If there is one thing that rock and roll music has produced, it’s top-class solo and rhythm guitarists.
The music industry has seen many fantastic guitar players from various genres, but it’s fair to admit that the best ones come from the rock and metal scene. And some of the most legendary ones are from the 80s.
Some of them are in bands, and some perform solo. Be as it may, spring is coming, and concerts and festivals are just around the corner, so now is the time to visit a site like Gotstubs and buy tickets to see some high-class guitar virtuosos.
If you doubt which ones to see, don’t worry since that’s why we are here. Let’s see the top five guitarists from the 80s.
Slash – Guns N’ Roses/Snakepit/Velvet Revolver
The fascinating thing about Saul Hudson, aka Slash, is that even though he spent most of his Guns N’ Roses years drunk, reckless, and partying all the time, he always knew that the band and his guitar playing came first. And it’s easy to notice that once you listen to ‘’Appetite for Destruction,’’ the debut Guns studio album.
He brought fantastic taste, excellent hard-rock sound, and, most importantly, an authentic sound and guitar-playing style. In his own words, Slash has always stated that he and his band brought a new stripped-down rock and roll sound and nothing like everyone else was creating in the 80s, especially in the Los Angeles scene.
He has done many iconic solos from his heart, mind, and hand. Some of them are on tracks such as ‘’Sweet Child O’ Mine,’’ ‘’Welcome to the Jungle,’’ ‘’November Rain,’’ and others. He continued to create great music after he left Guns and was in other bands like Snakepit and Velvet Revolver. Another iconic solo is on ‘’Slither,’’ arguably the best Velvet Revolver song.
Also, now is the time to look for the best sites to buy concert tickets since Slash will tour with Guns N’ Roses this summer!
Kirk Hammett – Exodus/Metallica
Unsurprisingly, Kirk Hammett is one of the greatest guitarists from the 80s since he took lessons from the legendary Joe Satriani.
Kirk has been delivering killer solos for Metallica for decades, and he and James Hetfield are a perfect combination for live concerts all over the globe. Kirk’s original playing style was highly metal oriented, but as time passed, he managed to add more of a blues feeling into his performances. Hammett has stated that one of the biggest influences for this aspect for him has been the late great Stevie Ray Vaughn.
For many people from the music industry and fans worldwide, Kirk’s peak regarding guitar playing was on the legendary Metallica studio album titled ‘’Master of Puppets.’’ His playing on this album put him 100% on the map because of his fantastic solos and overall guitar playing. However, Kirk has stated that he would like to redo his parts since he prefers a different tone nowadays. Still, fans would undoubtedly disagree since his playing in the 80s is magical.
Another thing that makes Kirk unique is that it won’t matter if you attend Metallica concerts in Michigan 2023 or Las Vegas since he always performs the best he can, no matter the venue.
Stevie Ray Vaughn – Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
Some may think it’s too much, but it’s fair to say that once ‘’Texas Flood’’ hit the streets in ‘83, Stevie made old-school blues-based rock music alive again.
Vaughn had a passionate yet technical playing style, which has often been imitated but has yet to be duplicated. What makes him even more unique is that he came from Texas at a time when gritty roadhouse blues and rock wasn’t popular, but he managed to climb the mountain. Many people from the music business and fans thought excellent guitar playing was no longer needed and that the future would be about short tracks or synthesizers. However, Stevie proved them wrong.
Three primary things make Stevie Ray Vaughn the greatest guitar player from the 80s – he came from Texas, which at the time wasn’t a prominent place for rock and blues music, his playing came from his soul while he was also great technically, and he stayed true to the old sound in a music scene that was changing.
Joe Satriani
Joe Satriani is one of the greatest guitarists from the 80s, but he also helped other guitarists become great since he was first a guitar instructor. Some include Kirk Hammett, Rick Hunolt, Steve Vai, Larry LaLonde, and Alex Skolnick.
Joe’s technical ability is more than fascinating, and during the 80s, he made some of his best songs, such as ‘’Surfing with the Alien,’’ and ‘’Always With Me, Always With You.’’ However, his signature song is ‘’Satch Boogie,’’ which is an excellent gumbo of jazzy riffs, while it also has tremolo picking and whammy dives. What makes him even more unique is that he can do everything on a guitar and still make it look effortless.
He has mainly had a solo career, but he was also the guitarist of Deep Purple from 1993 to 1994.
Eddie Van Halen – Van Halen
Everyone knows ‘’Eruption,’’ one of the most legendary rock songs ever, while Eddie’s guitar playing is phenomenal. He was the master of guitar riffs, and he also played fantastic guitar on songs such as ‘’Take Your Whiskey Home,’’ ‘’Unchained,’’ and others.
Eddie made sounds that weren’t always exact guitar sounds since there were a lot of harmonics and textures that happened just because of the way Van Halen picks. It sometimes almost sounds like it’s another instrument involved.
However, the magic came from Eddie’s hands and how he used his middle finger and thumb, making his finger-tapping unique. Still, underneath the technical aspect, Eddie’s soul made his playing great, which is the case with all fantastic guitar players. Everyone can play the riffs he’s written, but it doesn’t sound the same as when he is playing the same riffs.
There you have it, the top five legendary rock guitarists from the 80s. Unfortunately, Van Halen and Ray Vaughn aren’t among us anymore. However, Slash, Hammett, and Satriani are still active, and if you want to see them play the guitar live, now is the perfect time to buy tickets!
