Roger McGuinn

Roger McGuinn is the primary architect of folk-rock, a sound defined by his innovative use of the Rickenbacker 360/12 electric guitar. As the leader of The Byrds, he bridged the gap between the intellectualism of the Greenwich Village folk scene and the commercial power of the British Invasion.

His solo career, beginning in 1973, expanded this palette to include sea shanties, electronic experiments, and hard rock, though he is most consistently associated with the 'jingle-jangle' aesthetic. , and Johnny Marr. Culturally, he occupies the role of a 'musical bridge,' connecting the traditionalism of Pete Seeger with the rock explorations of the late 20th century. In the mid-90s, he pioneered the use of the internet for folk preservation through his 'Folk Den' project, recording and uploading a traditional song every month to ensure their survival in the digital age. Critical consensus views him as a master stylist whose specific guitar tone is one of the most recognizable signatures in the history of recorded music.