13Albert King

David Redfern/RedfernsWhenRolling Stonereporter Jon Landau askedAlbert Kingin 1968 who his guitar influences were, King replied, "Nobody. Everything I do is wrong." A pioneer of electric blues, King (who was left-handed) played a right-handed 1959 Gibson Flying V upside down, with the bass strings unconventionally facing the floor. He used an indecipherable secret tuning, hitting notes with his thumb. The six-foot-four, 300-pound King was able to bend notes farther and more powerfully than almost any other guitarist, and his records influenced a generation:Eric Claptonlifted the "Strange Brew" solo from King, and Duane Allman turned the melody of King's "As the Years Go Passing By" into the main riff of "Layla."Jimi Hendrixwas star-struck when his hero opened for him at the Fillmore in 1967. "I taught [Hendrix] a lesson about the blues," said King. "I could have easily played his songs, but he couldn't play mine."Key Tracks:"Born Under a Bad Sign," "As the Years Go Passing By"

14David Gilmour

Larry Hulst/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesAs a producer and songwriter,Pink Floyd's David Gilmour is drawn to floating, dreamy textures, but when he picks up his black Stratocaster to play a solo, an entirely different sensibility takes over: "I wanted a bright, powerful lead guitar tone that would basically rip your face off," he says. He was a fiery, blues-based soloist in a band that hardly ever played the blues his sprawling, elegant, relentlessly melodic solos were as bracing a wake-up call as those alarm clocks onThe Dark Side of the Moon. But Gilmour was also adept at droning avant-garde improv, as seen in Floyd'sLive at Pompeiidays, and could be an unexpectedly funky rhythm guitarist, from the slinky riff to "Have a Cigar" to the Chic-like flourishes on "Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2." His pioneering use of echo and other effects initially inspired by original Floyd guitarist Syd Barrett culminated with his precision use of delay on "Run Like Hell," which directly anticipates the Edge's signature sound.Key Tracks:"Comfortably Numb," "Shine on You Crazy Diamond"

15Freddy King

David Warner Ellis/RedfernsIn a 1985 interview,Eric Claptoncited Freddy King's 1961 B side "I Love the Woman" as "the first time I heard that electric lead-guitar style, with the bent notes... [it] started me on my path." Clapton shared his love of King with fellow British guitar heroes Peter Green,Jeff Beckand Mick Taylor, all of whom were profoundly influenced by King's sharpened-treble tone and curt melodic hooks on iconic singles such as "The Stumble," "I'm Tore Down" and "Someday, After Awhile." Nicknamed "The Texas Cannonball" for his imposing build and incendiary live shows, King had a unique guitar attack. "Steel on steel is an unforgettable sound," says Derek Trucks, referring to King's use of metal banjo picks. "But it's gotta be in the right hands. The way he used it man, you were going to hear that guitar." Trucks can still hear King's huge impact on Clapton. "When I played with Eric," Trucks said recently, "there were times when he would take solos and I would get that Freddy vibe."Key Tracks:"Hide Away," "Have You Ever Loved a Woman," "The Stumble"