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ZAKK WYLDE Weighs In On ROLLING STONE's 'Top Guitarists' List

January 9, 2004

OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Zakk Wylde recently spoke to Sleaze Grinder about Rolling Stone magazine's much-criticized list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time.

"Put it this way," Wylde began. "When Eddie Van Halen is number 70 and Randy Rhoads is number 85, I mean, bottom line is I have to play Randy Rhoads' shit every night. I idolize Randy Rhoads. I still got posters of Randy Rhoads in my garage right now, in my weight room. I carry them on the bus. I love Randy Rhoads to death man, so I mean, the whole thing is just like, I've got to play Randy's shit every night. Last time I checked, Joan Jett can't play fucking 'Mr. Crowley', you know what I'm saying?

"You've got to laugh at the thing," Wylde continued. "I mean, Joe Satriani isn't in there. Steve Vai isn't in there. Yngwie Malmsteen isn't in that fucking list. Slash isn't in there. They are some of the sickest guitar players that have ever walked this planet. I mean, I'm a guitar player. Do you know how good fucking Yngwie is? It's beyond fucking sick. The fact that Yngwie isn't in it is just fucking mind-boggling to me. People can say what they want about Yngwie, but it's just like naming the 10 greatest singers of all time and not putting Pavarotti in it, you know what I'm saying? Yngwie is a virtuoso.

"Obviously Jimi Hendrix is going to be the patron son of guitar, like Babe Ruth. No matter who hits more home runs than The Babe, The Babe is going to be, you know, The Babe. But the thing is, Jimi Hendrix couldn't play 'Spanish Fly' or 'Eruption'. Technically. I'm telling you. Flat out. Just couldn't do it. Jimi got a bunch of gear that nobody ever had before, you know what I am saying? So, he was able to do it before anyone else, and I understand that, but Eddie brought it to a whole other level technically.

"As far as I'm concerned, Eddie Van Halen should be number one. And then Randy Rhoads would have to be in the top three or top five. He'd have to be." Read the rest of the interview here.

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