100 Greatest Guitar Solos Updated
Monday July 17, 2006
This page has been updated with more info, graphics, and better tab links! See the results of a Guitar World reader's poll of the top 100 guitar solos of all time, and get the tabs for each song. Get 100 Greatest Guitar Solo Tabs
Comments
Living Colour is mispelled on the 100 greatest guitar solos list — just in case someone goes online shopping for their music… (Spelled “Color” on the solos list.)
What kind of list is this without Michael Schenker, there must be some kind of mistake! Kurt Kobain?
Where is BucketHead, he should be in the top 10 I think, with Nottingham Lace…and Kurt Cobain does not have his place in that list.
this list is complete crap. No eric johnson no worthwhile satriani, steve vai, buckethead…..wow this guy is a moron…who lets him write lists like this….and since when has the three chord wonder band (ac-dc) been guitar gods. oh and i agree kurt kobain sucks.
How in the world is “Maggot Brain” as low as 71? Definitely top 10 if not top 5.
Hehe, it’s not just about the solo man, It’s also about how the song itself revolutionized rock music.
Where are dragonforce, megadeth, and iron maiden?
man dime should be higher up on the list. listen to cemetary gates or any other song by pantera.there is a reason why he has a solo i like every song… it bc hes so good
The Outlaws – Green Grass and High Tides not even cracking the top 100 makes me wonder about these folks at this guitar magazine.
well just think. these stats came from people just like you giving their opinion. you don’t like it- take more polls.
i am so sick of people harping on about old music!!
example- neil peart is the best drummer in the world
theres much better drummers around nowadays! but coz they are in new bands their not aloud to be the best in the world because someone in the past was good by the era’s standards but by nowadays standards…
i agree where is dragon force = avenged sevenfold?
KURT KOBAIN?????
OMG people this list says the most memorable solos. The ones with SOUL that is why buckethead isnt up there so get over it
How can you say there’s no soul in Buckethead’s music? I doubt you’ve heard anything other than Jordan… and that was written for Guitar Hero 2… Listen to something other than that, Like Soothsayer, Electric Tears, Padmasana, Too Many Humans, the list could go on forever, my point is, his music is not in any way lacking soul, in fact, there’s more soul in his music than in most. Of course, this is my opinion and nothing more.
bulls on parade shouldnt even be in this let alone that high!
Where the hell is Iron Maiden!?!? Some of the best solos i’ve ever heard are played by them.
avenged sevenfold ; Synyster gates
wicked end , afterlife
these two songs will melt your face…..it’ll go to the top o’ the list!!
where is Synyster gates?! is there a list without him?! your crazy!!!!!!!
Avenged Sevenfold and Dragon force ar BOTH WANNABE hardcore bands
myspace.com/ac130spectral
That’s the American spelling.
KURT COBAIN!!! Are these guys nuts?! Why would they want to add that amateur?
And about Dragonforce, Iron Maiden, Buckethead, Megadeth, and Avenged Sevenfold… where are they in the top… WHERE THEY SHOULD RIGHTFULLY BE!!!
how can you not have more than one AC/DC song on there, angus young is the among the most amazing guitarist ever.
Where is Marty Friedman, Dave Mustaine, and Chris Poland? Tornado of Souls should at least be somewhere on that list, Wake Up Dead should be on the list aswell.
@Guy who says Dragonforce should be on the list fails.
If we listened to all of your suggestions, the list would be 1000 songs long.
Where is Peter Frampton, the guy had a talking guitar man! This list needs “Do You Feel Like We Do” from the “Frampton Comes Alive!” album, UNREAL SOLO. Anyone who knows anything about guitar knows that.
i think there shouldn’t even be a list because it really depends on the person who your asking everybody has different tastes in music
michael schenker solo on rock bottom from the live album strangers in the night is one of the top guitar solos. also richie black more live in japan deep purple child in time solo kicks ass.
Yeah, I agree with Tyler! Dimebag Darrell should be higher up on the list! His style of guitar (though it has never replicated) left a PRETTY DAMN HUGE impression on today’s music. I wonder if people even considered Daimond Darrell’s “Glam Days” solos?
And yeah, the reason some guitarists from today are up there are because they haven’t really done anything worth remembering…kinda. I don’t know how to explain it, but maybe they’ll leave a mark on guitar history later on. So don’t fret! There’s still hope for Buckethead and Ol’ Cobaine!
Dimebag really tops the chart. He is a guitar God. Cemetary Gates is a masterpiece by Dime. R.I.P. Dimebag Darrell.
Firstly, its about the solos not the artists
Secondly, Why are not these amazing solos in this list??????Watsup guitat world??????????????
Pink Floyd-Have A Cigar, Shine On You Crazy Diamond,Young Lust
Journey-Mystery Mountain
Cream-White Room, Sunshine Of Your Love
Buckethed-Nottingham Lace,Big Sur Moon
Deep Purple-Smoke On The Water
Stevie Vai-Bad Horsie
And why are these solos so low on the list
Jeff Beck-Cause We’ve Ended As Loveers
Jane’s Addiction-Three Days
Eric Clapton-Let It Rain
Funkadelic-Maggot Brain
Deep Purple-Lazy
Led Zeppelin-Since I’ve Been Lovin You
The Allman Brothers Band-Whipping Post
P
I think everyone who comments negatively against another guitarist, isnt a respecable guitarist. Like dissing Angus Young, he and his brother may only use the first position cords, but listen to the song The Razor’s Edge. that is an insane guitar solo and rhythm section. And in all honesty anyone who believes that AC/DC needs more songs on the list is a genius.
Hendrix’s Machine Gun 32??? That’s just plain ridiculous!!! Any REAL guitar player knows this is the greatest guitar solo ever recorded. Completely improvised not like all this post Van Halen crap which is All licks played fast with no soul. As far I’m concerned every guitar solo should be mesured by this one. Guitar Player, get a clue.
Wow!! Only one Alex Lifeson solo– one of the most underrated rock guitarists of the last 30 years. How about Limelight, a crisp, direct, soulful solo?! It’s not always about speed and technical virtuosity. Just my two cents.
lol, dragonforce.
no beyond the realms of death by judas priest=fail
you all dont get that this blog is all classic solos except for a few he isnt listing the most amazing solos and if he was he is missing the most insane solo ever and thats Freight Train by Nitro played by the great Michael Angelo Batio
Also take Bulls on Parade off it doesn’t sound like a solo it sounds like a turn table
kurt cobain is quality no.4 and acdc dont play three cords. they play solos that your mind. what band are you in. plebs r us. get a life.
One of the things that pisses me off is that everyone here is upset because a few people didnt make it. 1st of all, for those who are shouting about buckethead: he has no emotion. His solos are fast, true, but this isnt a list of the fastest solos, it’s a list of the best. also, about kirt cobain, yeah he wasnt the fastest guitarist or best guitarist, but neither was David Gilmour, and the thing that both of them have that buckethead and satriani dont have is colour. They can make a solo out of nothing more than a few notes and they can surpass the solos of the greatest shred soloists.
digitaldreamdoor.nutsie.com/pages/best_guitarsolo.html
For those who are upset with this list, maybe this list is more to your liking. Check It Out
research buckethead before you talk about him. he hides his emotion because he hates how people dance about on stage, tis why he left guns n roses. Also, he does his own drums and bass in all his songs. hes extremely talented, he may not be the best but full of talent. AND OMG stfu about dragonforce and avenged sevenfold, ugh. kids.
A7x is #1
This list was compiled by guitar players for guitar players. What those who are guitarist will pick as best isn’t necessarily what listeners will pick. It should be assumed that when artists pick what they consider best they are taking into account not just aesthetics but technique as well as degree of difficulty in execution.
dude down below, what is the matter with you kurt kobain sucks as a guitarist im better than him and im 16
really, where is buckethead? he should be in the top ten for soothsayer or nottingham lace.
to sophia – you obviously have never spoken to an american. that is a correct spelling in american. “color”, and “colour” are both valid spellings.
why isnt through the fire and the flames on here?
ok wow, you guys saying buckethead can’t be on the list because he shows no emotion, FIRST of all have you even listened to padmasana,
or soothsayer,
or the way to heaven,
or for mom,
or too many humans,
or any one of the 50-somethin slow, powerful, EMOTIONAL songs he’s written?
SECOND of all, wow Eruption… emotion… ya
and to the people saying “dude, i’m better than(insert guitarist here) and i’m only 2 1/2 years old!” shut up! you might THINK you’re better, but you still play in your grandmothers basement! you’re not famous and odds are, you never will be, so (insert guitarist here) will ALWAYS be better than you!
Okay,, so where the hell is Frusciante and Red Hot Chili Peppers?
some people need to chill out haha he has his right to post this and you have the right not to read it!
where is buckethead and MAB those are the real deal!!
i would like to know how neither painkiller nor blackened got on here.
to all of you who talk about buckethead’s “soul”: wearing a bucket on your head and putting on heavy makeup makes you look mentally disabled, so idk where his soul is coming from (maybe if he looked presentable then his music would be more recognized). he should definitely not be on the list.
Jimmy Page is the greatest guitarist ever, with Jimi Hendrix as a close second
where is paradise city it has one of the best solos of all time and where is green grass and high tides it was a song mad for this list there were only to parts in the song that had singing the rest was guitar
also cudos to led zeppelin for topping #1
p.s. bucket head is soulless for the past few days i have bought the songs you guys have listed and i would like to say a record played backward has more soul!!!
how the **edit** did radiohead get that high let alone in the list?
angus young is the best guitarist on earth!
Dear Tyler M.,
You said they should take Bulls On Parade off the list because it sounds like a turntable.
It is actually a guitar.
Tom Morello scratches his strings. I tried it on my guitar and it does sound like a turntable.
P.S. La Grange by ZZ Top should be on here.
whoever says dragonforce should be on this list is crazy.. their guitar sounds good in songs you download, or on their CD’s, but their guitarists cant even play their own songs live.. they speed them up.. i dont think that makes it good, but i do agree with the people who say avenged sevenfold should be on here
Where’s Yngwe Malmsteen?
maybe u people need to listen to some of those and see y they up there x.x
of course ur probably to ignorant to understand
bunch of 13 year olds who listen to linkin park