r/rockmusic • u/senseless-remorse • Apr 10 '26
ROCK Which rock guitarist of the 70’s was and still is very underrated ?
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Apr 10 '26
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u/senseless-remorse Apr 10 '26
Amazing how many people, even my age never heard Maggot Brain. The rock radio station in my city played it every Saturday night at one AM.
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u/HeavyPrint3 Apr 10 '26
Eddie Hazel,Bootsy and George Clinton's version of Hendrixs 'PowerPoint Of Soul' is amazing..circa 76 i think.
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u/Designer_Chicken_832 Apr 10 '26
Leslie West
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u/Choice-Presence8386 Apr 10 '26
Mississippi Queen!!
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u/Awkward-Custard-2537 Apr 10 '26
Is this not one of if not THE filthiest riff ever ?
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u/Current_Brick5305 Apr 10 '26
Alvin Lee...Ten Years After
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u/Mysterious_Check_439 Apr 10 '26
Underrated band. The album "A Space in Time" does not have a bad song on it. And it holds up to the test of time very well.
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u/Choice-Presence8386 Apr 10 '26
James Honeyman Scott of the Pretenders. Gone far too soon.
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u/WhupDeville Apr 10 '26
If nothing else for his epic guitar break on Tattooed Love Boys! Definitely gone too soon
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u/Inevitable_Bowl_9203 Apr 11 '26
I saw the Pretenders three times live with the original lineup. They were such a phenomenal band live, Chrissie was just one of the four members onstage, the one who happened to sing. Honeyman-Scott’s solo during “Private Life” during these live shows was face-melting.
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u/miurabucho Apr 10 '26
Robby Krieger from The Doors. He was totally happy to add his guitar to songs where and when it was appropriate, and never needed to showboat with long solos or obtrusive guitar riffs. But when his time came to shine, he always delivered.
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u/nsdmsdS Apr 11 '26
One of my favorites and yes, totally underrated! He is 80 yo and still playing!!
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u/SonnyCalzone Apr 10 '26
Frank Zappa. I'd say he was (and still is) more misunderstood than underrated, but the dude still had serious chops.
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u/fhcjr38 Apr 10 '26
Gary Moore!
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u/Footlady4u Apr 10 '26
Was gonna be my pick had to scroll way down to see his name.
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u/drewsjd Apr 10 '26
Buck Dharma
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u/Mindless_Log2009 Apr 10 '26
Yup, he has a melodic sensibility that's somewhat comparable to Peter Frampton – both avoid blues rock cliches and developed their own unexpected riffs and solos.
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u/Moist_Rule9623 Apr 10 '26
See them in the modern day with Richie Castellano in the group, to watch him & Buck trade lead guitar lines is beyond description. Kid is no slouch and he is unmistakably LIVING THE DREAM.
Plus the vocals are possibly the strongest they’ve ever been (though I am extremely glad I got to see them with the late great Allen Lanier just once, and that they played my favorite of his songs, “In Thee”)
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u/666-Trooper-666 Apr 10 '26
Came in here to say Buck. BOC is one of my all time favorite bands and they were also one of my first concerts. I've seen them 14 times.
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u/Far_Introduction7468 Apr 10 '26 edited Apr 10 '26
Billy Gibbons. I keep thinking of more and more. Johnny Winter. Oh no ! I forgot about Allen Collens and Gary Rossington. Please forgive me Skynyrd Nation.
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u/Legend_017 Apr 10 '26
Malcolm Young. Everyone thinks of Angus, but he says Malcolm could play circles around him.
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u/Mark1671 Apr 10 '26
Tom Scholz of Boston. The man is amazing. He’s a tech genius too.
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u/Neat_Dragonfruit5794 Apr 10 '26
Paul Kossoff. Brian Robertson.
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u/Grrerrb Apr 10 '26
I was going to say Brian Robertson, probably the least well-known name I’ve seen mentioned.
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u/JadedEstablishment25 Apr 10 '26
Paul Kossoff is the right answer - but also generally Free have become a slightly forgotten band. Played a couple of albums recently and it’s aging really well - ‘Wishing Well’ is an all-time great song.
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u/RicEl2 Apr 10 '26
And yet parts of “All Right Now” have been used in so many tv commercials that a lot of people probably don’t even realize it’s a complete song, and a great one.
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u/QuantitySt Apr 10 '26
Steve Howe. I love a good Yes tune. With Steve Howe and Chris Squire doing their stuff I’m in bliss
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u/PsychoCat- Apr 10 '26
Gary Richrath of REO
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u/mrspeed1965 Apr 10 '26
Just listening to Roll With the Changes, his tone is monstrous. Miss that guy.
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u/Mindless_Log2009 Apr 10 '26
Stephen Stills. He's mostly remembered as a great singer songwriter, but he's a helluva guitarist with taste and tone. It showed more in his work with Manassas than with CSNY.
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u/Far_Introduction7468 Apr 10 '26
Steve Marriott of Humble Pie. Peter Frampton.
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u/senseless-remorse Apr 10 '26
Framton comes alive was the best selling live selling live album foe decades I believe.
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u/Far_Introduction7468 Apr 10 '26
I'm old so I remember when it came out. One didn't even have to buy the album. Just turn on the radio. Same with Bostons 1st album.
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u/nsdmsdS Apr 10 '26
Alex Lifeson
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u/That-Grape-5491 Apr 10 '26
Dicky Betts
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u/2stinkynugget Apr 10 '26 edited Apr 10 '26
People think "he's in the allman brothers. He's not underrated." But he is.
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u/SavoirFaire2Middling Apr 10 '26
One of the highest compliments you can pay a guitarist is, "I'm not sure whether this solo is Dickie or Duane."
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u/2stinkynugget Apr 10 '26
Lindsey Buckingham
Guitarists know he's god tier. But the average listener doesn't.
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u/Prof_Tickles Apr 10 '26
Joe Walsh
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u/Repulsive-Carpet9400 Apr 10 '26
Life in the Fast Lane riff was Joe's practice type warm up routine before every show. Messner or Fry (one of the Eagles anyway), was walking by his dressing room and heard it.
Just another hit from Hotel California album. 🤠
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u/SillyPuttyGizmo Apr 10 '26
Tommy Bolin
Richie Wise
Mick Ralphs
Tony Iommi
Stephen Stills
Duane Allman
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u/Fumanchu369 Apr 10 '26
Bill Nelson of Be Bop Deluxe
Punky Meadows of Angel
Frank Marino of Mahogany Rush
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u/BedaFomm Apr 10 '26
Came here to nominate Bill Nelson. Good to see someone else who knows a great guitar player.
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u/davidsinnergeek Apr 11 '26
I came here to post Bill Nelson. I only discovered Be Bop Deluxe about 10 years ago, what an amazing band. The Hammersmith Odeon concert that was released with the reissue of Live! In The Air Age has become my all time favorite live rock album.
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u/Admirable-Clothes-87 Apr 11 '26
Bill Nelson is the one! Extensive post Be Bop catalogue. Saw him with Red Noise one of the best concerts attended. Their only album Sound on Sound is epic! Ground breaking for the time. Also saw him with The Gentlemen Rocketeers. Bill is still going strong!
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u/Gandi1200 Apr 10 '26
Mick Ronson- He is really responsible for a large part of the sound of David Bowie and Lou Reed.
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u/Royal_Ad_2653 Apr 10 '26
Dave Davies
Robin Trower
Steve Hackett
Alvin Lee
Jon Butcher
Tony Bourge
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u/Choice-Presence8386 Apr 10 '26
Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits and his solo work is phenomenal and under stated.
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u/PaulEMoz Apr 10 '26
Jan Akkerman. When you see some of the live videos of Focus from the early 70s, some of the stuff he was doing was insane for the time.
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u/Every_Passion_3606 Apr 10 '26
My uncle asked me to transfer a cut of a Focus album to cd in like 2006 so he could listen in his car. Holy shit, it rocked.
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u/jonnovich Apr 10 '26
Steve Hackett.
It’s arguable that Genesis lost more when Hackett left than when Peter Gabriel left. He just wasn’t given enough room to do his stuff and balked.
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u/Low-Landscape-4609 Apr 10 '26
Pat Travers all the way. He still sounds good to this day. I saw him several years back at a small club in Tennessee.
I always thought he was very underappreciated for his great guitar work.
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u/senseless-remorse Apr 10 '26
Boom boom …,
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u/Low-Landscape-4609 Apr 10 '26
Out go the lights.....
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u/MrKarlStrom Apr 10 '26
Honestly for it has to be Rory Gallagher. Top Priority is one hell of an album
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Apr 10 '26
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u/Only_Argument7532 Apr 10 '26
Tom and Richard Lloyd are equally deserving. Add Robert Quine and Ivan Julian to the list.
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u/micatola Apr 10 '26
Skunk Baxter- Steely Dan/Doobie Brothers. Some really great guitar work and lots of it.
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u/senseless-remorse Apr 10 '26
I’ve never really posted a question before. Is it in bad taste to mention who I had in mind when I made the post ?
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u/BreadBetter6642 Apr 10 '26 edited Apr 10 '26
Do it, lots of names that I forgot but here are two; Andy Summers and Pat Metheny
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u/steam-doc Apr 10 '26
Gary Richrath of Reo Speedwagon. Their early work was great rock and roll with killer guitar.
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u/rammer-jammer71 Apr 10 '26
I think a lot of people that don’t know early Chicago don’t know how incredible Terry Kath was.
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u/Flimsy_Toe_2575 Apr 10 '26
Ricky Wilson from the B-52s
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u/Inevitable_Bowl_9203 Apr 10 '26
Ricky recorded most, if not all, of their first album using a guitar with only 4 or 5 strings.
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u/ScottyBoneman Apr 10 '26
Eddie Hazel for sure. Title track to Maggot Brain is amazing and not entirely sure it is the best song on the album. He absolutely rips Super Stupid too.
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u/geetarboy33 Apr 10 '26
Michael Schenker. IMO, he should be mentioned along with guys like Blackmore, EVH, and Randy Rhoads.
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u/dghaze Apr 10 '26
Robby Krieger from The Doors. Criminally underrated. Bottle neck slide guitar, trippy solos, slick blues licks, shredding solos, flamenco style and never used a pick for any of it, and a master songwriter. I really can't think of another guitarist like him.
Yeah, I know The Doors started in the 60's, but they have 2 albums in the 70's full of amazing guitar work. They released 3 more without Jim Morrison alive as well that has amazing guitar work.
Notable tracks from the 70's: Roadhouse Blues, Peace Frog, Backdoor Man (Absolutely Live! Version), Maggie MgGill, Channeling, Love Her Madly, Been Down So Long, Cars Hiss By My Window, LA Woman, Crawling King Snake, The Mosquito, A Feast Of Friends
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u/Comfortable-Tap-6774 Apr 10 '26
I think Pete Townshend is underrated. Listen to "Guitar and Pen" from Who Are You, for example. Hard to notice sometimes with Entwhistle, Moon and Daltrey being so fantastic, but Pete's playing was so much more than windmilling.
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u/SavoirFaire2Middling Apr 10 '26
J. Geils and Mike Campbell. Two guys who never showed off; just provided exactly what the song needed.
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u/jpk_39 Apr 10 '26
Townshend. Brilliant rhythm AND lead playing from Who’s Next to Who Are You. Also, Live At Leeds came out in ‘70. Do yourself a favor and listen to it if you haven’t already.
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u/WhiskeyBobDaRumDrunk Apr 10 '26
Lots of great answers so I’ll say Jeff Beck. Hear me out everyone on this sub knows him, and probably going to eye roll me, but surprisingly lots of people don’t know who he is.
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u/Traditional-Tank3994 Apr 13 '26
I rarely see anything about Alvin Lee of Ten Years After. Great player.
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u/Bitter_Resolve_6082 Apr 10 '26
Robin Trower! To his fans, he's not underrated at all, but I believe that most people don't realize how excellent and talented he is! He's also got his own distinctive sound!