Brian May believes George Harrison deserves more recognition for his contributions to the electric guitar’s legacy. In his view, guitarists who dazzle with speed and fireworks have overshadowed the quieter virtues of the instrument — qualities Harrison possessed in abundance.
May knows a thing or two about making an electric guitar speak. He was crowned the world’s greatest guitarist in Total Guitar’s 2020 rankings, narrowly beating Jimi Hendrix to the top spot.
His work with his fabled Red Special is testament to his own formidable talent, though May’s playing often falls on the flashier end of the spectrum. Consider his solo on “Don’t Stop Me Now,” which he fought to include after Freddie Mercury argued that the song was better suited to piano. Yet, speaking to the Express in 2022, May explained why Harrison’s less showy approach deserves equal respect.
“At every stage in their career and their music development, they were models,” he said of the Beatles more broadly (via Far Out). “And they still are to me, I must say.
“They are the pinnacle of writing, performance and ethos of rock music,” May added. “They broke down so many barriers, they changed the world many times. I will always love The Beatles without any reservation.”
But membership in one of the most successful and influential bands in history doesn’t guarantee individual recognition. Harrison’s legacy has often been overshadowed by those around him. Within the Beatles, he struggled to make room for his songs alongside the dominant Lennon-McCartney partnership.
Outside the band, he was frequently measured against guitarists such as his good friend Eric Clapton, who once comprehensively beat him in a guitar duel, as well as Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix. May, however, believes Harrison’s playing deserves to be judged on its own merits.
“I love George, I love his playing,” he said. “I hold George in such reverence and I think he’s so underrated by the guitar community. Everyone raves about people who play fast, but if you look at the catalogue of stuff he’s produced, it’s colossal.”
Harrison’s songwriting was central to his legacy, and he enlisted Clapton to play the lead lines on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” — a move that helped bring the song to life while allowing Harrison’s composition to take center stage. Clapton’s contribution became one of rock’s most celebrated guitar performances, but the song itself remains a showcase for Harrison’s songwriting.
Everyone raves about people who play fast but if you look at the catalogue of stuff he’s produced, it’s colossal.”
— Brian May
His achievements extended well beyond songwriting. His sitar playing established his pioneering credentials, while his slide guitar work became another defining part of his sound. Clapton was particularly impressed by Harrison’s slide playing. As Harrison once told Guitar Player, “if Eric gives me the thumbs up on a slide solo, it means more than half the population.”
Eric Johnson has also highlighted a quality that made Harrison special.
“George shows us that it’s about the emotion and not the commotion of the guitar playing,” he once told Guitar World.
Fast, loud playing will always command attention. But Harrison’s legacy is a reminder that technical fireworks aren’t the only measure of a great guitarist — and that sometimes the most enduring playing is the kind that serves the song.
