When you read a list of the greatest guitarists of all time, it typically includes names like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Jack White, people who can sing but aren't usually renowned for their singing voices. However, these seven musicians have mastered both singing and guitar playing, when just one of those would have served them well enough. Here are seven incredible guitarists are also great singers.
1. Jeff Buckley
One of the most remarkable things about Jeff Buckley is that he considered himself a guitarist rather than a singer, with seems absurd if you've ever heard one of his songs. Though Buckley's soaring voice gets all of the attention, he was also a first-rate guitar player, inventive and precise but rarely ever flashy.
2. Prince
When considering all of the elements of Prince's music, including his singing, songwriting, instrumental proficiency, production, and live performance, he might actually be the single most talented person in pop history. He can shred like the best rock guitarists, but also possesses a wildly charismatic voice with a mind-boggling range.
3. Jerry Cantrell
Though Layne Staley was the lead vocalist of Alice in Chains, the voice of guitarist Jerry Cantrell can be found all over the band's albums. His voice served as a more straightforward and sobering counterpart to Staley's demonic moan, which pretty much makes him the Mike Mills of heavy metal.
4. Joni Mitchell
Women guitarists are already woefully underrated enough, but being a woman guitarist who plays folk instead of rock pretty much guarantees that your guitar playing is going to be overlooked. Joni Mitchell's crystalline voice is the main attraction to her music, but her melodic acoustic guitar playing offers more layers for listeners to unravel.
5. John Fogerty
As the lead songwriter for Creedence Clearwater Revival, John Fogerty brought a unique and consistently brilliant spin on roots rock, which includes his crushingly soulful voice and infectiously amped-up country riffs.
6. Annie Clark
Although St. Vincent's Annie Clark writes the kind of music that would get along just fine without virtuosic guitar playing, her skronky, unpredictable guitar riffs add another level of avant-garde eccentricity to her songs, though her more traditional singing voice anchors the music with some sense of pop accessibility.
7. Lindsay Buckingham
Having excellent vocalists is pretty much a prerequisite for being a wildly successful and world famous band, but Fleetwood Mac's Lindsay Buckingham steps it up by being a masterful songwriter, producer, arranger, and guitarist as well, bringing an intricate, country-influenced style of playing to the band's music.
What other excellent guitarists are also excellent singers? Let us know in the comments section!
