Ranked: Best Guitarists of All-Time

Chet Atkins

He doesn’t always get as much credit as her deserves, but he’s definitely one of the best guitarists of all time. Chet Atkins is responsible for the Nashville sound that brought country music back to popularity. He saved the industry, but it was his guitar playing that made him an artist. Through trial and error, he mastered a sound that combined country, jazz, and classical playing to create a thumb and three finger picking guitar style.

Atkins could play easy laid back sounds, but his instrumental solos mix harmonics and pure notes to create clear energy and sound. “Your Cheating Heart” and “Wake Up Little Susie” are some of his favorites.