Is it "Eruption" by Van Halen? "Voodoo Chile" by Jimi Hendrix? "Suicide Solution" from the Tribute album by Ozzy and Randy Rhoads? "Wicked Sensation" by the Lynch Mob with Dokken's George Lynch? What do you think?

As soon as I saw the title here, I knew it'd be too easy to jump right to the shredders. But I think what makes a guitar solo great is not only speed, but taste too. The ones that're memorable & nearly anyone can hum from memory & get right.


So yeah- I gotta give huge praise for "Eruption", but George Harrison's solo in "Something" is fantastic. And Clapton's solo on George's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is one we all know.

Brian May on "We Will Rock You" is another great.

Jimmy Page on "Stairway" is one everybody & their jester knows by heart.

The solos on Steely Dan's "Reeling In The Years" are others.

the solo in Bill Haley's "Rock Around The Clock" is amazing early stuff.

And a *big* one is Hendrix doing the Star Spangled Banner.

I like the solo's in "Black Betty" by Ram Jam and "Ramblin' Man" by the Allman brothers. Awesome. :nod:

Originally posted by Rickenbacker
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Brian May on "We Will Rock You" is another great.



The solos on Steely Dan's "Reeling In The Years" are others.

the solo in Bill Haley's "Rock Around The Clock" is amazing early stuff.

All greats!:D


I LOVE Reelin in the Years!!!!!!!!!!!!!:rock:

Yeah, I didn't want to include just the "Shreddin' dudes" of the 80's, I was also thinking of SRV, but I couldn't pick one song to use as an example, because he had so many good songs.

Of all the great solos done in the last 40-odd years, it's next to impossible to choose only one anyway. This kinda thing *has* to be a list.

Very hard to choose.I'll just name some,

Bill Haley's Rock Around the Clock solo.

Elvis's second guitar solo in Hound Dog

Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit

Metallica's Enter Sandman

Chuck Berry's Johnny B. Goode

======

So many other great guitar solos.

WOW what a great question. So very hard to answer too. And I can't believe noone mentioned LED ZEPPELIN come on people. Jimmy Page was amazing. "Since I've been Loving You" on the live "Song Remains The Same" concert in Madison Square Garden... It blew my mind.

Not to mention Jimi Hendrix's many many fine guitar solos. "Watchtower" and "Voodoo Child" are freakin amazing. Then at woodstock when he did the "Star Spangled Banner" :rock: damn!

Also Santana at Woodstock. When he did the song "Soul Sacrafice"

Don't forget Mettalica and their lead guitar solos....
"Orion" "Unforgiven" too many to name... :D:D:D:D

oh an a guitar solo doesn't have to be fast to be good :)

Originally posted by MonarC
WOW what a great question. So very hard to answer too And I can't believe noone mentioned LED ZEPPELIN come on people.

Not to mention Jimi Hendrix's many many fine guitar solos. Then at woodstock when he did the "Star Spangled Banner" :rock: damn!



a-HEM!! see above... ;)

Originally posted by MonarC
WOW what a great question. So very hard to answer too. And I can't believe noone mentioned LED ZEPPELIN come on people. Jimmy Page was amazing. "Since I've been Loving You" on the live "Song Remains The Same" concert in Madison Square Garden... It blew my mind.

Not to mention Jimi Hendrix's many many fine guitar solos. "Watchtower" and "Voodoo Child" are freakin amazing. Then at woodstock when he did the "Star Spangled Banner" :rock: damn!

Also Santana at Woodstock. When he did the song "Soul Sacrafice"

Don't forget Mettalica and their lead guitar solos....
"Orion" "Unforgiven" too many to name... :D:D:D:D

oh an a guitar solo doesn't have to be fast to be good :)

"Heartbreaker" works for me.:cool:

:lol:

actually there are some guitar solos in her music but not where near close to those guys :)

I have to nominate Charlie Whitney's first solo (there were two) from the title song of Family's 1970 album A Song For Me. I know none of you have heard it, but trust me, this one rocks! Whitney sprays notes from his guitar like bullets from a machine gun! He isn't technically good like Hendrix or Clapton, but he can make a guitar sound really violent. (And he looked pretty imposing on stage with a double-necked Gibson! :cool: )

I also have to add Neil Young's guitar solo on Buffalo Springfield's "Mr. Soul."

"Little Wing" by Stevie Ray Vaughn

B. B. King - The Thrill is Gone

Neal Schon - Who's Crying Now, Lights, I'll Be Alright Without You

Chuck Berry - Anything he plays

George Harrison - Hard Days Night


:guitar: :rock:

"Headed for a Heartbreak ", by Winger, performed by Reb Beach on guitar.

Keith Richards -- Honky Tonk Woman
And just for sheer catchyness and longevity -- Satisfaction

Heartbreaker - Jimmy Page
(love the fact that the solo is not played perfectly)

Kid Charlemagne - Larry Carlton (Steely Dan)

I have to think of others.

'Layla' -- Derek and the Dominos. Along with the piano, the instrumental to that song is one of my favorite pieces of music. I once sat in my parked car, outside a grocery store, waiting for the song to finish.
It reminds me of my favorite movie too, Goodfellas. :D

Originally posted by Janice
'Layla' -- Derek and the Dominos. Along with the piano, the instrumental to that song is one of my favorite pieces of music. I once sat in my parked car, outside a grocery store, waiting for the song to finish.
It reminds me of my favorite movie too, Goodfellas. :D

Layla is a great solo- I think the best part of the song though is when it slows down and interacts with the piano at the end.
You can almost feel the heartbreak of Clapton at that point, it is so bittersweet. The juxtaposition of that with the roaring beginning- it's like you can tell he feels helpless about what to do and how much in love he is.

I can't name one specific song, but the all time best innovator and internal song solosit is James Burton.

And you certainly have to include on this list the electric guitar soloing on Ten Years After's "I'd Love to Change the World."

Stephen Stills -- Black Queen

Originally posted by Janice
'Layla' -- Derek and the Dominos. Along with the piano, the instrumental to that song is one of my favorite pieces of music. I once sat in my parked car, outside a grocery store, waiting for the song to finish.
It reminds me of my favorite movie too, Goodfellas. :D

Janice, I cannot listen to "Layla" now, without thinking of that part of Goodfellas where it's played.

My choice--it may not be the BEST guitar solo in music history but I've always liked Nuno Bettencourt playing his solo in Extreme's "Decadence Dance". He also does a solo piece on the same CD called "The Flight of the Wounded Bumble Bee".:guitar: :guitar:

Joe Walsh's dirty outro solo on the James Gang's "Walk Away" rocks! :guitar: :guitar:

Also -

Jimi Hendrix - "Are You Experienced"

Rush's Alex Lifeson - "Limelight"

Jeff Beck - "Heart Full of Soul" by the Yardbirds

John Fogerty's intro on CCR's "Hey Tonight"

:guitar: :rock:

Lindsey Buckingham in Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac.

Originally posted by King Juke "N" Jive
All greats!:D


I LOVE Reelin in the Years!!!!!!!!!!!!!:rock:

Me too!:dance: :clap: :guitar: :yourock:

definitely "Eruption" by Eddie Van Halen