The ‘Big 4’ of ’90s Guitarists

Who are the “Big 4” of ’90s guitarists?

Perhaps more than any other decade, our picks are more widely varied in their style and what they brought to their instrument. But then again, the ’90s were a bit of a weird decade.

Where the ’70s and ’80s seemed to truly celebrate the guitarist, the ’90s often downplayed their importance and the guitar solo became less prominent with the arrival of grunge.

Speaking of grunge, the “Big 4” bands had some impressive players. Mike McCready, Jerry Cantrell, Kim Thayil and Kurt Cobain left their mark, but did any of them make the “Big 4” of ’90s guitarists? Or did someone from the nu-metal era make the cut? There were some stellar players there as well. And even with metal taking somewhat of a backseat during the era, there were still some players who shined? Would Dimebag Darrell make the list? How about prog metal favorite John Petrucci?

READ MORE: 75 Best Rock Songs of the ’90s

We should note that there are some guitarists who you might consider here that could end up in another decade. We’re trying to keep this to the decade each guitarist was most prominent. But for now, see who we chose as the “Big 4” of ’90s Guitarists below.