I've seen 
I'm probably a bit older than them, so mine tend to go back a little further. I'm a big fan of the classic rock bands and it's a style I can aspire to play. In fact I have played songs by these guys over the years in various bands. I only got into my first proper band a few years back and had a few others, but none of them played gigs. It was all just rehearsal room jams.
I know these are some of the obvious candidates, but that's for good reasons.
Jimmy Page
Jimmy is my hero. His experience as a session player made him incredibly versatile. Led Zeppelin covered a wide range of music including blues, folk and epic orchestrated pieces. I've attempted many of their songs. I think just about every guitarist can play Stairway to Heaven to some extent, but it's fun to play. I tried to learn the solo a while back, but it's not easy. I was fortunate to see Page and Plant live when they played a lot of Zep. That's the nearest I got to seeing one of my favourite bands. It's just a shame that Jimmy doesn't play much these days. He, Plant and Jones did reform a few years back, but didn't take it any further.
Eric Clapton
Eric has influenced a lot of people. He immersed himself in the blues and was one of those who helped popularise it for a mass audience. He's had a lot of success with more pop-based music, but he keeps returning to blues. Blues is popular amongst musicians as it's basically a simple structure that you can play around with. A lot of the time you can use the standard pentatonic scale to solo to your heart's content, but it's open to more experimental playing too. This performance by Cream is a great example of that. The interaction between the three of them is magical. I have seen Clapton live, but I miss the energy of his early years.
Jimi Hendrix
Hendrix was the first real guitar hero. As well as being a stunning player he was a real showman. People have spent lifetimes trying to emulate what he did. He had complete mastery of his instrument and it's so sad that he died so young. Who knows what he could have gone on to do.
Ritchie Blackmore
Ritchie has come up with so many great riffs. He was one of the first to use classical influences in rock. I saw Deep Purple in 1987 when it was still the classic line-up. Ritchie went off to do other projects, but he's been playing rock again lately.
Brian May
Brian has one of the most recognisable styles in rock. He really found his own voice early on. That's partly down to his unique guitar that he built himself, but also his way of playing. He did such cool things with harmonies. I saw Queen live twice and they were some of the best gigs I ever experienced.
There are many more I could have included in this list such as David Gilmour, Andy Summers, Tony Iommi and Billy Gibbons. They have all influenced what I want to play. I also admire players like Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Paul Gilbert and Guthrie Govan, but a lot of what they play seems way beyond me.
All I can do as a player is to try and learn from the greats and find my own innovations. I don't expect to ever be a professional musician, but music is my hobby that gives me a lot of pleasure. I hope some of it is enjoyed by others too.
Rock on!
I'll buy guitar picks for Steem Dollars
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