Top 100 Female Guitar Artists
An editorial ranking of 100 players whose work moved the instrument forward. Every entry is a real directory record — follow a name for the full profile.
- 1
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Arkansas / Chicago / New York, USA
Foundational electric-guitar pioneer whose gospel performances anticipated rock & roll decades before the genre was formally defined.
Gospel, blues, early rock & rollNeeds verification - 2
Joni Mitchell
Guitarist, singer, songwriter, composer · Saskatchewan / Toronto / Los Angeles
Transformational songwriter and highly original guitarist known for extensive alternate tunings and distinctive harmonic language.
Folk, rock, jazz, singer-songwriterOfficial site - 3
Bonnie Raitt
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · California / Boston, USA
One of popular music's defining slide guitarists, pairing exceptional touch and phrasing with a major singer-songwriter career.
Blues, roots rock, folk, countryOfficial site - 4
Nancy Wilson
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Seattle, Washington, USA
Heart guitarist whose acoustic and electric work helped establish one of rock's most influential female-fronted guitar bands.
Rock, hard rock, folk rockOfficial site - 5
Joan Jett
Guitarist, singer, songwriter, bandleader · Philadelphia / Los Angeles / New York
Runaways and Blackhearts founder whose rhythm guitar, songwriting, attitude and independence became foundational to women in rock.
Rock, punk, hard rockOfficial site - 6
Memphis Minnie
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Louisiana / Memphis / Chicago
Pioneering blues guitarist and songwriter who was a major professional guitar artist long before electric blues became dominant.
BluesNeeds verification - 7
Maybelle Carter
Guitarist, singer · Virginia / Tennessee, USA
Developed the influential “Carter Scratch,” helping establish guitar as a lead instrument in country and folk music.
Country, folk, old-timeNeeds verification - 8
Elizabeth Cotten
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · North Carolina / Washington, D.C.
Self-taught left-handed guitarist whose upside-down “Cotten picking” became a distinct fingerstyle tradition.
Folk, bluesNeeds verification - 9
St. Vincent
Guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer · Dallas / New York, USA
Highly inventive modern guitarist known for angular composition, unusual tones, electronics and signature-instrument development.
Art rock, alternative, indieOfficial site - 10
Jennifer Batten
Guitarist, session musician, educator · New York / Los Angeles, USA
Virtuoso lead guitarist best known for major touring work with Michael Jackson and Jeff Beck.
Rock, fusion, instrumentalOfficial site - 11
Lita Ford
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Los Angeles, California
Runaways guitarist who became one of the first women to achieve sustained mainstream success as a hard-rock lead guitarist.
Hard rock, metalOfficial site - 12
Susan Tedeschi
Guitarist, singer, songwriter, bandleader · Boston / Jacksonville, USA
Powerful vocalist and guitarist whose rhythm and lead work are integral to Tedeschi Trucks Band.
Blues, soul, roots rockOfficial site - 13
Orianthi
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Adelaide / Los Angeles
Australian guitarist combining melodic rock and blues technique with solo work and major touring credentials.
Rock, blues rock, popOfficial site - 14
Nita Strauss
Guitarist, songwriter, clinician · Los Angeles, California
Modern virtuoso known for Alice Cooper, Demi Lovato and instrumental metal, with a major signature-gear presence.
Hard rock, metal, instrumentalOfficial site - 15
Molly Tuttle
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · California / Nashville
One of her generation's premier flatpickers and an important modern bluegrass songwriter and bandleader.
Bluegrass, Americana, folkOfficial site - 16
Kaki King
Guitarist, composer · Atlanta / New York
Innovative acoustic/electric guitarist known for percussive techniques, alternate tunings and visually inventive performance.
Acoustic, experimental, post-rockOfficial site - 17
Emily Remler
Guitarist, composer · New Jersey / New Orleans / New York
Major jazz guitarist whose bebop fluency and recordings made her one of the most important women in modern jazz guitar.
JazzNeeds verification - 18
Sharon Isbin
Classical guitarist, educator · Minneapolis / New York
Grammy-winning classical guitarist and longtime Juilliard leader who expanded the international visibility of classical guitar.
ClassicalOfficial site - 19
H.E.R.
Guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer · California, USA
Grammy- and Oscar-winning artist who has helped return visible electric-guitar performance to contemporary mainstream R&B and pop.
R&B, soul, pop, rockNeeds verification - 20
PJ Harvey
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Dorset / London, England
Highly influential songwriter whose raw guitar approach ranges from minimalist alternative rock to experimental composition.
Alternative, art rockOfficial site - 21
Tracy Chapman
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Cleveland / Boston
Guitar-centered songwriter whose rhythmic acoustic playing is inseparable from one of the most enduring catalogs of modern folk-pop.
Folk, singer-songwriter, rockOfficial site - 22
Ani DiFranco
Guitarist, singer, songwriter, label founder · Buffalo, New York
Distinctive percussive acoustic guitarist and fiercely independent singer-songwriter with sophisticated alternate tunings.
Folk, alternative, funkOfficial site - 23
Rory Block
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · New York, USA
Master acoustic blues guitarist and interpreter strongly associated with traditional fingerstyle and slide techniques.
Acoustic blues, country bluesOfficial site - 24
Sue Foley
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Ottawa / Austin
Acclaimed blues guitarist known for Telecaster tone, Texas blues vocabulary and a long international recording career.
BluesOfficial site - 25
Samantha Fish
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Kansas City, Missouri
Contemporary blues-rock artist moving fluently between electric, acoustic, slide and roots-oriented guitar.
Blues rock, roots rockOfficial site - 26
Ana Popovic
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Belgrade / Amsterdam / Memphis
Serbian-born virtuoso combining blues lead guitar with funk, soul and rock.
Blues rock, funk, soulOfficial site - 27
Joanne Shaw Taylor
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Birmingham, England
British guitarist with forceful blues-rock phrasing, strong songwriting and a substantial international touring career.
Blues rockOfficial site - 28
Laura Chavez
Guitarist, producer · California, USA
Highly respected blues guitarist known for expressive, song-focused lead playing and extensive work with Candye Kane and others.
Blues, soulOfficial site - 29
Joanna Connor
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Chicago, Illinois
Powerful Chicago-based slide guitarist whose high-energy electric performances built a substantial blues following.
Blues rock, slideOfficial site - 30
Carolyn Wonderland
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Houston / Austin, Texas
Texas guitarist and vocalist blending blues, rock, country and roots traditions.
Blues, roots rockOfficial site - 31
Erja Lyytinen
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Kuopio / Helsinki, Finland
Finnish slide guitarist with a major European blues-rock career and highly developed electric technique.
Blues rock, slideOfficial site - 32
Jackie Venson
Guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer · Austin, Texas
Contemporary Austin guitarist recognized for melodic lead playing, effects, looping and independent production.
Blues rock, soul, funkOfficial site - 33
Beverly Watkins
Guitarist, singer · Atlanta, Georgia
Ferocious electric blues guitarist whose decades-long career earned renewed recognition late in life.
Blues, R&BNeeds verification - 34
Etta Baker
Guitarist, banjoist · North Carolina
Master Piedmont fingerstyle player whose elegant guitar technique preserved an important American acoustic tradition.
Piedmont blues, folkNeeds verification - 35
Jessie Mae Hemphill
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Mississippi
Distinctive Mississippi blues artist known for hypnotic rhythms, electric guitar and percussion-driven performances.
Hill-country bluesNeeds verification - 36
Barbara Lynn
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Beaumont, Texas
Left-handed guitarist and songwriter whose early-1960s hits made her a rare female guitar-playing frontperson in R&B.
R&B, soul, bluesNeeds verification - 37
Algia Mae Hinton
Guitarist, singer · North Carolina
Important traditional fingerstyle guitarist and culture bearer in North Carolina's Piedmont blues tradition.
Piedmont bluesNeeds verification - 38
Odetta
Guitarist, singer, activist · Alabama / Los Angeles / New York
Monumental folk artist whose guitar-accompanied performances strongly influenced the American folk revival.
Folk, blues, spiritualsNeeds verification - 39
Joan Baez
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · California / Boston / New York
Defining folk-revival artist whose intricate acoustic accompaniment supported a historic vocal and activist career.
Folk, singer-songwriterOfficial site - 40
Joan Armatrading
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · St. Kitts / Birmingham, England
Major British singer-songwriter and accomplished guitarist with a stylistically broad multi-decade catalog.
Folk, rock, blues, jazzOfficial site - 41
Gillian Welch
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Los Angeles / Nashville
Central figure in modern Americana whose sparse acoustic guitar work and songwriting helped reshape roots music.
Americana, folk, countryOfficial site - 42
Emily Saliers
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Atlanta, Georgia
Indigo Girls songwriter and sophisticated acoustic guitarist known for fingerstyle, alternate voicings and rhythmic complexity.
Folk rock, singer-songwriterOfficial site - 43
Amy Ray
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Atlanta, Georgia
Indigo Girls co-founder whose more aggressive rhythmic guitar approach complements folk, punk and roots influences.
Folk rock, alternativeOfficial site - 44
Shawn Colvin
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Illinois / New York / Austin
Grammy-winning songwriter and particularly accomplished acoustic fingerstyle/rhythm guitarist.
Folk, singer-songwriterOfficial site - 45
Patty Larkin
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Boston, Massachusetts
Innovative acoustic guitarist and songwriter known for alternate tunings, rhythmic technique and sonic experimentation.
Folk, singer-songwriterOfficial site - 46
Laura Marling
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Hampshire / London, England
Sophisticated modern songwriter with highly developed fingerstyle, altered tuning and acoustic arrangement skills.
Folk, indie folkOfficial site - 47
Adrianne Lenker
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Minnesota / New York
Big Thief songwriter whose intricate acoustic voicings, tunings and fingerstyle have become highly influential among younger players.
Indie folk, alternativeOfficial site - 48
Madison Cunningham
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · California, USA
Grammy-winning artist with an unusually sophisticated modern electric/acoustic guitar vocabulary and advanced harmony.
Folk, rock, art popOfficial site - 49
Brittany Howard
Guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer · Athens, Alabama
Alabama Shakes leader whose guitar playing combines garage rock, blues, soul and experimental textures.
Rock, soul, bluesOfficial site - 50
Courtney Barnett
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Melbourne, Australia
Distinctive songwriter whose conversational lyrics are paired with loose, riff-oriented and fuzz-heavy electric guitar.
Indie rock, alternativeOfficial site - 51
Feist
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Calgary / Toronto
Economical and highly musical guitarist whose electric and acoustic parts are integral to her songwriting and arrangements.
Indie rock, folk, popOfficial site - 52
Julien Baker
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Memphis, Tennessee
Known for emotionally intense songwriting, layered electric guitar, looping and atmospheric arrangements.
Indie rock, alternativeOfficial site - 53
Lucy Dacus
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Richmond, Virginia
Guitar-centered songwriter whose solo work and boygenius role have made her a major contemporary indie artist.
Indie rock, singer-songwriterOfficial site - 54
Phoebe Bridgers
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Los Angeles, California
Influential contemporary songwriter whose acoustic and electric guitar writing is central to her solo and collaborative work.
Indie folk, alternativeOfficial site - 55
Brandi Carlile
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Washington State
Major contemporary songwriter whose acoustic guitar remains fundamental to her writing and live presentation.
Americana, folk rock, countryOfficial site - 56
Melissa Etheridge
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Kansas / Los Angeles
Powerful rhythm guitarist strongly associated with acoustic, electric and 12-string guitar.
Rock, singer-songwriterOfficial site - 57
Sheryl Crow
Guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer · Missouri / Los Angeles / Nashville
Multi-instrumentalist whose electric and acoustic guitar work supports a major roots-oriented pop-rock catalog.
Rock, pop, AmericanaOfficial site - 58
Lucinda Williams
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Louisiana / Texas / Nashville
Revered songwriter with a gritty guitar-centered sound bridging country, folk, blues and rock.
Americana, roots rock, countryOfficial site - 59
KT Tunstall
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Scotland
Guitar-centered songwriter known for rhythmic acoustic playing and pioneering mainstream use of live looping.
Pop rock, folkOfficial site - 60
Jewel
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Alaska / San Diego
Acoustic singer-songwriter whose guitar was foundational to her rise from coffeehouses to mainstream success.
Folk, pop, singer-songwriterOfficial site - 61
Wendy Melvoin
Guitarist, songwriter, producer · Los Angeles, California
Prince & the Revolution guitarist and later producer/songwriter known for sophisticated funk-rock rhythm playing.
Funk, rock, popOfficial site - 62
Vicki Peterson
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Los Angeles, California
The Bangles guitarist whose jangly rhythm and lead work helped define the band's guitar-driven pop-rock sound.
Rock, pop rockOfficial site - 63
Poison Ivy Rorschach
Guitarist, songwriter · Sacramento / New York
The Cramps guitarist whose distorted rockabilly vocabulary became foundational to psychobilly and garage punk.
Punk, psychobilly, rockabillyOfficial site - 64
Carrie Brownstein
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Olympia / Portland
Sleater-Kinney guitarist whose angular riffs and intertwined guitar arrangements became hallmarks of indie rock.
Indie rock, punkOfficial site - 65
Mary Timony
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Washington, D.C.
Influential guitarist known for Helium, Wild Flag and Ex Hex, blending unusual melodic ideas with indie-rock guitar.
Indie rock, alternativeOfficial site - 66
Marnie Stern
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · New York City
Technically adventurous guitarist noted for tapping, rapid melodic figures and unconventional song structures.
Indie rock, experimentalOfficial site - 67
Yvette Young
Guitarist, composer, singer · California, USA
Covet guitarist known for intricate tapping, alternate tunings and highly melodic clean-tone composition.
Math rock, progressive, instrumentalOfficial site - 68
Lari Basilio
Guitarist, composer · São Paulo, Brazil
Brazilian instrumental guitarist celebrated for melodic phrasing, modern technique and expressive dynamics.
Instrumental rock, fusionOfficial site - 69
Sarah Longfield
Guitarist, composer, producer · Wisconsin, USA
Extended-range guitarist and independent creator known for tapping-heavy progressive guitar and home production.
Progressive metal, instrumentalOfficial site - 70
Nili Brosh
Guitarist, composer · Israel / Boston / Los Angeles
Virtuoso guitarist with solo work and touring credits spanning Cirque du Soleil, Dethklok and major rock acts.
Instrumental rock, metalOfficial site - 71
Gretchen Menn
Guitarist, composer · California, USA
Zepparella guitarist and composer combining rock technique with classical compositional training.
Instrumental rock, classical crossoverOfficial site - 72
Sophie Lloyd
Guitarist, composer, creator · London, England
Modern guitar creator whose technically polished rock and metal arrangements have built a large digital audience.
Rock, metal, instrumentalNeeds verification - 73
Gina Gleason
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Baroness guitarist blending heavy riffing, melodic lead work and progressive-metal textures.
Progressive metal, rockOfficial site - 74
Diamond Rowe
Guitarist, songwriter · Atlanta, Georgia
Tetrarch lead guitarist recognized for contemporary metal riffing and bringing greater visibility to Black women in heavy guitar music.
Metal, hardcoreOfficial site - 75
Courtney Cox
Guitarist · Philadelphia / Los Angeles
Virtuoso lead guitarist known for The Iron Maidens and extensive hard-rock/metal performance work.
Metal, hard rockOfficial site - 76
Nikki Stringfield
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Texas / Los Angeles
Guitarist and solo artist associated with The Iron Maidens, combining classic-metal technique with contemporary hard rock.
Hard rock, metalOfficial site - 77
Lzzy Hale
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Pennsylvania / Nashville
Halestorm frontwoman whose rhythm guitar, songwriting and vocals make her one of modern hard rock's most visible women.
Hard rock, metalOfficial site - 78
Kelly Johnson
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · London, England
Girlschool lead guitarist whose playing helped establish women as credible instrumentalists in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.
Hard rock, heavy metalNeeds verification - 79
June Millington
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Philippines / California
Fanny co-founder and pioneering rock guitarist in one of the first all-women rock bands signed to a major label.
RockNeeds verification - 80
KANAMI Tono
Guitarist, songwriter · Japan
BAND-MAID lead guitarist and principal composer known for technical solos, complex riffs and modern Japanese hard rock.
Hard rock, metalOfficial site - 81
Miyako
Guitarist, composer · Japan
LOVEBITES guitarist combining neoclassical technique, melodic metal and high-level dual-guitar arrangements.
Metal, hard rockOfficial site - 82
Wata
Guitarist, composer · Japan
Boris guitarist known for massive tone, drone, shoegaze, noise and experimental heavy-guitar textures.
Doom metal, experimentalOfficial site - 83
SAKI
Guitarist, composer · Japan
Japanese metal guitarist associated with Mary's Blood and Nemophila, recognized for modern lead-guitar technique.
Metal, hard rockNeeds verification - 84
Mary Osborne
Jazz guitarist, singer · North Dakota / New York
Early electric-jazz guitarist inspired by Charlie Christian who became one of the first prominent women in jazz guitar.
JazzNeeds verification - 85
Leni Stern
Guitarist, singer, composer · Germany / New York / Mali
Jazz guitarist who developed a distinctive cross-cultural style through extensive engagement with West African music.
Jazz, world, African fusionOfficial site - 86
Mimi Fox
Guitarist, composer, educator · San Francisco Bay Area
Virtuoso jazz guitarist known for chord melody, bebop fluency and extensive educational work.
JazzOfficial site - 87
Sheryl Bailey
Guitarist, composer, educator · Pittsburgh / New York
Modern jazz guitarist recognized for strong bebop language, improvisation and university-level guitar education.
JazzOfficial site - 88
Mary Halvorson
Guitarist, composer, bandleader · Boston / New York
One of contemporary jazz's most original guitarists, known for unconventional harmony, pitch effects and compositional experimentation.
Jazz, experimentalOfficial site - 89
Jocelyn Gould
Guitarist, singer, composer, educator · Winnipeg / Toronto
Award-winning Canadian jazz guitarist noted for warm bebop vocabulary, swing and traditional jazz-guitar fluency.
JazzOfficial site - 90
Camila Meza
Guitarist, singer, songwriter, composer · Santiago / New York
Chilean guitarist combining jazz improvisation, Latin rhythms and singer-songwriter composition.
Jazz, Latin, singer-songwriterOfficial site - 91
Ana Vidović
Classical guitarist · Croatia / United States
Internationally renowned classical guitarist admired for precision, tone and interpretations of Spanish and classical repertoire.
ClassicalOfficial site - 92
Xuefei Yang
Classical guitarist · Beijing / London
First internationally prominent Chinese classical guitarist, with major orchestral, recital and recording work.
ClassicalNeeds verification - 93
Berta Rojas
Classical guitarist, educator · Asunción, Paraguay
Grammy-winning Paraguayan guitarist and major advocate for Latin American classical-guitar repertoire.
Classical, Latin AmericanOfficial site - 94
Lily Afshar
Classical guitarist, educator · Tehran / United States
Iranian-born classical guitarist and educator noted for expanding contemporary and Persian-related guitar repertoire.
ClassicalOfficial site - 95
Ida Presti
Classical guitarist · France
Legendary French virtuoso whose technique and duo work remain highly influential in classical guitar.
ClassicalNeeds verification - 96
María Luisa Anido
Classical guitarist, composer · Argentina
Major 20th-century Argentine guitarist and composer who advanced Latin American classical-guitar performance.
ClassicalNeeds verification - 97
Kaori Muraji
Classical guitarist · Tokyo, Japan
One of Japan's most internationally successful classical guitarists, with a large recording and concert career.
ClassicalNeeds verification - 98
Badi Assad
Guitarist, singer, composer · São Paulo, Brazil
Brazilian guitarist whose virtuosic fingerstyle combines classical technique, vocal percussion and Brazilian traditions.
Brazilian, classical, worldOfficial site - 99
Gabriela Quintero
Guitarist, composer · Mexico City / Dublin
Half of Rodrigo y Gabriela; known for ferocious percussive rhythm guitar and flamenco-informed acoustic technique.
Acoustic, flamenco, rockOfficial site - 100
Fatoumata Diawara
Guitarist, singer, songwriter · Mali / France
Malian singer-songwriter and guitarist blending West African traditions with electric guitar, funk and contemporary global music.
Wassoulou, Afro-pop, rock, funkOfficial site