The Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan has taken aim at popular “greatest guitarists” lists, frustrated by often being left out or ranked far lower than he feels he deserves. In a recent interview with Guitar World, the “Cherub Rock” singer spoke openly about feeling unrecognized for his skills on the guitar.
“Most people don’t even recognize my contributions as a guitarist,” Corgan said, calling out these rankings for failing to give him his due. “I usually don’t even make those lists. Or they’ll put me behind somebody who I could play circles around. I don’t mean to denigrate the people in front of me… but come on, you know?”
Corgan elaborated on his multi-faceted role within The Smashing Pumpkins, pointing out that he not only writes the lyrics, melodies, and arrangements but also performs most of the complicated guitar work. “I think that’s hard for people to process… They don’t want to believe one person can do all those things,” he explained. He reflected on the past backlash he received for playing much of the band’s instrumental parts himself, noting that fans sometimes reacted negatively, as if he were “the evil guy who wasn’t letting my band play on the records.”
The musician has no problem giving credit where it's due, though. “I’ve played on stage with George Lynch and Uli Jon Roth, two of the greatest guitar players in history. I sat for hours across from Eddie Van Halen at 5150 with my jaw open, watching Eddie play, okay?,” he said. “I would never even put myself in their company, [but] there’s a lot of people who pretend to play guitar. I certainly have no problem believing I’m better than a lot of them.”
The Smashing Pumpkins’ latest album, Aghori Mhori Mei, dropped as a digital release, with a physical version expected on November 22. Corgan’s guitar work on this album only reinforces his passion for challenging boundaries—whether or not the rankings agree.
Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images
