The Greatest EVER Rock Song
As voted for by Planet Rock listeners...
Last updated 11th Aug 2022
There could be only one, couldn't there? We asked Planet Rock listeners to name the Greatest EVER Rock Song and you dutifully obliged!
Read on to see which rock giants made the cut, and which fell by the wayside.
It might come as no surprise that no fewer than 10 Led Zeppelin songs appeared in the top 100!
Meanwhile bands such as AC/DC and Rush largely missed out in the upper echelons of the charts because votes were split over their enormous back catalogues of songs rather than focused on a handful of individual tracks.
As you take a glance at the list below you'll probably notice that size definitely counts, with not one of the top ten boasting a running time of less than five minutes (in the original album - i.e. best - form). In fact the average running time for the top ten is a massive 7 minutes, 9 seconds!
If you're particularly observant, you might also notice that a whopping 55% of the top 100 songs were recorded in the 70s and not a single song features from past the year 2000, proving that these songs really do get better with time.
So, without further ado, here are the 100 greatest ever rock songs:
1) LED ZEPPELIN - STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN
It had to be this, right? Being "banned in guitar shops" doesn't alter the fact that this epic from Zep's fourth album is undeniably better than any other song because it somehow manages to cram pretty much every single rock genre into one sprawling eight minute slice of brilliance, not to mention that Jimmy Page solo...
When it comes to rock lore, where do you start with this song? From its original birth in the fabled Bron-Yr-Aur cottage, to accusations of backwards Satanic messages, to copyright lawsuits, to the famous Gibson doubleneck guitar, it's rightly gone down in legend as the greatest rock song ever.
It's worth noting that 'Stairway' picked up 15% of all the votes cast - more than twice that of its nearest rival!
2) QUEEN - BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY
Easily the most subversively ingenious song to ever reach number 1 in the UK charts. The fact that it did it TWICE nearly 20 years apart was just showing off. This song, above all others, summed up exactly what Queen were, whilst changing rock music forever.
Fitting, then, that it went on to become the name of the worldwide smash hit Queen biopic feature film.
Oh yeah, and they pretty much invented the modern music video while they were at it.
Well over 1 billion views on YouTube would suggest that Queen's one-of-a-kind rock opera is just as popular today as it's ever been!
3) LYNYRD SKYNYRD - FREE BIRD
Free Bird*. Lynyrd Skynyrd. The ultimate expression of Southern rock. Perhaps the greatest compliment you can pay Free Bird is that when that fade starts to happen about 30 seconds before the end you simply don't want it to end. It's like five minutes of foreplay followed by an almighty explosion of duelling guitar solos and Southern rock brilliance.
*(or 'Freebird', depending on which vinyl you're looking at)
4) DEEP PURPLE - SMOKE ON THE WATER
Who would have thought that the story of a burning casino would have become the most recognisable rock song in history? Undeniably iconic, and a brilliant song to boot. That opening riff will be inspiring wannabe guitarists for the rest of time.
5) PINK FLOYD - COMFORTABLY NUMB
Another epic, and another song which boasts a solo that still makes grown men weep every time they hear it. This is the defining moment in a catalogue that is almost without equal.
6) LED ZEPPELIN - KASHMIR
No track more perfectly represents the sum of Zep's parts than Kashmir - every member working in absolute harmony, with no solos, no vocal histrionics, no showboating from any member. It's dramatic, beautiful and just as startling every time you hear it.
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7) RAINBOW - STARGAZER
Absolutely bursting with attitude and power, Stargazer was born to be played VERY loud. It turned Dio into a legend, and reminded everyone that with a guitar in his hand, Ritchie Blackmore was unbeatable.
8) FREE - ALL RIGHT NOW
A staple of rock radio since the moment it was released in 1970, All Right Now is an unceremoniously joyous record that simply screams sunshine and happier times. Not to mention that pretty much every human on the planet can probably sing the chorus, even if they have never heard of Free.
9) LED ZEPPELIN - WHOLE LOTTA LOVE
When you consider that this song is made up of a simple riff repeated many times over, a pretty non-existent chorus and a drum solo which lasts for half the song, it really is spectacularly brilliant.
10) THE WHO - WON'T GET FOOLED AGAIN
The Who's defining moment closed their greatest album. Eight and a bit minutes of incendiary guitars, synthesisers, drums and vocals combining to provide one of the most euphoric rock songs of all time.
11) GUNS N' ROSES - SWEET CHILD O' MINE
Written in minutes and with a riff born out of a guitar warm up exercise, this song most definitely had inauspicious beginnings. It remains the greatest example of why rock ballads don't have to suck.
12) AC/DC - BACK IN BLACK
Emerging from an event so catastrophic that it would have destroyed lesser bands, AC/DC's highest placing song in this poll is the greatest tribute they could have paid to their former singer, Bon Scott - celebratory, wild and a killer riff that never gets old
13) LED ZEPPELIN - ROCK AND ROLL
The closest thing to a pop song that Zeppelin ever did - three and a half minutes of raw rock fire-power which does exactly what it says on the tin. It also has the greatest drum intro to any song EVER.
14) AC/DC - WHOLE LOTTA ROSIE
The greatest song ever written about an overweight Tasmanian lady who's good in the sack? You bet. It's also the most concise example of what AC/DC do best: fun, loud, hard rock and roll.
15) BLACK SABBATH - PARANOID
Another example of a song which was born in a moment of magic. Written in minutes solely to make up the numbers on the band's second album this has become their most enduring and recognisable song.
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16) MOTORHEAD - ACE OF SPADES
Furiously fast and frenetic rock n roll which, when played loud enough, has the tendency to make your brain dance around inside your skull like bouncy ball... but in a good way.
17) DEEP PURPLE - HIGHWAY STAR
The sound of a band who have nothing left to prove. Apparently written in minutes on a tour bus, this remains one of the all time great driving songs. It is also pretty notable for containing not only an enormous keyboard solo but also an outrageous guitar solo from Ritchie Blackmore.
18) RUSH - THE SPIRIT OF RADIO
The song which put Rush into the UK singles might have been a loveletter to great radio but it was also a prophetic warning about the commercialism creeping into the medium. While the song is the band's biggest single, it's no less complex or arresting than the rest of their work - musically prodigious and melodically profound, it's everything that rock should be.
19) AC/DC - HIGHWAY TO HELL
If anyone ever asks you to "explain rock music" then - without saying anything - dig out your copy of Highway To Hell, turn the volume up loud and press play. That moment when the drums first kick in remains one of the most thrilling in the history of music.
20) JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE - ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER
The only cover to make the top 30, Hendrix took ownership of Dylan's hit single and essentially created the blueprint for hard rock.
21) BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - BORN TO RUN
A perfect encapsulation of the hopes and dreams of youth in small-town America in the post-Nixon era.
22) QUEEN - WE WILL ROCK YOU
What other band could have fitted something so big and bombastic into two minutes?
23) AC/DC - LET THERE BE ROCK
They may have been paying tribute to their heroes but in doing so they immortalised their own mission statement
24) JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE - VOODOO CHILD (SLIGHT RETURN)
Responsible for pretty much every wah-wah pedal sale since its release, this was the last song on the last Experience album and it remains one of the all time great closing tracks
25) BOSTON - MORE THAN A FEELING
For a song that's actually a bit melancholy in content, you won't find many songs like this that can be sung with such gleeful gusto by pretty much every human on the planet.
26) MEAT LOAF - BAT OUT OF HELL
It's overblown, theatrical and a lot of fun - it's no wonder Meat has been trying to recreate it ever since.
27) THIN LIZZY - THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN
The soundtrack to lives of young men around the world for nearly 40 years
28) METALLICA - ENTER SANDMAN
The moment that metal became mainstream and Metallica became one of the biggest bands of all time
29) RUSH - 2112
A 20 minute concept epic that filled a whole side of the album of the same name. Despite being utterly bonkers, it's a brilliant and ambitious piece of music.
30) DEEP PURPLE - BURN
Proof that there was life after Gillan, and it was MkIII's greatest moment.
Here's the rest of the top 100 rock songs, in order:
31) Slade - Cum On Feel The Noize
32) Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
33) Hawkwind - Silver Machine
34) Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
35) Rolling Stones - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
36) Genesis - Supper's Ready
37) Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone
38) Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell
39) Guns N Roses - Welcome To The Jungle
40) Jimi hendrix - Purple Haze
41) Derek & The Dominoes - Layla
42) Led Zeppelin - Black Dog
43) Who - Baba O'Riley
44) Black Sabbath - War Pigs
45) Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond
46) Rush - Xanadu
47) AC/DC - Thunderstruck
48) Blue Oyster Cult - Don't Fear the Reaper
49) Rush - Tom Sawyer
50) AC/DC - You Shook Me All Night Long
51) Bon Jovi - Livin on a Prayer
52) Eagles - Hotel California
53) Led Zeppelin - Dazed And Confused
54) Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
55) Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks
56) Cream - Crossroads
57) Def Leppard - Pour Some Sugar On Me
58) Foo Fighters - Everlong
59) Faces - Stay With Me
60) Metallica - Master Of Puppets
61) Neil Young - Rocking In The Free World
62) Rolling Stones - Sympathy For The Devil
63) Steppenwolf - Born To Be Wild
64) Who - My Generation
65) AC/DC - For Those About To Rock
66) Alice Cooper - School's Out
67) Iron Maiden - Run To The Hills
68) Journey - Don't Stop Believin'
69) Led Zeppelin - Achillies Last Stand
70) UFO - Rock Bottom
71) Whitesnake - Still Of The Night
72) AC/DC - Shoot to Thrill
73) Iron Maiden - Number of the Beast
74) Dire Straits - Money for Nothing
75) Led Zeppelin - Since I've Been Loving You
76) Pink Floyd - Time
77) Bruce Springsteen - Thunder Road
78) Iron Maiden - The Trooper
79) Europe - The Final Countdown
80) Iron Maiden - Hallowed Be Thy Name
81) Metallica - One
82) AC/DC - Hells Bells
83) Chuck Berry - Johnny B Goode
84) Black Sabbath - Iron Man
85) Free - Wishing Well
86) Kinks - You Really Got Me
87) Thin Lizzy - Whiskey In The Jar
88) Metallica - Nothing Else Matters
89) Led Zeppelin - In My Time of Dying
90) Kiss - Detroit Rock City
91) Deep Purple - Speed King
92) Pink Floyd - Money
93) Iron Maiden - Fear Of The Dark
94) Jimi Hendrix - Hey Joe
95) Pearl Jam - Alive
96) Thin Lizzy - Still In Love With You
97) Rolling Stones - Brown Sugar
98) Pink Floyd - Another Brick In The Wall Part 2
99) Uriah Heep - July Morning
100) Deep Purple - Black Night
Gallery: The craziest custom guitars in rock and metal
ZZ Top’s Spinning Fur Guitars
Of course, we couldn't make a feature about outrageous guitars without ZZ Top's iconic Spinning Fur Guitars. Made from real sheepskin, the twirling guitar for Billy Gibbons and bass for the late-great Dusty Hill were both created by Dean Zelinsky of Dean Guitars and they famously first appeared in the music video to 'Legs' in 1983. Billy Gibbons says: "The guitars are attached to our belt buckles. It's a rotary electrical contact and strap mount. A hole is bored in the back of the guitar at the balancing point and the device is mounted there. Oh yeah, you gotta look out for that thing coming back around. Get your head and neck out of the way or else it'll say hello in an unfashionable fashion."
Bill Bailey’s Gary Hutchins Six-Neck Guitar
Comedy legend, esteemed musician and Strictly Come Dancing champion, Bill Bailey, played this six-necked guitar aptly called The Beast as part of his stand-up routine in 2011. An apparent nod to Rick Nielsen's Five Neck, the instrument was created by guitar maker Gary Hutchins, the eponymous founder of Hutchins guitars, and it once went on display at London's Albert and Victoria Museum.
Nigel Tufnel’s Marshall Stack Guitar
It's fitting that legendary Spinal Tap axeman and amp aficionado Nigel Tufnel used to play a glorious Marshall stack guitar. One of only two ever made, the guitar has a Jackson neck and Seymour Duncan pickup, with the bottom stack detachable for quieter studio work. Naturally, all the volume and tone knobs go up to 11. Commenting on why the guitar was his mainstay for many European shows, Tufnel said: "Well, it's got a very Scandinavian look about it, doesn't it?"
Michael Angelo Batio’s Double-Guitar
Famous for his technical prowess and genre-straddling playing style, American heavy metal guitarist Michael Angelo Batio personally invented the Double Guitar - a V-shaped, twin-neck guitar that Batio plays both left and right-handed.
Rick Nielsen’s Five Neck
Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen with his iconic Five Neck guitar at a concert in 2012. Tired of performing with multiple guitars at concerts, Nielsen joined forces with guitar makers Hamer way back in 1981 to combine all of his guitar playing needs into one glorious instrument. The guitar was created by fusing the bodies of five Hamer Specials together and there have been several incarnations of the Five Neck. Hamer founder Frank Untermeyer said: "Rick's out of his mind, but in a wonderful way."
Steve Vai's Hydra guitar
Taking its name from the track 'Teeth of the Hydra', Steve Vai's new Hydra guitar was built in conjunction with the designers at Hoshino and is based on a "steampunk motif" idea of Vai's. Unveiled in December 2021, the Hydra is billed as a one-bodied, two-headstock-ed, three-neck-ed creature that encompasses, among other things: seven- and 12-string guitars; a four-string bass; sympathetic harp strings; half-fretless necks; single-coil, humbucking, piezo and sustainer pickups; floating and hardtail tremolo bridges; phase splitters; and much more. "It's an incredibly-built machine," Vai comments.
Bo Diddley’s Square Guitar
The blues rock legend made his first square guitar aged 17 as he couldn't afford to buy an electric guitar. He explained to Vintage Guitar in 1997: "(the guitar's) pickup was the part of a Victrola record player where the needle went in. I clamped it to the metal tailpiece to pick up the vibrations." The original guitar was sadly stolen, but in 1958 Gretsch later made a version with DeArmond pickups. Pictured is Bo proudly clutching it in 1959.
John Paul Jones’ Triple Neck Arch-Top Mandolin
The Led Zeppelin multi-instrumentalist's unique Triple Neck Arch-Top Mandolin was created by luthier Andy Manson in the mid-1970s and swiftly became a mainstay of Led Zep concerts. The famous electroacoustic instrument boasts 8-string mandolin, 12-string guitar, and 6-string guitar necks. Manson said decades later: "I designed and made the triple neck and took it to John's house. I said, 'Hi John I thought this might interest you.' He said, 'Wow, yes indeed, I can't wait to see Pagey's face when I walk on stage with this!' It cost £400 and I skipped off down the road feeling like a millionaire."
Prince’s Love Symbol Guitar
Pictured is Prince with a purple Love Symbol guitar in at The Grammy Awards in February 2004 where he performed his anthem 'Purple Rain'. Prince's range of Love Symbol guitars were based on the shape of the unpronounceable symbol he adopted as his moniker in 1993 in an act of rebellion against his record label, Warner Bros.
Steve Vai’s Ibanez Triple-Neck Red Heart Guitar
The virtuoso musician designed his Ibanez custom built triple neck with heart-shaped body guitar in 1988 as he wanted something "eye-catching" for the video to David Lee Roth's 'Just Like Paradise'. Steve Vai himself admits the guitar is "odd" and there have been three incarnations of the instrument – the original Red Heart, a spare called Red Heart II and a Purple Heart. Steve used the latter guitar on the Ultra Zone tour and wrote the song 'Fever Dream' with it.
Pat Metheny’s Pikasso Guitar
Canadian master luthier Linda Manzer created The Pikasso Guitar in 1984 when jazz artist Pat Metheny requested a guitar that had "as many strings as possible." The completely unique resulting instrument has 42 strings arranged in four different string sections.
Gene Simmons’ Axe Bass
Back in 1978, Gene Simmons joined forces with master luthier Steve Carr to create a unique bass guitar shaped like an axe that would suit his on-stage Demon persona perfectly. The resulting weapon-like instrument – aptly entitled The Axe Bass – is a true classic. Now a running trademark for KISS, there have been a number of incarnations of the Axe Bass including the pictured Cort GS-Axe-2 bass guitar Gene is aggressively clutching at the 2010 NAMM Show.
Michael Anthony’s Jack Daniel’s Bass
Michael Anthony's now famous Jack Daniel's Bass was created back in 1983 while Van Halen were working on their musical masterpiece '1984'. Anthony's guitar tech and good friend Kevin 'Dugie' Dugan was charged with creating the bass, which was made with the blessing of Jack Daniel's on one condition – that only three guitars were made. One is on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum, one is in storage and one is still used by Michael Anthony to this very day.
John Entwistle’s Buzzard Bass
The Ox played the iconic Buzzard Bass for the final 17 years of his career from 1985 to his untimely passing in 2002. Entwistle worked with Hans Peter Wilfer, founder of Warwick basses, on the striking bass and the pair came up with the moniker Buzzard after imbibing numerous drinks at London nightclub Maggie's – neither could remember who first suggested the name. After they picked the name, the headstock was tweaked to resemble the beak of a buzzard.
John Fogerty’s Baseball Bat Guitar
Crafted by Philip Kubicki, John Fogerty named his unique guitar 'Slugger' in homage to the Louisville Slugger baseball bat. Created in 1985 when his album 'Centerfield' came out, Fogerty donated the instrument to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 2010. Fogerty said at the time: "That guitar means a lot to me. It's symbolizes two of my great loves, baseball and the guitar. When 'Centerfield' came out, it was after a long break and was such an important album to me on many levels. The lessons of baseball - the hits, the misses, the triumphs, and the losses - were something that I could really relate to in my life. So I got this idea to make a baseball bat guitar and of course, it had to be a Louisville Slugger."
Ian Hunter’s Maltese Cross Guitar
Ian Hunter's Maltese Cross Guitar was designed by American luthier Harvey Thomas in the 1970s. Despite its iconic status, Hunter says the guitar looked good but didn't sound great and he sold it a number of years ago. Def Leppard and Planet Rock's Joe Elliott had two new Maltese Crosses made for Hunter's 70th birthday in 2009 that Hunter says sounded "GREAT!" Hunter says: "There are only two in the world. I think it's really neat that a guitar can look that good AND sound so good. Very cool!! Praise be to Joe!!!"
Bumblefoot’s Vigier Flying Foot guitar
As the name suggests, Bumblefoot's Vigier Flying Foot features a pink foot on the guitar body complete with wings that pop out. Bumblefoot says of his beloved instrument: "Vigier spent 5 months building this guitar by hand - it's truly a masterpiece. Incredible detail on the guitar, down to the toenails. When you bend down the vibrato bar, wings pop out of the sides. They gave me this guitar at the NAMM convention in Los Angeles, January 1998. Plays and sounds the best of all my guitars - it's my main guitar."
George Lynch’s Mom
Influential Lynch Mob and ex-Dokken axeman George Lynch unveiled his skull and bones guitar – affectionately called 'Mom' – in the mid 1980s. Designed and hand-crafted by artist John 'J. Frog' Garcia, the guitar also featured an ESP Guitars decal on the headstock as Lynch was contracted with them at the time.
Andrew WK’s Taco Guitar
Hard partying rocker Andrew WK unveiled a delicious Taco Guitar to mark National Taco Day on 4th October 2017. His second foray into food-themed instruments following his Pizza Guitar a few years earlier, the custom Taco Guitar was created with ESP Guitars. WK said at the time: "I realised that since I had paid tribute to pizza, I now had to pay tribute to tacos in all their glory. I was destined to make a taco shaped guitar. This is proof that if you have the vision, no matter how outlandish or unruly, the team at ESP Guitars can turn it into a beautiful reality. And they only use the highest quality materials and they're truly master craftsmen. Absolutely mind-blowing attention to detail and playability. There's no compromise when it comes to the integrity of the instrument, or the hardness of the party."
Misa Kitara Guitar Shaped MIDI Controller
Not technically a guitar, the Misa Kitara was a short-lived digital MIDI controller and musical instrument that was developed on 2011 and discontinued just two years later. Taking its name from the Finnish word for guitar (kitara), the instrument combined touch buttons for strings and frets with an 8-inch multi-touch screen that creates a variety of sound effects. Muse bassist Chris Wolstenholme can be seen playing a modified Misa Kitara in the video to the band's 2012 song 'Madness.'
Dave Hill’s Super Yob Guitar
Famed for his outrageous costumes and hilarious haircut, it seemed only right that Slade axeman Dave Hill had a unique and eccentric guitar. Created by luthier John Birch in 1973, the Super Yob was styled after a science fiction ray gun and instantly became synonymous with Dave Hill. Guitarist and songwriter Marco Pirroni bought the original Super Yob in the early eighties, but Hill has since had a replica made.
John 5’s Fender Telecaster Lava Lamp Guitar
John 5 has a number of eye-catching guitars in his arsenal, but the Fender Telecaster Lava Lamp Guitar is arguably the standout instrument of the lot. John 5 says: "It's heavy as hell but it's really cool because it lights up on stage… it weighs a ton! It sounds really good. There's anti-freeze in it because when I ship it abroad it might freeze and crack the guitar."
Ginger Wildheart’s Smiley Bones Guitar
Based on The Wildhearts' fearsome logo, this truly phenomenal Smiley Bones Guitar was created in 2015 by Devil & Sons Guitars. Daniel Wallis made the guitar for Ginger Wildheart to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the 'P.H.U.Q.' album as a replacement for the original guitar which came out when the album was released but was later stolen. He explains to Planet Rock: "I sent some images of it to Ginger who loved it but asked if I could make a few changes so it met a perfect spec for him to play live. Instead of making the changes I just made another so there were in fact two that I made. Part of his spec was to have a particular BC Rich neck put on it, which I did, but then he decided that to play it live it would be better with a 24-fret neck, so I made that change too."
Zakk Wylde’s Epiphone Graveyard Disciple guitar
Ozzy Osbourne and Black Label Society axeman Zakk Wylde with one of this Epiphone Graveyard Disciple signature guitars on stage in 2009. Nicknamed the 'Bo Deadly' by Zakk, the Graveyard Disciple comes in a coffin shaped case and features a crucifix on the body and headstock. Nice.
Eric Bloom’s Blue Öyster Cult Logo Guitar
We couldn't do this list without including Eric Bloom's famed guitar shaped like the Blue Öyster Cult logo. The bespoke guitar was created by master luthier Ronaldo at Pastore's Music in Union City, New Jersey. In case you're wondering, the logo was created by Bill Gawlik, the artist behind BOC's first and second album covers, and it's a stylization of the astronomical symbol for the planet Saturn.
Bootsy Collins’ Star-Shaped Space Bass
The flamboyant James Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic bassist's first Star-Shaped Space Bass was created in 1975 by fledgling guitar maker Larry Pless who worked at an accordon shop called Gus Zoppi Music in Warren, Michigan. Since then there have been numerous incarnations of the Star-Shaped Space Bass, including Bootsy's current signature Warwick star basses, but the basic design has stayed the same.
Brian May’s Red Special Guitar
Easily one of the most famous guitars in the history of rock music, Brian May created the Red Special with his dad Harold as a teenager in 1963 as he couldn't afford a Fender, Gibson or Höfner guitar. Designed to intentionally create feedback, the guitar has helped define Brian May's signature sound and he's performed almost exclusively with it throughout Queen's prime in the 1970s and 1980s until this present day.
Todd Rundgren's Veleno Ankh Guitar
Todd Rundgren's aluminium ankh-shaped guitar was created by metal craftsman John Veleno in the early 1970s. Highly regarded for their aesthetic appearance and also distinct playing style, a series of Velono guitars were made for a number of artists. Rundgren loved his so much, he had two made.
The Dean V Dave Mustaine Double Neck Electric Guitar
Dave Mustaine's bespoke double neck guitar, created by Dean, has been one of his main instruments for the past decade. Thanks to its jagged shape and the metal artwork emblazoned on the body, the guitar is an absolute aesthetic triumph – a behemoth of an instrument that suits Megadeth's brutal music perfectly.
Rob Davis’ Heart-Shaped Guitar
Mud guitarist Rob Davis played his famous red heart-shaped guitar during the glam rockers' commercial peak in the 1970s and he still performs with it to this very day. Here he is proudly flaunting the guitar in a promo shoot with Mud almost five decades ago.
Prince’s yellow ‘Cloud’ Guitar
Late music legend Prince had an extensive and highly flamboyant custom guitar collection consisting of more than 100 instruments. Among the standout instruments was Prince's yellow "Cloud" guitar, which sold for $225,000 under the hammer in 2018.
Rick Nielsen’s Uncle Dick
A prolific collector, Rick Nielsen has amassed over 2,000 guitars over the decades. Alongside his trademark Five Neck (also pictured here), arguably the most famous of the bunch is his Hamer 'Uncle Dick' double neck guitar from 1983, which is based on a likeness of himself.
Michael Angelo Batio’s Quad Guitar
As seen in the video to his 2020 song 'Time Traveller', Michael Angelo Batio also invented the Quad-Guitar, which features – you guessed it – two sets of twin-neck V-shaped guitars. Outrageous yet highly impressive!
Lita Ford’s B.C. Rich Monkey Train guitar
The former Runaways rocker unveiled her train-themed B.C. Rich Monkey Train guitar in her 'Playin' With Fire' official video in 1991. Lita told Guitar Afficionado a few years back: "I got into B.C. Rich. I was always over there carving out new ideas and helping to make new stuff. They would make anything I asked them to make."
James Hetfield’s Carl Guitar
In 2018, James Hetfield proudly showed off his unique new guitar – dubbed Carl – to Metallica fans. The rugged instrument is named after 3132 Carlson Boulevard in El Cerrito, California, where Metallica were based during their breakthrough years from 1983 to 1986. The garage was later demolished but James's friend Andy Anderson of the Bay Area thrash group Attitude Adjustment kept eight pieces of wood from the heavy metal landmark and gifted them to him years later. Papa Het then enlisted the services of master custom guitar maker Ken Lawrence to craft him an instrument using those planks of wood. Carl featured on Metallica's WorldWired World Tour where it was used for performances of 'Hardwired… to Self-Destruct' track 'Moth Into Flame.'
Dan Hartman’s Bass Suit
Unfortunately, we've been unable to acquire an image of the late Dan Hartman's Bass Suit but there's no way we can miss it out! The Edgar Winter Group bassist and solo musician paid a reported $5,000 for the suit in 1974 (huge money at the time), which he designed with Los Angeles couturier Bill Witten. Made from a rubbery fabric that featured the instrument in the pelvic pocket, the Bass Suit's controls are on the sleeve attached to an aluminium plate and the guitar neck ends with a crescent moon.
Stig Pederson’s iPhone Bass
Stig Pedersen, bassist/vocalist of Danish rock band D-A-D, has a number of outlandish bass creations that he performs with including a rocket shaped bass, a reverse bass where the head stock and body are swopped around, and a transparent bass. He hit the headlines in 2018 when he unveiled his latest playful creation – a bass shaped like an iPhone.