Why There Is No Such Thing As the Best Guitarist of All Time

Stevie Ray Vaughan is the best guitarist of all time.

Don’t believe me? Check out his performance of “Texas Flood” from the Live at the El Mocambo DVD:

I have watched this video dozens of times, and every time I watch it, I get goosebumps. I shake my head in disbelief. I utter profanities in my head as I watch in awe.

No other guitarist plays with as much feel as SRV. No one else can get the tone he got. No one else can play with every fiber of their being like Stevie.

SRV is quite simply the best to ever pick up a guitar.

Who is the best guitarist?

Of course, what I really mean to say is, “I personally find Stevie Ray Vaughan to be the best guitar player ever.” Or to be even more accurate, “SRV is my favorite guitarist.” Because really, let’s be clear — there is no “best” guitarist, and there never will be.

The debate over the best guitarist is good for discussion. It sells a lot of magazines, and it gets a lot of keyboard warriors up in arms on the internet. And I’m a sucker just like the rest of you — I read the lists and get sucked into the conversation too.