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For the record...A selection of facts, shocking omissions and vital statistics culled from Guitarist readers’ votes...
Bestsellers list: In the word of the guitar album, sales figures rarely equate quality...
Although many of the same artists appear, none of the guitar readers’ choices for Greatest Guitar Albums feature in the UK’s Top 10 bestselling albums of all time. However three of the Guitarist’s readership’s choices – Led Zeppelin IV, Back In Black and The Beatles (aka ‘The White Album’) – turn up in the USA’s Top 10 sellers. Maybe the US public has better taste than the UK when it comes to guitar albums?
All around the world: Here’s the geographical origin of the entries in our top albums chart... and it’s a close run thing.
Entries by UK artists made up 46 per cent of the vote. Entries for albums by US-based artists made up 44 per cent of the vote.
Entries for albums by artists from the rest of the world made up 10 per cent of the vote.
25 artists and albums that surprisingly failed to raise enough votes...
1. RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
They got votes, but with Chili’s fans split between their best albums (By The Way, Stadium Arcadium, BloodSugarSexMagic, Californification), none of them eventually made our Top 40.
2. THE SMITHS
The Queen is Dead is routinely voted one of the eighties’ greatest albums; Hatful of hollow collates Johnny Marr’s finest recordings. Neither made it. Miserable now!
3. DANNY GATTON
Once dubbed ‘the world’s greatest guitar player you’ve never heard’. Which is seemingly still the case.
4. PAUL WELLER
Nearly 30 years of great songs and guitar: but were the Jam Man’s hits spread too thinly? You seem to think so...
5. THE POLICE
Once a staple of Top Of The Pops, this all-conquering eighties outfit driven by Andy Summer’s guitar has been erased from history.
6. WES MONTGOMERY
Perhaps the most accessible of jazz guitar’s titans, Wes’ votes disappeared east when we asked...
7. BLUR
Graham Coxon was a pretty popular cover artist for Guitarist, but his Britpop excursions seem to be forgotten.
8. RORY GALLAGHER
A groundswell of appreciation for the Irish blues rocker has come our way in recent years. But from people, obviously, who didn’t bother to vote...
9. BUDDY GUY
A guitarist’s guitarist and one of the most inventive bluesman ever. Has he got the blues? Damn right, he has. Has he got your votes? Oddly not...
10. ZZ TOP
You had votes, and you know how to use them – just not in enough quantity to vote this bearded blues-rock triumvirate into our poll.
11. PETER GREEN & FLEETWOOD MAC
Two great talents to choose from (Green and Lyndsay Buckingham) but not enough backing to appear anywhere in our final charts. Startling, but oh well...
12. ALBERT, FREDDIE & BB KING
The influence of the blues’ three Kings’ cannot be denied, but with their music now mainly on compilations, maybe there just isn’t one defining release...
13. FOO FIGHTERS
They’re as huge as it gets right now but, well, they can never be as good as Nirvana, it seems.
14. ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND
Southern rock may not be favour of the month, but were still surprised that, in your opinion, Eat A Peach didn’t have enough juice.
15. SMASHING PUMPKINS
The greatest guitar technician of the grunge era – and yet so few votes! Bewildering...
16. U2
Wierdly, the planet’s biggest band didn’t get enough votes for boy, for The Joshua Tree, not even Achtung Baby and were (ahem) edged out of the final countdown.
17. MUSE
Matt Bellamy is undoubtedly one of the UK’s brightest young guitar talents, but no Muse album polled enough to make any category...
18. BERT JANSCH, DAVEY GRAHAM, JOHN RENBOURN
BritFolk’s most inspiring fingerpickers of the sixties fail to get any votes: as with the USA’s Kings, maybe there’s just not one definitive album...
19. ELVIS PRESLEY
Remember this guy? The jumpsuit, the shades? Only a few did, and a lack of a definitive release proved enough to dethrone The King.
20. DEF LEPPARD
Leppard may have wanted your vote, but they just weren’t geddon it – despite the mass hysteria of the mid-eighties, and their huge sales.
IF WE HAD OUR WAY! Just to reassure this was no fix, here are the albums the Guitarist team were desperate to see appear...
1. THE CHAMELEONS Strange Times Michael Leonard (Readership votes: 0)
2. DOVES Lost Souls Owen Bailey (Readership votes: 2)
3. SONNY LANDRETH South Of 1-10 Dave Burrluck (Readership votes: 0)
4. THUNDER Backstreet Symphony Simon Bradley (Readership votes: 1)
5. THE APPLESEED CAST Low Level Owl: Vol. 1 Paul Robson (Readership votes: 0)
6. PJ HARVEY Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea Chris Vinnicombe (Readership votes: 1)
7. TOOL Lateralus Rob Laing (Readership votes: 3)
8. FUGAZI In On The Kill Taker Phil Millard (Readership votes: 0)
9. SMASHING PUMPKINS Siamese Dream Matt Ward (Readership votes: 3)
Ten Long Years: According to Guitarist readers, which decade was best for guitar albums?
2000s
Four entries 5 per cent
1990s
21 entries 26 per cent
1980s
15 entries 19 per cent
1970s
26 entries 33 per cent
1960s
14 entries 7 per cent
So, what happened to: Linkin Park, Creed, Nickelback, Papa Roach, Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens, Limp Bizkit, Scorpions, Yes, Status Quo, Lynryd Skynryd, Steppenwolf, Earth, Wind & Fire, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Dave Matthews Band, Weather Report, Living Colour, The Knack, The Kinks, The Animals, Everly Brothers, The Shadows, The Ventures, Buddy Holly, King Crimson, Jeffrydin & The Siglap Five (Termenung), Panca Sitara, The Swallows (La-O-be)...?
Guitarist Issue 284 December 2006
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