5 of the best guitarists in history

When it comes to choosing musical heroes, guitarists have always been high on the list. Indeed most guitar teachers receive the parental phone call as a result of a child's fascination with one of the guitar greats.

Now with the influence of games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band helping to spread the word, we thought it would be a good time to look at five of the best guitarists responsible for your child playing air-guitar in their bedroom ...

1. Jimi Hendrix - What can we say about the one man responsible for the electric guitar revolution? The one man people associate with playing a guitar more than any other? Jimi Hendrix was a bone a fide performer, and his contribution to music will never be forgotten.

2. Slash - Best known as the Guns n Roses lead guitarist, Slash also has a long list of solo projects and recordings to his name. He's worked with some of music's biggest names over the years - and he's blown each and every one of them away with his expert guitar skills.

3. Keith Richards - The Rolling Stones guitarist has been responsible for some of rock's most famous riffs. The boy from Dartford has certainly come a long way in the past six decades. A legend in every respect.

4. Kurt Cobain - The vast majority will always associate Kurt Cobain with the rise and fall of grunge music, in particular the timeless riffs of Smell Like Teen Spirit, but the three albums produced by Nirvana are crammed full of six-string genius.

5. Jack White - Angry, raw and full of fierce power, Jack White brings his own fiery style to classic rhythm and blues hooks. Not the cleanest guitarist we could have picked to round off our top five, but certainly the one with the most energy.