All Time Favourite Guitar Solo

sad songs that are sweet, as opposed to wrenching and raw, are hard to resist, for me... the melodic, pleading lines of this song are pretty much some of the finest and most touching notes I've ever heard coming out of a guitar -

 
14 Years by Guns N' Roses - I like the groove, the way the notes are bent and the way Slash at the end of the solo just keeps it interesting even though the same chords are being repeated.
No More Tears by Ozzy - I like the different moods Zakk Wylde gets in this solo and how it builds.

I can't think of any other specific solos at the moment but I like anything by Slash, Zakk Wylde, Dimebag, Kirk Hammet and Jimmy Page.
 
"I could never the take place of your man" LP version by Prince off Sign of the Times - great tonal contrasts which work brilliantly with the backing chords across the length of the solo, typical Prince - effect-driven guitar sound, and great guitar playing.
 
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I see all the David Gilmour, Jimmy Page, Alex Lifeson, Steve Howe, SRV, etc. and I could probably pick anyone of those and be satisfied. Of course as a stand alone solo, I still think they made and broke the mold with Eruption, no matter how overplayed and copied it has become. EJ Cliffs of Dover, Brian May - like Gilmour, there are so many great ones.

But if I have to settle for one favorite solo, I'd have to pick something by Pat Metheny as he is (to me) a superior soloist/improviser who is always able to tell a story through melody and harmony, and never seems to repeat himself. If I had to pick one of his, I'd probably go with the solo from "Are You Going With Me" off of the live album Travels. It's as much about the particular solo as how important it was to me at the time and opened up my ears to a much bigger musical world. I still get goosebumps listening to that tune. The whole song is amazing and is worth listening to. Deceptively simple in it's construction, but somehow they are always able to put a new spin on the tune even though they've probably played it 10,000 times by now. Solo starts at 3:45. Warning, it's the Roland GR Guitar Synth, which is somewhat of an acquired taste (I've always loved it though, at least when he plays it).

PAT METHENY GROUP: "Are You Going With Me?" (Live) - audio from Travels live cd

Here's a version from "More Travels" if you prefer video:

Pat Metheny - Are you going with me - YouTube
 
Honorable mentions

Gilmour - Time, Shine On You Crazy Diamond
Jimmy Page - Stairway, SIBLY, Ten Year's Gone
Brian May - Bohemian, Killer Queen, Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon
Alex Lifeson - Limelight, Xanadu, Between the Wheels
SRV - Couldn't Stand the Weather, Texas Flood, Cold Shot
Mark Knopfler - Sultans
Jeff Beck - Cause We've Ended As Lovers
F**K, I could go on forever...
 
Allan Holdsworth - Rocks. I think it is on YouTube somewhere. His solo starts about at 3:56. It's everything that is perfect about a Holdsworth solo wrapped up in one package.

Kid Charlemagne... I'm sure it's already been mentioned, and rightly so.

Brian May on "Crazy Little Thing Called Love". a sensational solo. Short, sweet and just perfect.

Blood Sweat and Tears - God Bless the Child. Just for something different, this trumpet solo is awesome.
 
Ole said:
Led Zep - Whole lotta love.
When I hear that I'm 15 again.
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In reading every post up to this point I nodded my head a few times, like "yeah. Yeah. I can see that."

Then I saw the words...

"Whole Lotta Love"

Page invented 'blistering' and 'face melting' solos. THIS one takes the cake.

For real 'chopsy' type stuff... Friedman is all over it. 'Tornado of Souls' for sure. 'High Speed Dirt' too. I LOVE Marty's exotic mixture of modes with pentatonic scales. Obscure right hand technique too. Watch him play is like a miracle. It is utterly IMPOSSIBLE to play like be does playing like... He does.
 
clarky said:
for me, a great solo has to have something about it that stands out.. makes it memorable..
this can be many things..
can be a lyrical / melodic line.. and an effect / trick..
something is essentially a powerful signature..

and a huge thing for me is passion and intensity..

there have been some awesome suggestions so far...
I'll try to add some others...

Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street
the was this simple little solo makes the song climax is nothing short of a moment of genius
and without any signs of shred, it has an intense quality

UFO - This Kids [live from Strangers in the Night]
with a wonderful signature intro.. it could only be Schenker..
UFO - Lights Out [live from Strangers in the Night]
ok, so the playing is not all super accurate, but if it was all that wonderful intensity would vanish..
Schenker sound like he's right on the ragged edge.. again, it's his fierce intensity as he tears into this one..
I took the spirit of this solo and placed it right at the heart of everything that is my approach to playing..
take the song by the throat and throw down..

Satriani - War [the solo from 2:14]
the spirit of Schenker on steroids
I still to this day think it was Satch's finest moment

EVH - I'm The One
up there with the greatest solos ever.. a solo that redefined soloing for a whole generation..
but it has a beautiful and quirky sense of fun... almost cheeky "catch me if ya can"
pure genius of Eddie at his best..

Night Ranger - Don't Tell Me You Love Me
a stunning example of shredding with purpose and musicality..
a beautifully executed solo that sounds like it hits a nice balance between improv and composition..
an approach which is deeply embedded within my own style..
and this solo is the first time I heard whammie warble tricks.. and was like "wtf??"

Rising Force - Disciples of Hell
Malm at his very best... superb signature intro to the solo..
and his 'in-flight' shred soaring 30,000' over the riff.. fabulously intense.. with real fire in it's belly..

Journey - Still They Ride
a stunningly beautiful solo... beginning with a fabulously lyrical and memorable melodic line..
and then it just grows and grows in intensity to a climax of blistering licks...
I personally learn a great deal from Schon about the lyrical side of solos..
and how to use note density as a means to control the solo's dynamic ebb and flow..

Judas Priest - Delivering the Goods
slick.. intense.. and with a wonderfully stylish signature ending..
a superb example of how to create a solo that has great impact..

Mountain - Nantucket Sleigh Ride [from 3:06]
nothing flashy, but just oozing cool.. highly memorable.. a great fusion of quasi-Celtic lines with Blues Rock

Yes - Yours Is No Disgrace [from Yessongs] from 5:43
superb signature intro with the wah licks..
it's a long solo this one.. a great example of compositional playing..
and how to use compositional tricks to keep the solo packed with variety and content
the way the solo grows and develops / ebbs and flows..
some beautiful soaring lines.. and.. it's much more difficult than it sounds..
and at 7:34 when it drops to just guitar and drums.. the way that Howe develops the motiff is just soooo clever..
long solos are difficult to keep interesting.. but for me Howe manages it.. it's so full of content and musicality...
he's a master when it comes to playing around with timing and phrasing [something lost on a lot of modern players that simply charge around in 1/16ths or 1/32ths relentlessly]
a hugely under-rated guitarist...
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Totally agree about Howe. Love his full length solo to America. Underated? I wouldnt call guitar players best overall guitarist 5 times underated. LOL.
 
yesfan said:
Totally agree about Howe. Love his full length solo to America. Underated? I wouldnt call guitar players best overall guitarist 5 times underated. LOL.
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Yeah, I'd like to know who is "under-rating" Steve Howe. He's considered a guitar god by anyone I've ever discussed guitar players with.
 
For me Steve Morse at the 1978 jazz festival playing the Bash. Brent Mason Hot Wired. Guthrie Govan Mary Had A Little Lamb. LOL.Al Di Meola Passion Grace and Fire. Saw Morse play with Paco,Al, And John Mclaughlin live and must say when they took turns soloing Morse won. Al was very repetative. Steve Warner and Brad Paisley tribute to Chet.More Than Just This Song! Great solos. Lara and Reyes Noches de San miguel. Check out the perfect notes.

Noche de San Miguel - YouTube
 
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MrGuitarabuse said:
If have to choose one, it would be Ritchie Blackmore - Stargazer solo

the classic Ritchie tone, style, melody and top off with cool effects
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YES!!! One of my all time favorites. Blackmore has cranked out many killer solos but other ones that are personal RB favorites are the solos in Lazy and Gates Of Babylon.

Another one would be Uli Jon Roth in Catch Your Train...neo-classical stuff years before Yngwie and all the 80's shredders...
 
There are so many great solos and songs mentioned in this thread. Great thread idea too.

I picked a couple of solos out to mention but to be honest there are so many great things by so many diverse artists we are spoilt for choice.

Today it's this one for me, the solo and interplay between Ian Gillan and Ritchie Blackmore, over a classic Ian Paice beat from 1972 is magical.

 
I'm a bit of a Yngwie nut over his earlier stuff. A definite influence for many players. Including myself... Solos that comes to mind are his solos from "Hiroshima Mon Amour" and live version, "Far Beyond the Sun" from the, Live in Japan 1985 video where the whole tune is very memorable. And just to add, one of my favorite guitar tones from a player.

Alcatrazz - Hiroshima mon amour - YouTube

三味線 ROCK! Shamisen 80s Heavy Metal, Yngwie cover! Far beyond the sun! - YouTube

... just kidding but cool nonetheless...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=PMgXIePu8Lo#t=1s
 
came looking for latest on AE...
but this is a nice little distraction!
tough to pick just one..
if you put a gun to my head, it will be:
outro to dire straits' tunnel of love.
the gradual build up ending in a crescendo with the arpeggiating keyboard in the background.
gives me goosebumps every time i hear it.
 
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