Greatest Guitar Solos of Rock and Metal

Restricted to rock and metal for an easier comparison of song styles. Please consider talent, originality, and technique for your selections of these solos. Really think and research before you vote. Thank you!

Also, when you add a song, please format it like this:
Song Title- Guitarist/Second Guitarist(if applicable).

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1) The Zoo - Matthias Jabs

“So emotional solo, like there’s no machine but just his soul which plays it! I lololove the action he’s tongue does on that solo! He makes me wanna get a voicebox!”

“Matthias kicks major butt on this song. This song is a total turn on and the solo makes me HOT! WooHoo! You the man Matthias! #1 forever...”

“What can I say - it’s fantastic solo on Voice Box. It very truly and emotional. It’s good song with interesting guitar riff. Magnificent game Matthias on Voice Box selects him from the general crowd of musicians!!!!!!!”

» more comments on The Zoo - Matthias Jabs

2) Eruption - Eddie Van Halen

“the fastest and craziest solo ever...”

richie4life

“guitar god the best ever”

rafayel

“Great Solo. EVH is one of the most technical guitarists i’ve heard, and yet he mixes such style into his songs. GREAT!!”

» more comments on Eruption - Eddie Van Halen

3) Bad Medicine - Richie Sambora

“the best guitarist ever is playing a really difficult, fast and technical solo”

richie4life

4) One - Kirk Hammet

“Best solo ever!”

LeperMessiah

“its the best ever!”

“From the intricate beginning to the machine gun style chords and insanely fast solo Kirk has proved him self a versatile and skilled guitarist”

» visit One - Kirk Hammet website
» more comments on One - Kirk Hammet

5) Stairway to Heaven - Jimmy Page

“ITS STAIRWAY!!! ENOUGH SAID!”

» visit Stairway to Heaven - Jimmy Page website

6) Afterlife - Synyster Gates

“Best Guitar Solo Ever
”

Dglass23

“Just listen to it live he is a god”

SynysterGates

“Greatest solo ever. Deserves #1”

SynysterGates

» more comments on Afterlife - Synyster Gates

7) November Rain - Slash

“One word for that solo: epic”

fpsscarecrow

“Amazing that solo in the field out in nowhere just great”

8) Dreams - Duane Allman

9) Free Bird - Collinsworth/Rossington

“Best Solo EVER!”

Rockkerr74

“I love the intergration into the solo and the length of it.”

“This is the ultimate finale for any song. A masterpiece solo with two guitars to own all others.”

» visit Free Bird - Collinsworth/Rossington website

10) Forsaken - John Petrucci

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Choices Not In The Top Ten

11) Comfortably Numb - David Gilmour

“This is a very touching solo that reminds me that no matter how messed up this world is (given from the lyrics), there is still tomorrow (from the hopeful solo).”

» visit Comfortably Numb - David Gilmour website

12) Through The Fire and Flames - Herman Li/Sam Totman

“Oh MAn This The Sickest Guitar Solo ever. I mean this two just playing so awesome, and leavin guys llike van halen and kirk in the back. Amazing soloo nobody plays a solo like this.”

copkiller

“I have never ever heard anything like this. First time I heard this song I couldn’t believe how fast this guy plays and how long too! His guitar solo is like more then 2 minutes long”

ziggy22

“its just amazing i meen watch the music video and herman’s hands are going to fast that its all blury”

13) Little Wing - Jimi Hendrix

“Great Song most unique song I’ve ever heard”

seadoc17

“Although short, this solo is by far the most emotional I’ve ever heard. Being a song of eternal piece and solitude, I often cry when I hear it.”

» visit Little Wing - Jimi Hendrix website

14) Nottingham Lace - Buckethead

“Unbelievable”

“absolutely amazing
”

15) Achilles Last Stand - Jimmy Page

“Jimmy truly makes his Les Paul sing and cry during this somewhat lengthy solo. The beating of the drums in the background express anger and desperation which harmonize very well with this solo.”

» visit Achilles Last Stand - Jimmy Page website

16) The Man Who Sold The World - Kurt Cobain

“was a bowie cover but still a great solo”

17) Dry Country - Richie Sambora

“This solo should be in the top 5! The greatest solo ever!”

taladini

“very long solos!
the first is about 30 seconds and the second is about 90 seconds...”

richie4life

18) Floods - Dimebag Darrel

“the pinch harmonics in this song make my spine tingle”

Bigredgum69

“This solo does have some fast playing like many other metal solos but it contains an emotional feel that many of the other solos do not have.”

» visit Floods - Dimebag Darrel website

19) Sweet Child o' Mine - Slash

“Greatest solo of Greatest song of all time”

Coldplay

20) Master of Puppets - Kirk Hammett

“Kirk is a legend”

21) Life`s Like A River - Ulrich Roth

22) Bohemian Rhapsody - Brian May

“Its actually quite short at 26 seconds still an amazing solo”

Greenday

23) Fade to Black - Kirk Hammett

“Great song”

“The last 2 minutes of that song are indescribable!”

“Brilliant Guitar work and a song that is stilled played regularly in the metal scene!!! METALLICA!!!!!”

24) Bulls on Parade - Tom Morello

25) Hate Crew Deathroll - Alex Laiho

“i have never seen anybodies fingers move so fast in my life”

26) Crazy Train - Randy Rhoads

“Awesome solo that everyone has probably heard.”

» visit Crazy Train - Randy Rhoads website

27) Scar Tissue - John Frusciante

“Great song, even better solo...It comes and goes which adds to the whole mood. Itâ€™s like a story in the form of guitar notes, so simple yet so effective.”

28) Hour I - Matthias Jabs

“Very nice solo that maybe soumds nusual. But i think it’s great!”

29) All Along The Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix

“are u fricken kiding with the wah pedal and hendrix doing what he does best easily nuber 1”

30) Stargazer - Richie Blackmore

31) Voodoo Child (Slight Return) - Jimi Hendrix

“This solo is badass.”

» visit Voodoo Child (Slight Return) - Jimi Hendrix website

32) Since I’ve Been Loving You - Jimmy Page

“This is a wonderful attempt of Jimmy’s to play a blues song and he really pulled it off. Due to the fact that this song is mostly based on improvisation, it makes a great live performance.”

» visit Since I’ve Been Loving You - Jimmy Page website

33) Jesus of Suburbia - Billie Joe Armstrong

“EPIC!”

idolangelx13

“it is one of the best solos Green Day has done ever”

idolangelx13

34) Under a Glass Moon - John Petrucci

35) For The Love of God - Steve Vai

“just amazing”

nagao

36) Back In Black - Angus Young

“Should be #1! Malcolm and Angus Young=Best guitar duo EVER!”

37) Hotel California - Don Felder/Joe Walsh

“Best song, Best Solo of the 20th century. Hands down.”

38) Dance of Death - Iron Maiden

39) Blue Sky - Duane Allman/Dicky Betts

40) Sultans of Swing - Mark Knopfler

41) Soothsayer - Buckethead

“simply incredible”

42) Rock Bottom - Michael Schenker

“It’s the most under-rated guitar solo on this list!”

“This cat can play.”

43) Bat Country - Synyster Gates

“Are You Kidding Me. This Solo is Freakin Amazing”

44) Surfing With The Alien - Joe Satriani

45) Do You Feel Like We Do - Peter Frampton

“One of the greatest rock masterpieces of its time.”

46) Time - David Gilmour

47) Money For Nothing - Mark Knopfler

48) Purple Rain - Prince

49) Road To Nowhere - Zakk Wylde

“You really should listen to this one.. very emotional and technical solo, from the ozzy’s 1991 ’No more tears’ album”

50) Maggot Brain - Eddie Hazel

51) Jerry Was a Race Driver - Larry "Ler" Lalonde

52) The Number of The Beast - Adrian Smith/Dave Murray

53) 2 Minutes To Midnight - Adrian Smith/Dave Murray

54) Cemetary Gates - Dimebag Darrel

55) Know Your Enemy - Tom Morello

56) Smells Like Teen Spirit - Kurt Cobain

“Great jam by greatest rocker evaaa”

57) Invincible - Matt Bellamy

58) Muffin Man - Frank Zappa

“this is so sick the first 2 minutes he’s just talking about a muffin man then he just balls out shreds like a freaking mad man”

59) Hells Bells - Angus Young

60) Bat out of Hell - Todd Rundgren

“The song has 2 solos both great 1st around 30 seconds and 2nd around 7 minutes”

61) Third Eye - Adam Jones

“Awesome song, awesome solo too”

“I have never heard anybody play guitar like Adam does in this song...the entire song is a guitar solo with other instruments aranged around it.”

62) Don't Cry - Slash

“Hear it for yourself”

63) Texas Flood - Stevie Ray Vaughan

“soulful song with a solo full of emotion”

64) Domination - Dimebag Darrel

“the hardest guitar solo anyone could ever try to atttempt to play”

65) Hellraiser - Zakk Wylde

66) Star Spangled Banner - Jimi Hendrix

67) Geek U.S.A. - Billy Corgan

68) Seven Nation Army - Jack White

69) Badfish - Bradley Knowell

70) Them Bones - Jerry Cantrell

71) War Pigs - Tony Iommi

72) Always With Me, Always With You - Joe Satriani

73) Utopia Theme - Todd Rundgren

74) Dani California - John Frusciante

75) A Gunshot To The Head Of Trepidation- Corey Beaulieu/Matt Heafy

“Aww come on. No one likes Trivium around here. Listen to it, its epic.”

76) Child in Time - Ritchie Blackmore

“So fast and so intense at the same time. Really the best song from Deep Purple.”

77) Crossroads - Eric Clapton

78) Live Lights Out - Michael Schenker

79) Alive - Mike Mcready

“Wiked solo it just comes out of nowhere and the awesome sound just hits u”

80) Every Rose Has It's Thorn - CC Deville

81) My Generation - The Who - Live At Leeds

“the biggest chords you’ll ever hear”

82) In Bloom - Kurt Cobain

83) Ebin - Bradley Knowell

84) Whipping Post - Duane Allman

85) Why Do You Want Him? - Billie Joe Armstrong

86) Flight of Icarus - Adrian Smith/Dave Murray

87) Three Days - Dave Navarro

88) Burning of The Midnight Lamp - Jimi Hendrix

“all you jimi poseurs say voodoo child and all along the watchtower is his best solo but this obviosley is”

89) Waiting on The World To Change - John Mayer

90) I Could Have Lied - John Frusciante

91) Sympathy For The Devil - Keith Richards

92) Black Magic Woman- Carlos Santana

93) The Game of Love - Carlos Santana

94) Just Got Paid - Billy Gibbons

95) Don't Keep Me Wonderin' - Duane Allman

96) Inca Roads - Frank Zappa

97) Stop - Dave Navarro

98) Blues For Salvador - Carlos Santana

“a masterpiece to be enjoyed”

99) We Will Rock You - Brian May

100) Wanted Dead Or Alive - Richie Sambora

“great guitar solo!
in the official top 100 solos of all time”