The British magazine Far Out pays homage to the history of punk, publishing a ranking of the best guitarists ever in this genre. “Rock purists and more academic musicians have often dismissed punk as something childish and crude. Yet punk has always offered an immediate, physical and engaging form of expression. It has been a means through which generations of young people have been able to embark on their own journey towards a new and independent identity. With its essential structure based on a few chords, punk has managed to capture the anxieties and contradictions of modernity – underlines Jack Whatley in the introduction – Precisely because of this apparent simplicity, punk guitarists have often been considered technically inferior musicians. However, even if many of them cannot be evaluated with the same parameters as the great virtuosos of rock guitar, their contribution has often been underestimated. Over time, punk has become a universe full of subgenres, but this ranking looks above all at the pioneers and musicians who defined the original language of the genre – Far Out further specifies – If there is one element that summarizes the spirit of punk, with all its liberating and irreverent energy, it is the guitar riff: powerful, direct and unmistakable. From the Sex Pistols to the Clash, many of the movement's fundamental bands could count on guitarists capable of leaving a profound mark.”
Here, then, is the ranking of the 10 best punk guitarists of all time, according to Far Out Magazine (full report here). On OndaRock you can find the ranking of the best punk records of all time.
10. Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day)
9. Brian Baker (Bad Religion, Dag Nasty, Minor Threat)
8. Steve Jones (Sex Pistols)
7. Poison Ivy (The Cramps)
6. Greg Ginn (Black Flag)
5. Ron Asheton (The Stooges)
4. Dr. Know / Gary Miller (Bad Brains)
3. Mick Jones (The Clash)
2. Johnny Thunders (New York Dolls, Heartbreakers)
1. Johnny Ramone (Ramones)
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
