Every time Rolling Stone magazine comes out with a list of “the best” of this or “the best” of that, I get angry. They always leave out stuff which is inevitable, and I rationalize in my head, “O.K. I know they’re limited in spots, tough decisions were made, blah blah blah.” However, the latest issue entitled “The 100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time” has a few inexcusable omissions to it. I won’t go on and on about the people they did put in there who clearly don’t belong. I don’t want to insult them as I do listen to them, but I also don’t believe that these fellow musicians below should be “Left Overs” either.

Michael Houser was the guitar player that rock doesn’t really know, and will never know. Show of hands, how many people have ever listened to Widespread Panic. Not very many, but they have gained popularity over the past decade. Most of you will never know who Michael Houser was sadly; his life was cut short in 2002 after a losing battle with pancreatic cancer. The band took its name from Houser, who was a sufferer of panic attacks. He was quoted as saying that he would like to be able to make is panic more widely known. Houser was unique, in that, he was always seated while playing a show, which he started doing full time in 1997.  The guitar in which Houser played with was also quite rare. Known as the Fender Telecaster Deluxe Plus, this guitar had a Telecaster body, but had Stratocaster parts. I could go on and on forever about him, he is my favorite guitarist on this list, but check out live albums like Live in the Classic City and Light Fuse, Get Away.

Most people are going to say, “well they did mention him in a side bar.” I don’t give a shit if they did or not, Gary Clark, Jr. deserves to be on this list NOW. Part of the reason he’s not there is that he doesn’t have a full body of work to go on. So far, Clark contributed tracks to the Honeydripper soundtrack, and has released two E.P’s (“Gary Clark, Jr.” and “The Bright Lights”). With that said though, Clark’s body of work is easy enough to blow a couple of people off of the list. Check out both of these E.P.’s as well as the Honeydripper film (which Clark also starred in). Below is a clip of Gary Clark, Jr. at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival in 2010.

Who hasn’t Doyle Bramhall II played with? I really can’t think of a musician unless they’re dead, to be honest. With that said, Doyle has been ripping it up for the past 20+ years and with various bands. He formed Arc Angels with the surviving members of Double Trouble back in the early 90’s. They released one album together, took a long break, and recently got back together to do some touring and even released a live album, Living in a Dream. Doyle has also released three solo records, was part of Eric Clapton’s band for about 5 years and even played on one of Roger Waters tours early last decade. This really is a no brainer and Rolling Stone should be ashamed for leaving him off.

As we continue to play the “six degree from Gary Clark, Jr. game” you will notice this individual in the previous video. Robert Randolph is the greatest pedal steel guitar player I’ve ever heard, and if you think just because he’s a pedal steel player he shouldn’t be included on this list, sad to say, you’re an idiot! To date, Randolph has released three studio albums, two live albums, and has guested on many other artists’ records including Christian rock band Third Day’s album Revelation. The video below shows how good and how much fun Randolph has playing!

Another that most people don’t know about, Joe Bonamassa is from my home state, New York. Strangely, though, his influences are from across the pond in English acts like The Jeff Beck Group and Eric Clapton, as well as the Irish blues musician Rory Gallagher. This guy is a work horse, he has released 16 solo discs, live and studio, since 2000. As an example of how good Bonamassa is, he was given his first guitar at age four and by age seven, he was playing Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan tunes note for note!

There aren’t many people who consider country musicians when they talk about great guitar players. I don’t think there really has been anyone that has quite blown me away as Brad Paisley has. People shrug him off because he plays country-pop tunes in the contemporary country and neo-traditionalist style. But within those songs, you can hear a lightning guitar player trying to get out. In 2008, Paisley released the album Play: A Guitar Album. It was largely instrumental and shifted greatly between genres. The intro to the song “Start a Band” is a bit of a parody on that. Even that pop song had chops to it. The next time you listen to him, listen to his guitar and you will know the wonder of Brad Paisley.

John Mayer is another one of those guys, like Brad Paisley, who is a niche guy. Mayer writes pop songs, but underneath that is a guitar shredder as good as Eric Clapton. I doubt that you will ever hear a studio album that displays this, but six years ago, John Mayer released a couple of singles and a live album under the name The John Mayer Trio. The other members of the trio you might ask? None other than Steve Jordan and Pino Palladino. If you don’t know who these guys are, then you shouldn’t have even read the Rolling Stone article. If you want to know what I’m talking about, give Try!  a try.

Kaki King started out playing just stunning instrumental guitar tracks. Combining fret tapping and flamenco style with various tuning styles, Kaki Kings first two albums were recorded in this style. After touring to support her second album, Legs To Make Us Longer, King changed up her sound, adding vocals and taking that big leap from acoustic to electric guitar. While the tunes are more poppy in nature, they still show King’s fantastic guitar prowess.

Omar Rodríguez-López is one half of the creative coalition that is The Mars Volta. While he delves into many things, including acting, directing, and producing, he is also one hell of a guitar player. When you see and hear Rodríguez-López play, you get the sense of someone being at war with himself and his instrument. Especially with the tools he uses, like changing meters and unresolved dissonances. He is also one hell of an improviser and it comes out on Mars Volta’s records and in Rodríguez-López’s solo work.

I think Eric Johnson got more exposure from Guitar Hero III than anything. “Cliffs of Dover” has become a classic and it’s a must listen to song for me every week (I’m not joking, I listen to the song at least once a week.). I have always felt that Johnson has gone largely unnoticed by the music business throughout his long career, but his guitar prowess is legendary. The greatest thing about his playing is that he shifts styles frequently. His most successful album was 1990’s Ah Via Musicom which showcassed “Cliffs of Dover” which subsequently earned him a Grammy award. Fun little fact, Brad Paisley, wrote his version of “Cliffs of Dover” called  “Cliffs of Rock City,” and was featured on Play.

Dan Auerbach, one half of The Black Keys, bleeds blues-rock and pulls off the lead in a ten times better version of The White Stripes. What’s amazing about Auerbach is that his voice is as potent as his guitar, and while the melodies sounds simple, they go a lot deeper than you think. Simply put, If you can’t love this band and these guitars, you should just hang it up, these guys have become one of the best bands of the last decade and show no signs of slowing down!

Last, but not least, Warren Haynes. This legend has been cutting loose with Gov’t Mule since the early 90’s and has been jamming with The Allman Brothers Band since early last decade. The first time I saw Warren was during an encore of a Widespread Panic concert where he played on Tom Waits’ “Goin’ Out West,” and was my mind freaking blown! Whether its the slow jam, the all out face melting bluesy rock, or the acoustic side, Haynes can do it. He still continues to play with both bands and shows no signs of slowing down.

Please ring in; tell me who you think both Rolling Stone and I forgot about. We want to hear from you about who you’re passionate about!