It’s very difficult to be subjective when creating a list of the Top 10 Guitar Solos or best riffs ever. Therefore, instead of listing the usual solos that are repeated endlessly all over the internet, I’ve decided to break the topic down further into different categories and genres to include some fantastic solos that wouldn't normally make it onto a Top 10 solos list.
So, let’s get straight to it with the…
Most Influential Guitar Solo of All Time - Stairway To Heaven - Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin
In terms of influential guitarists, Jimmy Page is up there, but I would say that Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, and Randy Rhoads have influenced more budding guitarists than Page. But in terms of influential solos, Page's epic masterpiece in Stairway to Heaven just has to be the one.
For starters, nearly every guitarist learns it, it’s a right of passage to becoming a good musician. Therefore, if everyone can play it, it must to some degree have influenced how they now play. Secondly, it isn’t very difficult, which is one of the reasons everyone learns it. Having said that, even though it’s relatively easy to play, it sounds fantastic and contains so many great techniques that Jimmy executes to the finest degree.
This solo perfectly blends emotion, melody, and technique, to create a piece of music that would go on to inspire generations of guitarists. His soaring bends take the listener on an incredible musical journey that, once experienced, will never be forgotten.
Best Progressive Rock Guitar Solo - Comfortably Numb (Live) - David Gilmour, Pink Floyd
Next, we have another solo that is relatively easy to play in its most basic form, but it's nearly impossible to make it sound the way it does when Gilmour plays it.
The main reason that it’s within the capabilities of most guitarists is that you don’t need to be a speed freak to get this solo down. It’s all about tasteful phrasing, emotional bending, and playing the right note well, not 50 unnecessary ones badly.
It’s a masterclass in expressiveness and restraint. The perfectly executed soaring notes pierce through the song's haunting atmosphere while the highly emotional phrasing conveys despair and longing. It showcases simplicity and how to effectively serve the song as opposed to being a mindless shred fest to highlight a guitarist's technique.
Best Metal Guitar Solo - One, Kirk Hammett, Metallica
This was by far the most difficult category to choose a winner in because there are countless amazing guitar solos in Heavy Metal, Heavy Rock, and the other endless metal genres. But I just had to go for Kirk Hammett's epic solo in One.
The song contains a number of solos, all playing an integral part in this brutal musical saga. But the standout has to be the climactic solo that Kirk unleashes at 5:46, it's an incredible assault on the ears that perfectly highlights the unrelenting anguish and trauma of the song's subject matter. A masterclass in metal soloing!
Honorable mentions go to so many other great heavy metal solos. It’s impossible to list them all, but I will mention Metallica’s Master of Puppets, Pantera’s Floods and Cowboys from Hell, and Iron Maiden’s Powerslave. Plus there are another three legendary metal guitar solos included later in this list.
Best Guitar Solo in a Pop Song - Eddie Van Halen, Beat It, Michael Jackson
Thankfully, a far easier category to decide on than the last one with much less awesome guitar playing to consider. Steely Dan came to mind for obvious reasons, but they weren’t exactly pop. Whereas Michael Jackson, well he was the King of Pop, so obviously I had to go with one of his songs.
Personally, I prefer Dirty Diana as a song, and I love what Steve Stevens adds to it on guitar. But in terms of solos, it just had to go to EVH doing what he does best which takes the song to another level, enjoy!
Best Jazz Guitar Solo - Besame Mucho - Wes Montgomery
From an easy choice for the best pop song guitar solo, we are back to having countless contenders in this highly contested category. Jazz greats such as Django Reinhardt, Joe Pass, George Benson, Charlie Christian, Kenny Burrell, Pat Metheny, etc., etc, have all recorded incredible studio and live solos over the years. But, again, in my opinion, the No. 1 jazz guitar solo is Besame Mucho by Wes Montgomery.
The solo is in 6/4 time, as opposed to traditional 4/4, which Wes uses to create an energetic, sophisticated work of art, full of his classic musical vocabulary.
This might not be his best-known tune, but the solo is incredible and has captured the hearts of jazz aficionados worldwide.
Best Classical Guitar Solo - Recuerdos De La Alhambra - Francisco Tarrega
In terms of classical guitar, a guitar solo isn’t quite the same as when playing an electric guitar. It often simply means a solo piece for one musician, as opposed to playing a solo over a rhythm created by other musicians or a band.
This one will stretch the technique of you rock guitarists more than you can imagine. Much like flamenco, it is a completely different way of playing on what is fundamentally the same instrument.
I’ve included it because it is hauntingly beautiful, and is also one of the best pieces I know for fooling a listener/the audience that two guitars are playing when they only see one. It’s glorious, enjoy…
Coolest Guitar Solo of All Time - While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Live) - Prince
Here comes a shocker for lots of you reading this… in my opinion, Prince was not only one of the few true musical geniuses of his generation, but he was also an incredible guitarist.
He was not primarily known as a guitar player but could easily outplay most guitarists. To be honest, he could run rings around nearly any musician on most instruments - piano, drums, bass, keyboards, etc. Plus he was an incredible singer and songwriter, basically a genius!
Don’t believe me? Then check out the next video. Prince isn’t even on stage for the first three and a half minutes into the song, but when he does join the band… Well, what an entrance! It is some of the most mind-blowing live guitar playing you’ll ever see.
Best Blues Rock Guitar Solo - Tattooed Lady (Live) - Rory Gallagher
Blues Rock is another highly condensed category, but in the end, I just had to go for Rory Gallagher, one of the greatest and most underrated guitarists ever.
Everything about this solo is exceptional, from the blistering speed runs to the emotional volume swells to the absolute look of joy on his face as he plays it. His phrasing is a thing of beauty, all in all, simply the best live blues rock solo ever recorded.
Best Alternative Rock Guitar Solo - Said The People - J. Mascis/Dinosaur Jr.
This was another tough category to decide on the best solo due to the number of exceptional guitarists in great alternative bands. But the winner just has to be J. Mascis from Dinosaur Jr.
There are a number of reasons I chose this song, the first is that I love it from start to finish, and the second is that you don’t just get one guitar solo, you get lots! And each one takes you further on a sonic journey through the song as only J. Mascis can.
J. has an unorthodox technique and few guitarists, apart from Niel Young (who was a major influence on him) come close to his natural fluidity, playing what seems like random notes and rhythmic choices. But somehow, it all makes sense, even though, at times, you can’t work out why. Every solo is an adventure waiting to be explored, so check out Dinosaur Jr. for some great experimental soloing.
Best Ozzy Guitar Solo - A 3-Way Tie between - Mr. Crawley - Randy Rhoads, Bark At The Moon - Jack E. Lee, and No More Tears - Zakk Wilde
I’ll end with an unusual category, the best guitar solo on any Ozzy Osbourne song. But I just couldn’t separate my three favorites, so I decided to include them all, so you get 12 solos instead of 10, but when they’re this good, who’s counting?
Mr. Crawley - Randy Rhoads
As Ozzy said in his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a solo artist), “If I hadn’t met Randy Rhoads, I don’t think I’d be sitting here now.” Randy joined Ozzy after he was fired from Black Sabbath. He had been the vocalist in one of rock’s biggest acts, and now he had to try and make it on his own. But boy did he show the rest of Black Sabbath. His debut album Blizzard of Ozz was not only a massive commercial and critical success, but Randy’s guitar playing, along with Eddie Van Halen's, would change the way the electric guitar was played from that point on.
With so many fantastic solos to choose from, including I Don’t Know and Crazy Train, I went for Mr. Crawley because I think in terms of both melody and technique, both the first and second solos include everything that anyone needs to learn about the art of solo guitar playing at the very highest level - simply amazing!
Bark At The Moon - Jack E. Lee
Of the three Ozzy solos I picked, this is my favorite to play. To be honest, this is one of my favorite songs to play ever, from start to finish, it’s a masterclass of technique. Jake E. Lee is a little in the shadow of Randy Rhoads, who came before him, and the equally mighty Zakk Wilde, who came after him. But he had his unique style and was an incredibly gifted player as this solo shows. The end guitar section is also breathtaking and well worth learning for anyone who wants to improve their speed and accuracy.
No More Tears - Zakk Wilde
Zakk has been with Ozzy for longer than any other guitarist and he’s a powerhouse to be reckoned with, both physically and technically. No More Tears is his finest moment in my opinion, from the super cool slide playing to the massive drop-tuned chordal sections to a solo that starts as a thing of beauty but gets more and more menacing as it comes to its climactic conclusion. Is it the best guitar solo in any rock song? Quite possibly!
Wrapping it Up
I know some of you will obviously disagree with a few of my choices, probably because I didn’t include your favorite solo or maybe even your favorite guitarist. But as I mentioned in the introduction, any Top 10 list has to be defined by the creator.
If nothing else, I do hope that I’ve introduced you to a few solos and guitarists who are not included on any standard Top 10 Best Guitar Solo list, which would just be the usual… Freebird, Bohemian Rhapsody, Sultans of Swing, Hotel California, etc.
So, check them all out, who knows? You might enjoy them more than you think. Either way, let’s thank them for the magical musical moments they’ve created for all of us to enjoy.
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Be sure to join our FB Group Guyker Guitar Parts VIP Group to share your ideas! You can also have connections with like-minded guitar players, Guyker updates as well as discounts information from our FB Group.
