Best rock guitar solo of all time? Why?

[wtmusic]

Mine: "Crossroads"
Eric Clapton/Cream live at Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco
March 10, 1968



Why: This is the version of "Crossroads" which was released as a single. Though Clapton has been no slouch in his solo career, with Cream his playing was nothing short of transcendent.

Here's video of another performance at Winterland:

[Aristus]

1. The guitar fade-out from Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb".

Just because, that's why...

[driver8]

4. The guitar playing on that song is absolutely amazing!!

David Gilmour isn't flashy, but he always plays what the songs need...and he's got that incredible tone. To me, he is one of the top 5 guitar players ever!

[lastlib]

97. YES!!

the best guitar riff in rock music history, IMHO! And it wasn't even a planned piece, I understand--just put together from clips they had in the studio. (I find that a little hard to believe, actually; just quoting what i heard a DJ say once. FWIW...)

[Scuba]

2. Here's two that deserve to be on the short list...

Steven Hunter's intro to "Sweet Jane"...

Roy Buchanan smokes "Hey Joe"...

[wtmusic]

5. Agree.

Wow, had not heard that version of Hey Joe.

[MiddleFingerMom]

18. That's Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner (of The Frost and Alice Cooper fame) on "Sweet Jane".

[The Link]

3. Dire Straits - Tunnel of Love, Mark Knopfler

The Allman Brothers Band - In Memory of Elizabeth Reed, Duane Allman

Just my opinion.

[ismnotwasm]

63. Nice

(Now I have to go listen to it)

[schmice]

6. Keith Richard-Sympathy for the Devil Eric Clapton-Further on up the Road -

as well as Have you Ever Loved a Woman

[TwilightGardener]

7. Allman Brothers, "Blue Sky".

Edit to add: I think it's Richard Betts.

[The Link]

9. Thats a great one.

I almost included it instead of In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.

I think you are right about it being Dickey Betts.

[TwilightGardener]

11. It carries the song--it's not 20 seconds of "how awesome am I at guitar?!".

Very melodic, too--I can remember almost every note.

[deutsey]

75. That's what I love about it

It takes the lyrics' sentiments and musically explores them.

[sendero]

84. It is Dickey Betts..

.. and both (Sky and Reed) are beautiful. To be clear, Duane did play on Reed.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

51. According to what I've read

it's both Duane and Dickie, it was recorded before Duane died.

[TwilightGardener]

53. Thanks--there are two lead guitars in some parts, but I wasn't sure

if Duane was still alive when it was recorded.

[Mr.Bill]

8. What, no Jimi Hendrix yet?

"Who Knows" from the Band of Gypsies album.

Can't argue with any of the others in this thread, though.

[begin_within]

19. It's gotta be something by Hendrix, just not sure what.

[sakabatou]

32. Hendrix - Star Spangled Banner?

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

62. All Along the Watchtower

Loved it since I first heard it.

[hifiguy]

10. So many...

The first ones that come to my mind are
:
David Gilmour's tours de force on Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" and "High Hopes"
Jimmy Page's utter perfection on Zep's "Stairway to Heaven"
Duane Allman's combination of lyricism and pyrotechnics on the live "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed"
Ritchie Blackmore's furious aggression on "Highway Star" from Made In Japan
John McGeoch's bleakly terrifying solo on "Permafrost" from Magazine's Secondhand Daylight
Robert Fripp's chordal/modal masterpiece on King Crimson's "A Sailor's Tale" from Islands
Mick Taylor's luscious work on the Stones' "Can't You Hear Me Knockin'" and "Time Waits For No One"

I could go on for dozens of entries, but those jump out at me.

[TwilightGardener]

12. I almost hate to say "Stairway to Heaven" (cliche), but it was so perfectly done--

totally logical, well-composed, perfectly fit the song.

[Iggo]

15. There's a reason it's cliche.

People say the same thing about the solo in Freebird. So cliche.

Sure it's cliche. That's what happens when something is definitive. It becomes cliche.

[we can do it]

55. Totally agree

never seems old, either

[wtmusic]

13. Yep - many "bests" for different reasons

It's interesting that the lion's share of these are 40 years old.

[sadbear]

14. Mike McCready (Pearl Jam) from Alive

Not saying it's the best, but it deserves to be mentioned.

[TwilightGardener]

16. I agree.

[awoke_in_2003]

17. Jeff Beck "drown in my own tears"...

Why? Because both Jimmy and Eric say that Beck is the greatest. Sorry for the crappy video quality, the sound is just fine, though

http://m.

[Scuba]

24. Very nice. Thanks.

[Tom Ripley]

27. Beck is the greatest (n/t)

[wtmusic]

28. Without a pick?!

That is astounding

[awoke_in_2003]

35. He never uses one. nt

[Paladin]

20. Willie Nelson, "Heartbreak Hotel"

Yeah, I know it isn't a rock song. But Willie's guitar break is dead solid perfect---not one note out of place.....

[TwilightGardener]

22. One of my favorite guitar solos is in "Pancho and Lefty"--

the Spanish-style acoustic solo. The recorded version, though--the live versions, he can't seem to duplicate it.

[Burma Jones]

21. There is no best, there is only favorite

My favorite changes day to day.......

Right Now, I'm fond of Duane Allman's work on Mountain Jam from "Eat A Peach"

But Hendrix, Zappa, Garcia, Clapton, Gilmour, Jeff Beck, Doc Watson, Leo Kottke, John Fahey, Steve Howe and others have occupied the top spot......

[TwilightGardener]

23. Two more that I like, though not "best ever"--

Pink Floyd/David Gilmour, "Time" (can't believe no one mentioned it yet)

Rush/Alex Lifeson, "Fly By Night":



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[Tom Ripley]

25. Robert Fripp on Brian Eno's "Baby's On Fire"...

it speaks for itself

[sendero]

71. There are folks..

... who believe that was Chris Spedding and not Robert Fripp. I wasn't there so I'm not sure. It sounds Frippish but then in a way it does not.

I wouldn't presume to name a "best" guitar solo, but my favorite is the aforementioned Fripp in 1974's The Night Watch.

It comes in at about 2:50 in this clip. It proves there is more than one way to "shred". There are several live version but Fripp blows this solo on all of them that I listened to so this clip is just the studio track with a shot of the album cover.

[hifiguy]

77. That is a truly extraordinary piece of playing

and composition. I love RF's "infinite sustain" sound and always have.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

26. Red House - Jimi Hendrix

This version has always struck me as having almost a perfect blues guitar solo. Hendrix could play deep blues like no other, having lived life playing on the "chitlin circuit'"
down South for years before he became famous.

And I've always loved this tune by Hendrix, "Hear My Train A Comin'" performed live at the Berkeley Community Theater in 1970. I was there, sitting in the front row, right in front of Jimi.

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[Trajan]

29. for years; the holy grail of rock guitar solos ...

Jimmy Page - Heartbreaker

[dawg]

30. Yes - Starship Trooper

Steve Howe's solo at the end of that one, after the long build-up, is awesome. It sounds really neat on headphones, too - the way it pans back and forth from channel to channel.

Honorable mentions go to Genesis - Firth of Fifth, Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb, The Beatles (Harrison) - Something, The Beatles (Clapton) - While My Guitar Gently Weeps.

[sendero]

85. Surprised to see this one here..

.. but yes (no pun intended it is good. However Howe did keep growing and the next several albums (Fragile, Close to the Edge, Tales..., Relayer and even Going for the One) all have some pretty cool guitar.

[bluesbassman]

31. Intro/Sweet Jane from Lou Reed's Rock 'n' Roll Animal

Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter wove an incredible tapestry on "Intro".

[sadbear]

33. I can't forget my favorite: the 2nd solo from Thin Lizzy's Cowboy song.

Powerful yet melancholy.

[cliffordu]

34. Just for you non-purists out there.....

[LanternWaste]

36. Liberation - Chicago Transit Authority (Terry Kath)

Liberation - Chicago Transit Authority (Terry Kath)

But I couldn't tell why... I just think it's the best I've listened to...

[GreenTea]

38. Yeah, I recall that long side 4 I think off the 1st album - I loved that first CTA album..Terry Kath

played very fast.....the second album 'Chicago' was good but not as good as the first and after the second LP a big, big drop off forever....but i also love that hot tight drum solo on the opening track of CTA called 'Introduction'!

[GreenTea]

37. Ukiah by Tom Johnston Doobie Bros....

because it so hot sweet and tasty and not a long per longed solo....

Though I love the great Peter Green's long solo on the 1969 live version of Black Magic Woman that Green wrote in 1968 (live at the Boston Tea party)....and the great solos by Duane Allman, Ronnie Earl and Carlos Santana and especially Jimi's solo on Red House and I seen them all born & raised in SF starting going to shows when I was 15 years old, either at the old Fillmore Winterland or the Fillmore West (even went to the Avalon Ballroom three times - that was more than cool)....didn't see Cream though at the old Fillmore or Winterland but I have seen Clapton a couple of times later on - but for a short, sweet & tasty solo It's Johnston on Ukiah! (Ukiah is in Mendocino County, San Francisco is south of Mendocino county and borders Humboldt count on the north) - where I now live!!

[Arugula Latte]

39. I don't know about best of all time, but check this out: Prince on "While My Guitar"

at about 3:33 it starts. George Harrison's son Dhani can't believe what he's hearing!

[sendero]

73. I think he can't..

.. believe Prince is such an ahole performing a solo completely at odds with what everyone else was doing. I hated that so much I still remember seeing it live. Prince is a douche. IMHO

[Arugula Latte]

78. Ha ha!

Well, that's a different take than I had.

I loves me some Prince, though, douchiness and all.

[LeftOfSelf-Centered]

90. I thought Prince's solo was solid.

That's the first time I saw this, but I didn't think what Prince played was out of place. However the way he played the solo was very flashy. But then Prince probably isn't used to having to share the spotlight.

What I really want to know is where Prince's Tele landed after he threw it up in the air.

[progressoid]

40. Adrian Belew - Big Electric Cat

To be fair I also like the rhythm and the goofy lyrics.

[kayakjohnny]

54. That was a great piece! thank you for that!

Wow!

[HopeHoops]

41. Steve Hackett - "Firth of Fifth"

On Edit: Why? Because I've never heard anything that can touch it. Besides, my favorite piano solo is in the same song (as is my tag line).

[NightWatcher]

42. for your consideration... Prince "While my Guitar..."

He blows everyone else off the stage

[RedSpartan]

45. I thought about this one as well.

I had no idea Prince had that kind of game. Amazing.

[Hoyt]

64. That's some serious stuff. Have not heard that before. n/t

[sadbear]

65. Prince is probably the most talented musician alive today.

He can do anything musically. Anything.

[sendero]

72. No...

... he ruins one of the truly great guitar solos of all time with bombast and self-abuse.

IMHO.

[A Simple Game]

86. You do know that was a tribute to George Harrison don't you?

And that fool gets on the stage and plays "look at me aren't I special". And he wasn't even that good, the rest of them could have put him to shame even on acoustical guitars, but they knew why they were there. But nobody ever accused Prince of putting someone else ahead of himself. He should have been ashamed of himself.

[NightWatcher]

87. So he should not have performed to his potential?

Should he have half assed a tribute to George? He was invited because he's talented. It's more insulting to show up and not do your best.

[A Simple Game]

93. You do know the name of the song was "While my Guitar Gently Weeps"?

Being talented and doing your best do not mean being flamboyant and loud. Do you really think Prince's guitar was "gently weeping"? That wasn't talent, that was just loud and out of place. Do you think all of the rest of them were being half-assed or were they playing the way the song should be played?

[RedSpartan]

43. Stevie Ray Vaughan

Leave My Girl Alone (Live)

(Starts at around 2:00. Jaw-dropping.)

[NRaleighLiberal]

44. Robert Fripp - 21st Century Schizoid Man...and -

Martin Barre - Aqualung (not all that complex, but perfect)
Richie Blackmore - Lazy (Machine Head)
Denny Diaz - Bodhisattva (Countdown to Ecstasy)
Elliott Randall - Reelin' in the years (Can't Buy a Thrill)

actually, any of many solos on Steely Dan cuts!

[progressoid]

57. Love the Bodhisattva one.

Actually any of the many Steely Dan solos!

[NRaleighLiberal]

58. They only used the best!

[Crabby Appleton]

46. Intro - Alvin Lee - I'm Going Home

Ten Years After

[wtmusic]

48. From Woodstock

I had forgotten how much that track rocked.

[bluesbassman]

81. Love that, here's another good one from Alvin - "Woodchoppers Ball"

[Art_from_Ark]

47. I nominate a different Cream song

"Sunshine of Your Love", also from 1968, with Jack Bruce really getting into it at around 2:50

[Jetboy]

49. Danny Cedrone on 'Rock This Joint' by Bill Haley and the Comets, 1952.

He did pretty much the same solo on 'Rock Around the Clock' in 1954. Unfortunately, Danny died some 8 months before RATC took the world by storm in the 1955 movie 'Blackboard Jungle'.

RATC had enormous influence, being the very first rock-n-roll song a lot of people ever heard but the bottom line is that the solo absolutely shreds. Few have come close in the 60 years since.

edit to add that RATC is the greatest selling rock-n-roll single of all time and #2 selling record of all time following Bing Crosby's 'White Christmas'.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

50. Not sure we can really qualify BEST

because there are so many good guitar players, like this one for instance

[Release The Hounds]

52. Metallica "One"

[zen_bohemian]

56. It will be cliche, but "Eruption" Eddie Van Halen

why? Just listen to it.

[jmowreader]

70. I have listened to it...

It's supposed to be the greatest solo of all time, but I'm underwhelmed.

[LeftOfSelf-Centered]

91. I prefer "Running With the Devil"

It's simple and works perfectly within the framework of the song. "Eruption" to me is just a bunch of formless noodlings, that only really take shape in the tapping section.

Of Eddie's guitar only songs my favorite remains "Cathedral".

[tandot]

60. I am partial to Clapton's "Layla"

I saw him in concert last year and it was AMAZING. Don't have a video but here is one from youtube:

[tandot]

61. I wanna be his guitar

[fbguy_144]

66. stairway to heaven

[PD Turk]

67. I've always been partial to this one

Lots of soul and finesse, beautiful in it simplicity

[MrSlayer]

68. Impossible question. Here's Randy Rhoads.

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?feature=related&v=hWvp9Cd6HUo

[AsahinaKimi]

69. Maybe not the best, but prettty damn awesome: Gentaro Satomura

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

74. Popa Chubby - Hey Joe

Don't know about best of all time -- this is an "Honorable Mention" offering.

[lame54]

76. David Gilmour - Have a Cigar

also Mick Jones - Sway

[Throd]

79. Nigel Tufnel "Gimme Some Money"

[rachel1]

80. The guitar solo in "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd

because I just happen to like it.

[opiate69]

82. have to at least mention Martin Barre`s solo in Aqualung..

apparently while he was recording it, Zepp was in an adjacent studio and Page and the rest of them went and hung out in the control room while he laid the track and were all hugely impressed.

[Warren DeMontague]

83. I have it on good authority that it involved dusting off those rusty strings just one more time

and making them shine.

[HelenaHandbasket]

88. Prince Solo

OMG I never saw the before....Prince killed it!

[HelenaHandbasket]

89. My Son...Ha! (Hey, he's working on it!)

And his name's James. I planned to call him Jimi as a nickname, but he won't let anybody call him Jimi. That was the plan and it kinda worked. I knew what I was doing.

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[LeftOfSelf-Centered]

92. My favorite is Devin Townsend's "Deep Peace"

Although I'm a guitarist, I'm not one for guitar solos. I used to drive my guitar teacher crazy because I just couldn't warm up to the "classics" (those standard guitar solos that every student has to learn).

I rarely get wowed by a solo (I especially hate it when the guitar player stands up on stage by himself and then goes on to tunelessly screw around for ten minutes), I prefer them to be short and to fit the song.

There are exceptions though and this is one of them. Makes me want to tune my guitar to Open C every time.
The magic starts at about 4:20

[blue neen]

94. Something a little different:

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It's too difficult and complex to choose just one favorite, and honestly probably depends on the mood I'm in. This one is good because it just plain "rocks".

[Crepuscular]

95. so many greats

So many great artists and different styles that it's impossible for me to pick one "best" performance.

This one ranks in my top ten, though.

Johnny Winter from the "Live" LP - Highway 61 revisited.

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[ryan_cats]

96. Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force solo album

Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, track #2 Far Beyond the Sun.

The whole album is amazing and Yngwie plays the bass as well. Unfortunately, he has a huge reputation for being a dick but his first solo album is amazing.

Three different version of same song. The last one is closest to the album.

This one has a one minute intro but as usual, it is amazing.

As a guitar player, he makes me feel like an amateur.

Notice his fretboard, it's all scalloped.


Steve Vai had a hilarious take, he said Yngwie blows his was, three times a song!

[Hassin Bin Sober]

98. Jerry Garcia - Morning Dew - some show I saw live in Alpine Valley in the 80s.

Some girl walked up on stage and sat on the floor in front of Jerry. Then another person. I had the urge to crawl over the seats too.