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Red Hot Chili Peppers Guitarist John Frusciante Is Top 'Axeman'

Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante has been labeled rock's top shredder by BBC 6 Music listeners. Devotees of the music station gave the Californian 13.9 percent of the votes in the 'Axe Factor' poll (see what they did there?) to crown the greatest guitarist of the past 30 years.

Other celebrated fret abusers who ranked high on the rundown include Stoke's finest ex-Guns N' Roses rocker Slash, who came in second with 10.3 percent, and Muse frontman Matt Bellamy (8.6 percent), who finished third. Smiths founder and current Cribs cohort Johnny Marr is fourth placed with 6.8 percent of the votes cast, while Rage Against the Machine songwriter Tom Morello (5 percent) can claim to be the nation's fifth-favourite six-string virtuoso.

Metallica's Kirk Hammett, Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood, Prince, Jack White of the White Stripes and Raconteurs, and R.E.M.'s Peter Buck completed the top 10.

Big names who finished further down the polling include Stone Roses' John Squire (13th place), Blur's Graham Coxon (15th) and ex-Oasis man Noel Gallagher (19th). Late Nirvana singer-guitarist Kurt Cobain could manage to only nab the 20th slot.

The highest ranked female ax-wielder on a testosterone-heavy tally was PJ Harvey, who came in a 29th place with 0.6 percent of the completed ballots. The full Axe Factor Top 40 is available to view here.

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john hilton

Why has no one mentioned Andy Powell 40yrs+ and still rockin.

January 23 2011 at 4:42 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Josh

I totally agree with this list despite the great number of people
That disagrees to it and ill tell you why. I'm 40 years old born and raised in NYC grew up with great music all my life saw great shows ..all these people that did not make it to the list are guitarist that are stuck in their era sure eddie from van halen among others are great but they are stuck in a past era their style defines those times, however, it's totally irrelevant to todays music or 10 or 20 years from now...john's styles were great in the
Early 90's and still today. All those folks complaiting about this list need to get into a time machine....it's 2010

September 03 2010 at 8:51 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Paul

You guys are all brainless!!!!! It John Frusciante here come on hes a legend!!! I understand your bands axemen didnt get on here but at least they got the #1 right Frusciante has worked very hard to earn the spot and was long overdue he hasnt got the credit he deserves!!!! Rock on!

July 13 2010 at 12:17 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
pete

Jimmy Page..best there is.

April 14 2010 at 12:12 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
MarkD

No Danny Gatton, No Steve Vai, No Dweezil Zappa or his dad???? No offense to the guys on the list but REALLY BBC!!!! Wait a minute, do we know what the criteria for the list was?
I read most of the responses and no one mentioned Danny Gatton? If you have never heard of him do yourself a solid and google him. You will end up owning most of his stuff in a week.

April 13 2010 at 7:02 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to MarkD's comment
oz

scroll up 5 bloggs i first saw Danny on a pbs show called worlds greatest guitar players about 20 years ago unreal he was.... RIP Danny

April 14 2010 at 12:17 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
gregg

Jerry Garcia is one level above ALL these guitarist listed on this blog. try Without A Net and Live/Dead albums. True Greatness!

April 13 2010 at 3:39 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Alex V

The survey is pretty dumb.

It overlooks a lot of still active older guitarists.

Guys like Page, Malmsteen, Van Halen, Clapton, Ionni & the twin leads from both Judas Priest and Irn Maiden to name a few.

April 13 2010 at 1:44 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
eric donkin

Once again, a "best guitarist" poll comes up, and all the chosen are electric guitarists. Hmmmm... Segovia once said that he "didn't want to get mixed in with the hippies"; I guess he got his wish. Who can play at the level of Li Jie or Paco de Lucia, Williams, Barrueco or Xuefei Yang?
Which electric guitarists have thrilled us over and over during the last 30 years? Carlos Santana first comes to mind as does Pat Metheny. Who were those that made us dance at Woodstock? (Is this too far back for you?) Alvin Lee did, as well as Jimi.

April 13 2010 at 1:24 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Natty

BS list. Slash ok though....

April 13 2010 at 11:25 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
oz

hey spyboy...........if you want tone control and playing from the heart go listin to a guy named Ronnie Earl. but if you listen to Joe Bonamaasa you will hear a guitar like you wont beleive what your hearing.hands down Joe is one of the best for tone, speed, and on acustic unreal......... and 1 name nobody has put on here is ...DANNY GATTON...

April 13 2010 at 10:06 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply