Top 10 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists

Wimps and posers, leave the hall...these are the Riff Master Generals. For this list, we'll be ranking the most talented, influential and important guitar players from the heavy metal genre. Our countdown includes Kerry King, Dave Mustaine, Tony Iommi, and more! Who's YOUR favorite heavy metal guitarist? Let us know in the comments!

Watch more great music videos here:

Have Your Idea Become A Video!

Subscribe for more great content!

Visit WatchMojo Club for Great Deals!

Your trusted authority for Top 10 lists, reviews, tips and tricks, biographies, origins, and entertainment news on Film, TV, Video Games, Comics, Celeb, Music and Superheroes.

#WMMusic
#WMHeavyMetal
#Rock

[WatchMojo]

Who's YOUR favorite heavy metal guitarist? Let us know in the comments!

[Samoramt]

I like how the Dave Mustaine clip had Marty Friedman’s solos playing.

[GarethAlan]

You picked Kerry King over Jeff Hanneman? That's just dirty.

[seanahern]

Watch mojo ain’t qualified to rank guitarists

[vanityrage]

Chuck deserves so much more than just an honorable mention. His playing changed the metal genre as we know it today

[grantmcmahon]

In my heart, dimebag is number 1, powerful riffs, beautiful solos and feel like none other.

[johnblossom]

Eddie Van Halen is one of the best guitarists to live, but he wasn’t a Metal guitarist.

[dwmusic]

Eddie Van Halen and John Sykes are hard rock guitarists, not heavy metal guitarists.

[thomyorkeenthusiast]

i feel like phoebe from watchmojo has never listened to heavy metal

[ayoubhaddouchi]

Dimebag at Number 5, i can already hear the Pantera fans raging on the other side of the world.

[matthewleonardo]

No one:

Me: goes straight to comments

[AsmeginDavid]

I can’t wait for Become the Knight to react to this. Lmao

[nostradamus]

John petrucci at eight... that can’t be right

[orurindriibjornsson]

When choosing the obviously more skilled guitar player in Slayer how can you pick kerry king over Jeff Hanneman.

[brianmackay]

The fact that Tipton is an honorable mention makes this video dishonorable lol

[nikhiljoshi]

Let's be honest, We all love IRON MAIDEN Guitarists...❤

[swampthing]

Glenn Tipton belongs on the top 3, not just as an honorable mention.

[Davier]

Is this a joke? Kirk Hammett? Kerry King? Van Halen as a heavy metal guitarist? Chuck as a honorable mention? When it comes down to guitar and metal WatchMojo doesn't know shit.

[franciscomarques]

Full respect to guys like Scott Ian, John Sykes or Kerry King, but leaving out the likes of Alex Skolnick, Vivian Campbell or Brent Hinds is just unbelievable and makes absolutely no sense to me, but that's just my opinion!
And it's crazy how Petrucci is only 8th since the man could be quite literally an alien.. also, no James Hetfield, Chuck and GTipton only on the HM?? wtf

[philipwaller]

Nice to see Dave Murray get some credit.. A very underrated guitarist.