Guitar solos. They’re the moments in songs where the energy explodes, melodies soar, and guitarists become storytellers without words. A truly great guitar solo can elevate a good song to legendary status, becoming instantly recognizable and endlessly inspiring to generations of musicians and fans alike. From bluesy bends to blistering shred, the best guitar solos are not just displays of technical prowess, but emotional journeys that resonate deeply with listeners. In the world of guitar music, certain solos have risen above the rest, achieving iconic status and solidifying their place in music history. This list explores ten of the very Best Guitar Solo Songs, dissecting what makes each solo a masterpiece and why they continue to captivate audiences worldwide.
10. Crazy Train – Ozzy Osbourne (Guitarist: Randy Rhoads, 1980)
Ozzy Osbourne’s solo career was undeniably revitalized by the arrival of Randy Rhoads, and listening to the explosive solo in Crazy Train makes it clear why. Rhoads brought a fresh, neoclassical-infused style to hard rock, distinct from Tony Iommi’s blues-based approach in Black Sabbath. He was an innovator, crafting solos that were both technically brilliant and deeply musical.
The Crazy Train solo is a wild ride, featuring a particularly memorable section towards the end that mimics the sound of a train derailing. This effect is achieved through a chromatically ascending trill that dramatically descends in key, showcasing Rhoads’s inventive use of technique to create sonic textures. He then concludes the solo with a rapid, precisely picked F# minor pentatonic phrase, followed by a blistering Aeolian legato run, culminating in a powerful bend on the 19th fret. Tragically, Rhoads’s career was cut short; he recorded only two studio albums with Ozzy before his untimely death in a plane crash at the young age of 25. However, his work on tracks like Crazy Train cemented his legacy as one of the best guitar solo artists in rock history.
Randy Rhoads guitar solo in Crazy Train
9. Beat It – Michael Jackson (Guitarist: Eddie Van Halen, 1982)
When pop icon Michael Jackson and legendary producer Quincy Jones sought to add a hard rock edge to Beat It from the Thriller album, they turned to none other than Eddie Van Halen. Van Halen’s approach was famously spontaneous. He reportedly asked Jackson and Jones what they wanted for the solo, and their response was simply to “play whatever you want.”
Van Halen, a true pioneer of shred guitar, needed just two takes and about 20 minutes to lay down a solo that would become instantly iconic. He completely reimagined the song’s middle section, injecting his signature style of fast-tapping, whammy bar acrobatics, and fiery phrasing. As Van Halen recounted to CNN in 2012, “I was just finishing the second solo when Michael walked in. So I warned him before he listened. I said, ‘Look, I changed the middle section of your song.’ He gave it a listen, turned to me and went, ‘Wow, thank you so much for having the passion to not just come in and blaze a solo, but to actually care about the song.’” Van Halen’s solo on Beat It not only elevated the song to another level but also demonstrated the power of a great guitar solo to transcend genres and reach a massive audience.
8. Free Bird – Lynyrd Skynyrd (Guitarist: Allen Collins, 1974)
Epic in scope and emotionally charged, the guitar solo in Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Free Bird is a true testament to the power of extended improvisation within a rock song. Clocking in at a staggering 143 bars (or 286 bars if you consider the doubled guitar parts), it’s by far the longest solo on this list and a defining moment in Southern rock history. Featured on their 1973 debut album Pronounced ‘Lĕh-nérd Skin-nérd, guitarist Allen Collins delivered this monumental performance on his trusty 1964 Gibson Explorer.
Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Gary Rossington, in an interview with Guitar World, aptly described Collins’s playing: “The whole long jam was Allen Collins himself. He was bad. He was super bad! He was bad-to-the-bone bad. When we put the solo together, we liked the sound of the two guitars, and I could’ve gone out and played it with him. But the way he was doin’ it, he was just so hot! He just did it once and did it again and it was done.” The Free Bird solo isn’t just about length; it’s about the journey. It builds intensity, moving through different phases and emotional peaks, showcasing Collins’s incredible feel and improvisational brilliance. It’s a prime example of how a best guitar solo can become an integral and unforgettable part of a song’s identity.
7. Sultans Of Swing – Dire Straits (Guitarist: Mark Knopfler, 1977)
The inspiration for Dire Straits’ Sultans Of Swing struck Mark Knopfler on a dreary, rainy night in 1977. He wandered into a Deptford pub and witnessed a Dixieland jazz band playing to a largely indifferent crowd. As they finished their set, they announced themselves as “the Sultans Of Swing.” The name, so grand and evocative, contrasted sharply with the mundane reality of the pub, sparking Knopfler’s creative imagination.
Initially composed on his National steel guitar, Sultans Of Swing truly came to life when Knopfler plugged his 1961 Stratocaster into bassist John Illsley’s Fender Vibrolux amp. The track is renowned for its incredibly fast, fingerpicked guitar solo. However, despite its apparent complexity, the outro licks are based on repeating four-note arpeggios. Knopfler’s efficient and unique fingerpicking technique is key to achieving the solo’s speed and clarity. He employs a pattern of thumb-picking the first string, executing a pull-off, thumb-picking the second string, and then finger-picking the first string. This method, where the thumb picks at half-speed, prevents fatigue and allows for sustained fast playing. Mastering the Sultans Of Swing solo is a testament to practice and timing, proving that even seemingly complex guitar solo songs can be broken down and learned with dedication.
6. Sweet Child O’ Mine – Guns N’ Roses (Guitarist: Slash, 1988)
Slash’s guitar solo in Guns N’ Roses’ breakthrough hit Sweet Child O’ Mine is a masterclass in rock guitar phrasing, tone, and emotion, and a definitive example of a best guitar solo from the 1980s. It’s a solo that’s instantly recognizable and deeply influential, contributing significantly to the song’s enduring popularity. The solo is structured in two distinct halves, each with its own character and sonic landscape.
The first half of the solo is more melodic and laid-back, built around the Eb minor scale with subtle major 7th intervals that inject a harmonic minor flavor. Slash utilizes the neck pickup for a warm, thick tone during this section. The second half explodes with aggression and bluesy intensity. Switching to the bridge pickup for increased bite and engaging his Cry Baby wah pedal, Slash dives into position one of the pentatonic scale, played an octave higher. The bends become wider, the vibrato more pronounced, and the overall feel more raw and improvisational. What truly sets Slash’s solo apart is his sense of feel. It sounds less composed and more like a spontaneous outpouring of emotion, yet perfectly structured to complement the song’s dynamics. He builds layers of intensity and introduces new colors, demonstrating the hallmark of a truly exceptional guitar soloist.
5. Hotel California – Eagles (Guitarists: Don Felder, Joe Walsh, 1977)
Hotel California, the title track from the Eagles’ iconic fifth album, is arguably their most enduring song and consistently ranks high in best guitar solo polls. The song’s outro is famous for its extended guitar solo, a captivating interplay between guitarists Don Felder and Joe Walsh. The solo begins with 24 bars of traded licks, showcasing the individual styles of Felder and Walsh before culminating in the iconic harmonized guitar lines that enter at 5:39.
The genius of the Hotel California harmony solo lies in its relative simplicity and effectiveness. Both guitarists essentially play arpeggios based on each chord in the progression. The harmony is created by one guitar consistently playing a note one step lower within the chord than the other. For instance, in a Bm chord (B, D, F#), if the higher guitar plays F#, the lower guitar will play D. This clever arrangement creates the rich, cascading harmonies that are so distinctive to the solo. While mastering the Hotel California solo requires practice, understanding this fundamental harmonic principle makes learning it less daunting than it might initially seem.
4. Stairway To Heaven – Led Zeppelin (Guitarist: Jimmy Page, 1971)
Jimmy Page’s guitar solo in Led Zeppelin’s Stairway To Heaven is widely considered a masterpiece of composition and improvisation, and a strong contender for the best guitar solo song of all time. From the very first notes played on his ’59 Fender Telecaster (famously, not a Les Paul for this recording) to the final, wailing bend, the solo is a perfectly sculpted journey within the song. Page doesn’t simply noodle; he creates a “song within a song,” building and releasing tension with masterful control.
The opening phrases establish the mood, with Page adding notes outside the pentatonic scale to follow the song’s evolving chord progression. A rapid, repeating lick in the middle section elevates the intensity, leading to a call-and-response section with a haunting overdubbed guitar, culminating in the final flurry of notes and that signature bend. The brilliance of the Stairway To Heaven solo is its composition. Page crafts licks that mirror the chord changes, creating a melodic contour and pacing that takes the listener on an emotional arc. Reportedly, three improvised takes were recorded, with the final version being a composite of the best moments. While the other takes remain legendary in Zeppelin lore, the released solo is undeniably perfection.
3. Comfortably Numb – Pink Floyd (Guitarist: David Gilmour, 1979)
Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb is unique in featuring not one, but two iconic guitar solos by David Gilmour, either of which could justify the song’s inclusion on a list of the best guitar solo songs. The fact that Gilmour conceived and executed both solos within the same track is a testament to his genius and musicality. Beyond the note choices, Gilmour’s tone itself is legendary. He used his iconic black Stratocaster, equipped with a DiMarzio FS-1 bridge pickup at the time, plugged into a Hiwatt DR103 amplifier, with the essential Electro-Harmonix Ram’s Head Big Muff fuzz pedal providing its signature sustain and smoothness.
The first solo, in D major, utilizes the Strat’s neck and bridge pickups together, enabled by a custom switching configuration. Gilmour’s phrasing in this solo is more unconventional, featuring arpeggios and sliding passages that possess a futuristic quality. His subtle yet expressive use of the tremolo bar, facilitated by his shortened tremolo arm, further distinguishes his style from typical blues-based players, inspiring countless fusion guitarists. The outro solo, in contrast, is built upon more classic blues-rock phrasing, yet placed within the context of Pink Floyd’s progressive rock sound, it feels completely fresh and original. Many of the licks echo Hendrix’s style, but Gilmour makes them his own. To achieve the seemingly improvised yet perfectly structured feel of the outro solo, Gilmour recorded five or six takes and compiled the final version from the best sections of each. The result is a solo that builds tension and excitement over two minutes, featuring a masterful blend of repetition and development.
Randy Rhoads guitar solo in Crazy Train
(Image credit: Pete Still/Redferns)
Gilmour’s rhythmic precision is evident in both solos. He seamlessly integrates triplets, sextuplets, 16th, and 32nd notes, sometimes within the same phrase. A truly best guitar solo transcends mere technicality; it embodies tone, rhythm, melody, and expression in perfect harmony. Comfortably Numb‘s solos exemplify this rare brilliance.
2. Eruption – Van Halen (Guitarist: Eddie Van Halen, 1978)
In 1978, Eddie Van Halen unleashed Eruption upon the world on Van Halen’s self-titled debut album. This groundbreaking instrumental guitar solo single-handedly redefined guitar playing and inspired a generation of guitarists. Nothing quite like it had been heard since Jimi Hendrix. Eruption was a sonic explosion of fast legato hammer-ons and pull-offs, pinched harmonics, dive bombs with the whammy bar, and, most famously, two-hand tapping.
While the tapping technique grabbed immediate attention, the solo’s impact goes far beyond just tapping. Van Halen’s tone, blistering legato phrasing, and incredibly creative note choices are equally crucial to its brilliance. Amidst the virtuosity, Eddie’s playing retains a raw, joyous rock and roll energy, making it appealing even to listeners who aren’t typically fans of instrumental shred guitar. Interestingly, Eruption was never intended to be on the album. Eddie explained to Guitar World: “I showed up at the recording studio one day and started to warm up. I had a gig that weekend and wanted to practise my solo guitar spot. Our producer, Ted Templeman, happened to walk by and he asked, ‘What is that? Let’s put it on tape!’ So I took one pass at it and they put it on the record. I didn’t even play it right. There’s a mistake at the top end of it. To this day, whenever I hear it, I always think, ‘Man, I could’ve played it better.’”
Despite Eddie’s self-critique, Eruption is a technical masterpiece that is best appreciated by breaking it down into sections. The first eight bars are bluesy, reminiscent of Jimmy Page’s improvisational style in Whole Lotta Love. Eddie develops this theme over the next eight bars, incorporating notes from both major and minor pentatonic scales to create a chromatic sound. Eddie’s tapping section is iconic, although technically complex. It’s not simply about repeating sextuplet patterns; Eddie’s taps are often off-beat, creating rhythmic shifts as he alternates tapping on different notes within the sextuplet groupings. Mastering Eruption is a lifelong pursuit for many guitarists, a testament to its groundbreaking innovation and enduring influence as one of the best guitar solo songs ever recorded.
Eddie Van Halen playing Eruption guitar solo
(Image credit: Fin Costello/Redferns)
1. Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen (Guitarist: Brian May, 1975)
Is Bohemian Rhapsody the greatest rock song of all time? Many would argue yes. And its brief, yet perfect, nine-bar guitar solo by Brian May makes a strong case for it being the ultimate best guitar solo song. Following Freddie Mercury’s tragic passing and the song’s resurgence in popularity after Wayne’s World in 1992, Bohemian Rhapsody became a global anthem, cementing Queen’s legacy for generations to come.
Bohemian Rhapsody itself is a song that defies convention. It has no traditional chorus, minimal repetition, and a seemingly incongruous “opera section.” Yet, it works brilliantly, and May’s guitar solo is the ideal melodic bridge between the verses and the operatic interlude. His phrasing is loose, natural, and expressive, often playing slightly behind the beat, giving it a relaxed yet powerful feel. May’s fastest licks are bursts of emotion rather than technical exercises. His signature pre-bend and vibrato technique are on full display, showcasing his exquisite touch and tone. Within the complex and unconventional structure of Bohemian Rhapsody, Brian May’s guitar solo is not just an interlude; it’s an essential element that elevates the song to its legendary status, solidifying its place as the number one best guitar solo song on this list.
