Guitar World Magazine polled their readers to find out what they thought were the best guitar solos of all time.  This is the list of 100.  Do you agree?

http://guitar.about.com/library/bl100greatest.htm

I don't understand why Stairway is # 1. ::)  Eruption by Van Halen is much better, yet it was 2nd.

Guitar World Magazine polled their readers to find out what they thought were the best guitar solos of all time.  This is the list of 100.  Do you agree?

http://guitar.about.com/library/bl100greatest.htm

I don't understand why Stairway is # 1. ::)  Eruption by Van Halen is much better, yet it was 2nd.


Eruption is better, though "316 Live" is Eruption plus another 12 minutes of insane guitar work.

I can't disagree with the bands the picked, though I though there were several solos by those bands better than the ones that were listed.

For example, #7 is "One" by Metallica's Kirk Hammet. His work on "The Call of Ktulu" is better (though that's an instrumental), but the solo on "Creeping Death" is his best.

Alice in Chains' Jerry Cantrell should have place higher than 77th, and for a song other than "Man in the Box" (the solo in "Them Bones" is more impressive).

Overall, a great list.

yngwie malmsteen don't make me laugh  ;D but i have to say that the list isn't very credible because there is no PETE FRAMPTON haven't these people heard "FRAMPTON COMES ALIVE !" ? 8) awesome lp

that's a weird coincidence, i was putting out some feelers to get a best guitar solo poll together just last night after rediscovering my dangerous obsession with steve howe's godlike solo (well, solos -- it's at least two solos edited together) at the end of starship trooper. i remember there was a guitarone poll a while back, i dunno if it's the same as this one, a lot of em i agreed with (can't really argue with crazy train and hotel california) but a lot... like i know they're good, like crossroads and stairway,  but i'm just sick of em. and... freebird! no! stop!

also, there were some amazing solos that got skipped over -- i remember scouring the list at least twice for any hint of ric ocasek's thoroughly brilliant solo in "just what i needed," it's a trim, gorgeous little testament to 8-bar efficiency, full of lovely accents and accidentals -- but nothing.

and i agree with you about peter frampton.

anyway, i got some cool solo ideas from daveyofdeath and SMophile, if you've got any solos you'd like to see on the poll throw dem beezes on here and i'll include em. unless they suck.

Lots of goodies in that list, but Rush in at #94?  They should not be in that list cause they suck ;D

My favourite guitar solo is Mike Oldfield on "Family Man", but no one remembers that song cause the Hall and Oates cover saw bigger and better success almost everywhere but Canada

i actually like a lot of rush (bring it on davey!) but alex lifeson never did much for me guitar-wise. rush was like the prototype rhythm-section-in-front band, they were the uberprimus.

i don't care what yall say. their lyrics were cheesy, their synthtones were goofy, their guitarist was larry lelonde-style mediocre, but geddy lee and neal peart (i think i've forgotten how to spell it!) were simply... badass.

that's a weird coincidence, i was putting out some feelers to get a best guitar solo poll together just last night after rediscovering my dangerous obsession with steve howe's godlike solo (well, solos -- it's at least two solos edited together) at the end of starship trooper. i remember there was a guitarone poll a while back, i dunno if it's the same as this one, a lot of em i agreed with (can't really argue with crazy train and hotel california) but a lot... like i know they're good, like crossroads and stairway,  but i'm just sick of em. and... freebird! no! stop!

also, there were some amazing solos that got skipped over -- i remember scouring the list at least twice for any hint of ric ocasek's thoroughly brilliant solo in "just what i needed," it's a trim, gorgeous little testament to 8-bar efficiency, full of lovely accents and accidentals -- but nothing.

and i agree with you about peter frampton.

anyway, i got some cool solo ideas from daveyofdeath and SMophile, if you've got any solos you'd like to see on the poll throw dem beezes on here and i'll include em. unless they suck.
this is a coincidence as you were just saying last night we needed a guitar solo thread and bim bam boom!  hot shot Chrissy is on top of things, thank goodness.

Right now I'm looking at this exact issue of Guitar World from 2001 that the list of Greatest Guitar Solos came from. I bought it and have it in my desk, and my co-worker and I were just looking at it. There are many other solos that I would have chosen that did not make the list and will name them later. If you would have participated in this original ballot/vote for the top 100, you were only allowed to send in your top 5 favorite solos and the list was comprised from those. Top 5 would be so hard. I'm not sure I agree with numero uno Stairway To Heaven, as much as I love that song and the solo, It's probably not #1 on my list.
crap  >:(  I'm at work, I gotta go.

That list is awful... few good songs, but otherwise that wasn't a good list at all.

Though I doubt I could have done much better.

'Money' should've been higher - like about no. 5 or something...more Led Zep songs, a few by the Velvet Underground...

Bohemian Rhapsody gets my vote.

Eruption is better, though "316 Live" is Eruption plus another 12 minutes of insane guitar work.

I can't disagree with the bands the picked, though I though there were several solos by those bands better than the ones that were listed.

For example, #7 is "One" by Metallica's Kirk Hammet. His work on "The Call of Ktulu" is better (though that's an instrumental), but the solo on "Creeping Death" is his best.

Alice in Chains' Jerry Cantrell should have place higher than 77th, and for a song other than "Man in the Box" (the solo in "Them Bones" is more impressive).

Overall, a great list.


I think what happened on this list is that a lot of people just picked their favorite songs or the most popular.  When I think about great guitar solos, I try to take into account how good it sounds along with how creative it is or how difficult it is to play. 

Although, many of these are right on IMO.

  Haven't heard every song on the list, but it looks about right...

  Nirvana and Joe Satriani both get multiple entries for single albums.  Surfing with the Alien is an excellent album made up, entirely, of guitar solos...

  I would have added Def Leppard's "Switch 625"  to the list somewhere, but someone would've been bumped off...

I would have no problem bumping some & replacing with my own picks for greatest guitar solos ever, These are a couple of my personal favorites that did not make the cut because I don't know all the ones on the magazines list, but what I do know is It's Only Rock And Roll and I like It
One of the best live albums I own, Roadwork by  Edgar Winter's White Trash with guitar solo by Rick Derringer on Tobacco Road
and yet another live album Twin Peaks by Mountain with guitar solo's by the legendary Leslie West on Theme From An Imaginary Western & a song on the album simply titled "Guitar Solo" where Leslie West tears it up
another live one afforementioned in previous posts is Frampton Comes Alive with Peter Frampton, but not just the solo on Do You Feel Like We Do, but also the excellent solo on the song right before it, Lines On My Face.
I will include Slash's solo toward the end of the song Estranged on the Gun's N' Roses album Use Your Illusion II
many others could be added, & one more I would strongly reccomend a listen to is Ron Wood with Rod Stewart and Faces on the album A Nod is As Good As a Wink to a Blind Horse and the last song where Ron unleashes a solo is "That's All You Need", nothing fancy, just some  superb rock and roll electric guitar with what sounds like a slide.  8)

Jimi Hendrix's "All Along The Watchtower" gets my vote everytime!

that's a weird coincidence, i was putting out some feelers to get a best guitar solo poll together just last night after rediscovering my dangerous obsession with steve howe's godlike solo (well, solos -- it's at least two solos edited together) at the end of starship trooper. i remember there was a guitarone poll a while back, i dunno if it's the same as this one, a lot of em i agreed with (can't really argue with crazy train and hotel california) but a lot... like i know they're good, like crossroads and stairway,  but i'm just sick of em. and... freebird! no! stop!

also, there were some amazing solos that got skipped over -- i remember scouring the list at least twice for any hint of ric ocasek's thoroughly brilliant solo in "just what i needed," it's a trim, gorgeous little testament to 8-bar efficiency, full of lovely accents and accidentals -- but nothing.

and i agree with you about peter frampton.

anyway, i got some cool solo ideas from daveyofdeath and SMophile, if you've got any solos you'd like to see on the poll throw dem beezes on here and i'll include em. unless they suck.


Post what I sent you.

I was wondering if this song was on the list and it is. Another great solo from Eddie coming in at #67: Beat It
guitarist: Eddie Van Halen
band: Michael Jackson
album: Thriller