Sorry, impossible for me to make a Top 5, but here's a list of my favorite guitar players of all times, with primary weight on musicality and innovation over technical skills, though a few of the guitarists on the list are crazily skilled on a technical level as well, in no particular order (not only rock guitarists though, Bill Frisell and Sony Sharrock is/was primarily jazz guitarists, and Nick Drake didn't even play electric guitar and was a folk guitarist
Syd Barrett,
Nick Drake,
Alan Sparhawk,
Bill Frisell,
Fred Frith,
Thurston Moore,
Lee Ranaldo,
Sonny Sharrock,
Frank Zappa,
Adrian Belew,
Adam Jones,
J. Mascis
J. Mascis is in my opinion seriously underated and ought to be known by more people (at least guitarists should know him), one of the absolute best rock guitarists ever in my opinion, his solos are out of this world, packed with so damn much emotion it's absolutely mind blowing.
The song in the link beneath here, Dinosaur Jr. - "Raisans", has, in my opinion, the absolute greatest guitar solo ever in the whole of music history, so damn packed with painful emotions, it's like it's ripping shreds directly right into the heart of the listener, or like J. Mascis literally is ripping his heart out right in front of you and making you feel it too.
This is not just yet another boring rock solo, executed per automatic and out of tired old habit, or a mindless wank and smug flashing of motor skills, this is true art and music at it's very primal source and essence, a genuine manifestation of the divine.
Hallelujah!
Praise J. Mascis!
I once was numb, but now can feel
Was deaf, but now can hear :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ln8XsL6veaU
And the short intro solo to this song, Dinosaur Jr. - "Grab It", is another of my favorite solos of his:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW-ngCeORek
My all time single most favorite guitarists though is probably
Bill Frisell, but quite a stretch to call him a rock guitarist.
