SLASH
The top Gunner reintroduced blues-based riffing and soloing (not to mention the Les Paul) to rock and roll, and is responsible for one of the most famous guitar licks of all time.
BY THE MID ’80s, the hard-rock guitar landscape was overrun with pointyguitar-wielding, Aqua Net–abusing “Shreddy” Van Halen speed demons.
Until Slash came along. The Guns N’ Roses guitarist is widely credited with triggering a 180-degree turn in the guitar universe, injecting the scene with a much-needed shot of bluesy soul and classic-rock style. And while those hair-conscious guitarists didn’t exactly disappear with his arrival, you could rightly argue that hard-rock guitar playing styles changed dramatically after Slash came on the scene.