85 Stone Gossard (Pearl Jam)
Many arguments can be made for Peej's gifted lead guitarist (and corn-dogging, cheese-mongering Stevie Ray Vaughan acolyte) Mike McCready, but it's Gossard whose songwriting and toothsome licks propelled the Seattle grunge icons early, record-setting releases. The winsome chords of both "Daughter" and "Black," the white-knuckle smash of "Animal" or "Deep" or "Do The Evolution" — all were anchored by Gossard, a quiet type more invested in classic-rock craft than classic-rock showmanship.
Most Heroic Moment: The opening chords to 1991's shoulda-been-a-single "Breath." D.B.
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