The Guitarist Brian May Said Was Better Than Jimi Hendrix
There is a near-universal cultural agreement that Jimi Hendrix stands as the greatest guitarist in history—a status cemented not only by his revolutionary sound but also by the tragic fact that he died at just 27, leaving behind only three studio albums.
Hendrix’s legacy is protected by youth and timing: he passed away at the very peak of his powers, fresh from redefining live performance at Woodstock and releasing the monumental Electric Ladyland. Because his career never had the chance to decline or stagnate, he remains frozen in a moment of unchallenged brilliance, forever “the best” in the collective imagination.
Yet even such an untouchable legacy invites debate, and Queen guitarist Brian May has never been afraid to question the default narrative. While fully acknowledging Hendrix’s genius, May has pointed to another figure as the true benchmark of rock guitar greatness: Jimmy Page.
For May, greatness is not only about explosive innovation in a short span of time, but about sustained creativity, structure, and influence across a long and varied career. In his words, “I don’t think anyone has epitomised riff writing better than Jimmy Page; he’s one of the great brains of rock music,” highlighting Page not just as a virtuoso, but as an architect of sound.
From May’s perspective, Page’s achievement lies in his tireless experimentation, compositional intelligence, and the way he shaped Led Zeppelin’s music from the inside out—melding blues, folk, mysticism, and sheer volume into something both primal and sophisticated.
Hendrix may represent the ultimate flash of creative fire, but Page, in May’s estimation, represents evolution, depth, and endurance. It is this long-form mastery, proven again and again over time, that leads Brian May to place Jimmy Page above even the most sacred icon in guitar history.
