100 Greatest Guitar Solos

(A list...for dabate...of course!)

http://tinyurl.com/87gv6

I love Nirvana, and I agree with my close homeboy Tom Petty when he says that they're the biggest thing since the Beatles, but how does "Smells Like Teen Spirit" rate on this list? No way! It's just the vocal melody played on guitar! Yeah, it fits, and it sounds good - of course it does, it's just the melody!

I realize this list is the result of a vote by the readers, and thus the crazy result. Still...

I think Stairway if overrated, but not when played by this kid.

Pretty cool that they got Santeria (Sublime) and Cherub Rock (Smashing Pumpkins) in there, because those are two personal favorites. Nothing by Page Hamilton (Helmet), though? Man.

How about anything Johnny Marr ever played for The Smiths? Okay, so his stuff there wasn't all that solo-y, but my god, the man is playing some alien instrumet. It only LOOKS like a guitar.

This list really makes me want to search through my music collection and figure out what my favorite solos are. One of my all-time favorites, if not the undisputed heavyweight, is from "In My Life" by the Beatles...but it's played on a piano, and sped up.

53.
song: Since I've Been Loving You
guitarist: Jimmy Page
band: Led Zeppelin
album: Led Zeppelin III

Righteous white boy homage.

Random thoughts:

Stairway to Heaven is #1?!? I didn't even remember that there was a solo in that song. Oh, well, whatev. Jimmy Page kicks ass.

Comfortably Numb: now there's a solo. I love Gilmour's phrasing and melodic sense.

Kirk Hammet is a garbage soloist.

I hate Guns n' Roses and November Rain in particular, but I can't deny the power of Slash. The man lays it down.

I will admit that the solo in Smells Like Teen Spirit has a certain compelling rawness to it, but it should be nowhere near this list.

Randy Rhoads is overrated as hell but he always gets the sentimental vote in these stupid polls. At least he's better than Kurt Cobain.

At least Eric Johnson, Vai and Satch made the top 30, if only barely.

Okay, that Paranoid Android solo is pretty awesome. I don't know if it's #34 best solo of all time awesome, but I don't begrudge it its place on the list.

Santana: most overrated guitarist EVAR

Billy Corgan can blow me.

Nirvana is on this list more than once?!? This insanity needs to stop. It's a greater travesty than the inclusion of all those Kirk Hammet solos.

I like Jerry Cantrell.

Hey, Fripp made the list!

Lifeson and Petrucci skated in at the last possible second there. That's nice, although Lifeson has laid down far more interesting solos than the Working Man one.

Lot of stuff that I'd say is overrated, lot of stuff I'd say was underrated. Hendrix is awesome, so is Clapton. Jessica should have been higher; but then I'm a sucker for songs like that.

Billy Corgan shouldn't have been on there once, let alone twice.

Kurt Cobain was good, but there are way better grunge rockers than him.

And a question: Where are the jazz legends?

AnimeJ wrote:

And a question: Where are the jazz legends?

Well, Larry Carlton's on there, but I guess he's not exactly a jazz legend.

None of the country greats either. No Chet Atkins? Nonsense! At least Mark Knopfler made the list.

Ya I would say dump Corrigan (btw I thought it was James Iha at guitar) and Kurt Cobain and replace them with more Soundgarden and Alice n Chains. Lots of AnC songs Cantrell's guitar is so lyrical its almost like the whole song is a solo. Case in point: "Rain When I Die" from "Dirt" or "Grind" from "Tripod". (among many others)

I personally prefer Prince's intros and solos from "When Doves Cry" and "Lets Go Crazy".

And for the record, if find "Purple Haze" to be nigh godlike. I would have liked to have seen "Fire" on the list. Its so funky and unconventional.

Ironically I was listening to Comfortably Numb (actually, the live version from the 2cd Pulse album) and trying to think if there was a better guitar solo. I couldn't think of one. After reading that list, I still can't. Number 1 for me.

It actually stands as my all-time favorite concert moment. Saw Floyd play in Camp Randall (Madison) back in '92 or so. Everyone I knew who came with me got baked and remembers little about the show, but I was cold sober. I wanted to really hear Floyd play and remember it. It was raining slightly, which enhanced the lights of the show and Gilmour nailed that solo. I mean I still get tinglies up my neck thinking about that show, amazing.

Elysium, I'm not sure how that's ironic at all. Perhaps that word does not mean what you think it means?

Podunk wrote:

Randy Rhoads is overrated as hell

What? Seems like someone is riding the crazy train u_u

I think Santana is pretty good on Supernatural (I just listened to the Smooth solo the other day), but Europa isn't great to be so high on the list. He just works very well with what he's got, and his tone is pretty good, I think.

The rest of the list is pretty laughable, I agree. Jeff beck at 99, after Nirvana? ffff*ck... And personally I find Petrucci to be really soulless or too technical or something, but he bores me a lot.

Maybe it's just because I have Rush on the brain due to their new album, but I'm quite surprised that there's only one Alex Lifeson solo on there, and at 94. I love "Working Man", and that would definitely be my choice if I could only pick one, but what about "Spirit of Radio" or "YYZ"? Or some of their older stuff, like "By-Tor" or "Bastille Day"?

Elysium wrote:

It was raining slightly, which enhanced the lights of the show and Gilmour nailed that solo.

i can only recall a few guitarist who's able to completely reproduce their pristine studio solos note by note live. Gilmour is one, Mark Knopfler is the other. both are brilliant. but sometimes i wonder why we bother seeing them live?

i want to see a list of Greatest Bass Solos or Greatest Drum Solos (Neil Peart, Neil Peart, In-a-Gadda-Davidda, Neil Peart).

77. Man in the Box, Jerry Cantrell
100. Three Days, Dave Navarro - awesome, almost 3:33 minutes of cool

These have dropped down significantly since the last "Greatest Solos" list came out- Man in the Box was in the 30s, and Three Days was in the 60s.

Love All Along the Watchtower and Little Wing from Hendrix. I prefer Type O Negative's version of Highway Star. Cemetery Gates by Pantera is a bit, well, pretentious.

Ty Tabor should be on this list. He's one of the most tasteful and expressive soloists in rock music.

Mex wrote:
Podunk wrote:

Randy Rhoads is overrated as hell

What? Seems like someone is riding the crazy train u_u

Meh, I dunno. I think Randy Rhoads was basically a talented Van Halen clone. If not for his untimely death he probably would have gone on to develop his own voice and become one of the all-time greats, but in my opinion he wasn't there yet. Don't get me wrong, the guy had serious chops, but I think it's more the sentimental vote than anything that lands him on these lists.

And on the topic of sentimental votes, Stevie Ray Vaughan is the guy who really deserves that spot in the top ten.

Podunk wrote:

And on the topic of sentimental votes, Stevie Ray Vaughan is the guy who really deserves that spot in the top ten. :)

Oh man, absolutely! They did include him, but Scuttle Buttin' beats Hotel California any day.

KaterinLHC wrote:

Maybe it's just because I have Rush on the brain due to their new album, but I'm quite surprised that there's only one Alex Lifeson solo on there, and at 94. I love "Working Man", and that would definitely be my choice if I could only pick one, but what about "Spirit of Radio" or "YYZ"? Or some of their older stuff, like "By-Tor" or "Bastille Day"?

I was thinking "Spirit of Radio" as well. That's probably my all-time favorite Rush song.

This list needs more Jerry Cantrell.

Elysium, I'm not sure how that's ironic at all.

By ironic, I mean coincidentally.

Elysium wrote:
Elysium, I'm not sure how that's ironic at all.

By ironic, I mean coincidentally.

Oh, ok, that's perfectly cromulent then.

No Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits? This list fails.

Elysium wrote:
Elysium, I'm not sure how that's ironic at all.

By ironic, I mean coincidentally.

Thank you, Alanis Morissette!

PurEvil wrote:

No Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits? This list fails.

It is not the list that fails

The List wrote:

22.
song: Sultans of Swing
guitarist: Mark Knopfler
band: Dire Straits
album: Dire Straits

oldmanscene24 wrote:
PurEvil wrote:

No Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits? This list fails.

It is not the list that fails

The List wrote:

22.
song: Sultans of Swing
guitarist: Mark Knopfler
band: Dire Straits
album: Dire Straits

Bah... curse my skimming eyes!

Fedaykin98 wrote:

I love Nirvana, and I agree with my close homeboy Tom Petty when he says that they're the biggest thing since the Beatles, but how does "Smells Like Teen Spirit" rate on this list? No way! It's just the vocal melody played on guitar! Yeah, it fits, and it sounds good - of course it does, it's just the melody!

What About When These Kids Do It?

Now that's rocking

I'm gonna throw in once again for David Gilmour. I'll echo Podunk's comments regarding his phrasing. The man can say more with fewer notes than many in his class. He defines expressive in his tenure with PF.

I'm no guitarist, but lots of notes does not define great music. Rhythm, melody, and intonation are all far more important. Sorry Yngvie (sp?), but art is not necessarily math. Gilmour's sustains in some of those solos are just so emotional and gut-wrenching.

Also, I'll throw in another vote for SRV. The first time I heard "Couldn't Stand The Weather," I was AMAZED. The entire SONG belongs in this list.

That is all. For now. (BTW as far as mucicianship goes, I'm a trumpet player from back in high school, not that it matters, just background)

Prederick wrote:
Fedaykin98 wrote:

I love Nirvana, and I agree with my close homeboy Tom Petty when he says that they're the biggest thing since the Beatles, but how does "Smells Like Teen Spirit" rate on this list? No way! It's just the vocal melody played on guitar! Yeah, it fits, and it sounds good - of course it does, it's just the melody!

What About When These Kids Do It?

Now that's rocking

You evil bastard.

EDIT: Uber - completely agree that it's what you make the guitar say, not how you say it. A really great piece of music doesn't have to be difficult.

How the hell did Satriani's "Satch Boogie" wind up way down at 55? Thats top 5 material right thar.

November Rain -vastly overrated- makes the list but no Dave Mustaine (Megadeth)?
Idiot voters.

Running Man wrote:

November Rain -vastly overrated- makes the list but no Dave Mustaine (Megadeth)?
Idiot voters.

Or Marty Friedman. Yet Kirk Hammet solos make up like half the list. It's a travesty.

Running Man wrote:

How the hell did Satriani's "Satch Boogie" wind up way down at 55? Thats top 5 material right thar.

November Rain -vastly overrated- makes the list but no Dave Mustaine (Megadeth)?
Idiot voters.

Mustaine is a great one that was left out, too, as far as thrash goes. Rust in Peace is still one of my favorite albums, start to finish- well, if you forget about The Dawn Patrol.