Certainly Townsend has a strong and identifiable style that is the template for the classic rock sound that Joe Walsh, and a host of 70's hard rock players adopted. But by his own admission Townsend is a glorified rhythym guitarist whose playing was carried to a certain degree by the excellent driving and melodic playing of under-rated bassist John Entwhistle.

As a guitarist he is just O.K. As a songwriter and bandleader he is closer to five stars.

A founding father of rock above all else! The first to smash and trash his guitar.

He has the acknowledgment that his playing has value, showing thoughtfullness and consideration. Very respectable player.

i think he was phenominal for his time but if he played today he'd be just another good guitar player

could be

more of a song writer in my book

If you become stressed and upset, drink some beer and go see The Who.

1st OFF - It makes for an interesting discussion - but really with so many fantastic guitarist with their own style and material - hmmmmmmmm I can only imagine them playing each others music and style. That being said, I am into hard rock of the classic ear. So for me it's THE WHO and Pete!! Can Pete play like for example Hendrix or can Jimmy play like Pete -- not likely - isn't it great that we can enjoy so many different #1 musicians??

Townshend's best work was with the Who. His electric playing is very ordinary but he is a surprisingly adept acoustic player, and a skillful finger-picker. I wonder why most good finger-pickers don't try the technique on electric guitar?

One of the best!

Who?????????? Just who the phuck are you?

'Pedo" Pete aint no lead player.

LOVE ME SOME WHO!!

Not the best, but pretty damn good

LOVE TEH WHO

great for his time

Brilliant and innovative-impeccable musician

GREAT GUITARIST!

still not the best , and you better have the on e i want.

no comment needed

Dont know

Inventor of the "Power Chord", and Jimi Hendrix's style. If it wasn't for Pete, there would be no Hendrix, because Hendrix wouldn't know what to do on stage if he hadn't gone to England and saw The Who play because Hendrix ONLY got recognized for his stage antics, not his playing ability.

the best

never got their appeal.

He's one of the best.

If he is such a good guitarist, why does he need to become a member of  kiddie porn sites?

Townshend is one of the best rhythm guitarists ever. "Tommy" is the ultimate masterpiece of chord work, and I thoroughly recommend it to any young guitarist working on chord changes and variations. And he could make that Gibson SG scream, wail, and moan like nobody else. But Townshend himself, in many interviews, has been quick to admit that he's not even close to being in the same league as the great guitar virtuosos and shredders. But if I were given the choice, I'd take his songwriting genius over the ability to play fast. Guitar wizards are a dime a dozen; songwriters like Townshend are very rare.

His guitar playing ruined by his disgusting sexual acts.

Excellent rhythm guitarist.

Yah! He smashed his guitar! Yah! He can play a power cord! Yah! He swings his arm around when he plays. I guess Pete could play with any Nu-Metal band with those "skills". (Let's try to remember this isn't about songwriting) As the leader of the band, he has to shoulder some responsibilty for not telling Keith Moon that every song is NOT a drum solo.

Just Chords, thats it. man my grandma can do that crap

Too bad Hendrix stole his show, Pete is an awesome player, but i hate it when Keith Moon over played the drums too freaken much.

Hiwatt! He did it first. He indeed invented the power chord. A true rock icon. He's not some blazing techno lead player but, frankly I don't care. I don't judge rock guitarists strictly on their ability to solo endlessly. I find guitarists like Yngwie Malmsteen to be thoroughly unlistenable anyway, especially after about 2 minutes of sitting through their scale exercises. He sounds like a frustrated concert violinist. The Who should have packed it in after the death of Keith Moon. The essential chemistry just wasn't there afterwards. However, listen to Live At Leeds for the true blue Who at its peak. Bombastic, roaring power chords with a furious drummer and a solid style of bass guitar underpinning. One of the best rock albums ever, so one simply cannot deny Townshend's greatness here. As far as the kiddie porno charges, or whether or not he is truly some type of lech is not what we are supposed to be voting or commenting on here in the first place. That should be another topic altogether and has no bearing on his ability as a musician or songwriter.

The absolute best.

Along with Tim Hardin,the biggest influence on my guitar style.

Viz the kiddie porn thing, nothing's been proved, so many of the comments here are actually libellous. That said, he's a decent rhythm player but an all-time great he most definitely isnt.

Average and Perverted

Hey Howard Stern needs an old rock schoolmaster like you for his rtings ... to put you on the Sybian then Roll the Fart wheel of Fortune ... that's if you're not too busy with the child porn gay thangy ...

The " Gary Glitter" of guitar.

I have heard it said that his right hand is better than his left, in other words he strums better than he, well, solos. This is quite okay in my book. I think he has a wonderful musical sensibility, and he was able to play all those live concerts as the Who's only guitarist...some of those songs are complex, no?

EXCELLENT rock guitarist, but NOT anywhere near the top. An example of a musician where the SUM (The WHO) was better than the PARTS (individual musicians).

no where in the top 40 should petes name be found.but still deserves his props

Overlooked for an obvious reason. He was not a lead guitarist!!!!

Super Who lead guitarist who is often overlooked. He ranks near the top on my list.

I like pete townshend's playing and he is a good guitarist, but he is not among the best.

If he put as much practice into his guitar playing as he does with children, he may rate higher

High powered, articulate guitar player who can also bring on the constrained, lyrical acoustic approach. Gets the most out of the basic three-chord prison of rock and roll. Despite the fact that he's underrated by many posters here, it's interesting to note that The Who, one of the top handful of bands in the rock and roll epoch, never needed a second guitar player. I guess with Townshend and Entwhistle, there was no need for anyone else. One of the top songwriters of his generation, and author of the two rock operas that stand head and shoulders above the rest. Not a bad resume for guy many lunkheads tend to denigrate.

Pete Townshend isnt only a great guitar player, but he changed rock history, everyone in The Who changed rock history, he invented the windmill for god's sake, pete is awesome.

Not in this field.