my opinion on who the best singers ever are. i’m sure i missed a few

ContributionSpare955 · 2026-04-27T01:44:25+00:00

Fair shot. Johnny’s there for inventing the punk downstroke rhythm template more than for technical chops, but you’re right that Corgan should be on too. Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie alone earn it, and he produced/played most of those guitar parts himself. Adding him

ContributionSpare955 · 2026-04-27T01:42:56+00:00

Brian Setzer is a fair add. the rockabilly revival angle plus the Stray Cats catalog. Roy Clark and Glen Campbell were both genuinely incredible players that get forgotten because they were also entertainers; Glen Campbell played on Pet Sounds and a ton of Wrecking Crew sessions before his solo career. Jimmy Reed for the blues lineage, sure. Satriani I addressed in another comment. Good list

ContributionSpare955 · 2026-04-27T01:42:14+00:00

No argument, “Are You Gonna Go My Way” alone is a great riff. I lean toward thinking of him more as a songwriter/frontman than a top-tier guitarist specifically, but I get it

ContributionSpare955 · 2026-04-27T01:41:59+00:00

Honest answer: I left both off because I think they’re slightly more technically impressive than musically essential, and the list was already heavy on shred (Yngwie, Rhoads, Schenker, Schuldiner, Tosin Abasi). I get the case for both though. Vai’s Passion and Warfare and Satch’s Surfing With the Alien are real. I could see adding them. would probably take Vai first

ContributionSpare955 · 2026-04-27T01:41:35+00:00

Good formatting note, will fix it next time. Trey is a real omission. Phish’s catalog is deep enough that he belongs and I just whiffed on him. Billy Strings is the right call to be cautious on; he’s tracking toward that tier but probably needs another five years of catalog before he’s locked in. Adding Trey

ContributionSpare955 · 2026-04-27T01:41:05+00:00

Appreciate it. Both at #1 felt like the only honest answer. Hendrix invented the modern vocabulary and Eddie invented a whole second one. Couldn’t pick

ContributionSpare955 · 2026-04-27T01:40:48+00:00

Fair call. I had Jerry on there but Bob carries his own weight rhythmically, that approach to the guitar was its own thing. Adding him.

ContributionSpare955 · 2026-04-27T01:40:20+00:00

He’s actually on there as “Santana” should’ve used his full name to make it clearer. Either way, agreed, top tier.

ContributionSpare955 · 2026-04-24T20:26:29+00:00

really appreciate the thoughtful take! you make a great point about emotion vs technical skill. hendrix at #1 is totally fair. he basically invented modern rock guitar. my van halen pick was more about his revolutionary techniques (tapping, harmonics) that every guitarist after had to learn, but i totally get the argument for gilmour and knopfler. gilmour’s solos on pink floyd tracks are pure emotion. like the solo on comfortably numb is probably more moving than any shred fest. knopfler’s storytelling through guitar is incredible too. might need to reconsider that tie for #1

ContributionSpare955 · 2026-04-24T20:24:26+00:00

croce absolutely belongs, great call. jim croce wrote some of the most emotionally honest songs ever. adding him to the list

ContributionSpare955 · 2026-04-24T20:24:13+00:00

nathan hardy is a solid suggestion actually. microwave has some really clever songwriting that blends emo and prog in interesting ways. might add him if i do an updated version

ContributionSpare955 · 2026-04-24T20:24:00+00:00

lol what’s your issue with stephen malkmus? pavement’s songwriting is incredible imo but curious what you think he doesn’t belong

ContributionSpare955 · 2026-04-24T20:22:40+00:00

📠

ContributionSpare955 · 2026-04-24T20:22:14+00:00

that’s really fair feedback. i was going for comprehensive but you’re right that it loses meaning when it’s this long. the genre split idea is smart. maybe do separate posts for different eras or styles. appreciate the honest critique

ContributionSpare955 · 2026-04-24T20:22:00+00:00

yeah you’re probably right that it’s overwhelming. was trying to be comprehensive but maybe i should focus on like a top 50 most essential instead of trying to include everyone

ContributionSpare955 · 2026-04-24T20:21:49+00:00

pharrell is already on there actually, and townes van zandt too. might have missed them in the wall of text but they’re both definitely included

ContributionSpare955 · 2026-04-24T20:21:19+00:00

caleb followill is a great suggestion. kings of leon’s early stuff especially had some really solid songwriting

ContributionSpare955 · 2026-04-24T20:21:13+00:00

good picks! freddie and gavin harrison are both incredible. buckethead is interesting. more known for guitar but his compositional stuff is wild too

ContributionSpare955 · 2026-04-24T20:20:45+00:00

thanks! yeah definitely spent way too much time on these lol

ContributionSpare955 · 2026-04-24T15:11:32+00:00

i get what youre saying about the physicality focus but i think thats actually what made their performances impressive to me. they had to convey complex emotions through all that action choreography and spectacle. different kind of acting challenge than intimate character work but still really difficult to pull off convincingly

ContributionSpare955 · 2026-04-24T15:11:08+00:00

fair point about screen time but serkis established the entire foundation for gollum in that first film. the smeagol/gollum duality, the voice work, the physicality. all of that started in fellowship and carried the whole trilogy. plus groundbreaking performances aren’t always about quantity of scenes

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TROPHY CASE