Top 10 Best Guitarists of the 2000s

Here is the list of the best guitarists from the first decade of the new millennium (2000). A count based on Internet voting by others.

The Top Ten

John Mayer

John Clayton Mayer is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Mayer attended Berklee College of Music in Boston but left before graduating. He moved to Atlanta in 1997 with Clay Cook, where they formed a short-lived two-man band called Lo-Fi Masters... read more

One of the best guitarists I've ever seen, hands down. The guy plays at the Clapton Crossroads Festival every year and is always one of the featured acts. Don't believe me? Check out his solo for "Wait Until Tomorrow" by Hendrix off Where the Light Is: Live in Los Angeles, or from the same concert, the song "Neon," which is one of the most impressive acoustic sets I've ever had the pleasure of seeing.
If those don't do it for you, check out his version of "Voodoo Child" live at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

Undoubtedly the greatest guitar player to come out of the 2000s, and possibly one of the best active guitar players to this day. You can see it not only in the skill and structure of his compositions but also in the emotional intonation he plays with.
Any track he touches carries his unique style and tone that is immediately identifiable, whether it's his note-bending or the tone and balance he sets on his instrument.
Jack White

John Anthony "Jack" White is an American singer and songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the duo The White Stripes. He has also achieved success with other bands, including The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather, as well as in his solo career.

The best thing to happen to music. His constant alterations hold attention and bore even less than Metallica at times. It's impressive how he phases and strikes, leaving listeners dumbfounded. Good going to both artists, just saying... Perfect timing with Jack White, at least it feels that way.

Unlike many this past decade, this dude tried something different instead of just plugging in his guitar and playing very loud.

Easy decision. I really don't feel like I need to form an argument for this.
Omar Rodriguez Lopez

At The Drive-In started this young lad's career in the mid-1990s and paved the guitar sounds of The Mars Volta. Omar was great long before the year 2000. All great players on this list, though.
Synyster Gates

Brian Elwin Haner, Jr., better known by his stage name Synyster Gates or simply Syn, is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist of the band Avenged Sevenfold. He joined the band in 2001 and has since become recognized for his technical skill and melodic solos. Gates... read more

How the heck is John Mayer ranked above Synyster Gates? Have any of you heard Gates' solos in Avenged Sevenfold's songs? His best one is definitely in Afterlife, followed closely by Welcome to the Family (but all of his solos are good).
My favorite thing about his guitar playing is that he comes up with song ideas and then challenges himself to figure out how to play them. I bet the rest of the people on this list don't do that.

Really? Jack White above both Buckethead and Synyster Gates? Absolutely absurd. While I can't argue against John Mayer, who is an insane guitarist, Synyster Gates is a professionally trained classical guitarist, and Buckethead is just prolific in every way. Even Dave Mustaine said Buckethead has more talent than he and Slash combined. MUCH more.
Adam Dutkiewicz

Adam Jonathan Dutkiewicz is an American musician, recording engineer, songwriter, and music producer. He is best known as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the metalcore band Killswitch Engage. Dutkiewicz has also played with the bands Aftershock and Times of Grace and is noted for his role... read more
Buckethead

Brian Patrick Carroll, known professionally as Buckethead, is an American guitarist and multi-instrumentalist who has released over 300 studio albums. He is recognized for his unique style and stage persona, which includes wearing a KFC bucket on his head and a white mask. Buckethead has worked across... read more

Nobody but him can create solos like he does on the spot. He plays alone and still makes his songs sound better than others'.

What!? This guy is damn better than the top three.

This guy is a beast and can play anything.
Matthew Bellamy

Matthew James "Matt" Bellamy is an English musician, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer. He is best known as the lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the alternative rock band Muse. Bellamy's dynamic guitar work, falsetto vocals, and classically influenced piano compositions... read more

He deserves a higher position. Plug in Baby and Unnatural Selection are amazing.

Really? Where is he? He should easily be in the top 5, if not 3.

Ever heard of the "Reapers" and "Animals" solos?
Misha Mansoor
John Frusciante

John Anthony Frusciante is an American guitarist, singer, producer, and composer. He is best known for his work with the funk rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Frusciante has also been a member of The Mars Volta, Swahili Blonde, Ataxia, and several other musical projects.

It's kind of ridiculous to have this kind of talent so low on a list. Frusciante was in his prime and widely considered the best guitar player of the time. It's obvious the list's creators don't understand what a true guitar player consists of and what they have achieved.
I've seen the Chili Peppers live about eight times, and five of those were with Frusciante. Let me tell you, this guy is unbelievable. He has the best improvisations I have ever seen, and his playing is so pure and connected to his soul. Each note he plays means something. I've seen many other guitar players live, and the only ones who come close to Frusciante live are Eddie Van Halen and Jimi Hendrix. Other than that, no one else compares.
I'm not saying he's the best of all time, but he was definitely the best in the 2000s. Just watch Slane Castle 2003, Milan 2006, and La Cigale 2006, and you'll see what I'm saying.
Adam Jones

Adam Thomas Jones (born January 15, 1965) is a three-time Grammy Award-winning American musician and visual artist, best known for his position as the guitarist for Tool. He is also recognized for directing many of the band's music videos. Prior to his music career, Jones worked in special effects and... read more

Deserves the number one spot. One of the best guitarists of all time.

The Newcomers

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Peter Lennodo

Peter Lennodo is a British musician. He is also a composer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the vocalist, lead guitarist and main songwriter of the rock band The Arcana.
?
Frank Iero

Frank Anthony Iero Jr. is a musician best known as the rhythm guitarist and backup vocalist for the alternative rock band My Chemical Romance. He has also served as the lead vocalist for the post-hardcore band Leathermouth and was a member of the electronic-hardcore act Death Spells. In addition to... read more

The Contenders

Dan Auerbach

Daniel Quine "Dan" Auerbach is an American musician and record producer best known as the guitarist and vocalist for The Black Keys, a blues rock band from Akron, Ohio. He has also pursued a successful solo career and produced music for various artists. Auerbach has received multiple Grammy Awards for... read more

Love him. He's absolutely fantastic. He's part of The Black Keys, which is an awesome band as well. He just keeps improving.
Jonny Greenwood

Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood, professionally known as Jonny Greenwood, is an English musician and composer. He is mostly known for his role as one of the lead guitarists and the main keyboardist of the English alternative rock band Radiohead. Beyond his work with the band, he has composed the scores... read more

Jonny Greenwood is the best guitarist of our times, and he can play whatever he wants. He has a unique style, often playing in strange and alternative tunings and using difficult chords, which has contributed significantly to Radiohead's musical identity.
As a guitarist myself, I recognize a guitar master in Jonny Greenwood's fingers.

Very experimental playing. It might be very weird for some, but it's actually pretty good.
Billie Joe Armstrong

Billie Joe Armstrong (born February 17, 1972) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor best known as the lead vocalist, primary songwriter, and guitarist of the punk rock band Green Day, which he co-founded with Mike Dirnt.... read more

I would say Billie Joe's heyday as a guitarist was in the early '90s with Kerplunk and 1039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours (the solo in The Judge's Daughter is the best punk guitar solo of all time). Most people who criticize Billie Joe's guitar skills have never listened to pre-Dookie material or even pre-American Idiot.
He's focused more on lyrics and messaging within his songs in the new millennium, but he can still turn the simplest chord progressions into the most memorable pieces of punk. He can still kick out a machine-gun-powered solo. Listen to Restless Heart Syndrome, Let Yourself Go, and Amanda.

EPIC! The best punk guitarist ever. He has helped me grow so much musically.
Jonny Buckland

Maybe the most tasteful guitarist of the last decade. He really knows how to use restraint, but then sometimes wails. He plays exactly what any given Coldplay song needs to be perfect.

The greatest guitarist of the 2000s, no doubt. His guitar riffs are melodic and dig deep into the soul. Perfect.
Brad Paisley

Brad Douglas Paisley (born October 28, 1972) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist.
His first success came in 1997 as the writer of David Kersh's "Another You." Following this, he signed with Arista Nashville in 1998 and released his debut album Who Needs Pictures in 1999.... read more
Chris Shiflett

His guitar playing in Best of You, Stacked Actors, and the bridge of every song they've written is amazing! I don't know another guitarist who does everything that well!
Joe Bonamassa

Joe Bonamassa is an American blues rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter. When he was only 12 years old, he opened for blues legend B.B. King. Bonamassa was born on May 8, 1977, and has released numerous albums showcasing his guitar skills and musical versatility.

Fantastic riff writer and blues guitarist. He is a little too self-promoting with the pins and mugs and such, but I love his music. I think he should be much higher on this list.

Fantastic guitarist. Even when he was young, he should have been on this list. He's the face of modern blues.

He's a solid number one just for his overall talent, ear for killer guitar licks, and influence on blues.
Josh Homme

Joshua Michael Homme, born May 17, 1973, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and actor. He is the founder and only continuous member of the rock band Queens of the Stone Age, where he sings, plays guitar, and occasionally plays piano, drums, and bass. He also serves as the band's... read more

It's absurd that Josh is ranked this low. He is a genius writer, and there's not a single person who can solo like him.
Daron Malakian

Daron Vartan Malakian is an Armenian-American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He is best known as the lead guitarist, co-vocalist, and primary songwriter for the rock band System of a Down... read more
Mark Tremonti

Mark Thomas Tremonti is an American musician, singer, and songwriter, best known as the lead guitarist of the rock bands Creed and Alter Bridge. He is also the founder of the band Tremonti. Tremonti has won a Grammy Award and is regarded as one of the leading guitarists in modern rock.

Wow. This is just sad. Has anyone even heard Mark Tremonti's riffs from Creed and Alter Bridge? And even his speed metal thrashing on his solo album? Tremonti is the best metal guitarist of our time. Think about it - who else would it be? Synyster Gates? Possibly.
It's heartbreaking that he's listed last.

His solos in Blackbird (2007), One Day Remains (2004), and Full Circle (2009) are amazing! His shredding power and incredible music-making ability with Creed and Alter Bridge at least qualifies him to be in the top 5! People should listen to Creed and Alter Bridge more!
Ray Toro

Raymond "Ray" Toro is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the band My Chemical Romance. He was part of the band from its formation in 2001 until their initial breakup in 2013. Toro rejoined the group when they reunited in 2019 and continues to perform with them... read more

Not many people give Ray Toro a lot of credit, mostly because he was part of My Chemical Romance (in my opinion, a great and creatively speaking, the best band of the 2000s).
Along with Frank Iero, Ray is an excellent guitarist. If you want to hear him shred, check out songs like Dead! (which Toro has an amazing guitar solo on). I suggest you listen to the albums The Black Parade and Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, where Toro really shines!

Man shreds. He's easily one of the best guitar players of all time.
Mark Morton

Mark Duane Morton is an American musician, best known as the lead guitarist of the American heavy metal band Lamb of God. He has helped define the New Wave of American Heavy Metal with his aggressive riffing and blues-inspired solos. Morton has also released solo material, showcasing his versatility... read more

He should be in the top 3. He's one of the greatest guitarists of the 2000s decade. If you don't believe me, listen to his work in Laid to Rest, Walk with Me in Hell, Omerta, Now You've Got Something to Die For, Black Label, etc. Hell, I can't name them all!

Damn! He should be in the top 3... Actually, at number 1. His works are great, and everyone knows it. So, what is he doing at number 27? Mark, go straight to number 1!
Ed O'Brien

Edward John "Ed" O'Brien is an English guitarist and member of the alternative rock band Radiohead. He is known for using effects pedals and technology to create atmospheric sounds and textures... read more
Nick Valensi

Listen to Reptilia, Modern Age, and Under Cover of Darkness solos, and you'll know he is the most rock 'n' roll influenced guitarist of the last decade and a half.
Tosin Abasi

Oluwatosin Ayoyinka Olumide "Tosin" Abasi (born January 7, 1983) is a Nigerian American musician, best known as the founder and lead guitarist of the instrumental progressive metal band Animals as Leaders. Before founding Animals as Leaders, he was the guitarist for the technical metalcore band Reflux.... read more