I am always on the lookout for great rock guitar solos. So naturally I was interested in the list posted at www.digitaldreamdoor.com. Of coarse I don't agree with some of the rankings and I would guess we all would have our own personal bias, but a lot of the songs I have in my collection are on the list. One song not on the list in 'Love's No Friend extended Ritchie Jam' which I think is the best. Unfortunately the version I have is probably a bootleg and is of very poor sound quality and therefore not many people have heard it. Another song is 'Anya' by Ritchie Blackmore, which although is not that long I think is awesome and I would rank 2nd on the list.
An abbreviated list of some 200 songs:
1. Comfortably Numb- David Gilmore
2. Stairway to Heaven- Jimmy Page
3. All Along the Watchtower- Jimi Hendrix
4. Freebird- Allen Collins
5. Maggot Brain- Edie Hazel
6.Texas Flood- Stevie Ray Vaughn
7. Eruption- Eddie Van Halen
8. Highway Star- Ritchie Blackmore
9. Cause We've Ended as Lovers- Jeff Beck
10. Hotel California- Don Felder
13. Time- David Gilmour
19. Voodoo Child- Jimi Hendrix
21. Shine On You Crazy Diamond- David Gilmour
22. Blue Sky- Duane Allman
23. Satch Boogie- Joe Satriani
28. Sultans of Swing- Mark Knofler
31. Since I've Been Loving You- Jimmy Page
39. Bohemian Rhapsody- Brain May
40. While My Guitar Gently Weeps- Eric Clapton
41. Fade to Black- Kirk Hammet
48. Child in Time- Ritchie Blackmore
49. Like a Hurricane- Neil Young
53. Money- David Gilmour
55. Two Minutes till Midnight- Iron Maiden
58. Surfing with the Alien- Joe Satriani
61. Heartbreaker- Jimmy Page
64. Dazed and Confused- Jimmy Page
69. Ramblin Man- Dicky Betts
72. You Really Got Me- The Kinks
79. La Villa Strangiato- Rush
81. Stranglehold- Ted Nugent
89. Master of the Peppets- Metallica
95. War Pigs- Black Sabbath
98. Whole Lotta Love- Led Zepplin
99. Working Man- Rush
101. Painkiller- Judas Priest
102. Black Magic Woman- Sanatana
114. Sunshine of Your Love- Eric Clapton
115. Jessica Allman Brothers
121. Carry On Wayward Son- Kansas
127. Achilles Last Stand - Jimmy Page
130 YYZ- Rush
143. Powerslave- Ieon Maidon
144. Purple Haze- Jimi Hendrix
181. 2112 - Rush
196. Evil Ways- Santana
200. Back in Black - AC\DC

....I don't agree with some of the rankings and I would guess we all would have our own personal bias...
i'm with you there. for my money the king of guitar solo's is Eliot Easton from the Cars, i'll take any one of his solo's over anything in that list.

I have about 50 of the Top 100 in my MP3 library, and they are available on-line to AK members. PM me if you're interested.

Heres the list:

07/03/2004 09:04 PM 9,630,952 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 001 - Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page) - Stairway To Heaven.mp3
07/03/2004 09:05 PM 3,467,264 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 002 - Edward Van Halen - Eruption Solo Session (Demo) .mp3
07/03/2004 08:55 PM 9,723,786 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 003 - Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free Bird.mp3
07/03/2004 09:09 PM 6,144,384 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 004 - Pink Floyd (David Gilmour) - Comfortably Numb.mp3
07/03/2004 08:43 PM 3,851,075 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 005 - Jimi Hendrix - All Along The Watchtower - 1968.mp3
07/03/2004 09:29 PM 8,568,581 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 006 - Guns N' Roses (Slash) - November Rain.mp3
07/03/2004 09:58 PM 17,899,648 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 007 - Metallica (Kirk Hammet) - One.mp3
07/03/2004 09:22 PM 6,896,432 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 008 - Eagles - Hotel California.mp3
07/03/2004 09:00 PM 4,765,696 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 009 - Ozzy Osbourne (Randy Rhoads) - Crazy Train.mp3
07/03/2004 09:04 PM 4,250,228 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 010 - Eric Clapton - Crossroads.mp3
07/03/2004 09:19 PM 2,600,124 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 012 - Chuck Berry - Johnny Be Good.mp3
07/03/2004 09:05 PM 6,207,111 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 013 - Rolling Stones (Keith Richards) - Sympathy For The Devil.mp3
06/06/2005 11:09 PM 17,108,992 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 014 - Eric Clapton & Duane Allman - Layla.mp3
06/06/2005 11:06 PM 22,447,670 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 018 - Stevie Ray Vaughn - Little Wing.mp3
06/06/2005 11:12 PM 14,801,024 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 019 - Highway Star - Deep Purple.mp3
07/03/2004 09:03 PM 6,808,359 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 021 - Pink Floyd (David Gilmore) - Time.mp3
06/07/2005 03:26 PM 14,022,381 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 022 - Sultans Of Swing - Dire Straits (Mark Knopfler).mp3
06/06/2005 11:09 PM 9,256,960 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 023 - Rage Against The Machine - Bulls on Parade(1).mp3
07/03/2004 09:06 PM 6,287,492 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 025 - Jethro Tull - Aqualung.mp3
07/03/2004 09:18 PM 4,753,890 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 026 - Nirvana (Kurt Cobain) - Smells Like Teen Spirit.mp3
07/03/2004 09:09 PM 3,527,703 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 027 - Stevie Ray Vaughn - Pride and Joy.mp3
07/03/2004 09:18 PM 5,788,853 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 029 - Steve Vai - For The Love Of God.mp3
07/03/2004 08:59 PM 5,194,634 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 033 - BB King - The Thrill is Gone.mp3
07/03/2004 09:16 PM 6,135,222 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 034 - Radiohead (Jonny Greenwood) - Paranoid Android.mp3
07/03/2004 09:10 PM 5,349,002 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 038 - Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page) - Whole Lotta Love.mp3
07/03/2004 08:54 PM 6,805,504 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 042 - Beatles & Eric Clapton - While My Guitar Gently Weeps.mp3
07/03/2004 08:56 PM 7,211,730 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 047 - Allman Brothers Band (Dickey Betts ) - Jessica.mp3
07/03/2004 09:32 PM 8,245,140 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 051 - Metalica - Master Of Puppets.mp3
07/03/2004 09:23 PM 7,075,784 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 053 - Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page) - Since I've Neen Loving You.mp3
07/03/2004 09:05 PM 7,747,712 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 055 - Joe Satriani - Satch Boogie.mp3
07/03/2004 08:47 PM 7,643,136 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 056 - Black Sabbath (Toni Iommi) - War Pigs1.mp3
07/03/2004 09:13 PM 6,290,393 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 057 - Pantera - Walk.mp3
07/03/2004 08:59 PM 8,151,264 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 060 - Frank Zappa - Black Napkins.mp3
07/03/2004 09:09 PM 6,120,978 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 062 - Pink Floyd - Money.mp3
06/26/2005 12:09 AM 14,440,448 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 067 - Ten Years After - I'm Going Home(Live).mp3
07/03/2004 09:07 PM 2,435,072 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 069 - Beatles (George Harrison) - And Your Bird Can Sing.mp3
07/03/2004 08:59 PM 6,898,400 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 073 - Phish (Trey Anastasio) - Stash.mp3
07/03/2004 09:16 PM 8,203,284 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 075 - The Who (Pete Townshend) - Won't Get Fooled Again.mp3
07/03/2004 09:14 PM 2,892,808 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 076 - Cinnamon Girl - Neil Young.mp3
07/03/2004 09:07 PM 9,920,720 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 077 - George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic (Eddie Hazel) - Maggot Brain.mp3
07/03/2004 09:09 PM 4,834,826 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 078 - Grateful Dead (Jerry Garcia) - Truckin'.mp3
07/03/2004 08:32 PM 4,804,416 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 079 - Van Halen - Mean Streets.mp3
07/03/2004 08:51 PM 3,366,627 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 080 - ACDC (Angus Young) - You Shook Me All Night Long.mp3
07/03/2004 09:00 PM 7,165,558 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 082 - King Crimson (Robert Fripp) - 21st Century Schizoid Man.mp3
05/30/2005 05:44 PM 17,809,935 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 082 - King Crimson - 21st Century Schizoid Man.mp3
07/03/2004 08:50 PM 4,496,249 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 088 - Steely Dan (Larry Carlton) - Kid Charlemagne.mp3
07/03/2004 08:50 PM 3,105,078 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 092 - Stray Cats (Brian Setzer) - Stray Cat Strut.mp3
07/03/2004 09:03 PM 3,080,638 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 098 - Dream Theater (John Petrucci) - Under A Glass Moon.mp3
07/03/2004 09:06 PM 10,367,478 100 Greatest Guitar Solos - 100 - Janes Addiction (Dave Navarro) - Three Days.mp3


Paul

Hasn't anyone heard Steve Hunter's "Intro" to Sweet Jane on "Rock 'N Roll Animal?!"

I hate lists like this.

But, I'll chime in. My vote for best rock solo goes to Nuno Bettencourt on "Play With Me".

I've always liked Clapton on "Crossroads" and Allman and Betts on "One Way Out"
Need more slide in the list.
And more of the Brit blues players, like Kim Simmonds, Mick Taylor, Mick Abrahams, Alvin Lee, Rory Gallagher
And Frank Zappa's got some good stuff too
And Micheal Bloomfield, Steve Howe, John Cippolina, Harvey Mandel............

There's lots of great stuff below the well known stuff :yes:

I never liked long guitar or other instruments solos,but there are a few wich i like :
_Eagles_Hotel California._Don Felder & Joe Walsh.
_Deep Purple_Child in Time_Ritchie Blackmore.
_Led Zeppelin_Tea For One._Jimmy Page.
_Lou Reed_Sweet Jane._Steve Hunter & Dick Wagner.

Any guitar solos (even the small ones) from Frank Zappa,Jimmy Hendrix,Carlos Santana,Steve Howe,James Williamson,Mick Ronson,Robert Quine,Tom Verlaine,Johnny Marr,Slash,Prince or Brian Setzer.

...and i still remember the speedy gonzalez of guitar solos Mr.Alvin Lee.

clint.

The bass guitar in Lesson in love- Level 42.

Judas Priest: You've Got Another Thing Comin'
Queensryche:
Extreme: Get the Funk Out
Dream Theater: Any solo by John Petrucci!
AC/DC: You Shook Me All Night Long/Whole 'Lotta Rosie
Y&T: Meanstreak
Iron Maiden: Powerslave
Lizzy Borden: Lord of the Flies
Ratt: Between the Eyes(Warren de Martini was underrated)
Ozzy Osbourne: No More Tears(Zakk Wylde)
Dokken: Lightning Stikes Again
Pink Floyd: Young Lust
Krokus: Screaming in the Night
Joe Satriani: Summer Song
Edgar Winter: Frankenstein
Robin Trower: Bridge of Sighs
Stevie Ray Vaughn: Little Wing
Jimi Hendrix: All Along the Watchtower
Blue Oyster Cult: Don't Fear the Reaper
Boston: Foreplay/Long Time

There are soooooooooo many more...it's actually hard to pull them out of your head!

the guitar solo on Bill Dogget's Honky Tonk. don't know his name.

Not sure if it really qualifies as a solo, but how's about the guitar rave-up at the end of "Turn On Your Love Light" on Live/Dead?

"And leave it on!" :-)

Tito & Los Tarantula :thmbsp:
"From Dusk Till Dawn" Picture by Tarantino.

Reeves Gabrels_On David Bowie's_Earthling. :thmbsp:

clint.

One guitar solo I really like is by Lindsey Buckingham on 'I'm So Afraid', off of the Fleetwood Mac Live album/CD.

What makes a good rock guitar solo? I listened to some solos on the list that I have and am going to try to differentiate what makes a solo good from one that is just noise. First off, my credentials, I've been listening to hard guitar rock since I was 12, so I think I understand rock guitar music quite well.
Let's take a song by Steve Vai 'For the Love of God'. Technically it perfect, too perfect, and thus took skill to play, but lacks creativity. It also fails to convey emotion. To put it simply it is boring and just alot of noise.
Then compare it to Anya by Ritchie Blackmore. Here he uses different tempos to creat a mood. Employs wondelful hard rock riff technic, makes the guitar wail with just the right amount of distortion, the sound of his guitar. Builds the solo to a cresendo while maintaining the theme. What an adrenaline rush! Makes me pull out the air guitar every time.
Its not a matter of just playing high notes and the riff doesn't have to be complicated. But it must incorporate proven hard rock technic and most of all convey emotion.
For someone not familiar with hard rock it probalbly all noise. But that would be the same as me commenting on jazz, music I'm unfamiliar with and don't understand. :smoke:

Well, Gilmour certainly got his props in that list....which is awesome to see. I think "Mother" and "Young Lust" also had incredible solos. ("Dogs" anyone?) In fact, "Mother" is my maybe my all time favorite (especially some of the live solos).
Lets also not forget to give the rest of the band members credit too. I think a critical link to a great solo is how it interacts with the background music. Of course this is obvious if you play guitar.
I have a problem with eruption being on the list because the whole thing is a solo and it has no context to fit into. Not that Van Halen isnt a guitar god, but something doesn't do it for me. Overall I like the list though, as well as Morden2004's. Like any ranking, I'd like to mess with it a little, but for the most part those are some great solos.

I DO agree about VAI. He has always been an excellent player 'technically'...but he has always failed to emote anything to me through the instrument. Actually, let me rephrase that. I liked his work on David Lee Roth's first solo LP, "Eat 'em and Smile", but that's it. Joe Satriani fills the gap that Vai can't seem to. PLEASE give him a listen if you haven't yet. My favorite albums of his are "Crystal Planet", "The Extremist" and of course, "Surfing with the Alien". Sugardawg - I put "Young Lust" on my list!

All great solos mentioned above. Here are two of my favorite slow paced solos:

"Lenny" - SRV
"Discovery" - Alex Lifeson

I will make this one suggestion only.
Mountain's Nantucket Sleighride from "Live The Road Goes Ever On"
The song lyrics, the interaction between Leslie West's guitar and Felix Pappalardi's bass playing along with Leslie's solo that tells you the story of Felix's great lyrics (and singing) makes this possibly my most favorite overall in this sort of category.

Nantucket Sleighride

Goodbye, little Robin-Marie
Don't try following me
Don't cry, little Robin-Marie
'Cause you know I'm coming home soon

My ships' leaving on a three-year tour
The next tide will take us from shore
Windlaced, gather in sail and spray
On a search for the mighty sperm whale

Fly your willow branches
Wrap your body round my soul
Lay down your reeds and drums on my soft sheets
There are years behind us reaching
To the place where hearts are beating
And I know you're the last true love I'll ever meet

Starbuck's sharpening his harpoon
The black man's playing his tune
An old salt's sleeping his watch away
He'll be drunk again before noon

Three years sailing on bended knee
We found no whales in the sea
Don't cry, little Robin-Marie
'Cause we'll be in sight of land soon

Great stuff.

Carl

Always need to stop what I'm doing when the guitar solo from Manfred Mann's version of "Blinded by the Light" kicks in. That and DiMeola's in "Duel Of The Jester And The Tyrant" from Return to Forever's "Romantic Warrior.

Already been posted, but my favorite guitar solo is in "Long Time" by Boston. Not the best, just my favorite. That one gets me playing air guitar just about every time. That album has another great solo at the end of "Hitch A Ride," mostly because the guitar tones are so awesome. I also love the way that song ends with those violin-like sustained notes. Just heavenly.

I also really love Clarence White's pedal-steel influenced B-Bender Tele work on the later Byrds albums.

Back to the '70's: The Carpenters. A little ditty called "Goodbye To Love." I always loved the guitar riff in the middle of the song.

Karen Carpenter. Her voice still makes me notice what I am listening to.

Always need to stop what I'm doing when the guitar solo from Manfred Mann's version of "Blinded by the Light" kicks in. That and DiMeola's in "Duel Of The Jester And The Tyrant" from Return to Forever's "Romantic Warrior.

Always loved RTF. DiMeol's guitar somewhat clinical at times, but what a player.
Clapton on Crossroads is probably the first solo I ever think about when the question about "best" is asked.
I didn't notice it on the list.
The sound of that 335 just really gets to me. He weaves those notes together so well and just never gets boring.

I'm a long-time fan of Eric Claptons guitar solos,and I think some of his best stuff came on other peoples records when he was just sitting in.Some of my favorites:
Jackie Lomax,Sour Milk Sea ,From "Is This what You Want"
Doris Troy, Give Me Back My Dynamite,From "Self- Titled"
Billy Preston,Thats The Way God Planned It, From "That The Way God Planned It"
Johnnie Johnson.Creek Mud,From " Johnnie B. Bad.Just a few of many....David

All of these so called 'solos' are not really the guitarists by themselves.....the band is always playing behing them...they're just stepping up and taking the lead.

As far as an actual solo...well, what I would consider the greatest solo 'riff' would have to be Claptons' finale on "Sitting on top of the World" from the Cream's Goodbye album. That 5 seconds of pure fire and passion, by EC ALONE, has never been topped by ANYONE, EVER. :guitar:

Go back and give it a listen to. Still puts chills up and down my spine eveytime I listen to it. Oh, I also find it VERY difficult to listen to it any lower than FULL VOLUME
"Eric Clapton please...."
"Yeah, thank you. Jack Bruce please..."

Natch :smoke:

Off Deep Purples album: "Who Do We Think We Are?

A track called...."Place in Line"
Ritchie Blackmore at his best!!

This tune breaks into a very long instrumental that I can NEVER get tired of.

I am truly shocked it has not been mentioned.

Russ

Zappa: "Watermelons in Easter Hay" on the Joe's Garage set. No bombast, not flashy, just perfect.

Steve "Mothermania" A.

Steve Howe in the YES cover of Paul Simon's America,,,you guys wanna listen to a solo that has a million elements, finesse, flash, jazz, country and rock, all in one..thats the one....or in The Yessongs version of Yours Is No Disgrace...

Anything else is just noise,,

Give me a break. The Allman Bros. "Statesboro Blues" puts it to shame, as do almost anything from Jimi Hendrix, especially Machine Gun, and Voodoo Chile, Slight Return. Get a set of ears and come back to reality dipweed. The Eagles were one of the lamest bands to set foot on American soil. Joe Walsh was ok on his own, but he slit his throat when he joined this bunch of pretenders.

Meat Puppet.
You know I'm right.

Give me a break. The Allman Bros. "Statesboro Blues" puts it to shame, as do almost anything from Jimi Hendrix, especially Machine Gun, and Voodoo Chile, Slight Return. Get a set of ears and come back to reality dipweed. The Eagles were one of the lamest bands to set foot on American soil. Joe Walsh was ok on his own, but he slit his throat when he joined this bunch of pretenders.

Meat Puppet.
You know I'm right.

All I know is that you're BANNED, Meathead!!! :yes: :thmbsp:

to quote Red Foreman:

DUMBASS!!!

Steely Dan - "Don't take me alive"

I like many Eagles tunes, but they are not tremendous players of their respective intruments...

Being from the 60's, I remember the "Who Do You Love Suite" by Quicksilver Messenger Service. Another one that I remember was Santana's "Soul Sacrifice" from Woodstock. I saw an interview with him discussing that song and he remarked that they pretty much put it together right there on stage in fromt of everyone. I know that I will get picked on for this one, but I had a neighbor back in the 70's that was a classical guitarist and he was one of the best acoustic guitarist I have ever heard. No amplifiers, no mixing boards, he was self taught and just a excellent artist with the guitar.

I like many Eagles tunes, but they are not tremendous players of their respective intruments...

I have always love Don Felder's tone and style. His solos on Hotel California and on the tune Heavy Metal(take a ride) are excellent (IMHO). :thmbsp:

Why did Joe Walsh join that group?
Like the Beatles, I can't listen to them now. Makes me terribly nostalgic.

Steve Howe in the YES cover of Paul Simon's America,,,you guys wanna listen to a solo that has a million elements, finesse, flash, jazz, country and rock, all in one..thats the one....or in The Yessongs version of Yours Is No Disgrace...

Anything else is just noise,,

I thought that was Peter Banks on that cover...first Yes Album?

Howe didn't join until they were making the third, "The Yes Album".

I thought that was Peter Banks on that cover...first Yes Album?

Howe didn't join until they were making the third, "The Yes Album".

The cover of Paul Simon's America was made after or around Close To The Edge....Remember the LP Yesterdays, an LP bewteen ner releases? It has some old songs with Banks..But America was actually arranged by Howe...Its his baby!

The cover of Paul Simon's America was made after or around Close To The Edge....Remember the LP Yesterdays, an LP bewteen ner releases? It has some old songs with Banks..But America was actually arranged by Howe...Its his baby!


I think I have everything they've ever released on vinyl or cd. Mostly cd.
That version of America has some frenetic guitar work.
The BBC studio recording I have sourced from a file a friend copied makes Howe's guitar tough to listen to, in fact the entire song doesn't do the album version justice.
Always thought it was Banks bc of similarity in styles and familiarity with "Time and a Word" as well as "Yes" eponymously titled.
I stand corrected on that one.

The cover of Paul Simon's America was made after or around Close To The Edge
No it was way before that, they performed it the first time I saw them when I was a senior in HS and they were on their The Yes album tour.
A Time And A Word IIRC, but I ain't looking it up. :tongue:


Carl

carl,, A Time and Word still had Banks....America has Steve and Rick Wakeman on it (who's first album was Fragile),,,(so maybe when they toured Fragile you saw it?), as well as Bill Bruford...so it has to be after The Yes Album, but before Bruford left to King Crimson right after they started touring the Close to The Edge LP...

If you ever saw the video clips of when they recorded America (in the YesYears video), they are definitely post or at Close To The Edge era..

No, they didn't do it on the Fragile tour show I saw, it was The Yes Album tour show for sure. Thought it was pretty cool too.

Carl

Ok, I just checked....The track was first recorded for The Age of Atlantic album which was released in July 1972....

I graduated HS in 72. :)

Carl

I graduated HS in 72. :)

Carl


They had electric guitars then??? :D

Well, The Yes Album was in 1969, so it couldnt have been,,they might have played the songs as they were popular, especially I've Seen All Good People, Starship Trooper (another classic kick ass guitar solo), Yours Is No Disgrace...Steve Howe just rocked everywhere...no other guitarrist compares!

Another 2 disc album: Tales From Topographic Oceans...White's first album with Yes.
Can't recall how many times I listened to that on 3 week odyssey with a friend to Lake Louise and back.

Managed to catch Yes and Gentle Giant in concert at the Kingdome (Seattle) the first week in '76.

One I haven't seen mentioned yet, Bron-Y-Aur by Jimmy Page.

I looked up in my BGP database and it was this show:
3/10/72 Winterland
Black Sabbath
Yes
Wild Turkey
I went and bought The Yes Album the next day. :) It was the newest on the shelves and they did perfom it all. I assumed it was the current release.
They had electric guitars then??? :butt2:
Think it was my first concert with a Moog being used.

Carl

No it was way before that, they performed it the first time I saw them when I was a senior in HS and they were on their The Yes album tour.
A Time And A Word IIRC, but I ain't looking it up. :tongue:


Carl

Nope, not on that album...I did check. So "Yesterdays" must have been the first time released.

Roger Fisher, "Magic Man" by Heart
Bernie Marsden / Mickey Moody "Child of Babylon" by Whitesnake
Ronnie Montrose, "Rock Candy" by Montrose - pure SLEEEAAAZZZEE
Not a big Bill Haley fan, but the solo in "Rock Around the Clock" is pretty blazin', especially given the time it came out.
For Blackmore, I'll take Burn or Difficult to Cure.

Franco Mussida (PFM)- jam in "Four Holes in the Ground" on Celebration (Live)

First off, I think that anybody that ever was good at creating great lead solos is either dead or stuck in a rut. Second, I don't think any newer guitarists are capable of creating a great solo. For me, a great lead solo should be like a song within the main song. It should have some sort of forward movement and it should have a beginning and a middle that eventually builds up to a climax. Although I have a *long* list of favorites, the 3 guys who produced most of my faves are Ritchie Blackmore, Michael Schenker and Buck Dharma. All IMHO, of course.

Mike

a rut??

Has any of you listened to Steve Howe's solo releases called Quantum Guitar and Turbulence?? Not only does he play all guitars by and overdubs them masterfully, he kicks ax ass all over the place, and he is synonimous of playing solo with structured arrangements...His solos (or overall playing) follow the classical/jazz pattern of composition of variation in themes and then a conclusion)...

Anyone here that likes guitar music should buy online Master Guitars by Steve Howe and Martyn Taylor,,,

Did anyone mention :

Lindsay Buckingham - Fleetwood Mac.
J Mascis - Dinosuar Jr.
Robert Smith - The Cure.

clint.

The guitar duet in "Blue Sky" (Allman Brothers), with Duane Allman and Dickie Betts, is just beautiful playing.

Love the solo in "Hotel California." At first didn't like the song, now I love it...

The solo in "Comfortably Numb."

The guitar break in the Police's "So Lonely"

And the solo in Concrete Blonde's "Joey" really captures the sadness and longing of the tune...

Just a few.....

Now, there are some ghood solo's for everyone's tastes...But dont forget that the thread is about the "Greatest" ones...I personally think that most of the ones mentioned are quite mundane, although nice..

If the guitar solo has to have all the elements of a well crafted song, the best songwriters and players would most likely (IMO) have the best solos (actually, I should say the best composers of music for the instrument).

and that is a short list for me:

Steve Howe
Richard Thompson

are my top two for actually using clever chords and sequences and different time signatures, etc etc, and also being one with their instruments without being overbearing as most rock guitarrists.

Then Robert Fripp, Andy summers, Adrian Belew, Steve Hackett and Mike Oldfield comes to mind..

Most afterwards are not craftsmen, but the guitar mainly is an outlet for the rock star ego.

I personallty dont think that Santana, Hendrix, Page, Blackmore, or even Gilmore belong with the above mentioned, even if you do like their stuff better.

Did anyone mention :

Lindsay Buckingham - Fleetwood Mac.
J Mascis - Dinosuar Jr.
Robert Smith - The Cure.

clint.

I did mention Lindsey Buckingham - I'm So Afraid!! :yes:

My all-time faves:

James Honeyman-Scott
The Pretenders: Kid

Jeff "Skunk" Baxter
Steely Dan: My Old School

Pick up any solo album by Steve Morse. Incredible performer.

STOP - Joe Walsh flows with variety and playfullness, is very long but never boring.

i heard some Steve Morse,,,teh guy definitely has chops, but his playing sounds unfeeling and devoid of emotion...ever listen to his rendition of Mood For A Day? souless...Same thing that happens to Joe Satriani...the guy can obviously play scales, but its boring stuff...

Not my favorite guitarist, but the list of rock's greatest guitar solos begins AND ends with Clapton and "Crossroads" from Wheels of Fire.

Honorable mention to Jimi for the long Voodoo Chile off Electric Ladyland.

Then there's Frank Zappa, who never played a bad note in his life.

For me, a great lead solo should be like a song within the main song. It should have some sort of forward movement and it should have a beginning and a middle that eventually builds up to a climax.
Mike

Going by that criterion I'd have to include Slash, but I'd have a hard time singling out just one song as his absolute best example. Maybe "Sweet Child of Mine".

I'd also name the All American Boy version of Rick Derringer "Rock and Roll Hootchie Koo" as a good example of just that - a solo that has clearly defined sections with a buildup and resolution.

Same could be said for either Iommi's middle or outro solo on War Pigs.

I don't think anyone has mentioned Robbie Kreiger from the Doors yet? I can think of many songs where his guitar has stood out, even when playing opposite Ray Manzarek. Like "Light My Fire", "The End", "Five to One", many many others.

Dave Davies - You Really Got Me....or was that Jimmy Page?

This is a tough one since there are so many amazing solo's from this Force of Nature. Buck Dharma - the outro from Moon Crazy off BOC's Mirrors LP.

If I were to name my favorite guitar solo, it would have to be from Uriah Heep's Salisbury album. The title song, Salisbury, is performed with an orchestra. It is about 20 minutes long and the lead solo towards the end, which is actually done in 3 parts, each part hotter than the previous one, still continues to give me goosebumps and forces me out of my chair to play air guitar. Hell, I get goosebumps just thinking about.

Mike

Dave Davies - You Really Got Me....or was that Jimmy Page?

Absolute Blasphemy.

The solo on "Juke Box Music" is still one of my all time Dave favorites, as is the solo on "Education" The little brother could play.

Slash??

and burn.

That he does. AKA Mr. Saul Hudson, of Guns & Roses, lately of Velvet Revolver fame.

Assuming you meant "Who's Slash" not "Why Slash" or "Suhweeteffenjayazuss you can't really mean SLASH"? In which case I'd have to cite my favorite solos by James Young or dast I say it Ace Frehley.

I meant it as in why Slash,,,it seems that everyone and their brother qualifies for the Greatest rock solos.....

Absolute Blasphemy.


The solo on "Juke Box Music" is still one of my all time Dave favorites, as is the solo on "Education" The little brother could play.

Agree completely, but the rumors persist.

Not a solo per se, but Dave's fret work on the Kinks cover of Too Much Monkey Business is superb.

Pink Floyd
Comfortably Numb
That solo gives me goose bumps everytime I hear it.
Magical :yes:

If I were to name my favorite guitar solo, it would have to be from Uriah Heep's Salisbury album. The title song, Salisbury, is performed with an orchestra. It is about 20 minutes long and the lead solo towards the end, which is actually done in 3 parts, each part hotter than the previous one, still continues to give me goosebumps and forces me out of my chair to play air guitar. Hell, I get goosebumps just thinking about.

Mike


Is Mick Box still alive?
Does the anthology include this version? I have it, just haven't listened to UH for many years.

Is Mick Box still alive?
Does the anthology include this version? I have it, just haven't listened to UH for many years.

Yeah, I think Mick is still alive, but he forgot how to play guitar a good while back. I don't think you'll find the song Salisbury on any of the greatest hits compilations since it is such a long song. Good to see another UH fan.

Mike

That he does. AKA Mr. Saul Hudson, of Guns & Roses, lately of Velvet Revolver fame.

Assuming you meant "Who's Slash" not "Why Slash" or "Suhweeteffenjayazuss you can't really mean SLASH"? In which case I'd have to cite my favorite solos by James Young or dast I say it Ace Frehley.


Gotta love Ace. "Parasite" on Alive and "Shock Me" on Alive II.

Slash is cool, too - always loved "November Rain"

The Slash solo in the cover of The Dead Boys by The Guns and Roses in " Spaghetti Incident" Album is very good.

clint.

I have to say Slash has some incendiary chops. Don't own anything by Gand R nor Velvet Revolver, but what I've heard of him impresses me.

Little Brother is/was a monster. Dingus, if you want to read his book for cheap, PM me.

My comment "and burn" meant nothing. I don't think I ever heard a Guns and Roses song, or one by Velvet Revolver either.

Slash's bits in November Rain always makes me reach for the volume knob and hope the neighbors don't call the fuzz. Others that net the same response are Frank Zappa's solos on Dog Breath and Uncle Remus, You older East Coasters might remember Jon "The Cat" Gatto from The Good Rats. His solos on Tasty and Injun Joe are Phenomenal! Leslie West does some tasty licks on Swamp Boy that get overlooked a lot. Finally, don't forget Dave Ball's blistering solo on Procul Harum's (Live) Conquistador!

Any track from Pat Metheny's New Chautauca.
Almost all the tracks from Frank Zappa's Shut up an' play yer guitar some more

Oh God ! Greatest/Best guitar solos ??? That' impossible to say with so many hundreds of great guitar solos out there (that only in my opinion) quailify as GREAT , at one time or another. Yea I can have a favorite guitar solo last only until I hear or am reminded of another favorite. Speedy technical scales & acrobats etc. ? Done all that. and those solos fascinate me and surely require skill and practice but I also enjoy or even prefer hearing a guitar solo that even I could play with one hand tied behind my back. One of those Fav solos that keep coming to mind that gets me right there every time is : Leslie West from the MOUNTAIN "Climbing"LP doin' "Theme for an Imaginary Western" Yea , I can enjoy long skilled drawn out solos too but today it's this one from Leslie. Also Thanks you 2 who posted & reminded me about Mick Box on "Salisbury" Uriah Heep and I do seem to remember Dave Ball playin' a tasty solo on Procal Harum "Live" Back in the day ! Cheers !

I didn't see anyone mention Jimi Hendrix' solo during "Machine Gun" on the 'Band of Gypsys' album. Definitely one of my all time favorites.

I nominate Kid Congo Powers' solo on The Cramps' New Kind of Kick - probably best known to most of you as a Miller Beer commercial.

Goosebumps - Intro to Greengrass & Hightides, The Outlaws.

Not yet mentioned - Hawaii's Willy K. on dam' near anything.

Ron.

My vote in for Best Rock Guitar Solo Of All Time; Comfortably Numb. I think it's incredble for several different reasons - Firstly, It's split into two halves, a rarety in most rock songs where the musical real estate is very valuable and often fought over internally until the result is mostly mud. It's also brilliant in that it fits the song so seamlessly, and enhances the musical experience with every note that's played working always towards the musical climax. There's not one wasted note.

I would also like to add the following musical anecdote that I read in a Guitar World about 20 - 25 years ago. David was having trouble writing the solo for CN, and had said (very humbly I thought) that he wasn't sure how to proceed. The rest of the piece was already roughed in and its structure was fixed & complete except for Gilmour's part. He knew what he wanted, he could hear it in his head, he just couldn't quite play it. After struggling for some time he eventually came up with the solo as heard in the final piece by whistling the entire solo over the master track into a small tape deck, and then learning it note for note on his guitar.

I can't remember if it is a solo, but Peter Green belts it out in "Oh Well" when he was with Fleetwood Mac in the early days.

My own.... :lmao:

After 86 posts, I would think that Peter Frampton in Frampton Comes Alive deserves some mention! The solo he uses in "Do You Feel like We Do" to transition from the funky vocal effects to the main part of the song (or is it the next song?) just explodes - another "goosebump effect." I never heard of anything he did before or since that came close to touching that one.

I totally agree w/Comfortably Numb as #1! The emotion Gilmore pours into it really sets it off. And I'm glad Rush got 4 mentions, but would change their rank order around a bit - but put credit where credit is due -- That's Alex Lifeson we're talkin' about!

So many great solos, so little time and server space to write about 'em!

"Ratt: Between the Eyes(Warren de Martini was underrated)"

Ok, I just found this thread- but how cool to read this! I thought I was the only one who thought so!

Ok, I skimmed, but did anyone mention Bodhisattva by Steely Dan?

Lots of great list. I dug out some of my old Neil Young and Crazy horse stuff and forgot how much I liked Cowgirl in the Sand, Down by the River, and Everybody Knows This is Nowhere. But I think it's closer to a duet bewteen Young and Danny Whitten than a straight-up solo.

Randall

David Gilmour-Comfortably Numb
Anything by Johnny Thunders

It's hard to sway from my main man Jimi, but he's got so many good solos I can't pick a favorite. Also Page's melodic solos are amazing as well, and Gilmour is amazing, but off the top of my head Dreams by The Allman Brothers Band has one of the best solos I've ever heard. Full of the type of passionate playing that you just don't hear anymore.

Alvin Lee from Ten Years after solo on Wood Choppers Ball, from Ten Year After-Undead.
Becks Boogie - Jeff Beck

I don't know how many people have heard Hendrix' "Nine to the Universe" album. It's all jazz instrumental with keyboard and some drums in the background. Lots of great solo passages; Hendrix was a natural for jazz as well as his own single-handed redirection of rock guitar.

That's weird that you mention that album John. I was on a site called rateyourmusic.com like a month ago and I saw that this album was highly rated. I had never heard of it and Hendrix is my all time favorite so I ordered a vinyl copy online. I hear there's a lot of jamming and hendrix's jams are sometimes the closest you can get to heaven. But this damn Dual TT i have doesn't spin true (the platter slightly undulates) and you can hear it warping the sound a little on some recordings. So I'm sure I'll be a fan in due time.

I'm going to bump this thread because I'd like to comment on a couple of things. First, dingus, you're right on about Elliot Easton being an amazing soloist! I'm a huge Cars fan, and they just wouldn't be the same without him! His solo in Tonight She Comes is my favourite, it's all over the place but somehow he makes it work beautifully.

Another one that NEEDS to be mentioned here is Alex Lifeson of Rush. Bar none my favourite guitarist, the solo in Limelight is (IMO) the greatest ever played. It reaches emotional (and literal) heights that I don't think any other solo can touch. Lifeson is a consummate soloist, every one of his is unique and utterly original, but extremely moving and powerful.

...I'm glad Rush got 4 mentions, but would change their rank order around a bit - but put credit where credit is due -- That's Alex Lifeson...

Beat ya to it. :tongue:

Haha okay, I admit I skipped over the middle pages! My mistake!

..."Discovery" - Alex Lifeson

Actually, ldatlof beat me to it. :sigh:

My friend asked me what I thought of Alex Lifeson's guitar playing. I know he's a great guitarist. And Rush wouldn't be Rush without him but I think of him more as an abstract guitarist for lack of a better word.
Don't get me wrong, he could be the greatest rock guitarist. He Just has a unique style and does not a standout as a soloist. :smoke:

Alex's older stuff had more solo material (e.g. La Villa Strangiato, various parts of 2112) I think it falls into the "very good" category - better than the 50+ rankings but not top 10.

Alex's newer material (post Moving Pictures) isn't much for solos, but he developed a really cool, unique layered sound that blends in with everything else really well. I think he pretty much perfected it by the time "Echoes" came out. I guess you could refer to all of that later work as being more "abstract". I think it lifted his playing from just "very good" to greatness but not in this category.

Jerry Garcia: Dark Star
Jorma Kaukonen: The House at Pooneil Corners, Somebody to Love, Spare Chaynge
Richard Thompson: Calvary Cross, Hand of Kindness

Steely Dan - "Don't take me alive"

Yeppur, by a long, long, long shot.
Possibly the most amazing 25 seconds recorded......Ever.
I sure am glad someone else heard it as I have.
100 years from now, music teachers the world over will be marveling at what Donald and Walter did, and it will be treated like Mozart, Bach, and the like.

I've heard so many guitar solos in my 45 years, most of them good, and I'm grateful for these artists that we have them & their work.

The one guitar solo that makes me feel the best, the one which gives me goosebumps almost everytime I hear it, isn't by Hendrix or Clapton or Paige or even SRV. It's a 6 minute or so solo that I first heard only 4 years ago, even though it's amost 40 years old now.

It's called Blue Sky by the Allman Brothers, and features first Dickey Betts & then Duane Allman.