List of lead guitarists

The following is a list of significant lead guitarists, arranged in ascending alphabetical order of their last name.

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A

• Duane Allman (Allman Brothers Band, Derek and the Dominos)
• Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake, Dio)
• Jan Akkerman (Focus)
• Trey Anastasio (Phish)
• Ace Andres (The X-15s)
• Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day)
• Bryce Avary (The Rocket Summer)

B

• Aaron Barrett (Reel Big Fish)
• Syd Barrett (Pink Floyd)
• Corey Beaulieu (Trivium)
• Jeff Beck (The Yardbirds )
• Matthew Bellamy (Muse)
• Chuck Berry
• Dickey Betts (Allman Brothers Band )
• Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple, Rainbow)
• James Dean Bradfield (Manic Street Preachers)
• Creed Bratton (The Grass Roots)
• Peter Buck ( R.E.M)
• Lindsey Buckingham (Fleetwood Mac)
• Jonny Buckland (Coldplay)
• Vinny Burns (Ten)
• John Butler (The John Butler Trio)

C

• Charlotte Caffey (The Go-Go's)
• Vivian Campbell (Dio, Whitesnake, Def Leppard)
• Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains)
• Nic Cester (Jet)
• John Cipollina (Quicksilver Messenger Service, The Dinosaurs)
• Eric Clapton
• Kurt Cobain (Nirvana)
• Albert Collins
• Allen Collins (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
• Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins)
• Graham Coxon (Blur)
• Robert Cray
• Rivers Cuomo (Weezer)

D

• Dick Dale
• Dimebag Darrell (Pantera)
• Dave Davies (The Kinks)
• Dave Mustaine (Megadeth)
• Dave Mustaine (Metallica)
• Dave Mustaine (Panic)
• Chris DeGarmo (Queensrÿche)
• Tom Delonge (Blink 182, Box Car Racer)
• Brad Delson (Linkin Park)
• Rick Derringer (The McCoys, Edgar Winter, Johnny Winter)
• K.K. Downing (Judas Priest)
• Billy Duffy (The Cult)

E

• Elliot Easton (The Cars)
• The Edge (U2)
• Mike Einziger (Incubus)
• Stefan Elmgren (HammerFall)

F

• Tim Farriss (INXS)
• Don Felder (Eagles)
• Dave Felton (Mushroomhead)
• Aaron Fink (Breaking Benjamin)
• Matthew Followill (Kings of Leon)
• Jon Foreman (Switchfoot)
• Ace Frehley (KISS)
• Peter Frampton (Humble Pie)
• Glenn Frey (Eagles)
• Marty Friedman (Megadeth)
• Robert Fripp (King Crimson)
• John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
• Jim Fuller (Surfaris)

G

• Gus G. (Dream Evil, Firewind, Nightrage)
• Noel Gallagher (Oasis)
• Rory Gallagher
• Jerry Garcia (The Grateful Dead )
• Synyster Gates (Avenged Sevenfold)
• Lee Gaze (Lostprophets)
• Janick Gers (Iron Maiden)
• Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top)
• David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)
• Paul Gilbert (Racer X, Mr. Big)
• Craig Goldy (Giuffria, Dio)
• Gary Green (Gentle Giant)
• Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac )
• Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead)

H

• Steve Hackett (Genesis)
• Kirk Hammett (Metallica)
• Albert Hammond Jr. (The Strokes)
• Jeff Hanneman (Slayer)
• George Harrison (The Beatles)
• Warren Haynes (Allman Brothers Band, Gov't Mule)
• Jimi Hendrix
• Dave Hill (Slade)
• Gary Hoey
• Matt Hoopes (Relient K)
• Steve Howe (Yes, Asia)
• Jon Hume (Evermore)

I

• Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath)

J

• Matthias Jabs (Scorpions)
• Eric Johnson
• Adam Jones (Tool)
• Brian Jones (The Rolling Stones)
• Danny Jones (McFly)
• Mick Jones (The Clash)
• Mick Jones (Foreigner, Spooky Tooth)
• Steve Jones (Sex Pistols)

K

• Alexander Kapranos (Franz Ferdinand)
• Ben Kasica (Skillet)
• Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna)
• David Kennedy (Angels and Airwaves)
• Ed King (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Strawberry Alarm Clock)
• Kerry King (Slayer)
• Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits)
• Paul Kossoff (Free)
• Robby Krieger (The Doors)
• Richard Z. Kruspe (Rammstein)
• Bruce Kulick (KISS)

L

• Bernie LaBarge (David Clayton-Thomas)
• Andy LaRocque (King Diamond)
• Alexi Laiho (Children of Bodom)
• Roope Latvala (Children of Bodom, Sinergy)
• Ronni Le Tekro (TNT)
• Alvin Lee (Ten Years After)
• Alex Lifeson (Rush)
• Gary Lightbody (Snow Patrol)
• Karl Logan (Manowar)
• Nils Lofgren (E Street Band)
• George Lynch (Dokken, Lynch Mob)

M

• Mike McCready (Pearl Jam)
• Jimmy McCulloch (Wings, Thunderclap Newman, Stone the Crows, Small Faces, The Dukes)
• John McLaughlin (Shakti)
• Stuart MacLeod (Eskimo Joe)
• Tara McLeod (Kittie)
• Richard McNamara (Embrace)
• Benji Madden (Good Charlotte)
• Tim Mahoney (311)
• Daron Malakian (System of a Down)
• Yngwie Malmsteen
• Johnny Marr (The Smiths)
• Mick Mars (Mötley Crüe)
• Hank B. Marvin (The Shadows)
• J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr)
• Hideto Matsumoto (X Japan)
• Tak Matsumoto (B'z )
• Brian May (Queen)
• Tim Mills (Iced Earth)
• Ronnie Montrose (Gamma)
• Gary Moore (Thin Lizzy )
• Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave)
• Steve Morse (Dixie Dregs, Steve Morse Band, Deep Purple)
• Ian Moss (Cold Chisel)
• Cameron Muncey (Jet)
• Dave Murray (Iron Maiden)
• Dave Mustaine (Megadeth)

N

• Dave Navarro (Jane's Addiction)

O

• André Olbrich (Blind Guardian)

P

• Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin, The Yardbirds, The Firm)
• Ryan Peake (Nickelback)
• Axel Rudi Pell
• Luther Perkins (Johnny Cash)
• Joe Perry (Aerosmith, The Joe Perry Project)
• Vicki Peterson (The Bangles)
• John Petrucci (Dream Theater, Liquid Tension Experiment)
• Sergio Pizzorno (Kasabian)
• Jade Puget (AFI)

R

• Mick Ralphs (Bad Company, Mott the Hoople)
• Randy Rhoads (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne)
• Chris Risola (Steelheart)
• Robbie Robertson (The Band)
• Mick Ronson (David Bowie)
• Francis Rossi (Status Quo)
• Gary Rossington (Lynyrd Skynyrd)

S

• Dave Sabo (Skid Row)
• Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi)
• Karl Sanders (Nile)
• Carlos Santana
• Joey Santiago (Pixies)
• Joe Satriani
• Michael Schenker (Scorpions, UFO)
• Neal Schon (Journey)
• Keith Scott (Bryan Adams)
• Brian Setzer (The Stray Cats)
• Hank Shermann (Mercyful Fate)
• Charlie Simpson (Fightstar, Busted)
• Alex Skolnick (Testament, Trans Siberian Orchestra)
• Slash (Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver)
• ‎Snail's Pace Slim (The Hamsters)
• Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden)
• Robert Smith (The Cure)
• Bruce Springsteen (E Street Band)
• John Squire (The Stone Roses, The Seahorses)
• Leigh Stephens (Blue Cheer, Sister Ray)
• Stephen Stills (Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young)
• Andrew Stockdale (Wolfmother)
• Bernard Sumner (Joy Division, New Order)

T

• Mick Taylor (John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, The Rolling Stones)
• Kim Thayil (Soundgarden)
• Mick Thomson (Slipknot)
• Richard Thompson
• Johnny Thunders (New York Dolls, The Heartbreakers)
• Glenn Tipton (Judas Priest)
• Ray Toro (My Chemical Romance)
• Pete Townshend (The Who)
• Joe Trohman (Fall Out Boy)
• Robin Trower (Procol Harum)
• Derek Trucks (Allman Brothers Band)

V

• Steve Vai
• Nick Valensi (The Strokes)
• Kathy Valentine (The Go-Go's)
• Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen)
• Steve Van Zandt (E Street Band)
• Stevie Ray Vaughan

W

• Rich Walikis (The Jam Bones, Out of Bounds)
• Joe Walsh (James Gang, Eagles)
• Kevin 'Noodles' Wasserman (The Offspring)
• Leslie West (Mountain)
• Nick Wheeler (The All-American Rejects)
• Andrew White (Kaiser Chiefs)
• Johnny Winter
• Ron Wood (The Faces, The Rolling Stones)
• Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society)

Y

• Angus Young (AC/DC)
• James Young (Styx)
• Neil Young (Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young)

Z

• Frank Zappa