Guitar solos are funny things. They're all at once a staple of rock and roll, the bane of egotistical front-men and the first of many hurdles for any aspiring axe-wielder.
At its worst, a guitar solo can be an overindulgent mess, an excuse for many a punter to take a trip to the bar as the oblivious culprit musician massages his ego onstage.
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While this list is in no means a definitive rundown of the greatest guitar solos of all time, it shows that one key factor emerges in every great note flurry; spirit.
Guns N' Roses: Sweet Child O' Mine
The Gunners' first ballad was an uncharacteristic hit back in 1987. For a group riding high as the bad boys of 80's hair rock, Axl's
Metallica: One
Kirk Hammett's assault of schizophrenic precision in the final four minutes of Metallica's most celebrated epic sounds like an exercise in agonized perfection. A listen, however, to early rehearsal demos reveal that the
** Prince: Purple Rain **
Prince is one of the most successful pop musicians of all time. He's also an incredibly underrated guitar player. To any non-believers, his lead work on the titular track from the "Purple Rain" motion picture soundtrack is proof of his six string chops. The epic song's final three minutes are a stunning blast of uncaged guitar playing mastery. In short, when it comes to guitar brilliance, the artist formerly known as the artist formerly known as Prince throws down with the best of them. A quick glance at the liner notes and the revelation that "Purple Rain" is a live recording makes this guitar effort all the more impressive.
Nirvana: Smells Like Teen Spirit
Kiss might seem like an unlikely influence on Seattle's most famous band, but their acronym come mantra of "keep it simple stupid" was clearly applied to this number. "Smells Like Teen Spirit's" guitar solo isn't particularly virtuosic. Indeed, Kurt Cobain simply pushes the vocal melody up an octave and cranks the gain. It could have been a bit of a cop-out. With a vocal melody as good as "Teen Spirit's" however, the economical guitar work makes for maximum impact. It's simple but effective, proof that less can be more and a favourite of the teenaged air guitar enthusiast.
Van Halen: Eruption
The third track on Van Halen's self titled debut isn't a song. It's a guitar master
The Kinks: You Really Got Me
In light of what was to follow in the guitar solo canon, the lead work in the "Kinks'" landmark hit might seem like a mere footnote. Fact of the matter is that it was to become a rock and roll template for years to come. It's a short, sweet mess of fuzz-tone rock and roll, chock full of energy and supposedly achieved after Dave Davis took a razor blade to the speaker cone of his Vox AC-30. It's a section that has been surrounded in mystery for decades, with many believing that it was in fact Jimmy Page (at the time a session musician) and not Davis that handled strumming duties. Regardless of its origin, the hyper-fuzz blast of "You Really Got Me" is a classic.
AC/DC: Whole Lotta Rosie
AC/DC have never been a subtle band as their 1977 tale of "big love" proves. Rosie is perhaps the Aussie rockers at their most rowdy and Angus Young delivers the goods with a solo as smokin' as it is hyperactive. It's hot, it's sticky and it'll leave you panting like a randy dog. In fact, as the notes spurt out so fast that they're tripping over each other, it's hard not to imagine the schoolboy-come-demon humping somebody's leg as he's playing it. In short, for "Whole Lotta Rosie", it's a big, fat, whole lotta solo.
Led Zeppelin: No Quarter (Live)
Jimmy Page's undisputed guitar godliness will perhaps be most fondly remembered through his incendiary lead work in "Stairway To Heaven". To the Zeppelin devoted though, it's his slow burning prowess in the version of "No Quarter" from live album "The Song Remains The Same" that puts him in the camp of muso royalty. It's an initially moody performance from Page, as he subtly interplays with John Paul Jones's organ work. As it builds to a climax, however, the eruption that follows is a release moment of pure brilliance. No note is wasted as the master of hard and heavy lays it down to the Madison Square Garden audience. Special edition releases of the album have unfortunately had to cut down the track to make way for more encore material. To the owners of the original CD and vinyl releases of "The Song Remains The Same" however, "No Quarter's" solo midsection will always be remembered as a defining Zep moment.
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