Top 20 Greatest Female Guitarists of All Time

#20: Jan Kuehnemund

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The world of 1980s hair metal was one largely dominated by men, but a number of bands managed to buck this trend. Chief among them was Vixen, and this was thanks in part to the guitar skills of founder Jan Kuehnemund. Although Vixen's pop/metal success was definitely the sum of its creative parts, Kuehnemund's smooth playing always stood out—even alongside her talented bandmates. Jan’s axe skills are showcased on both the band's gold-selling debut, as well as their impressive follow-up, "Rev It Up." Although Jan tragically passed away from cancer in 2013, her work as a trailblazing artist remains secure with hits like "Cryin’," How Much Love" and Vixen's definitive hit, "Edge of a Broken Heart."

The sound of classic rock and early punk runs deep in the killer riffing of Allison Robertson. A founding member of California ‘90s rock group, The Donnas, Robertson helped anchor the band's career with an approach that was both feral and melodic. Robertson was at home kicking out riffs inspired by bands like Kiss and the Ramones, but could also compose memorable lead licks. There was never anything particularly fancy or complex about Allison's playing, but this meat-and-potatoes approach is often just what the doctor ordered when it comes to rock and roll. And this was exactly what The Donnas did best.

#18: The Great Kat

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Simplicity? Subtlety? FORGET ABOUT IT. The Great Kat knows nothing of these things, nor does she care. All this Juilliard graduate and trained violinist demands is that you worship her… or DIE! The musician born Katherine Thomas seems wholly committed to her character as a hyper-aggressive metal maniac. Her influences, however, are the great composers, like Beethoven. Personal eccentricities and histrionics aside, The Great Kat's actual chops are no joke, with many comparing her over-the-top, neoclassical style to that of Sweden's Yngwie Malmsteen. She's also been going strong since the late eighties, with a devoted cult of followers choosing to worship at the feet of The Great Kat. We certainly aren't going to mess with her!

The idea of acoustic guitars and heavy metal don't necessarily go hand in hand. But Rodrigo y Gabriela aren't your average musicians. Gabriela Quintero utilizes her incredible fingerpicking and strum techniques to create a style that's utterly original and unique. Her work with Rodrigo Sanchez is percussive and technical, taking influences from nuevo flamenco music and fusing it with their love of thrash metal like Metallica and Megadeth. The results are vibrant, intoxicating and utterly alive—far from any sort of bedtime acoustic lullaby. Quintero even manages to make the body of her guitars sing alongside the strings, creating magic wherever and whenever she plays.

The world of psychobilly music has a number of outstanding guitarists (Ruyter Suys, anyone?) but few can hold a candle to Poison Ivy Rorschach. As a co-founder and guitarist of The Cramps, Poison Ivy took no guff from the testosterone-fueled punk rock scene, and blazed a trail with her ferocious licks and magnetic stage presence. Her style was an amalgamation of gritty blues, surf music and snotty garage rock, attacking the guitar with an aggressive punk fury that helped pave the way for the psychobilly genre. Although her husband and bandmate Lux Interior is no longer with us, their work with The Cramps created enough noise to make the band a cult phenomenon that lives on to this day.

#15: Ani DiFranco

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Some singer-songwriters are known for their passionate vocals and insightful lyrics, while others are more famous for their musicianship. Because Ani DiFranco has garnered so much attention for the former, her impressive guitar skills often go overlooked, making her technique something of a secret weapon for the varied alt-folk pioneer. The image of DiFranco's taped up fingers, frantic strumming and rhythmic approach, however, is something many fans have appreciated after watching the singer live, as well as on albums like "Dilate" and "Not a Pretty Girl." DiFranco has also consistently evolved throughout her career. She’s incorporated a diverse array of influences into her sound, ensuring that her playing sounds funky, evocative and fresh.

#14: Dolly Parton

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Country icon Dolly Parton wears a lot of hats and has many skills on her resume. Songwriting, however, has to be chief among them; Dolly just seems to get so much out of every chord on her acoustic guitar. It's really a combination of incredible lyrics, a restrained technique and the knowledge of how to get the most out of your arrangements that makes Dolly so influential. "Jolene" is a perfect storm of sorts that encapsulates all of these things and more with a melancholic main riff, universal lyrics and Dolly's pitch perfect vocals. Parton is never going to wow you with fret board gymnastics, but that isn't really the point. She wants to tell you a story and her guitar is a central character.

Sports fans: you've probably heard the phrase "defense wins championships." In the music world, that "defense" is a good rhythm guitarist, and Halestorm's Lzzy Hale is one of the best going today. Rhythm playing often serves as the anchor of a good hard rock or metal band, kicking out the riffs and keeping things grounded during any solo breaks. More than that, however, Lzzy's ability to maintain her game while fronting the band and delivering what’s been called “air raid siren vocals” always blow us away. Halestorm’s sound is deeply indebted to the pioneering rock and metal acts that came before them, but Lzzy Hale is tough to put in a box; this guitarist is one of a kind.

#12: Annie Clark [aka St. Vincent]

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We're discussing a more modern artist with our next entry, Annie Clark, otherwise known as St. Vincent. Clark's origins with The Polyphonic Spree was already progressive and unique enough, but her more recent work embraces an art rock aesthetic similar to someone like Kate Bush. As St. Vincent, Clark refuses to be pigeonholed—and that definitely works in her favor. This remarkable artist is always exploring different tunings and approaches to her instrument. The digital production on much of of St. Vincent's work risks dampening the punch of a lesser guitarist, but Clark's ability to riff and compose chords with the best of them makes her one of the most unique guitarists working today.

#11: Jennifer Batten

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The life of a session musician can be challenging. It's a freelance, journeyman life, meaning that your workload can fluctuate according to supply and demand. In Jennifer Batten's case, however, she was working with the absolute best. As a member of Michael Jackson's touring band in the late eighties and mid-nineties, Batten absolutely killed it every night playing lead guitar on classic tracks, like "Beat It." Batten also collaborated with blues-rock legend Jeff Beck, not to mention enjoying a solo career that encapsulated everything from hard rock to worldbeat. Was she flashy with that crazy tapping technique? Sometimes! But Jennifer Batten isn't a one trick pony; she has always impressed with her skill, precision and dedication.

Charo is known for a number of things, from her dancing and stage shows to her catchphrase of "cuchi-cuchi." Above all else, however, Charo is a formidable guitarist in the traditional flamenco style, performing dizzying and dazzling feats of musicianship seemingly without batting an eye. Perhaps it's her bubbly personality or knack for physical comedy that disarms people, or her ubiquitous presence on television between the 1960s and '80s. Either way, when Charo picks up a guitar, jaws are sure to drop. Thanks to her incredible finger picking technique, she has performed both in the pop format with her disco records, as well as in the world music market.

#9: "Mother" Maybelle Carter

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Maybelle Carter, affectionately known as "Mother," was an original member of The Carter Family and a guitar-playing pioneer. Her unorthodox performance technique, dubbed the “Carter Scratch," saw Maybelle using multiple fingers on her strumming hand to play rhythm and melody lines on guitars, autoharps...you name it. This technique, along with The Carter Family's memorable and popular style of traditional country, managed to make the genre even more well known throughout the United States and beyond. Oh, and she also had a very famous daughter of whom you might have heard: June Carter, who would gain fame of her own alongside her husband, Johnny Cash.

Sometimes, the old guard needs to step aside and let some fresh, new talent take the wheel. Kaki King turned heads and garnered attention in the early 2000s with her style of rhythmic, jazz- influenced playing and high profile collaborations with the likes of Tegan and Sara. A lot of what makes King intriguing as a player comes down to both technique and gear. Kaki uses light strings on custom-made guitars to make her percussive approach sound like a mixture of funky bass slaps, complex tapping and droning melodies. It's a style that works both in the album format as well as on soundtracks. King notably contributed music to the 2007 film "Into the Wild."

Orianthi is a touring guitarist who has worked with some of the biggest and best in the industry. Michael Jackson picked out Orianthi to perform on the "This is It!" concerts that unfortunately never took place. There is footage of the shredder rehearsing for the shows with Jackson, however, and Orianthi performed at MJ's memorial in 2009. She also collaborated with Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora and joined the Alice Cooper Band in 2011 for a couple of tours. Both of these gigs raised Orianthi's stock considerably, and put more eyes on her solo work, which encapsulates everything from pop rock to hard rock and heavy metal.

#6: Nita Strauss

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Speaking of Alice Cooper, the next guitarist on our list has actually been The Coop's guitar prodigy since Orianthi’s 2014 departure—the fiery and fearsome Nita Strauss. Strauss' influences are all about the flash and attitude of the Sunset Strip, a "nothing exceeds like excess" sort of attitude that screams eighties hair metal. With Nita along for the ride, The Alice Cooper Band has actually busted out gems like "Bed of Nails" for the first time in years, leaning into Alice's fondly remembered glam period. Elsewhere, Strauss has also broken free with a solo career of her own, making the most of her hyper-aggressive chops and endless amount of charisma. She even found time to collaborate with the WWE, performing at a number of their pay-per-view events.

#5: Sister Rosetta Tharpe

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The world of gospel music may not seem like the place to find formative guitar playing, but look again, specifically for Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Tharpe's work in the thirties and forties blurred the lines between religious music and pop, thanks to her soulful delivery and impressive guitar chops. Many have actually pointed to Tharpe as a pioneer for the rock 'n roll artists that would emerge in the 1950s, such as Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard. Plus, Tharpe's music was bluesy and electrified during a time when gospel just didn't tend to stray beyond the established acoustic rules. She may not be a household name in the pop culture world, but blues, soul and rock guitarists all owe Sister Rosetta Tharpe a debt of gratitude.

Some musicians just seem to be able to do it all, and do it well. Case in point? Bonnie Raitt, who has enjoyed a career that's defied categorization, thanks to her chameleon-like ability to cross over from blues and country, to rock and pop. Raitt is a great, soulful singer and an expressive player, taking traditional rhythm and blues and making her guitar sing right alongside the best of her generation. Raitt’s music has also appeared in films, such as the haunting "Stand Up to the Night" in Farrah Fawcett's 1986 film "Extremities." Throughout it all, this refusal to compromise has made Bonnie Raitt one of the most reliable voices for creative guitar playing across the board.

#3: Mary Ford

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Les Paul is an undisputed legend of the guitar world, but you can't discuss his work without also mentioning his wife and partner-in-crime, Mary Ford. Ford was a country and western player through and through, but she also incorporated traditional folk into her work, always with her own personal touch. Les Paul and Mary Ford racked up dozens of hits during their career together, while Ford would do some studio work into the sixties, which is also the decade when the couple divorced. Sure, Ford may be remembered for her gorgeous voice and harmonies, but her innovation on the guitar deserves equal recognition in music history.

Nancy Wilson rocks—plain and simple. It would be easy to mis-label Heart as just another classic rock band, were it not for the incredible talents of Nancy and her sister Ann on vocals. The Wilson Sisters were power and passion personified, from Ann's all-star singing to Nancy's expressive and varied guitar playing. Sure, Heart has plenty of rocking riffs ("Barracuda," anyone?) but Nancy's influences from classical music and international rhythms make her that much more dangerous a player. It doesn't matter whether it's the clean intro to "Crazy on You" or the polished pop brilliance of "If Looks Could Kill," Nancy Wilson is always on fire. Before we name our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions! Joni Mitchell Jazz, Folk and Pop: Joni Could Do It All Carrie Brownstein Indie Icon with Major Influence Sheryl Crow An Old Soul for the Grunge Age Melissa Etheridge Singer, Songwriter… Wicked Guitar Player Janis Ian Folk with Passion and Heart

The Runaways were superstars and the formative hard rocking girl group gave us two very special guitarists. One of them was Joan Jett, while the other is our number one pick: Lita Ford. Lita was able to transcend her fame with the Runaways while breaking away to start a career that was even heavier and more brash. Lita is about that '80s hard rock sound, from her gritty early work on the "Out For Blood" album to her breakthrough self-titled album from 1988. "Kiss Me Deadly" is a defining showcase of Lita's style and swagger, while her duet with Ozzy Osbourne, "Close My Eyes Forever," was a massive hit ballad. Overall, though? Lita likes it hard and fast with plenty of flash.