Duane Allman

If the late Duane Allman had done nothing but session work, he would still be on this list. His contributions on lead and slide guitar to dozens of records as fine and as varied as Wilson Pickett's down-home '69 cover of "Hey Jude" and Eric Clapton's 1970 masterpiece with Derek and the Dominos, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, constitute an astounding body of work. But Allman also transformed the poetry of jamming with the Allman Brothers Band, the group he founded in 1969 with his younger brother, singer-organist Gregg. Duane applied the same black soul and rebel fire he displayed as a sideman to the Allmans' extended investigations of Muddy Waters and Blind Willie McTell covers and to his psychedelic-jazz interplay with second guitarist Dickey Betts in live showpieces such as "Whipping Post. " Although Duane and Gregg had played in bands together since 1960, Duane did not learn to play slide until shortly before the start of the Allmans. In his only Rolling Stone interview, in early' 71, Duane said that the first song he tried to conquer was McTell's "Statesboro Blues. " Allman's blastoff licks in the recording that opens his band's third album, At Fillmore East, show how far and fast he had come ” and leave you wondering how much further he could have gone. In October 1971, eight months after the Fillmore East gigs, Allman died in a motorcycle accident in the band's home base of Macon, Georgia.

I don't know which is more of a joke - Duane at no. 52 or BB King at no. 76!

Rolling Stone put Duane at no. 2 in its list of '100 Best Guitarists Ever' (followed by BB King, Duane's great admirer Clapton, and Robert Johnson (any of you kids heard of him? ).

Basically, all these five taught their guitar a new language.

I love Prince, and he certainly made his guitar talk a new language.. but it was basically a 'theatrical' language. In purely musical terms, in expressive control and range, he's a baby crying to Duane's astonishing fluency. Even Hendrix seems coarse in comparison.. but then Jimi trips over into another dimension from all other guitarists in history, and you'd have to be more insane than he was, not to put him at the top.

I'm sorry, but I can't place any validity in a list that does not have Duane Allman in the top 5 guitarists of all time. He, Hendrix, and Clapton are the only ones on that level. It's a shame he's not a household name like those 2 though. I think that's because: 1) he died at 24, only after 2 1/2 studio albums with The Allman Brothers Band. 2) The Allman Brothers Band never received commercial/mainstream success until songs like "Ramblin' Man" off the Brothers and Sisters Album that was made after Duane was dead. Their music before that simply did not appeal to the masses.

R.I.P. Skydog

I don't care who plays the fastest, has the best technique, the slickest... Whatever. It comes down to telling an emotional story, note by note and Duane could do it better than anyone. Add Dickey and they weaved a story untouched by and duo. Then duane adds slide in the mix and just takes your heart and mind to places no guitarist has reached. Just listen to Live At Filmore, considered by many (Rolling Stone, Playboy others) as the best live album ever recorded. After that, get abeverage, a couple hits, headphones and put on Mountain Jam from Eat A Peach for the ride of your life.

This is bull jimmy page could not lay a finger on Duane Allman, Jimi Hendrix is the only one who even comes close mainly because he could sing, not because of his skills on guitar.
DUANE ALLMAN IS #1

Any guitar player worth their weight could tell you that duane is the best slide player in the electric era. And he didn't need a slide. The man's fingers could make the guitar scream with such intensity it cuts through you like a hot knife through butter!

This is simply asinine. People need to have their eyes opened up to what Duane was all about. Please go listen to Live at Fillmore East. Oh and by the way, have you ever heard of a little song called "Layla? " Duane gave Clapton those seven notes that made that song what it was. Also, listen to the slide guitar at the end of Layla. God, wake up people

He died aged 24 and probably made more decent musicin that time than most of the rest of the people on this list put together, not only with the Allman brothers band, but also playing sessions for people like Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett etc etc. And he was the other guitarist in Derek and the Dominoes - because Clapton respected him so much.

I find it hard to believe that the talentless crap guitarist from 30 secs to mars and avenge sevenfold are higher than Duane alman. Duane is with out question the best guitarist who ever played a note. All you kids need to listen to classic rock more and maybe you'll actually find out how good music can be.

Duane Allman helped create the wave of Southern rock in the 70's despite his death in 1971. I've never heard anyone play slide guitar like him. Just listen to In Memory of Elizabeth Reed and you'll change your mind. Nobody in this list can match his improvisational skills either.

Easily the best electric blues slide player that ever lived. Just
listen to "Don't Keep Me Wonderin" from the 'Atlanta Pop' album...it just blew me away. A man barely in his 20's can play slide like that....what a shame he died so young and with unlimited potential.

ok, again its jimi duane... sort out the rest if you want to cause thats what they are the rest.

Please people, listen to Live at Fillmore East and then tell me he is only the 54th best. "SKYDOG" is without question a top three, or better guitarist. He is a legend, and not enough people have been exposed to his greatness.

The genius of melodic slide. Also, someone who could play music with anybody. Most can only play what they are good at. His melodic guitar solos are like a separate beautiful melody woven into a song's original melody.

I defy anyone to not be absolutely transfixed by the breadth and majesty of the virtuoso performance of "Skydog"on "Whipping Post" on the Fillmore album. It can and will take your breath away.

This list sucks. Duane could do it all and basically single handedly put southern rock on the map. His slide guitar inspired the slide guitar in free bird.. definitely number two. Think if he wouldn't have died...

what the hell is duane doing at #56. this list is ridiculous; prince at #2? that's messed up. Duane reinvented the slide guitar and put himself out as probably the #2 guitarist of all time and only lived to 24.

Duanne Allman gets my vote. As a pure technician, no-one on this list compares to him. The absolute master of the Dobro.

When one off the greatest solos of all time (freebird) was written in honorror off u , u r a GUITAR GOD hands one of the best #2 mabye Top 5 definitly

Obviously most of you children are too young to know about Duane Allmans music, top 5 at the very least.

the only person who may be better is hendrix and he's not just slightly more original and inovative.

Duane is the best! I am born long after is death but you just have to listen once to his recordings to understand his greatness.

I DNT LIKE U PEOPLE!!!!!!! UR PICKING THE TOP GUITARIST, AND U DNT HAV DUANE!!!!!!!!!

Diane Allmans anthology album... The one with the red canoe is simply outstanding... A very gifted slide guitarist!

This list is a joke. No guy can make the Guitar sing like him, just ask Clapton who needed him the complete Layla.