We're five days into 2023 and we already have Rolling Stone giving us their list of who they think are the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time, and now UDiscoverMusic.com wants us to know what the best 108 guitar solos are.
In putting together the list, the editors make it clear that they considered "no more than one solo from any one player, so a couple of members of well-known bands are represented by their greatest guest appearances. When in doubt, we opted for the most memorable solo, whether it’s part of a classic song or great overall performance."
And, like the Rolling Stone list, it's very expansive, covering not only rock, but blues, jazz and big band. The Top 10 are:
- Jimi Hendrix: "Purple Haze" (Woodstock version)
- Wes Montgomery: "No Blues"
- Chuck Berry: "School Day"
- B.B. King: "The Thrill Is Gone"
- Funkadelic: "Maggot Brain" (solo by Eddie Hazel)
- Michael Jackson: "Beat It" (Eddie Van Halen)
- The Beatles: "Something" (George Harrison)
- Sister Rosetta Tharpe: "Up Above My Head"
- Benny Goodman & His Orchestra: "Solo Flight" (Charlie Christian)
- Television: "Marquee Moon" (Tom Verlaine)
Looking at the rest of the list you'll find the usual suspects like Eric Clapton, Brian May, Ritchie Blackmore, Slash and Tony Iommi, but, you'll also find quite a few who are often overlooked, such as the late Terry Kath of Chicago, the late Michael Bloomfield of The Butterfield Blues Band, Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits), Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick), the late Alvin Lee of Ten Years After, Andy Summers (The Police), Alex Lifeson (Rush), and Judas Priest's K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton.
And, then there are quite who aren't normally singled out for solos, such as Bonnie Raitt, Lou Reed, Kurt Cobain, R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, John Fogerty and Todd Rundgren.
The complete list can be found at UDiscoverMusic.com/Stories/Best-Guitar-Solos-Ever.