What are your favorite rock guitar solos of all time?

BarNotchky

BarNotchky

Semi-Pro
One of the hallmarks of a great rock song is the classic rock guitar solo. As I recount my favorite tunes, time and again they'll feature a brilliant solo. A well-constructed solo can "make" an otherwise pedestrian tune. Similarly a poor solo can ruin even the best song.

So what makes a great rock guitar solo? My favorites are above all expressive. They literally sing with emotion. They strike that ellusive balance between technical proficiency and catchy-ness. They scratch you right where you itch. They can lodge themselves in your head for weeks at a time, which may or may not be a good thing.

While there are so many great ones out there I chose two, one classic and one new.

Classic guitar solo: Pink Floyd, Have a Cigar, David Gilmour:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpH_e0of400&t=3m17s

Neo-Classic guitar solo: Transatlantic. In Held (Twas) In I, Roine Stolt:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2smecZc_SVM&t=15m17s
 
Disgruntled Worker

Disgruntled Worker

Professional
This is an outstanding video featuring everyone from Van Halen to Dimebag Darrell to John Petrucci: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaAkWy55V3A

roger-federer-guitar.jpg%3Fw%3D610%26h%3D465
 
McLovin

McLovin

Legend
In addition to what BarNotchy said, I think the reproduction of the solo live is also a factor. Many people could rip away in the studio, but you get them live & it just doesn't sound right. That's why Randy Rhoads was one of my favorites, Mr. Crowley being one of the smoothest of his short career:

But the technically-blow-your-doors-off solo has to go to Satriani and Crushing Day. Yes, the whole song is an instrumental, but from 1:52 -> 3:40, he just goes off:

With an honorable mention to Satch Boogie:
 
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dParis

dParis

Hall of Fame
BarNotchky said:
Classic guitar solo: Pink Floyd, Have a Cigar, David Gilmour:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpH_e0of400&t=3m17s
Click to expand...
Nice :)

I think my favorite is Steve Howe's solo at the end of Yes' Starship Trooper. The solo is great, but what puts it over the top is the build up to it. Under heavy influence, the first time I heard it, I thought I almost left my body. :mrgreen: It remains amazing today.

The early 70's was an amazing era for the electric guitar.
 
stringertom

stringertom

Bionic Poster
The "Layla" album by Derek & The Dominos is chock full of great guitar work by both Clapton and Duane Allman but the absolute best are the dueling solos on "Key To The Highway"...back and forth from Clapton's leads to Duane's slide responses...hands down the most dynamic nine minutes of guitar work ever recorded!
 
kiki

kiki

Banned
dParis said:
Nice :)

I think my favorite is Steve Howe's solo at the end of Yes' Starship Trooper. The solo is great, but what puts it over the top is the build up to it. Under heavy influence, the first time I heard it, I thought I almost left my body. :mrgreen: It remains amazing today.

The early 70's was an amazing era for the electric guitar.
Click to expand...

Yah.Don´t forget Hendrix and Blackmore.Iommy´s riffs were terrific and so were some of Angus Young´s solos.Of course, Gilmour,Clapton,Beck can rivalise with the best.

Van Halen was also amazing.
 
D

Deleted member 503267

Guest
Robin Trower is the gift that just keeps giving. Check out his latest album "Roots and Branches".
 
Lukhas

Lukhas

Legend
Disgruntled Worker said:
This is an outstanding video featuring everyone from Van Halen to Dimebag Darrell to John Petrucci: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaAkWy55V3A
Click to expand...
I love how outright recognizable some of them are. I could say which ones exactly are very obvious, but the list would be too long... Thought Dimebag was a bit too much of a caricature. Did not care for Petrucci here either.

EDIT: Actually I find that one more impressive. Because your realize how much they have a signature style, even on backing tracks from other bands.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLyPMSMEnyQ
 
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kiki

kiki

Banned
" Jimmy Hendrix plays from his stomach, Eric Clapton from his mind.Jimmy Page from his soul"
 
stringertom

stringertom

Bionic Poster
SRV was one fine ax man! "The Sky Is Crying" is my favorite of his many good songs. There is also a great 10-minute clip on YouTube from '90 featuring SRV, Jimmy Vaughn, Robert Cray, Clapton and Buddy Guy all riffing on "Sweet Home Chicago".
 
hrstrat57

hrstrat57

Hall of Fame
I have a lot of favs... Eric Johnson, Robin Ford, Coco Montoyo lots of em.

But my two absolute favs are Clapton/ Yardbirds " I ain't got you" and David Gilmour / Pink Floyd "time"
 
Disgruntled Worker

Disgruntled Worker

Professional
Lukhas said:
I love how outright recognizable some of them are. I could say which ones exactly are very obvious, but the list would be too long... Thought Dimebag was a bit too much of a caricature. Did not care for Petrucci here either.

EDIT: Actually I find that one more impressive. Because your realize how much they have a signature style, even on backing tracks from other bands.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLyPMSMEnyQ
Click to expand...

That is badass! Yngwie with Morbid Angel...my god.
 
Vcore89

Vcore89

Talk Tennis Guru
Deep Purple's HIGHWAY STAR at the 3:43 to 5:05 mark From their classic 1972 album Machine Head.
--
Ian Gillan - Lead vocals
Ritchie Blackmore - Lead guitar
Roger Glover - Bass guitar
Ian Paice - Drums
Jon Lord (RIP 1941 - 2012) - Organ, keyboards
 
BarNotchky

BarNotchky

Semi-Pro
Thanks to everyone for sharing. You folks posted a lot of great stuff.

I'm a huge Procol Harum fan but never really followed Robin Trower's solo career. Too Rolling Stoned features some fine guitar work. Loved that whaling sound Trower get's on Bridge of Sighs. Last 24 hours I've been listening to all the tracks on the BoS album. Thanks Coach O and hrstrat57 for sharing. Don't know how I ever got along before Youtube.

Thanks for reminding me about Randy Rhoads, McLovin. You gotta wonder what he could've done if not for that tragic accident. He was so talented. What a waste.

I've always enjoyed Howe's dream-like, almost hypnotic solo in Starship Troopers. And you're right dParis, this is a good example where the solo is more an extension of the buildup rather than a stand-alone.

Thanks for sharing Nottingham Lace Anaconda. Buckethead may be a bit on the metal side for me but still an excellent jam.

Hey Backborde, I forgot all about Skynyrd's Free Bird, a quintessential rock anthem with one of the best guitar jam's of all time. That took me way back. What song you wanna hear, tell me?

Also really enjoyed SRV's The Sky is Crying. 1:45 - 2:40 is just plan nasty. Made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. That's some major league blues chops right there. Thanks for that stringertom.

Thanks for Highway Star Vcore. No doubt a timeless classic.

JackB1, thanks a lot for sharing. This is exactly what I hoped to get out of this thread: I know absolutely nothing about Collective Soul but after a couple of spins I think I'm hooked. My next iTunes purchase is gonna be their self titled album. Thanks again.

Share 'em if you got 'em.
 
JackB1

JackB1

G.O.A.T.
BarNotchky said:
JackB1, thanks a lot for sharing. This is exactly what I hoped to get out of this thread: I know absolutely nothing about Collective Soul but after a couple of spins I think I'm hooked. My next iTunes purchase is gonna be their self titled album. Thanks again.

Share 'em if you got 'em.
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The self titled Collective Soul album is a true classic. Every song on it is great. Disciplined Breakdown is also very good and my second favorite.

Surely you've heard "Shine"?
Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m0bI82Rz_k&feature=youtube_gdata_player
 
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hrstrat57

hrstrat57

Hall of Fame
Bridge of Sighs the whole LP is killer....starting right off with "day of the eagle"

If you love that swirling speaker middle pickup blazing stratocaster single coil pup tone....wow, just wow!

Crank it up!!

I can't give you a list of my favorite LP's but BOS is top notch, must listen!!
 
kiki

kiki

Banned
Ritchie Blackmore´s not just Highway Star but also Another Kind of Woman and Burnt.And that small riff of "Smoke..."?
 
kiki

kiki

Banned
Best drumms solos?

Of course, Bonzo´s Moby Dick, many of the drumm rifts of Keith Moon...and Neal Peart.The three unsparable drummers of history.
 
BHBeguile

BHBeguile

Semi-Pro
Favorite guitar solo: the end of "Goodbye Stranger," by Supertramp

Favorite drum solo: the end of "Aja," by Steely Dan
 
stringertom

stringertom

Bionic Poster
Early 90's was a cool time for me as there was a small blues club a mile away from my apartment...saw a veteran Buddy Guy, a young Lucky Peterson and the most outrageously astounding prodigy I'll ever see...a pre-teen Derek Trucks doing his best Duane Allman reincarnation! Made me pull up YouTube clips this AM from all of them...maybe the best is this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92Vxien_Eae&sns=em
 
SystemicAnomaly

SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
^ Good stuff. Saw Focus a few times in concert (always as an amazing opening act for other prog rock groups)

kiki said:
Best drumms solos?

Of course, Bonzo´s Moby Dick, many of the drumm rifts of Keith Moon...and Neal Peart.The three unsparable drummers of history.
Click to expand...

Moon (Who) and Peart (Rush) for sure. Never really listed to Bonzo. My other favorites include John Bonham (Zep), Michael Shrieve (Santana), and Carl Palmer (ELP). Altho' I didn't listen to them very much, the drummers for The Police and Nirvana were outstanding as well. Altho' I would not put rate him as high as the others, Ginger Baker (Cream), with his double bass, set the bar for drum solos that followed him.

Oh yeah, Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) is outstanding as well.
.
 
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kiki

kiki

Banned
SystemicAnomaly said:
^ Good stuff. Saw Focus a few times in concert (always as an amazing opening act for other prog rock groups)



Moon (Who) and Peart (Rush) for sure. Never really listed to Bonzo. My other favorites include John Bonham (Zep), Michael Shrieve (Santana), and Carl Palmer (ELP). Altho' I didn't listen to them very much, the drummers for The Police and Nirvana were outstanding as well. Altho' I would not put rate him as high as the others, Ginger Baker (Cream), with his double bass, set the bar for drum solos that followed him.
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I agree much on this.

and Bonzo´s real name is John Bonham.To me, the greatest ever.More consistent than Moon and more powerful than Peart.
 
SystemicAnomaly

SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
^ Gotcha. Did not realize that you were talking about the song/instrumental, Moby Dick, by Zep. Thought you were referring to some obscure artist by that name.

Note the edit/update on my previous post = Mike Portnoy (DT).
 
droliver

droliver

Professional
The solo from Richard Thompson's "Shoot out the lights" is pretty mind-bending. He's pretty much the consensus best songwriter-guitar player combo among musicians of the rock era, and he's really the last of the guys who came out of the late 1960's who still plays and records regularly
 
Steady Eddy

Steady Eddy

Legend
^ I've heard that. Interesting, because they each had such different styles.

Chicago wasn't/isn't much without him, IMO. :(
 
SystemicAnomaly

SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
^ Rather ironic. Kath was something of an anomaly. He did not read music -- he was an untrained musician surrounded by a group of college-trained musicians. I've read that his band-mates were in awe of his natural abilities.
 
T

tricky-x

New User
Stephen Stills on "Almost Cut My Hair." Not necessarily a solo.. but plays great riffs throughout the song and a decent solo. Underrated guitarist.

David Gilmour on "Time" is one of my all time favourites.

Hotel California deserves a mention.
 
PhrygianDominant

PhrygianDominant

Hall of Fame
There are a lot of guitar solos in this thread that are really good. My tastes have changed over the years but a few solos that noone has mentioned that I always really liked are

"This Love" - Pantera (Dimebag Darrell)
"No More Tears" - Ozzy Osbourne (Zakk Wylde)
"Revelation" (Mother Earth) - Ozzy Osbourne Randy Rhoads

I will think of some more
 
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