KISS’ Paul Stanley Names His 13 Favorite Guitarists

Even the most famous of musicians were once inspired by someone else. As massive and influential as KISS are, they have their own musical heroes, and Paul Stanley has named his 13 favorite guitarists that had an impact on him.

Stanley, who’s a rhythm guitarist himself, explained what he thinks makes someone a great guitar player during an interview with Guitar World. During the discussion, he praised some of rock ‘n’ roll’s most innovative guitarists, while pointing out that rhythm players are just as important as lead ones.

“This is in no way demeaning to any lead player, but it’s hard to tap-dance if you don’t have music. But I’ve always hoped to elevate and bring attention to the importance of a rhythm guitarist,” he elaborated.

The KISS icon named late guitarists Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads as “a few greats,” though he added that he was never into techniques like tapping, the use of whammy bars and other effects.

“What they did came from somewhere. And there are a whole bunch of people who are clueless about where that came from, which is why you need depth. You’ve got to have a foundation outside of what you’re doing,” he continued.

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Stanley named 13 different guitarists as his favorites and the ones who inspired him the most. We compiled images of all of them below. His first selection was a trio of guitarists who weren’t related in any way, but were known for their influence, so we included a photo of each of them. Keep scrolling to see who they are.