by Andy DiGelsomina

Created on: July 22, 2010   Last Updated: July 23, 2010

Well, Edward Van Halen is an excellent choice for Greatest Rock Guitar player, and right away blows away the Time magazine article. Edward's contribution to Rock guitar has been far more estimable than anyone since the first Van Halen album. But, as far as invention, tastiness, and great songwriting goes, Ritchie Blackmore is at least as influential as Van Halen, and besides Hendrix might be the Greatest Rock Guitar player ever, period .

 Blackmore completely invented and pioneered the entire Neo-Classical movement in hard rock and heavy metal. Without him, other greats like Uli Jon Roth, Michael Schenker, Yngwie Malmsteen, Vinnie Moore, and yes Edward  Van Halen would have sounded very differently. In the case of Malmsteen none of the most popular Malmsteen songs would have been what they were without the influence of Deep Purple and Rainbow. In fact, there would be no "Power" or "Traditional" Metal revival today without the influence of Blackmore and those bands. Check out "Highway Star" and "Child in Time" off of Deep Purple Made in Japan, or "Light in the Black" off of Rainbow Rising, and hear the beginnings of a style that continues to be popular to this day.

Not just that, but take a listen to Blackmore's playing on the "Deep Purple In Concert 1970" CD, and prepare to be surprised at how close Blackmore was in quality of playing to Hendrix's of that same year. The song, "Mandrake Root" from that CD features a solo performance by Blackmore that could be seen as the very first "shred" solo. From a speed perspective, it completely smoked Beck, Clapton, Page and Hendrix, the 4 big names in Rock guitar at the time. And compare the guitar solos to the aforementioned "Highway Star", as well as "Burn", and tell me exactly WHO else sounded anything like that. Blackmore's completely unique playing style really set the bar higher for personal expression on the instrument.

For me, a great guitar player can't just be all lead guitar playing. They have to have great songs. Blackmore fulfills that requirement in a big way: Speed King, Child in Time, Hard Lovin' Man, Fireball, Fools, Highway Star, Lazy, Space Truckin', Smoke on the Water, Woman From Tokyo, Burn, Mistreated, Stormbringer, Man on the Silver Mountain, Stargazer, Long Live Rock 'N Roll, Gates Of Babylon, Eyes of the World, Knockin' At Your Back Door, Perfect Strangers. I don't think even Van Halen can lay claim to that many great songs.

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