100 greatest Christian Rock guitarists

So this was posted on the internet.

http://classicchristianrockzone.blogspot.com/2014/10/100-greatest-christian-rock-guitarists.html


What say you?

Some of my favorites are there and the bands they played in that I have on CD are: Tony Rossi (Daniel Band), Ray Parris (Barren Cross), Jamie Cramer (Holy Soldier), Jimmy Brown (Deliverance), Michael Cutting (Holy Soldier), Rick Restrom (Rob Rock), Val Allen Wood (Theocracy), Greg Hough (Petra), Bruce Swift (Sacred Warrior), John Mahan (Saint), Greg Bishop (X-Sinner), Paul Jackson (Bloodgood), Dennis Cameron (Angelica), George Ocha (Deliverance, Recon), Stu Heiss (Rez Band), Gordon Kennedy (Whiteheart), Oz Fox (Stryper, Sin Dizzy), Joshua Perahia (Joshua), Michael Sweet (Stryper, solo), David Zaffiro (Bloodgood), Glen Kaiser (Rez Band), Bob Hartman (Petra), Carol Johan Grimmark (Rob Rock), Ken Tamplin (Shout, Magdallan, solo), Chris Impellitteri (Impellitteri), Tony Palacios (Guardian), Rex Carroll (Whirecross, King James).


Neal Morse should be ranked higher than 56, but then again he is more of an arranger and music writer/composer. I don't understand why Bob Hartman is #13, ranked higher than greater guitar players like Dennis Cameron, Joshua Perahia, Greg Bishop, Bruce Swift, Michael Sweet, Oz Fox, Rick Restrom, etc. Tony Palacios and Rex Carroll is ranked higher than Chris Impellitteri? Seriously? Chris should be number 2. He is known as the second fastest guitar player overall in rock music.


I'm not sure how much weight should be given to these rankings. I'm sure there are other guitar players that should be there like Mike Philips of Deliverance, Chuck King of Idle Cure and Shout, and many more.

I was going to post this where I saw this this morning but someone beat me to it.

OK here we go....
Not in order but these are my favorite Christian metal guitarists.
John Mahan, Dee Harrington, Jerry Johnson, Matt Smith, and Josh Kramer.
Then there's all the other guys....

Mr. Lynch, you are truly METAL!!!

...and you are right, I can´t understand why they have not listened the others especially Dee.

I agree with cailen, there are a couple of  Saint guitarists missing here like Dee and Jerry.

Where's Dave Mustaine?  Maybe I missed it.  The first 20 or so I've barely heard of.  which is fine - now I gotta ton of research to do.  This was a VERY in depth list.  Chick from Skillet though?  Seems out of synch plus the first album is the best guitar-wise and she didn't even play on it.


I'm not into Switchfoot at all but didn't he get a buncha awards for best rock guitarist?

Holy buckets Jeff Belew!!  Some of the best leads in Christian rock history....

Jeff Clayton's work on SM I & II are "legend."

One of the 7th Avenue guys should be here too.

Greg Flesch - good call on Daniel Amos, somebody had to play on those amazing songs

I'm glad CJG is in the top ten though.

Pretty good list, actually. Ranking is clearly skewed, but I totally called Keaggy #1

I Really enjoyed that, Thanks for posting!

No mention of Mustaine or Glen Schwartz............But, it was a Great read.

Would be more useful if they included a clip of each playing something noteworthy.

Ole' Borud

Randy Torres

Marcus N. Colon

Vengeance Rising and Living Sacrifice aren't the only extreme bands with talented guitar players - there should be someone like War of Ages' Steve Brown.

Russ Cogdell (Zao)

Good post Superjuice, it totally agree especially with Ole and Marcus they are outstanding!

I agree with most of the choices but not the rankings at all..Keaggy should be way down the list in my opinion...

Larry Howard is there but Darrell Mansfield is not

This might be unpopular but Rex Carrol is way too highly rated on polls like this.  So many of his peers surpass his work across but for some reason ("Nagasaki" from the 1st Whitecross album maybe?) he's considered this rarely-paralleled guitar legend.  He's definitely a competent player & has had some nice riffs for sure. But arguably the greatest to play the genre - of all time?  Ive never quite understood his hype.

oldschooldoom wrote:Larry Howard is there but Darrell Mansfield is not

As far as i know most guitar on Darrell Mansfield albums are played by Eric Turner (who is on #99).

Darrell Mansfield doesn't play guitar. He has tendon issues in his wrist due to slitting them when he was young, before he knew Christ... Plays blues harp instead.

Overall, it is a solid list.  It is compiled by polling, radio requests of streaming stations, etc.  This list might actually be close to what a lot of people would think given the data they used.

There are some on the list I disagree with and some I think are great choices.  So, I think it works.

I was willing to give this list the benefit of doubt, but ....

no Dave Beegle = fail

That's a major oversight that will cripple and mostly illegitamize a list.  He's second to Keaggy IMHO.

Plus Marcos Curiel won multiple HM Readers Poll awards and he's probably the most influential Christian guitar player of the past 25 years.  Nary a mention.

Then I would add Chevelle's Pete Loeffler and his very groove-oriented playing.  Although not an overt band so you can take 'em or leave 'em on a Christian list.

Anything related to the Seattle scene pretty much got the shaft like Pete Stewart.

Tons of progressive guys could be here too, but they're pretty obscure, so I wouldn't hold that against them EXCEPT for Dave Bainbridge of Iona, which is criminal.

*Guitar nerd rant out*

Superjuice wrote:no Dave Beegle = fail

I thought the same thing too.

Some good points Superjuice. I was wondering where Brian Doidge or Andy Prickett or some of those guys were... they don't "shred" but they've contributed to guitar playing, in my eyes.

I think my faves include
(older bands)
Rex Carrol, Dennis Cameron, David Zaffiro, Oz Fox, Jeff Scheetz, George Ochoa

(newer bands)
Shred Sean (BBABH), Patrick Judge (The Showdown,Demon Hunter), James Housemen/Jack Daniels (Hope For The Dying), Brad Noah (Disciple)

There is no Christopher Parkening either, but, it's just a "list", and, it is fun to talk about, imo.

L8T wrote:There is no Christopher Parkening either, but, it's just a "list", and, it is fun to talk about, imo.

Not rock, but I wish he was, so I could hear him shred.

Well, neither is John Michael Talbot..........but, Love Him Too!!  Play him, once a week, at least, at work....