I know some people reading this article are already outraged. The idea that I could pick the top ten rock guitar solos is absolutely preposterous! Well, I agree, but obviously, I also disagree because I’m writing this article. Making a list of the best guitar solos is a very subjective task. Everyone has their own opinions about what makes a good or bad guitar solo and everyone has slightly different tastes. Some people reading this article will think I’m cool and others will no doubt wonder if I’ve ever heard rock guitar.
So what makes one guitar solo better than another? Is it the melodic content of the solo? Is it the technical difficulty of the solo? Well, if you’ve come to this article looking for an answer to this question, I’m sad to tell you that I don’t have one. However, like everyone else, I have my own opinions and tastes, and from that this list has been generated.
I think lists like this have uses. Many guitarists search online for lists like this, and I’m not just referring to beginners. Experienced guitarists look to lists like this if only to criticize them. I think the ultimate purpose of these lists is to help spread the word about great guitarists and great solos that might not have been heard if it hadn’t been for the list.
One thing can be said about the development criteria for this list. The title is “best rock guitar solos”. I have tried to choose solos that demonstrate the possibilities of the ROCK guitar. I have included comments on some of them. One last thing, please don’t email me about guitarists I’ve forgotten. I understand that you have your favorites. Just post a comment and let us all know.
Now, without further ado… Top 10 Rock Guitar Solos:
1. Stairway to Heaven – Jimmy Page (Do I Need to Say Something?)
2. All Along the Watchtower – Jimmy Hendrix (Jimmy Hendrix took an acoustic song and turned it into a rock masterpiece. Because of this solo, many people consider this to be Jimmy’s song.)
3. Bohemian Rhapsody – Brian May (A huge compliment to Freddie Mercury’s quirkiness.)
4. Free Bird – Gary Rossington/Alan Collins
5. Let it Be – George Harrison (Like David Gilmour, George Harrison was a master at using just enough notes to get his point across. He always seemed to know how to complement the music of the Beatles. He is one of the most underrated guitarists ) out there.)
6. The Barn – Billy Gibbons
7. You Shook Me All Night Long – Angus Young (Angus Young wasn’t the cleanest or fastest guitarist out there. But damn me if he couldn’t shake an audience’s socks off. Angus Young is the epitome of breathing of rock guitar.)
8. The sun of your love – Eric Clapton
9. Sultans of Swing – Mark Knopfler (In the two guitar solos of this song, Mark Knopfler presents melodic brilliance at its finest.)
10. Comfortably Numb – David Gilmour (Young guitarists can take a lesson in saying more with less from David Gilmour. Comfortably Numb is one of his best examples.)