Marillion’s longest-standing guitarist regularly features in our sister magazine Prog’s reader poll for Guitarist Of The Year, his cultured, tasteful and song-centric style having been a cornerstone of Marillion’s sound since 1979. The echoing hook of Kayleigh and the anthemic lead line of Lavender may be obvious markers, but they do demonstrate three main elements of his often imitated style: Rothery plays beautifully textured arpeggios and chords; he is an absolute master of tone; and his most memorable solos are hummable. At its most soaring and lyrical, his lead style puts him in a lineage with Steve Hackett, Camel’s Andy Latimer and especially David Gilmour, but he can also tug subtly at the heartstrings, and can render the chilling cacophony of war itself (Gaza, from Sounds That Can’t Be Made). He is a master of his craft.