5 Can’t Miss Guitarists of the ‘60s

The 1960s was a magical time for music. A new genre was created, the electric guitar was invented and artists like Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton were at their creative peak. These men are widely known as some of the greatest guitarists in history. But there were others that also played during this era and made an impact on the music industry. Some had sold out shows, others weren’t as well-known but are still considered some of the best guitar players to ever live. Here are five you can’t miss from that era:

Les Paul: Inventor of the solid body electric guitar

Paul’s invention changed musicians forever. The first mass produced solid body electric guitar was developed in 1952 called the Les Paul Custom which is still being produced today. His achievements weren’t just limited to inventing new instruments. He also pioneered multitrack recording technology and experimented with overdubbing (also known as sound on sound), tape delay, phasing effects, and other innovative techniques that influenced contemporary pop music.

Django Reinhardt: Jazz guitarist

Reinhardt is considered one of the greatest gypsy jazz (

I am a huge fan of the 1960’s guitarists. Their raw, soulful sound is still unmatched today. I have been watching a lot of documentaries about the 60’s and I never realized how many amazing guitarists there were during that time. These are the 5 Can’t Miss Guitarists of the 60’s.

1. Eric Clapton – There is no way I can start this list without talking about Eric Clapton. Not only is he one of the greatest guitarists ever, but he also was working with some of the most legendary bands in history (The Yardbirds, Cream, The Bluesbreakers). He has a very unique style that really comes through on his solos. He just seems to make everything he does so effortless and natural. If you want to know what guitar playing will look like 100 years from now it will be like Eric Clapton.

2. Jimmy Page – It amazes me how Jimmy Page never gets mentioned in those “Greatest Guitarist Of All Time” lists. He was part of Led Zeppelin and helped write some of the greatest rock songs ever (Stairway To Heaven, Whole Lotta Love, Heartbreaker). He had such an incredible ear

While it is easy to get caught up in the glitz and glamour of the guitarists who have made history throughout the years, one of the best aspects of listening to music is discovering an artist who has gone relatively unnoticed. The following are five guitarists that have made a strong name for themselves in their genre over time, but have gone relatively unnoticed by casual audiences.

George Barnes: George Barnes was a jazz guitarist who helped pave the way for Les Paul’s incredible career. In fact, it is believed that Les Paul would not be where he is today without George Barnes. It was George Barnes who helped him create his famous electric guitar that would go on to become a symbol for rock and roll.

Jonny Buckland: There are many musicians who are not recognized for their talent and ability and Jonny Buckland is one of them. The lead guitarist for Coldplay, Jonny does not receive as much recognition as fellow band mate Chris Martin does, but he is definitely deserving of it!

John Mayer: John Mayer is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer who has been nominated for seven Grammy Awards. He won Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in 2004 for “Your Body Is a Wonderland” and Best Pop Vocal Album

It’s hard to find a good electric guitarist. I mean really good. Not somebody who shreds and plays scales, or a guy who can play every blues lick in the book, but someone who can craft a sound that is all their own. Someone who can take the fire of rock-n-roll, the groove of jazz, the attitude of punk rock and fuse it all into one sound that is undeniably their own. I’m talking about those guitarists who you want to listen to for hours on end. The ones that you know are great, but not many people know about.

Here are five guitarists from the ‘60s that I think you should know about:

Roy Buchanan

Benjamin Verdery

Joe Pass

Phillip Catherine

Jimmy Raney

By the time you get to the 1960s, it’s hard to find guitarists that aren’t well-known. This was a decade that brought us some of the most famous guitarists in history — Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townshend, Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton. Bands like The Beatles, The Who and Led Zeppelin became huge and dominated the charts. It’s also when you started seeing guitarists become huge stars in their own right rather than just band members.

There are still plenty of great players from this era that don’t get the attention they deserve. Here are five of those players that you may have heard of but may not have listened to in a while or maybe never really paid attention to. These are five guitarists that I love and think everyone should know more about.

Robin Trower

If there is one guitarist on this list that I would consider to be underappreciated, it’s Robin Trower. Trower was born in London in 1945 and started his career as a member of Procol Harum, where he played lead guitar on the band’s biggest hit “A Whiter Shade of Pale.” He left Procol Harum

In the 1960s, the guitar was king. The electric guitar was the tool of choice for many who wanted to make a statement with their music. The ‘60s saw many talented rock guitarists emerge, but some have been overlooked by fans and critics alike. Here are five that deserve to be recognized as masters of the instrument.

Buddy Guy

Buddy Guy has been rocking out since the 1950s, but he had his biggest impact in the 1960s. His blues style was emotive and intense, and it’s no surprise that he influenced later legends like Jimi Hendrix. He helped create new blues sounds during this time, including Chicago blues and swamp blues.

Freddie King

Freddie King was another influential guitarist who first made his name in the 1960s. His signature style was known as Texas blues, and he brought elements of soul into his music which distinguished him from other players of the time. His song Hide Away is one of his most famous works, and it is considered an all-time classic by many guitar enthusiasts today.

Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix is one of the most well-known musicians of all time, and his career underwent a meteoric rise in the late 60s which made him

The 1960s was a landmark decade in music. It was the era of the baby boomers, a growing social consciousness, and the Vietnam War. Many guitarists during this time were influenced by folk music. Folk music is played with acoustic guitars and harmonica. It usually has a strong message which is the roots of rock ‘n’ roll.

At the beginning of the 60s, rock ‘n’ roll was still going strong but it had lost some of its popularity as it began to blend into other genres like pop and folk. The Beatles were one of the biggest bands of this time. They had a huge influence on many artists from Paul Simon to David Bowie. And their songs are still enjoyed today because they are timeless classics!

The next big thing was psychedelic rock which incorporated elements from different types of music such as blues and jazz into their sound creating something new that hadn’t been heard before (or at least very much). The most popular bands during this period were Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath who all became household names thanks to hits like “Stairway To Heaven” by Led Zeppelin or “Paranoid” by Black Sabbath.”