I hate Rolling Stone Magazine. I don't even read it on a regular basis, much less ever. I somehow got sucked into issue #1145, which contains their '100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time'. I was at Raley's with my girlfriend trying to buy stuff to make breakfast when I came across the cover of Eddie Van Halen doing his thing. I chose to open the magazine's pages only to become slightly consumed by how outrageous this list was. Not because I disagree with who's on the list and in what order but with the idea of ranking something so subjective. Well, the Humanities major in me bought a 6-pack and started writing an 'angry letter', which turned out to be a good writing exercise. I plan on snail mailing this letter to David Fricke, the guy who started the infamous list, in hopes that he might respond. Maybe it's kind of pointless to get into an intellectual debate with Rolling Stone, but who cares? Below is the cover letter to Mr. Fricke. The actual essay/letter is can be accessed HERE.
Dear Mr. Fricke,
I am here to contest the feature article in issue #1145 of Rolling Stone Magazine. The one about all those ‘great guitarists’. You may think that the timing is a bit off. This letter has been delayed only because I have been manifesting an essay challenging and discussing the idea of what makes something great. I chose to use the Great Guitarists Of All Time list as my impetus because I’m a music fanatic myself, as well as a musician.
I get it; we all talk about who’s the greatest and the Top 100 list idea is a somewhat necessary evil. It stirs up controversy. It creates conversation between peers. It’s a superficial way of looking back and dwelling on some kind of nostalgia that solves nothing. What’s worse is that at least twice the very magazine you work for has done this particular list! Something that’s described as transcending time would seem unwavering and concrete, but you’ve managed to rewrite it.
Behind this page is an essay that explores the idea of a list that tries to confine something entirely subjective. I agree with you and the panel, to a point, that Jimi Hendrix is pretty damn good. I’m just sick of hearing about it. And I’m not alone.
The next several pages are the introduction to what I hope will become a dialogue. Not just with me, but with the music community. Something as vast as the greatest anything of all time is worth more than just a few pages in magazine. The Humanities major in me craves more than just a superficial survey of something as definitive as the greatest of all time. It doesn’t do anyone justice. Obviously there’s not enough space in your magazine to do a list like this properly. Perhaps a book is in order. Something so expansive and in depth that it cannot be disputed.
I hope you take the time to read what I have to say and I encourage you to write back.
All The Best,
Me
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