It's hard to even wrap one's head around a list of guitar solos, but there was one omission from the Rolling Stone list that floored me -- the guitar solo in Bill Haley & The Comets' "Rock Around the Clock". It's a great solo on one of the most important singles in music history.
What I'd like to see is a list of the greatest guitar solos that's been curated by other great guitarists. What are the solos that make the best guitar wizards in the world sit up and take notice?
I don’t understand these lists, but if you are picking the best rock guitar solos and don’t include anything from Frank Zappa (Inca Roads, Montana), or Adrian Belew (Elephant Talk, Born Under Punches) then I don’t have confidence in the data, unless maybe they consider those “jazz”
The "Petite Etude" is very nice. Thanks for the suggestion.
In my opinion, this is a complicated subject that requires a lengthy explanation. What do you like and why? For me, the simplest statement is that I like a solo that takes me somewhere.
I suspect the Rolling Stone list suffers the same problem as the recent New York Times list, a perceived need to include many eras, artists, etc. In the case of a couple of important guitarists, I thought they picked the wrong song.
My favorite guitar record from last year is "Live at the American Legion Post 82" by Billy Strings and Bryan Sutton. Two master guitar pickers in the bluegrass tradition. If you have four minutes to spare, listen to how excited the audience is, both before and after the duo's first song of the night. You can't fake that.
I'm glad (and not surprised) to see that the crowd-sourced list is much more diverse (and accurate, IMO), than the Rolling Stone ranking.
Still, collapsing this to a single dimension ("best solo") feels inadequate in many ways. There clearly isn't room for everything that should be on there, but I would still point out some glaring omissions near the top: Leslie West of Mountain needs to be on here. If he was, it would likely end up being for Mississippi Queen, but it should really be for either the epic work on live album version of Nantucket Sleighride, or maybe for Southbound Train from Woodstock. But he needs to be on there for something.
Then of course, there's a severe lack of twin lead bands on this list. Or maybe twin leads need their own lists. But even if we just isolate one guitar at a time from one of those bands, I think Maiden and Priest should be on there. For Maiden, there are plenty to chose from on Piece of Mind and Powerslave, and I would pick something from Sad Wings of Destiny for Priest.
And then there are all the bands that are unfairly not known for their lead guitar work, like Heart, for example. There are some live recordings of Crazy on You that will blow you away. Or even Fleetwood Mack on some live versions of Rhiannon.
And as my neurons start to warm up some old connections, I'm brought to some absolutely epic versions of Almost Cut My Hair, like the Wembley version (I think?). And I haven't even started thinking about UFO and all that.
Ideally, there would be a list based on more criteria that could be plotted in a 3D graph, for example.
Also, I will die on the hill that Comfortably Numb should be number one on the list :)
Isn't Layla more of a Duane Allman solo? The interplay between Clapton and Allman is what makes it great. The best thing about this kind of list (along with the comments) is that I can listen to music that I haven't heard or have forgotten.
I spent a little time looking into this. Duane plays the slide which is vital but I felt like the solo was more Clapton. Probably fair to credit them both
Does “Aqualung” have a guitar solo? Sure. But it’s not one of the first things that comes to my mind when I think of “Aqualung”
You're right, but I've noticed that solo, and the reason it's on anyone's list is that it complements the song so perfectly. A solo doesn't have to be flashy and full of technique to be great. It just has to do its job.
I generally hate guitar solos, but make exceptions for Marquee Moon and New Day Dawning by Felt. If you haven't heard it, the solo (played by Richard Left) begins at the 3:54 mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lNbFBoouPk
Interesting, at one point Lawrence of Felt asked Tom Verlaine to produce the band but was turned down.
All these lists largely overlook the best source/versions of guitar solos, which is concert recordings. I assume Freebird is from the live album (various repackaging of the Fox Theatre 1976 show) but omits Prince’s While My Guitar at R&RHOF tribute to George Harrison, and Jerry Garcia on any second set song on any above average night in the ‘70s. Also missing from studio albums: Stevie Ray Vaughan Texas Flood, Carlos Santana Samba Pa Ti, Mick Taylor Can’t You Hear Me Knocking, and this is just top of my head recollections.
It's hard to even wrap one's head around a list of guitar solos, but there was one omission from the Rolling Stone list that floored me -- the guitar solo in Bill Haley & The Comets' "Rock Around the Clock". It's a great solo on one of the most important singles in music history.
What I'd like to see is a list of the greatest guitar solos that's been curated by other great guitarists. What are the solos that make the best guitar wizards in the world sit up and take notice?
I’ll never forget reading that Jimmy Page’s favorite solo was Elliott Randall’s brilliant work on Steely Dan’s Reelin’ In The Years!
Rock is in great health and to prove it here's the same list of greatest guitar solos that we've been fretting out since 1996.
Speaking of Rik Emmett, his recent book 'Ten Telecaster Tales' is quite insightful and enlightening. It's definately worth a read.
I’m a fan of the solo on Waiting Room by Fugazi, it’s just a few seconds of guitar noise but it fulfills the purpose.
I don’t understand these lists, but if you are picking the best rock guitar solos and don’t include anything from Frank Zappa (Inca Roads, Montana), or Adrian Belew (Elephant Talk, Born Under Punches) then I don’t have confidence in the data, unless maybe they consider those “jazz”
Data is fun!
That’s what I’m saying
The "Petite Etude" is very nice. Thanks for the suggestion.
In my opinion, this is a complicated subject that requires a lengthy explanation. What do you like and why? For me, the simplest statement is that I like a solo that takes me somewhere.
I suspect the Rolling Stone list suffers the same problem as the recent New York Times list, a perceived need to include many eras, artists, etc. In the case of a couple of important guitarists, I thought they picked the wrong song.
My favorite guitar record from last year is "Live at the American Legion Post 82" by Billy Strings and Bryan Sutton. Two master guitar pickers in the bluegrass tradition. If you have four minutes to spare, listen to how excited the audience is, both before and after the duo's first song of the night. You can't fake that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd464gjnYt0
That was really good.
I'm glad (and not surprised) to see that the crowd-sourced list is much more diverse (and accurate, IMO), than the Rolling Stone ranking.
Still, collapsing this to a single dimension ("best solo") feels inadequate in many ways. There clearly isn't room for everything that should be on there, but I would still point out some glaring omissions near the top: Leslie West of Mountain needs to be on here. If he was, it would likely end up being for Mississippi Queen, but it should really be for either the epic work on live album version of Nantucket Sleighride, or maybe for Southbound Train from Woodstock. But he needs to be on there for something.
Then of course, there's a severe lack of twin lead bands on this list. Or maybe twin leads need their own lists. But even if we just isolate one guitar at a time from one of those bands, I think Maiden and Priest should be on there. For Maiden, there are plenty to chose from on Piece of Mind and Powerslave, and I would pick something from Sad Wings of Destiny for Priest.
And then there are all the bands that are unfairly not known for their lead guitar work, like Heart, for example. There are some live recordings of Crazy on You that will blow you away. Or even Fleetwood Mack on some live versions of Rhiannon.
And as my neurons start to warm up some old connections, I'm brought to some absolutely epic versions of Almost Cut My Hair, like the Wembley version (I think?). And I haven't even started thinking about UFO and all that.
Ideally, there would be a list based on more criteria that could be plotted in a 3D graph, for example.
Also, I will die on the hill that Comfortably Numb should be number one on the list :)
Isn't Layla more of a Duane Allman solo? The interplay between Clapton and Allman is what makes it great. The best thing about this kind of list (along with the comments) is that I can listen to music that I haven't heard or have forgotten.
I spent a little time looking into this. Duane plays the slide which is vital but I felt like the solo was more Clapton. Probably fair to credit them both
Yes, their teamwork is amazing!
Duane played both solos, both on slide (one in the main section, one in the coda). Clapton did not play a solo on this song.
Sky dog!
I had to look up Skydog. Great nickname!
Great "Western" Guitar Solo list.
Which non-western solos would you include?
“214” and “Awit ng Kabataan” by Rivermaya.
For non-western, if you include Japan, I would pick Kanami Tono’s solo in Band-Maid’s Choose Me or Shinji Wajima’s solo in Ningen Isu’s Heatless Scat.
Prince deserves to be on the list twice. The second time for his live version of “My Guitar Gently Weeps” from the RRHOF 2004 awards.
I'm generally a diehard metalhead, but Reelin' in the Years easily makes my top 5
Does “Aqualung” have a guitar solo? Sure. But it’s not one of the first things that comes to my mind when I think of “Aqualung”
You're right, but I've noticed that solo, and the reason it's on anyone's list is that it complements the song so perfectly. A solo doesn't have to be flashy and full of technique to be great. It just has to do its job.
I generally hate guitar solos, but make exceptions for Marquee Moon and New Day Dawning by Felt. If you haven't heard it, the solo (played by Richard Left) begins at the 3:54 mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lNbFBoouPk
Interesting, at one point Lawrence of Felt asked Tom Verlaine to produce the band but was turned down.
All these lists largely overlook the best source/versions of guitar solos, which is concert recordings. I assume Freebird is from the live album (various repackaging of the Fox Theatre 1976 show) but omits Prince’s While My Guitar at R&RHOF tribute to George Harrison, and Jerry Garcia on any second set song on any above average night in the ‘70s. Also missing from studio albums: Stevie Ray Vaughan Texas Flood, Carlos Santana Samba Pa Ti, Mick Taylor Can’t You Hear Me Knocking, and this is just top of my head recollections.
The Rolling Stone list actually included Prince at the Rock Hall, Grateful Dead live, Texas Flood, and Can’t You Hear Me Knockin