Rolling Stone recently came out with their 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time list. The list is filled with a star studded group of solos that is surely worth a read, with Prince’s “Purple Rain” taking the top spot.
What people think is the “greatest guitar solo ever” has been a long and storied debate throughout rock music. Any fan will have a different opinion that they will passionately defend until the end. I, myself, will always advocate for David Gilmour’s solo on “Comfortably Numb.” Incredible stuff.
Something that often gets lost in translation is that musicians are fans as well, and like us, they also have very passionate opinions about the best solo, which we get to hear! In conjunction with the release of the list, Rolling Stone put out a compilation of some of rock music’s legends weighing in on what they think the best solo of all time.
An impressive group of rock’s greatest showed up to share their thoughts. Let’s go through some of the notable picks now.
Melissa Etheridge’s choice was the iconic solo from Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird,” which recently featured as the goal horn song for Team USA Hockey at the Olympics. The blazing fast solo is one of the most iconic of all time, and is a consistent standout amongst fans.
Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine chose “Mr. Crowley” by the late, great Ozzy Osbourne.
This is another consistent favorite for many, with the tragically gone-too-soon Randy Rhodes delivering one of the most powerful solos in all of rock music.
Robert Fripp of King Crimson came out of left field with his choice of “Are You Gonna Go My Way” by Lenny Kravitz. Fripp praised the song’s “slithery and slidy” feeling.
Many other iconic guitarists shared their thoughts, which you can check out in the video. Fans also joined in picking their favorites in the comments.
“EVH’s solo on Beat It.”
“Maggot brain, Funkadelic. Haunting!!!!”
“Slash- November Rain.”
No matter what your pick is, you have to appreciate the artistry that goes into all these solos. We’ve been blessed with some amazing players over the years, and it’s nice to see them recognized on the list.