Top 10 Guitar Solos

boomstick

Silver Member
A guitar solo can be a moment of musical awesomeness. When it's done well, it can send chills down your spine. Here's a list of some of my favorite guitar solos, in no particular order. Some are examples of mastery on the instrument, others are noteworthy because they are unique, and some are great because they fit the song perfectly, but most encompass all of these qualities.

My Sharona - Berton Averre - The Knack (Rocks until tomorrow and back.)
Bulls on Parade - Tom Morello - Rage Against the Machine (Very cool and unique solo.)
Cherub Rock - Billy Corgan - Smashing Pumpkins (Perfection.)
Little Wing - Hendrix (About as good as it gets.)
Love Removal Machine - Billy Duffy - The Cult (It just plain rocks.)
Comfortably Numb - David Gilmour - Floyd (Spine tingling.)
Easy - Thomas McClary - The Commodores (Simple, but so effective.)
Ice Cream Man - Eddie Van Halen (Pure fun.)
Sweet Child O Mine - Slash - GnR (Just excellent.)
Viorar Vel Til Loftarasa - Jón “Jónsi” Þór Birgisson - Sigur Rós (Awe inspiring crescendo.)

What are your top 10 guitar solos?
 
Few of my favorites, in no specific order:

Song - Guitarist - Band - Track Time

Advanced Corpse Tumor - Muhammed Suiçmez - Necrophagist - 2:20

Don't let the name fool you, this is a VERY good song. Technical death metal with classical overtones. Has the cookie monster vocals, but I urge everyone who enjoys an astounding guitar solo to check this track out

Legions of the Serpent - Michale Keene - The Faceless - 2:25
Another one with a similar story, tech death with a bit of classical influence. Very melodic type tune, Michale Keene pulls one of the best tones out of a guitar I have ever heard.

Wrong Side - Devin Townsend - Strapping Young Lad - 1:20
If you know who Devin Townsend is then you'll love this track, one of the most interesting songs ever, combined with his unorthodox and beautiful vocal melodies, the song and the solo will never disappoint.

Crystal Mountain - Chuck Shuldiner - Death - 2:05
So I don't really feel line explaining this one. If you don't like Chuck, I think you've got a stick up your *you know where*

I'd list some more, but these are just a few that stick out. I'm not a huge guitar solo fan so criticize as you will.
 
I'm not a huge guitar solo fan so criticize as you will.
The thing is, I'm really not either. In fact, I often find them to be tedious and overbearing. However, there are some that are so well conceived and executed, I have to give them props. That's why I created the above list. Thanks for contributing some of your favs.
 
The Le Toreador by Andreas Segovia. He actually at one point makes the strings sound like a snare drum.
 
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I don't have time to pick 10, but my favorite has to be "Dark Matter" by Porcupine Tree. Steven Wilson blows my mind sometimes. His solo is the perfect example of the 'less is more' approach.
 
Thunderstruck / Back In Black / For Those About To Rock + AC/DC + Angus Young.

Mean Street + Van Halen + Edward Van Halen.

Bloodstone + Judas Priest + Glenn Tipton / K.K Downing.

Lady evil + Black Sabbath + Tony Iommi.

Transylvania + Iron Maiden + Dave Murray / Dennis Straton.

My Generation + The Who + Pete Townshend.

Dazed & Confused + Led Zeppelin + Jimmy Page.

Smoke on the water + Deep Purple + Ritchie Blackmore.

.......................
 
My favorites are:

- Cocaine - Eric Clapton
- Stairway to Heaven - Jimmy Page - Led Zeppelin
- Crossfire - Stevie Ray Vaughn
- Belief (Live from Abbey Road)- John Mayer (Might sound pretty gay I know xD)
- Let it Be - George Harrison - The Beattles
- The Unforgiven - Kirk Hammet - Metallica
- Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd
- All Along the Watchtower - Jimmy Hendrix
- Sweet Child Of Mine - Slash - Guns and Roses
- Guerilla Radio - Joe Morello - Rage against the Machine
 
Besides Stairway to Heaven...

Wow, there's so many amazing ones, that's really like choosing children.

Comfortably Numb
Nothing Else Matters (hardly a solo, but it conveys the same feeling)
Knockin' on Heavens Door (also hardly a solo, but Slash nailed it)
the obvious Sweet Child O Mine

Anything by John Petrucci really...
 
1. Child In Time (Blackmore - Deep Purple)
2. Highway Star (Blackmore - Deep Purple)
3. Lazy (Blackmore - Deep Purple)
4. Burn (Blackmore - Deep Purple)
5. Heartbreaker (Page - Led Zeppelin)
6. Good Times Bad Times (Page - Led Zeppelin)
7. Comfortably Numb (Gilmore - Pink Floyd)
8. Sweet Child of Mine (Slash - G&R)
9. Beck's Bolero (Jeff Beck)
10. Seven Steps Away (Nanji - Indigenous)
 
Hey, where are the Frank Zappa fans??? I know you guys have heard of Terry Bozzio!

One of my favorite FZ guitar solos is from Black Napkins (Zoot Allures) and is a live version at that! Bozzio is on drums. Zoot Allures is one of my desert island recordings. (BTW, I live on a desert island: Abu Dhabi!)

RIP Frank; I miss ya.

GJS
 
Some of my faves:

Because We've Ended As Lovers - Jeff Beck (From Blow By Blow). This is my fave - daylight second, tho Goodbye Pork Pie Hat from Wired is amazing too)

Since I've Been Loving You - Jimmy Page (Zep) ... also Stairway

Killer Queen - Brian May (Queen)

Another Brick in the Wall - David Gilmour (Floyd - I could easily include half a dozen of his solos)

The Thrill Is Gone - BB King

Show Biz Kids - Rick Derringer (Steely Dan)

Sister Morphine - Ry Cooder (The Stones)

Smoke on the Water - Ritche (Purple)

All Along the Watchtower - Jimi

Intro / Sweet Jane - Steve Hunter (Lou Reed's Rock'n'Roll Animal)

Batuka - Uncle Carlos (from Santana 3)

Son of Orange County - Uncle Frank (from Roxy and Elsewhere)

Om Nama Shivaya - Steve Hillage (from the album "L")

Couldn't Stand the Weather - Stevie Ray

White Room - EC is God

Ok, it's more than ten ... but there's been a lot of good uns! I didn't include the other 1000 or so gems to be found on various Steely Dan (how about Larry Carlton on Kid Charlemaine?), Beck, Queen, Purple, Zep, Floyd and BB King albums.
 
First one to come to mind:

"Covered in Rain", John Mayer

Well crafted solo, great playing.
 
Just to throw a few in:

Another Brick in the Wall - David Gilmour - Pink Floyd

Cult of Personality - Vernon Reid - Living Colour

Owner of a Lonely Heart - Trevor Rabin - Yes
 
Eruption / Van Halen.

The Ogre Battle Fight / Queen II

Voodoo Child / Jimi Hendrix
 
In No particular order,

1) Comfortably numb/PinkFloyd-David Gilmour
2) Take it on the Run/REO speedwagon---Gary Richrath (Very underrated IMO)
3) Sweet Child o mine/GNR---Slash
4) Still Got the blues/ Gary Moore (another underrated)
5) Eruption/Van Halen----Edward
6) Stranglehold/Ted Nugent----Theodore
7) Shine on/Pink Floyd----David Gilmour
8) Hotel California/Eagles----Don Felder/Joe Walsh
9 )Freebird/Lynyrd Skynyrd-----Allen Collins I believe?
10) Stairwayto heaven/Zeppelin----Jimmy Page
 
Top ten guitar solos in no particular order apart from the order that I published them in:

John Petrucci Guitar Solo - Dream Theater (listed as a song in an album, so technical)
The light that blinds - Shadows Fall (teh speed picking is speedy)
A fire in babylon - Shadows Fall (awesome)
Smoke on the water - Deep Purple (just so "progy")
Jambi - Tool (almost minimalist...uses talk box effects)
Bulls on parade - Rage against the machine (vinyl stratch effects on electric guitar)
Lonely Day - System of a down (intricate and by System)
Into the cold wastes - Abigail Williams (black metal minus vocals, ie. instrumental)
Through the fire and the flames - Dragonforce (guitar solo times 2)
"That harsh, heavy and violent song by Meshuggah" (crap that's all of them)
 
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One of my favorite FZ guitar solos is from Black Napkins (Zoot Allures) and is a live version at that! Bozzio is on drums. Zoot Allures is one of my desert island recordings. (BTW, I live on a desert island: Abu Dhabi!)


GJS


Yes and yes. One of my top favourite Zappa solos is on the outro of the Zoot Allures title track, although it's always pained me that that's about the only Zappa track ever to involve a fade out during a solo, grrrr. (If anyone has a bootleg of the entire studio out-takes from Zoot Allures please get in touch). Frank's playing on Watermelon in Easter Hay is monstrous as well.
 
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