TOP 10 FASTEST GUITAR PLAYERS OF THE 70'S (Blackmore, Schenker, Mclaughlin, Uli, Gary Moore etc) 

When you listen to Ritchie, even if he plays very fast, you not only hear all the notes clearly, but also all the silences between the notes. That's why he's the boss !

where are Glen Campbell on his 12 string, Roy clark, and Jerry Reed?

Some fantastic players but where is Alvin Lee?

Blackmore is my favorite because he was such a good songwriter and riffer. And he knew when to play fast and when to play slow. But each of the guys on this list are fantastic

Glad you included Jan Akkerman! The man is a speed demon, he should get his due!

Blackmore playing on Bilsen '69 is out of this world...so is Alvin Lee on the first TYA live album (very underrated guitarist).

Very cool to see Allan Holdsworth. What an incredible player he was.

Ritchie is such a versatile and nuanced guitarist. And very expressive too. He and Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth are my favorites. I think he's the best of the his era. I'm also glad this list includes the great Michael Schenker.

Allan Holdsworth is the real #1. Good to see Jan Akkerman on the list too.

To me Ritchie was the best. Good music good songs!

Blackmore #1

John McLaughlin has a rock god like presence on stage and I think he was probably the only jazz guitar player who had that quality. Just an extraordinary body of work too.

Ronnie Montrose should be on that list. He was a big influence in 70’s.

Ritchie Blackmore #1, great list

Akira Takasaki was already well known in Japan in the end of 70-th. He was the fastest, no doubt about it.

Where is Frank Marino?

Finally Michael Schenker gets mentioned on a guitar list

Number 1 GARY MOORE

There’s a difference between a fast player or picker compared to a shredder. Example, Eric Clapton was and is a very good player and fast to a degree, however, in no way a shredder, that’s Eddie Van Halen or Randy Rhodes or Dimebag Abbott, Vai or Malmsteen etc…. Page isn’t a Shredder either. Doesn’t mean Shredder’s are better players in my opinion just different players. I hate debates on who’s the greatest, I don’t think anyone is, I love Hackett and Howe, Beck and Blackmore or Hammet and Hendrix. Especially feel guys like Iommi and Gilmour. There’s so many, and they all bring me joy🎸

So many! Steve Vai Roy Buchanan Alvin Lee Neal Schon Daryl Steurmer Steve Morse John Etheridge Carlos! Steve Hillage Robert Fripp Robin Trower Ray Gomez Kevin Borich Uncle Frank I loved 70 music.

Gary Moore for the win

Cool list. I don't know squat about guitarists and I've learned some things.

Thank you for not defaulting to Page, Beck and Clapton like every other list. Though I think Beck could shred with the best of them.

The way Blackmore used shredding in speed King is awesome.

No Alvin Lee and Steve Howe? They never were my favourites by any means, but they were pretty fast too.

Blackmore and Mclaughlin are my favourite with Clem Clempsom

Uli was a madman with the whammy bar and wah wah pedal on "Polar Nights" from the Scorpions' _Virgin Killer_ album! 😮

I agree… Blackmore #1!!!

So real good ones in here. For Uli Jon Roth, the clip to watch is " The Sails of Charon - Scorpions 1977 Uli Jon Roth Klaus Meine" Uli shreds in the intro to that like I didn't know existed back then.

Di Miola, McGlaughlin and Holdsworth jazz fusion. The rest are just playing pentatonic licks and don’t even use their pinky. However Schenkers tone and melody are great although he’s not as fast as the aforementioned. Got to mention EVH here too as being so innovative

Rory Gallagher

Need to divide the list between rock players and jazz players

BLACKMORE CHITARRISTA FANTASTICO UNO DEI MIGLIORI AL MONDO, FORSE L'UNICO.

Number 1 : Ritchie Blackmore!

Jan Akkerman

yes where's Alvin Lee ( Captain Speed Fingers)

One bloke I would add to this list is Steve Hackett who was playing fast runs, tapping and hammering on in 1972-1973. These are all great, soulful musicians who tempered technical virtuosity with great musical empathy. Not like😮 the you tube imitators of today…

To me EVH is another level....he started when the rock scene was almost dead bcos of the disco era. ...he made the guitar interesting again..

Speed by speed has Always been at my last importance....

Ritchie no 1

Schenker is my favorite player from the 70s and 80s.

Great list! Steve Howe and Frank Zappa could be the 11# & 12# of the list

Uli Jon Roth and Michael Schenker the best ones!

Ollie Halsall and John Etheridge should get a mention

Saw Jonny Winter many many times over forty plus years .As a blues player I never saw anyone better

The fastest two guitarists of the 1970s I think would be John Mcglaughlin and Al Diemola. Holdsworth had not yet reached his peak virtuosity and speed by the 1970s

It took 20 years, 1968 to 1988, to go from Clapton, Beck and Page to Eddie and Yngwie. It has been nearly 40 years since the end of that stretch. No one has really come along with the same impact. It all stopped with Yngwie.

Alvin Lee..lejos el 1 de los 70s...

Michael schenker is the best shredder in 70's.pure rock n roll..

Ritchie Blackmore the unic genius!!!!!

Blackers is my all time favourite player.

Blackmore forever

Just my opinion, but, fastest will never equate to the best.

What a fantastic video have a wonderful day ❤❤❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊😊

Watch out BLACKMORE!!!!

PARA MI RITCHIE BLACKMORE ES THE GOAT POR SU HABILIDAD Y CREATIVIDAD PARA COMPONER MÚSICAS Y RIFFS

Even though Richie Blackmore footage was ‘69/70 I’d put him at 1 in front of EVH

Frank Marino

Schenker and Gary Moore. They're 1 and 2 in my book.

Schenker, is the king of Melody and tone, wauw.. but Allan Holdsworth is above and one of a kind in scaling...

❤Al&Allan are in a different class altogether;Bill Connors&Frank Marino should be on there❤

Tommy Bolin.

Tutti super! Che musicisti! Incredibili! Eddie però è il mio preferito 🎸🔥👍

Who ever made this list obviously hasn't heard Jimi Hendrix solo on Spanish Castle Magic at Atlanta Festival in 1970. Totally inspired by Mitch Mitchell's double tempo interplay. What a team!

Uli simple the rest our good but uli on a different level

To see and hear Gary Moore doing some serious shredding, check out Colosseum II.

Many thanks for this! This whole "fastest" thing is a bit of a laugh isn't it? All these 70s guys could rip it up anytime but they're all still interesting, melodic and listenable, and having fun too. The last great "game changer" was Yngwie (80s I know) and now it's all just a robotic drone. I think Allan was the most musically advanced, John and Jan were the best pickers, and Michael (still) has the best sound. Great to see Johnny Winter always, and Gary tearing it up on a Les Paul Junior, fantastic!👍

Steve Morse?

Blackmore is a complete Godzilla type,monster.I would not like the idea of following him on a stage.It would be the kiss of death.The thing about Blackmore,is he does not rely on speed,but phrasing.Want fast? The fantastic MR Johnny Winter,he could get a ticket for speeding.Beck? He is not from earth,so he doesn't count.Maybe Mars? They are all so awesome,it helps in rough times.Music is a gift from GOD,like dogs,I love it all.GOD,COUNTRY,TRUTH,JUSTICE and Batman.

Terry Kath was one of the best

Honorable mentions, Frank Zappa, Jeff Beck...

Frank Marino, Alvin Lee and Blackmore 👍

Alan Holdsworth was an entirely different species than any other guitarist on this list or anywhere else. Having said that, the most tasteful and melodic rock shredding was done by Michael Schenker. Blackmore and Uli Roth are virtuosos, but the heavy classical flavor puts it in another category, to me. EVH is another guy who was in his own class. DiMeola and McLaughlin were pushing the bounds of lead guitar, but were more of a curiosity or a novelty to my group of rock guitarists back then. Michael Schenker is my favorite, and the most influential on my style of play.

No Tommy Bolin?

Al Di Meola is number 1, no contest. He was the fastest known guitar player of the 70s and shredding at Yngwie speeds before his time. No Alex Lifeson? La Villa Strangiato has some of the fastest guitar solos of that decade

Yes Al Dimeola had to be on htis list. Maybe seeign him again in November in Budapest with his electric band

Neil Schon Jeff Beck Martin Barre Todd Rundgren your top 10 list is excellent very happy Jan Akkerman Gary Moore Uli Jon Roth Michael Schenker Al Di Meola are included, these guy's aren't usually included

Waouh is master melodic sound

AL Di Meola

Go listen to Steve Gaines blister I Know A Little, Honky Tonk Night Time Man, and I Never Dreamed. If not for that stupid plane crash he'd still be a household name to this day.

Rik Emmett, Alex Lifeson, Kim Mitchell, Frank Marino.

Bill Nelson of Be Bop Deluxe.

Fast in the 70's ?! ... Tony Iommi ... John Etheridge ( Soft Machine ) ... Ollie Halsall ( from the band Patto as well as Jon Hiseman's Tempest ) ... All the guys mentioned here are terrific .... In the early 80's when asked about speed , Blackmore stated that he had been trying to slow down since the 60's . Still an incredible and influential all round player tho' .

Steve Morse needed to be on the list.

...a guitarristas como Blackmore, Gary Moore o Michael Schenker, generalmente no se les aprecia tanto por su velocidad, sino por la pasión, dominio e imaginación en su guitarra, la velocidad no es tan predominante y exigente en su obra como sí lo es en la de otros gigantes, como Di Meola, Holdsworth, McLaughlin o Akkerman, por ejemplo... ..podrían haber aparecido también Alvin Lee, Steve Howe, Rick Emmet, Alex Lifeson ... guitarists like Blackmore, Gary Moore or Michael Schenker, are generally not appreciated so much for their speed, but for the passion, mastery and imagination in their guitar, speed is not as predominant and demanding in their work as it is in that of other giants, such as Di Meola, Holdsworth, McLaughlin or Akkerman, for example... .. Alvin Lee, Steve Howe, Rick Emmet, Alex Lifeson could have appeared as well

Some cool footage and a fun watch, but no way should Frank Marino or Alvin Lee miss the cut. Maybe a part 2 is in order and you could add Jim McCarthy, Ted Nugent, Rik Emmett and the guitar player for Budgie whose name escapes me at the moment.

Frank Morino!!

10 is not enough. Jimmy Page, Frank Marino, Alex Leifson, Ted Nugent, Angus Young. All comparable to several on this list.

Fastest doesn't equate to best. In the 70s the trend for "faster is better" largely lost touch with music. Paul Simon in a list of 100 guitarists? Oh please.

Blackmore was the best of all time !😊

It's hard to come up with a top ten fastest player list for the 1970s, but some to consider for a part 2 would be George Benson, Jimmy Page, Alvin Lee, Roy Buchanan, Alex Lifeson, Randy Rhoads (he was in Quiet Riot in the late 1970s), Glen Tipton, K. K. Downing, Leslie West, Jim McCarty of Cactus, Steve Howe, Steve Hackett, Frank Zappa, Rick Derringer, Ted Nugent, Harvey Mandel and Randy Resnick. Even Tony Iommi could play fast when he wanted to.

Personal favorite guitarist: Alex Lifeson. Technically for this list...you could put Terry Kath and Roy Clark in here. But EVH clearly leads the pack imo.

If not mentioned before, Ollie Halsall. Alvin Lee's idol. Also inspired Holdsworth.

Alvin Lee and Terry Kath + Shawn Lane was the fastest guitarplayers in the 70 thies

Alvin Lee, Duane Allman, Dickie Betts, Stevie Ray Vaughan, John Scofield, Trey Kat, Jeff Beck, the quitarist from Lenard Skynrd and Chicago, Stanley Jordan, Lee Ritenour, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Santana..No blues or jazz oriented guitarists other then Van Halen, Johnny Winter, Ritchie Blackmore, Al Dimeola.. no mention of BB King, Muddy Waters, George Benson..the topic was guitar shredding or riffs..heavy metal came from rock and roll.. rock and roll came from the blues.. before distortion, pedals and electricity.. blues men created distortion on a acoustic guitar using a slide..all the guitarists on this topic are masters.. yet so many other master guitarists were forgotten Parliament Funkadelic Maggot Brain, Blood Sweat and Tears Maiden Voyage .. Chicago’s 25, 6 to 4 and Terry Kath’s free form guitar “solo guitar”

Probably not quite in the era but I thought that Adrian Gurvitz should be on the list along with Fast Eddie Clarke

WTF? No Jimmy Page? Terry Kath? Both could shred anytime they wanted. Just cuz they didn't shred on every song does not disqualify them!

Alvin Lee was the Yngwie of his time

Where’s Shawn Lane? He played at impossible speeds. Your clip of Holdsworth, Moore & Maclaughlin isn’t anywhere as fast as some of their other material. No Scott Henderson ? Speed actually means nothing. It’s all about phrasing, sound and emotion

You forgot Alvin Lee of ten years after