The iconic Stephen “Cat” Coore (#91), Ernie Ranglin (#179), and Earl “Chinna” Smith (#181) are the three Jamaican guitarists who were included in Rolling Stone’s list of the 250 best guitarists ever.
In its most current online iteration, Rolling Stone praised Coore, a founding member of the reggae group Third World, for his expertise, posting: “He practically redefined the heights that reggae guitar could soar to, with searing solos that can stand alongside those of the most acclaimed rock guitar gods.”
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The publication went one step further in its homage to Coore by urging readers to listen to Coore’s string arrangements on Third World’s 1982 hit song “Try Jah Love” as an illustration of why his lead guitar style is sometimes compared to Carlos Santana’s.
In the article written by Rolling Stone, they acknowledge the contribution that Ranglin made to the genre of reggae, “It’s a simple equation: No Ernest Ranglin, no reggae. Ranglin was a chief architect of Jamaican ska in the early 1960s, inventing the rhythm-guitar pattern of playing on the upbeat, paving the way for rocksteady and then reggae. He played on the first international ska hit, Millie Small’s 1964 smash “My Boy Lollipop”, and came up with the classic riff on Toots and the Maytals’ seminal “54-46 Was My Number”.
The influential works of Bob Marley, Dennis Brown, Bunny Wailer, Sugar Minott, Jacob Miller, Black Uhuru, Mighty Diamonds, Augustus Pablo, Gregory Isaacs, and Freddie McGregor all feature Earl “Chinna” Smith as a guitarist. According to Rolling Stone, he may be the guitarist with the most recordings from the classic reggae era.
Smith impacted a generation of Jamaican players while a member of Bunny Lee’s Aggrovators and subsequently the Soul Syndicate. He was renowned for creating the guitar intros to songs like Bob Marley’s “Rat Race” and Dennis Brown’s “Cassandra,” in addition to his crisp rhythm and riff playing.
Jimi Hendrix topped the Rolling Stone list, with Jimmy Page coming in third and Chuck Berry coming in second.
Edilio Paredes (244) of the Dominican Republic and Lynn Taitt of Trinidad also make the list (204).
Taitt gained notoriety in Jamaica by playing on early rocksteady records like Hopeton Lewis’ “Take It Easy” and Derrick Morgan’s “Tougher Than Tough,” essentially inventing the guitar sound of that genre.
