Your Wings (1974), Toys in the Attic (1975), and their gem, Rocks (1976). More recent efforts, such as Nine Lives (1997) and Just Push Play (2001) have been high quality affairs as well, not always the case with bands heading into their fourth decade together.

68) Michael Hedges

A true original, Michael Hedges defied categorization. Though he was signed to "New Age" label Windham Hill, he often referred to his music as "violent acoustic" or "heavy mental." His unusual techniques and experimental leanings, combined with great improvisational skills, made him unforgettable. Pick up his 1985 masterpiece, Aerial Boundaries.

69) Jerry Garcia

Where would we be without Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead? Well, for one, the companies that spend three days cleaning up amphitheatre parking lots after their shows may not have survived. And extended jams as we know them may not exist today. Garcia and his mates carried the torch for rock improvisation long after corporate America tried to convince us it was dead, by refusing to sign any artists who's songs didn't fit their oppressive product guidelines. R.I.P. Jerry Garcia, your legacy lives on.

70) Bob Dylan

It seems anyone who played guitar in the '60s - whether they played acoustic or electric - was influenced and enamored with the music of Bob Dylan. Sure it had more to do with his profound lyrics, but his recordings inspired - and have continued to inspire - generations of strummers since, including many who are now legends.

71) Kirk Hammett

Metallica had a profound effect on the metal scene when they debuted amidst a slew of L.A. hair metal bands in the mid-'80s. Their utter disregard for fashion was matched in importance by the anger portrayed in their music. Lead guitarist Kirk Hammett deftly played over the harsh rhythms laid down by bandmates James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Cliff Burton, and Jason Newsted. Metallica's music - and Hammett's solos - have inspired countless imitations.

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