{"id":762118,"date":"2026-09-06T18:28:10","date_gmt":"2026-09-06T18:28:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/762118\/"},"modified":"2026-09-06T18:28:10","modified_gmt":"2026-09-06T18:28:10","slug":"the-one-guitarist-out-of-everybodys-league-according-to-jimmy-page","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/762118\/","title":{"rendered":"The one guitarist out of everybody\u2019s league, according to Jimmy Page"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Jimmy<\/p>\n

Credit: Far Out \/ Sony Pictures Classics<\/p>\n

Sun 6 September 2026 16:49, UK <\/p>\n

While he has many strings to his proverbial bow, Jimmy Page<\/a> knows the world of guitar playing better than most.<\/p>\n

Few figures in rock \u2018n\u2019 roll mythology carry the same weight as Led Zeppelin\u2019s mercurial maestro. A conjurer of colossal riffs and arcane tones, Page is more than a guitarist; he\u2019s a symbol of sonic transcendence. So, when the man himself tips his hat to a fellow player, it\u2019s worth sitting up and listening.<\/p>\n

In the murky world of London\u2019s 1960s rock scene, Page was part of a small group of the country\u2019s best guitarists alongside Big Jim Sullivan, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck. It wouldn\u2019t be too far-fetched to say that Page cemented his status as the greatest ever to pick up the instrument, which remarkably came after he\u2019d made history with another group, The Yardbirds.<\/p>\n

But even before that, Page was demanding a sense of attention that few amateur players could command as the guitarist made his name on the sessions circuit, providing six-string relief for a whole host of forgotten tracks.<\/p>\n

In the years before forming Led Zeppelin in 1968<\/a>, he became part of this eminent set after making his name as one of the most sought-after session musicians. The young Page would work on early hits by the likes of The Who and The Kinks, as well as Marianne Faithfull\u2019s definitive hit, \u2018As Tears Go By\u2019, and each record would see him prove his talent further.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rising to prominence in London\u2019s flourishing music scene eventually led to Page joining The Yardbirds in 1966. Famously, he took this decision nearly two years after their first invitation to enter the fold, and it would see him link up with friend Jeff Beck and form a scintillating duel guitar attack.<\/p>\n

With \u2018Happenings Ten Years Time Ago\u2019, released in 1968, the quintet were pushed into a more pulsating psychedelic area and would see Page develop his idea for a darker, expansive form of rock that he would fully realise with Led Zeppelin. Following their formation in 1968<\/a>, the quartet refined their craft, and by the release of 1971\u2019s Led Zeppelin IV, Jimmy Page would be hailed by many as the finest rock guitarist of all time.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In terms of guitar playing, it wasn\u2019t just Page and his three associates that London produced in the 1960s. In 1968, another widely influential group formed: Deep Purple. Like Led Zeppelin, they would become one of the most consequential for the proliferation of hard rock and heavy metal and featured their own six-string pioneer, Ritchie Blackmore. Notably, before joining the band, he was also a part of London\u2019s recording scene and even played with Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck in a session during this era. <\/p>\n

Blackmore has effused numerous times about Jimmy Page\u2019s brilliance<\/a> and his influence on Deep Purple. \u201cI was impressed with what Zeppelin did,\u201d Ritchmore explained to Classic Rock in 2016. \u201cI wanted to do that kind of stuff, and if it doesn\u2019t take off, we\u2019ll go and play with orchestras the rest of our lives. So we did it, and it was Deep Purple In Rock, which, luckily, took off. We\u2019d purposely made it so it hammered along every song, there was no lull. I was very pleased with it because I never wanted to work with an orchestra again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Respect is a two-way street for Blackmore and Page, since the Led Zeppelin legend even admitted that he was no match for the stratospheric level at which Blackmore was performing, especially when it came to live performances. According to the guitarist, the Deep Purple axeman was simply out of everybody\u2019s league when it came to using the instrument to command entire arenas, and it was precisely because of his ability to rip the book apart and play to his own tune.<\/p>\n

While Page himself has been celebrated by many music fans as one of the best to have ever improvised with a guitar in his hand, he himself rates Blackmore\u2019s abilities as superior to his<\/a>. For anyone who has ever seen the Rainbow and Deep Purple musician perform live, that claim might make a lot of sense, considering how Blackmore seamlessly transitions from quiet riffs to hyper-aggressive, almost violent segments, but all rooted in the foundation of the blues.\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to Page, Blackmore will always be the finest player of guitar solos out there and admits that he \u201ccannot touch him\u201d when it comes to improvisation, despite it being an aspect he is widely celebrated for. He once said, \u201cWhen it comes to a solo, I cannot touch him.\u201d Then, he reiterated this sentiment when speaking at Oxford University in 2016: \u201cI couldn\u2019t touch that guy in the live concert arena, improvisation stakes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Considering the sheer scale of the commenter, Blackmore can take these words to the bank<\/a>. Very few performers are able to hear such words come out of the mouth of such a guitarist. To be called great is one thing, but to be called one of the best by one of the best is perhaps the ultimate merit mark.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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