Johnny Marr, the celebrated guitarist of The Smiths, has singled out jazz fusion pioneer John McLaughlin as the guitarist he most admires, praising his rare discipline and focus. Marr, who came to prominence as part of a generation of guitarists following legends such as Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen, has generally shown little interest in the conventional rock guitar hierarchy, instead pointing to McLaughlin's distinctive, less flashy style as the standard he holds in highest regard.

Marr has explained that he values musicians with a "limited vocabulary" who excel at one thing, contrasting this with guitarists who rely on generic rock riffs. He described McLaughlin's approach as "almost monastic," praising his consistent devotion to his craft across a career spanning solo work and the jazz fusion group Mahavishnu Orchestra. While a collaboration between the two guitarists remains unlikely given the gulf between British rock and American jazz fusion, Marr's admiration rests on McLaughlin's lifelong commitment to artistic sincerity over industry trends.