50 Greatest Alternative & Indie Rock Guitarists of All Time
Updated: 15 minutes ago
(Pictured - Jonny Greenwood 2022)
Just as mainstream rock centered around the guitar, so too did alternative and indie rock. From the very inception of rock music, debates over who the greatest guitarists are have raged on (and we’re here to add our two cents). While publications across the internet have been relatively quiet about identifying the greatest indie and alternative rock guitarists, we decided to take a stab at it. Like any ranking, this list—despite plenty of thought and debate—is ultimately just for fun. Our criteria include genres like indie rock, post-punk, shoegaze, Britpop, rock-centric new wave, Madchester, and jangle-pop, along with much of what used to dominate college radio (back when that was a thing). We’ve decided to exclude grunge, as it stands apart as a distinct style; if grunge were included, names like Kurt Cobain, Mike McCready, and Kim Thayil would certainly feature near the top—so rest assured, they haven’t been overlooked. Additionally, guitarists from alternative rock that broke into the mainstream are eligible for inclusion, but we’ve excluded mainstream rock in general, as well as metal, ska, and other rock subgenres. For a broader perspective on rock guitarists, check out our ranking of the 100 Greatest Rock Guitarists of All Time.
Johnny Marr (The Smiths)
Johnny Marr has become as celebrated an instrumentalist as one can be within the indie realm. While it’s not unusual to encounter indie fans with gripes about Morrissey as a vocalist, it’s almost unheard of to find anyone criticizing Johnny Marr’s masterful guitar work. Over the span of about four years, Marr delivered some of the catchiest, most intricate, and most memorable guitar riffs of all time. Whether it’s the impressive percussive, rhythmic precision in Bigmouth Strikes Again or the bright, cascading arpeggios in This Charming Man, Marr mastered the four-bar guitar riff in a way that was entirely his own. Time and time again, he crafted sonically brilliant musical phrases and repeated them until they became delightfully lodged in the listener’s mind. The sheer volume of unforgettable guitar riffs Marr created during that short span is simply in a class of its own, far above every other guitarist on this list. With unique chord progressions, rich textures, layered melodies, jangling rhythms, and unparalleled precision, Marr’s studio guitar work is nothing short of jaw-dropping.
Jack White (The White Stripes, The Raconteurs)
Jack White achieved a level of success in alternative music that few American artists have matched. His impressive discography predominantly spans three bands: The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, and The Dead Weather. All three navigate the space between blues rock and garage rock, earning widespread praise across the alternative music realm. White’s style is refreshingly stripped-down, eschewing intricate studio production techniques in favor of electrifying, explosive guitar work. White and his playing were instrumental in the garage rock revival of the early 2000s, as well as the broader indie rock resurgence of the same era, alongside artists like The Black Keys and The Strokes. As a generational guitar hero, Jack White crafted era-defining songs like Seven Nation Army and has become the quintessential guitar-wielding rock icon of the 21st century. His talents speak for themselves, and he stands as one of—if not the most—decorated American rock guitarists of the modern era.
Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead)
Jonny Greenwood masterfully walks the line between breathtaking soundscapes, unnerving dissonant runs, and memorable arena rock grooves. OK Computer brilliantly showcases all three. Subterranean Homesick Alien presents a beautiful, dreamlike soundscape, Paranoid Android delivers screeching guitar runs, and Electioneering features perhaps Greenwood’s most underrated rock riff. At Melophobe, we’ve made no secret of our belief that OK Computer is one of the most impressive musical feats of all time. While Thom Yorke’s vocal performance is remarkable, the true power behind the record lies in Greenwood’s expansive, masterful guitar work.
Beyond OK Computer, Greenwood delivers a masterclass in guitar playing on The Bends, In Rainbows and 12 different film scores. . As both a guitarist and a composer, Jonny Greenwood embodies sheer creative brilliance in a way that is entirely his own.
Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave)
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Rage Against the Machine was one of the most compelling bands to emerge from the 1990s American alternative scene. While they weren’t the only group blending rap-rock and alternative metal, Tom Morello’s utilitarian guitar playing propelled them to a level of prominence and uniqueness. As a guitarist, Morello doesn’t come across as an “artist” in the same sense as someone like Johnny Marr or Tom Verlaine. Instead, he resembles more of a tradesman—someone who has mastered his craft and can achieve things others simply can’t. From the way he holds his guitar to the unconventional techniques he employs, everything about Morello’s playing comes from a non-traditional place, resulting in sounds that are unmistakably his own. Muted percussive strumming, feedback manipulation, intricate pedal work, and heavy, powerful ostinatos may not be techniques exclusive to Morello, but when he plays them, there’s no mistaking it—it’s undeniably him.
Glenn Mercer (The Feelies)
Glenn Mercer is the most underappreciated guitarist on this list. Throughout the 1980s, The Feelies were critically lauded but remained far from mainstream recognition. Their guitar-forward, artsy jangle-pop had no place on MTV or among the synth-pop-dominated radio stations of the time. Even so, The Feelies—propelled by Glenn Mercer and Bill Million’s exceptional guitar work—produced some of the most exciting music to emerge from the New York area in the early ’80s. The Feelies’ 1980 debut, Crazy Rhythms, introduced energetic, sophisticated indie rock that didn’t quite fit neatly into post-punk, new wave, or early jangle-pop. The album showcased the guitar as its centerpiece, with vocals playing a secondary role—so much so that the tracks often felt like instrumentals despite their sporadic lyrics. Mercer’s guitar playing filled the record with intense yet minimalist, danceable rock ideals that stood out starkly from the music of the time. Following their debut, Mercer and the band released a string of uniquely catchy, guitar-driven records, earning critical acclaim and captivating the limited but devoted listeners who discovered them. While The Feelies have flown under the radar for most audiences to this day, the undeniable, uniquely brilliant guitar talent of Glenn Mercer and Bill Million remains a treasure for those lucky enough to stumble upon it.
John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
The Red Hot Chili Peppers were one of the most exciting American alternative rock bands of the late ’80s and early ’90s, breaking into the mainstream and sustaining an impressive level of success for decades. Melodically driven by bassist Flea and guitarist John Frusciante, the band brought a funky, exciting, angsty, and slightly freaky energy to alternative rock. Over time, Frusciante has become one of the most celebrated American guitarists of the past 40 years. Frusciante focused overwhelmingly on emotion and precision rather than speed, which he felt had been overemphasized by guitarists throughout the ’80s. By embracing groove-oriented players like Bernard Sumner as well as technique-driven virtuosos like Steve Vai and Randy Rhoads, Frusciante crafted a sound rooted in skillful emotion. This approach resulted in iconic, earworm tracks like Under the Bridge and Snow (Hey Oh). While his technical ability is undeniable, what truly sets him apart is the profound emotional depth in his playing—a quality nearly absent from the funk side of alternative rock.
Tom Verlaine (Television)
One of the most fascinating bands to emerge from the New York alternative scene a few years before The Feelies was Television, fronted by vocalist and lead guitarist Tom Verlaine. Television was a groundbreaking group, essentially picking up where The Velvet Underground left off and bridging the gap between proto-punk and post-punk. While Television rose alongside many prolific and explicitly punk rock bands like the New York Dolls, they stood out as distinctly different. Verlaine adopted the stripped-down guitar sound of his punk contemporaries but elevated it with a cleaner, crisper, and more technically proficient approach. He experimented with soloing and improvisation in ways that diverged from punk conventions, crafting songs around extended, guitar-driven melodies with the instrument boldly at the forefront. Although geographically—and perhaps philosophically—the band aligned with their New York punk peers, their style was closer to The Cure than the Ramones, foreshadowing bands like R.E.M. and others that would soon dominate North American college radio.
Both within and beyond the alternative realm, Tom Verlaine stands as a prolific guitarist and an influential figure in shaping the music that followed.
Thurston Moore & Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth)
Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo are arguably the most celebrated guitar duo in indie and alternative rock. While each has their own unique strengths, their impact on rock music has primarily been as a unit, with both serving as lead and rhythm guitarists for Sonic Youth. Together, they redefined the role of guitars in alternative music, embracing feedback and noise in an influential way at a time when many of their 1980s contemporaries were focused on crisp, jangly guitar lines. The duo became known for modifying their guitars with unconventional tools like screwdrivers and clips to create nontraditional sounds, while also experimenting with unusual chord changes and sometimes unsettling guitar lines. They effectively bridged the gap between avant-garde soundmaking and alternative rock, crafting deep, immense soundscapes that inspired future guitarists like Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine and Kurt Cobain of Nirvana.
Robert Smith (The Cure)
The Cure, fronted by vocalist and guitarist Robert Smith, hold a unique place in alternative music. While most fans might disagree, the most intriguing chapter of the band’s history lies in their debut album—or more specifically, the U.S. release of their debut, Boys Don’t Cry. Though The Cure would later become synonymous with the gothic rock genre, their debut foreshadowed the sounds of the early 2000s post-punk revival and showcased Robert Smith’s guitar work more prominently than any of their subsequent records. The debut bears similarities to Joy Division and hints at what was to come from The Smiths, but it also draws unexpected parallels to The Strokes. Tracks like Boys Don’t Cry, Jumping Someone Else’s Train, and Fire in Cairo feature some of Smith’s best riffs—catchy and straightforward yet crafted as the backbone of the songs. The haunting, epic guitar riff in Three Imaginary Boys stands out as another highlight, blending emotional depth with an eerie, minimalist quality. Jumping Someone Else’s Train, delivers a momentous, layered guitar riff that remains mesmerizing to watch live. Over the next decade, Smith’s guitar playing shifted toward intricate, immersive soundscapes as the band’s style evolved, but his early work remains a testament to his raw and compelling approach to guitar-driven songwriting.
Joey Santiago (Pixies)
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Joey Santiago bridged the gap between jangle-pop and noise rock, emphasizing the importance of dynamics and raw energy. Unlike most of the guitarists in the top ten, Santiago’s brilliance is largely surface-level and easy to spot, marked by his embrace of DIY ethics and a minimalist approach. His guitar style was never about flashy solos, cutting-edge amplifiers or studio effects, or complex music theory. Instead, Santiago’s playing was defined by memorable guitar licks, pure energy, and dissonance and feedback that created an unmistakable atmosphere. Joey Santiago and the Pixies’ most significant contribution to indie and alternative rock was their iconic loud-quiet-loud dynamic, best exemplified in songs like Tame. This encapsulating sonic effect became a defining characteristic of alternative rock for decades to come and made its most powerful impact in the world of grunge. Beyond their sonic power, Santiago and the band had a talent for crafting catchy, gentle guitar lines in songs like Hey and Here Comes Your Man, alongside heavier yet equally memorable riffs in tracks like Where Is My Mind, Tony’s Theme, and Debaser. Sometimes, simplicity truly is best.
Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins)
Bernard Sumner (Joy Division, New Order)
Peter Buck (R.E.M.)
Nick Valensi (The Strokes)
J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.)
Doug Martsch (Built to Spill)
Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine)
Rob Baker (the Tragically Hip)
Matt Bellamy (Muse)
Dean Ween (Mickey Melchiondo) (Ween, Moistboyz)
Daniel Kessler (Interpol)
John Squire (The Stone Roses)
Bernard Butler (Suede)
Dave Navarro (Jane's Addiction)
Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys)
Chris Walla (Death Cab for Cutie)
Vernon Reid (Living Colour)
Noel Gallagher (Oasis)
Steve Holmes (American Football)
Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys)
Bob Stinson (The Replacements)
Dean Wareham (Galaxie 500, Luna)
D. Boon (Minutemen)
Graham Coxon (Blur)
Stephen Malkmus & Scott Kannberg (Pavement)
Carl Barât (The Libertines, Dirty Pretty Things)
Gordon Gano (Violent Femmes)
Adam Granduciel (The War on Drugs)
Dan Boeckner (Wolf Parade, Handsome Furs, Divine Pits)
Larry LaLonde (Primus)
Matt Taylor (The Growlers)
Rivers Cuomo (Weezer)
Nels Cline (Wilco)
David Byrne (Talking Heads)
Lou Reed (The Velvet Underground)
Jeff Buckley
Curt Kirkwood (Meat Puppets)
David Pajo (Slint)
Annie Clark (St. Vincent)
Alex Kapranos (Franz Ferdinand)
15 Honorable Mentions
Russell Lissack (Bloc Party)
Mark Day (Happy Mondays)
Carrie Brownstein (Sleater-Kinney)
Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü, Sugar)
Ezra Koenig (Vampire Weekend)
Isaac Brock (Modest Mouse, Ugly Casanova)
Paul Rains (Allo Darlin')
Tim Farris (INXS)
Roger Miller (Mission of Burma)
Dave Gregory (XTC)
Elliott Smith
Kenny McKeeve (Camera Obscura)
John McGeoch (Magazine, Siouxsie & The Banshees)
Ira Kaplan (Yo La Tengo)
John Ashton (The Psychedelic Furs)
