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Generally, whenever the question is asked, various people with dubious haircuts will step forward to proclaim equally dodgily-barneted rock gods as the only possible answer. But while Eddie Van Halen, Slash, Jimmy Page and, yes, even Jimi Hendrix could certainly play, it would be nice to see some more subtle interpreters of the instrument get a look in.

True, Johnny Marr is usually mentioned in despatches but what about Graham Coxon, capable of both rocking out and moments of great beauty? Or Jonny Greenwood and Ed O’Brien, the proof that mastery of your instrument doesn’t have to involve showing off? Or Will Sergeant, the man who gave Ian McCulloch’s grand boasts some musical credence? Or Jack White, every bit as incendiary as the giants of the Seventies but nowhere near as annoying (albeit with even worse facial hair). Or Joey Santiago’s combination of power and poise that helped make the Pixies such a formidable live proposition?

Even punk threw up some great guitarists - however much the prog purists sneered that they couldn’t play, I’d take Steve and Mick Jones over Brian bloody May any day of the week. And if we must have rockers, let’s go for the sledgehammer miminalism of Angus Young or the ragged genius of John Frusciante over the self-indulgent fret-molestation of the spandex crowd, shall we?

Oh, and try not to make this too much of a testosterone-fest either. Let’s hear it for PJ Harvey, Donna Matthews of Elastica, Tanya Donelly and all the others who show the boys how it should be done.

And the first person to mention Yngwie J Malmsteen is in big trouble …

Mark Sutherland

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