The Top 100 Guitar Solos - Guitar World
A couple weeks ago I posted about Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists. But what good is discussion of artists without discussion of art?
Guitar World magazine put together a list of the one hundred greatest guitar solos by polling readers of their favorites and ranking the results. Although I don’t have a copy of the issue, I managed to find the list online at about.com. I doubt any connoisseurs of classic rock will be surprised the see some of the selections at the top.
Without further ado, the songs featuring the top ten guitar solos, the guitarists of each one, and the artist of the song featuring the solo.
- Stairway to Heaven - Jimmy Page - Led Zeppelin
- Eruption - Eddie Van Halen - Van Halen
- Freebird - Allen Collins, Gary Rossington - Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Comfortably Numb - David Gilmour - Pink Floyd
- All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix - Jimi Hendrix Experience
- November Rain - Slash - Guns ‘n’ Roses
- One - Kirk Hammet - Metallica
- Hotel California - Don Felder, Joe Walsh - The Eagles
- Crazy Train - Randy Rhoads - Ozzy Osbourne
- Crossroads - Eric Clapton - Cream
I think this is an excellent top ten list. I love every one of those guitar solos and have no problem calling them some of the best I’ve ever heard. I was especially impressed to see Hotel California, perhaps my favorite, making the top ten.
A stickler might point out that two of the songs in the top ten, along with several others in the complete one hundred, are by two guitarists and thus not solos. However, if you listen to them, I think you will realize that they match the spirit of guitar solos; they are each improvisation-style guitar licks, usually within the context of a song (though “Eruption” and “Star-Spangled Banner,” which also made the list, are guitar solos on their own, separate from other songs).
It’s interesting how only three of Rolling Stone’s top ten guitarists, Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Clapton, landed songs in the top ten. However, since this is a reader poll, it makes sense that songs by guitarists with less mainstream appeal and who don’t focus as much on acrobatic solos, such as Robert Johnson and B.B. King, would be less likely to earn votes from the general public.
My favorite part of this list is probably the few oddball songs scattered throughout, such as “Surfing With the Alien” at #30 and “Cult of Personality” at #80. I don’t listen to much classic rock radio, so I might never have listened to these songs if I hadn’t stumbled across this list. By the way, the guitar solos in both of them are mind-blowing. Look them up on YouTube.
I don’t really have many complaints with this list. I would have put Layla higher and would have ditched every non-”Teen Spirit” Nirvana solo. It is impressive that I can find so little to nitpick with on such a huge list, though. Definitely check it out.
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I agree it tough to argue with most of these, but I will anyway…
I think Stairway’s #1 spot is mostly due to the fact that so many people THINK it’s the best solo ever, but I think Eruption, Freebird, and One are definitely better.
I’m also a big Hotel California fan, but I’m torn between being glad it’s so high up and being mad that it’s not higher.
Also, I think Dani California should’ve been on there… probably not top 10, but on the list somewhere. (Maybe it was and I just missed it.)
And just to get it out there, I absolutely love the solo at the end of Wet Sand, also by Red Hot Chili Peppers, but it’s fairly simple, so I can see why it’s not on the list.
To quote the user Tolmage from YouTube,
“its not about speed, its about perfection.”
I didn’t mention it in the post, but I think Eruption is a bit overrated. It’s wicked fast, but no solo sounds cooler than Stairway, in my opinion.
But you may be right, it may just be number one because everyone grew up blindly thinking it was because of its reputation. I, however, really believe it is the greatest.
As for RHCP, I’m pretty sure Stadium Arcadium came out too late for this list. But I do like both of those solos.
Good points. When was this list compiled btw?
what? no power rangers guitar solo?
thats wrong man
pantsman = brad right now
LOL Brad.
For those of you who don’t know what he’s talking about:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojqy31tVzig
[1:00-1:08]
Amilie, to answer your question, I cannot find when it was published, but I think I saw it online about two years ago, which would put it too recent for anything on Stadium Arcadium. Even if the album had been out, it was too new for any of its songs to earn a spot on the list.
I used to have a website called Guitarinfo.com back in the day, and I had a section for the 100 greatest solo. My favorite is One by Metallica.
http://web.archive.org/web/20000301083453/http://www.guitarinfo.com/
Lets take a look at the top 10.
1. Stairway to Heaven: Stairway is the best, its even better live because Page adds so much more to it. It deffinently deserves to be at number 1.
2. Eruption: this is just one of Eddie’s warm ups. Of course Eddie is great but this is not the 2nd best solo I have ever heard.
3. Freebird: No No No, and just No. This is a long solo but too repetitive and boring. Its not even that hard to play. I have learned to play most of the solo’s in the top 10 and this is the easiest one. But its not just that, the fact is that this is not the 3rd best solo ever. No Way.
4. Comfortably Numb: this is a great solo, better then freebird thats for sure. This one actually fits in with the song like the Stairway solo. Not the fastest solo but the tone and timing is perfect.
5. All Along The Watch Tower: This probably deserves to be at number 2 or 3, played over the same chords as stairway. Those are just good chords to solo over because thay give a very dramatic sound.
6. November Rain: Good solo, I dont know about number 6 of all time though. There are actually 2 solos on this song, both are graet.
7. One: Ok, I love this song but I never thought that it had one of the best solo’s. I think Fade to Black has a better solo. Kirk Hammet is great and I think that his solo on Fade to Black is better far as the build up and structure. One is harder but not as epic.
8. Hotel California: Ive always loved this solo. Far better then freebird. This solo really fits in well and is quite a haunting way to end a great song.
9. Crazy Train: Great solo, Randy was one of the best. This solo has calssical elements to it, mostly because of randys love for classical. Worthy of the top 10.
10. Crossroads: This is not the best solo Ive heard. Clapton is quite overrated. Not worthy of the top 10.
what the hell is wrong with you. eric is a freakin god
omfg you are crazy!!!!!!! alex lifeson is a freakin god! so is his solo in working man
metallica blows balls, you might as well just be crediting dave mustaine considering the fact that they stole all of his music and dave is a way more talented musician.