Eddie Van Halen

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Overrated idiot!!!!

Are there that many stupid people listening to this guy? He's really good but not number 2 good! Wait a sec, yea, he's a big steaming pile of "number 2"!

It's impossible to say who is the greatest. But EVH is up there. His sound is unique. His influence wide. And the guy can write great songs and catchy riffs that stay in your head for decades. Sure, he ain't perfection like the likes of Via. But Via could never write a song to save his life. Via's abilities are amazing - nobody in their right mind can deny that. But there are no songs there. It's like going to the circus to be dazzled or blown away when you listen to guys like him. But where are the catchy riffs? Where is the soul?? Ed was an original who rocked with soul. He was the guitarist who spoke to "the people" and musicians alike. And for my money, will always be the King of Rock guitar.

Eddie Van Halen was a decent performer for his Era, he hit when the Rock Band's most popular time. As a performer he is just another past Rock band to me. Eddie is a piece of Rock history, I don't see him as a real Legend.

Eddie is probably one of the best current technical guitar players. Your mental madness descent is huge, still trolling after all of these years, anger rage, anxiety, i say you'll hang yourself within 2 years.....giving all of us VH fans a application for a international holiday this happens.......serial troll....EVH is God,.. simply the greatest ever!

The King simultaneously re-wrote the rules for rock guitar and hard rock in general. Guitarist Eddie Van Halen redefined what electric guitar could do, developing a blindingly fast technique with a variety of self-taught two-handed tapping, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and effects that mimicked the sound of machines and animals.

Eruption is the original pizza sauce that put guitar where it is today. Ed wants fans to offer to kill @#$$#$#C and $#%%%$* for his glory because "Ed is God". Fans insist they are peers of Ed so it must be true.

If Eddie died around 1986 he would be widely considered as the best rock guitar player ever, except maybe Jimi. Because he lived he had problems with singers, alcohol, ..etc. Many thought less of him. That's because they're Stupid!! EVH is the greatest guitar player of all time.

Sorry, Frank, but I rank Van Halen over Hendrix as far as technique. I'm not a big fan of Van Halen, or of Eddie's style, but as a guitarist I have to tip my hat. His style was unique, and he influenced a whole decade of pickers. Unlike Hendrix, who was basically kept within the pentatonic scale, Eddie's approach was, well, all over the neck. Oh, and Eddie kept his guitar in tune, unlike Jimi.

53 stars .

This is almost as bad as saying Jimi Hendrix is the best guitarist of all time....very laughable indeed. Painful in so many ways....

Great Noodler

80"s hype/ great but not brillant

Great guitarist but best of all time? No. Top twenty maybe, probably most famous for popularizing the style of tapping on the frets of the guitar with your fingers while picking them at the same time, combining for a very fast playing style.

GOOD GITARTST HE COULD DO THING THAT NO ONE COULD DO AT THE TIME EVENTUALLY PEOPLE STARTED TO PLAY THE SAME TYPE OF MUSIC AND THEY CAUGHT UP TO HIM

he is the father of hammering

Very, very, very freaking influential, I will admit that, and if anyone denies it they're just plain stupid. However, besides inventing tapping, he wasn't terribly good technically. Randy Rhoads was definitely heavily influenced by him, but Randy took it and went well past Eddie's playing ability. Eddie himself says that he just figures out easier ways to do the crazy things other guitarists do that still sound similar. His sound is very good, and he's very influental, but not the best. He belongs somewhere lower in the top 10.

Over rated. Completely. "OOOOOOHHH HAMMER-ONS ZOMG"

I've been playing guitar myself for quite a few years and while Eddie Van Halen is a very good guitar player, there is a tendency to overrate him, especially from those who've heard his hammer-ons and think he's God's gift to the guitar. His technique is quite good but sometimes less is more and that's why players like Chet Atkins, Mark Knopfler, and even Joe Satriani-with whom I frequently see Van Halen compared-are all better guitar players. Frequently those who rate Eddie Van Halen as the best guitarist of all time are headbangers or party animals who haven't heard the likes of Les Paul, Django Rheinhardt, or Al DiMeola-all of whom I consider better guitarists than Van Halen.

im a guitarist my self and take it from me he is not over rated and does not lack versatility anyone who sais so dosent know what the are talking about eddies changed the way guitars are played and has by many well known guitarists been noted to of changed guitarist styles all over the world.and if you want versatility the man youse to be a classical pianist.get it right and know your facts.also look how many good to bad marks there are a million birds cant be wrong.

He's overated

Notice in a lot of late 60s and 70s hard rock there is just something missing. Eddie nailed the tone along with many other problems which had not been tackled. This tone gave way to the feeling which Eddie emotes when playing in the form of his picking, harmonics and tremelo usage. The tapping for me is just a bonus component which spiced up his excellent lead style. Rhythm is also where Eddie rains supreme... Notice players like Joe S and Steve V layer many many tracks on top of each other to create their songs... Yes they are great players but Eddie's guitar can carry an entire song which says a lot. Someone else please name a player before or during Eddie's time who combined their own ripping tone with the tremelo usage (whammy bar) tapping and lead and rhythm style the way Eddie did... cant be done! The first album Van Halen (1978) in my eyes is on of the best guitar driven albums released. Is he still technically the best? Long shot! no of course not. But he is an innovator none ... Read more

EVH is a good guitarist. Something seems to be missing.

THE ABSOLUTE BEST ! PERIOD !! BECAUSE B-MAC SAID SO !!!

Guitar GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HE OWNS

This is best in ability, not most popular people...

Eddie's a damn good guitarists but the band as a whole isn't very good.

Remarkable in magnitude, effectiveness, full of intense with his playing. The greatest player in the universe.

one of the greats!  I once witnessed a grown man lactate because he was so moved by eddie's playing.  the band ain't much to speak of with their silly teenage boy with an erection lyrics and the rest of the musicians have a hard time keeping up with evh.  docked a notch for giving david lee roth a platform for his awful vocals and hair.In case any of you whiny snorks didn't notice, I gave VH a 3 star rating.  I'd hardly call myself a fan.  Pay attention dickhead!

No way, no how is Eddie van Halen the best guitarist in the world. He should be beaten up for allowing Dave Lee Roth near a stage, never mind anything else...

one of the best shreders around...

Eddie is one of the best guitar players of all time, but he certainly aint the bestWot also pisses me off is the way people always say Eddie was the first person to use finger tapping, when the likes of Ace Frehley were doing it long before he was

Not bad, stole from everybody.  I need to elaborate. EVH popularized the "tap" style of playing and was always a tastefull guitarist. Just enough soloing to support the song. IMO Van Halen was never better than when David Lee Roth was the lead singer. What enormous egos Eddie and DLR have to deprive the rock and roll world of their combined talent. You egomaniacs suck!

Most innovative, creative, musical, and technically proficient rock guitarist of all time. Changed guitar forever.

The greatest ever! My childhood was great. Thanks to Eddie and the 80's.

what a bunch of a**holes. Eddie changed the face of guitar for an entire generation....and you make stupid remarks like, "no that bad..." and "stole from everybody..." You are a bunch of frikkin guitar snobs. I don't know who "#! is because it's all so subjective. But, I suppose, I am nobody compared to the brilliance of you guys,,,,

I like him, to a point, but I can't stand EVH zealots who mark ones on other guitarists just because they're not EVH. Not a bad guitarist, kind of catchy at times, no where near the god some people seem to think he is. Playing fast doesn't make anyone a great guitarist in fact occasionally makes them less enjoyable. Being self taught doesn't mean anything and never really happens, every guitar player learns things from others by listening to them.

There are better guitarist out there, but blues really don't do shit for me. A song doesn't have to be a masterpiece instrumentally. When I'm really in the mood to rock, I wanna rock...its that simple.

There are guitarists that are more polished and probably better, but there are a couple of things that increase his ranking, in my opinion. He has a distinctive sound and leaves little doubt who you are listening to when he plays. There's also the fact that he was self taught on the guitar, which goes a long way with me. I can also throw a little sentimentality into the mix since I've always been a Van Halen fan.

Eddie van halen in my view one of the greatest elecritions ever. But as a guitarist there is nothin g grea about him I mean creating modifications on the guitar does'nt make you a good guiarist.

There's nothing wrong with him, but there's no genius here. None of the flaring, incandescent brilliance of say, four dozen or more of the other folks on this list. None of the influence of say twenty others on this list.Nothing says "flash in the pan" like "Eddie Van Halen." Except maybe his pathetic, brainless fans, who mark one star for everyone on this list who gets close to their beloved Eddie.And as far as making his own pedals, amps, pick-ups etc, that may make Van Halen a hell of an inventor or an electrician, but it doesn't say anything about his playing ability.

Not just his speed but his accuracy and precision. The degree of closeness. Be able to calculate the quantity and measure the quality of tones. Hands down! Eddie is the greatest ever!

Was the best in the 80s and can still rip.

Come on..if you don't like him then you should not take this survey

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