Rolling Stone's ranking of the 100 greatest guitar solos of all time

The guitar solo has always been one of rock's defining moments. In the special feature “When rock becomes myth“, dedicated precisely to the greatest guitar “solos” from the 60s to today, Valerio D’Onofrio writes: “Always an emblematic figure, the guitarist has gone through decades of transformation, growing ever more iconic over time: from the doomed, rebellious bluesman of 50s rock'n'roll to the creator of hypnotic, lysergic melodies in the psychedelia of the 60s, all the way to becoming increasingly central with the rise of hard rock in the 70s. With the birth of metal, between the late 70s and early 80s, the guitarist becomes a kind of superhero, and the guitar almost a phallic prosthesis underscoring his boundless power”.

Now, the American magazine Rolling Stone dedicates a massive ranking to the specialty, titled “The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time”. “All hail the guitar solo: one of the most indestructibly great art forms in all of modern music – the magazine notes in its introduction – There's nothing like the thrill of a glorious six-string explosion: a long, winding, endless saga running from ‘Free Bird‘ to ‘Purple Rain‘, from ‘Johnny B. Goode’ to ‘Eruption’. Some classic solos come from shredding virtuosos; others are simply bursts of gloriously dirty licks. But all of them have stuck in our memory… Our selection spans the whole of history, taking in blues pioneers, hippie jammers, punk rockers, metal warriors and funk tightrope walkers“.

Here, then, is Rolling Stone US's ranking of the 100 greatest guitar solos of all time (full feature here).

100. Ac/Dc – You Shook Me All Night Long (Back In Black, 1980)

99. Buddy Guy – Stone Crazy (single, 1962)

98. Geese – Getting Killed (Getting Killed, 2025)

97. Megadeth – Hangar 18 (Rust In Peace, 1990)

96. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Scar Tissue (Californication, 1999)

95. Les Paul And Mary Ford – How High The Moon (singolo, 1953)

94. Smashing Pumpkins – Mayonaise (Siamese Dream, 1993)

93. The Commodores – Easy (Commodores, 1977)

92. Stephen Malkmus And The Jicks – Share The Red (Mirror Traffic, 2011)

91. Aerosmith – Walk This Way (Toys In The Attic, 1975)

90. Paul Butterfield Blues Band – East-West (East-West, 1965)

89. Gerry Rafferty – Baker Street (City To City, 1978)

88. Genesis – Firth Of Fifth (Selling England By The Pound, 1973)

87. Girlschool – C’mon Let’s Go (Hit And Run, 1981)

86. Pantera – Cemetery Gates (Cowboys From Hell, 1990)

85. John Mayer – Gravity (Continuum, 2006)

84. Pearl Jam – Alive (Ten, 1991)

83. Talking Heads – Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) (Remain In Light, 1980)

82. Richard And Linda Thompson – The Calvary Cross (Live At The Oxford Polytechnic) (Guitar, Vocal, 1975)

81. MJ Lenderman – Knockin' (Single Version) (single, 2023)

80. Steve Vai – For The Love Of God (Passion And Warfare, 1990)

79. Yes – Starship Trooper (The Yes Album, 1971)

78. Judas Priest – Painkiller (Painkiller, 1990)

77. Albert King – Crosscut Saw (Born Under A Bad Sign, 1966)

76. Jimmy Eat World – The Middle (Bleed American, 2001)

75. The Cars – Just What I Needed (The Cars, 1978)

74. Sleater-Kinney – Let’s Call It Love (The Woods, 2005)

73. Dale Hawkins – Susie-Q (single, 1957)

72. The Knack – My Sharona (Get The Knack, 1979)

71. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Maps (Fever To Tell, 2003)

70. Nirvana – Heart-Shaped Box (In Utero, 1993)

69. Frank Zappa – Watermelon In Easter Hay (Joe's Garage, 1979)

68. Iron Maiden – The Trooper (Piece Of Mind, 1983)

67. Helium – XXX (Pirate Prude, 1994)

66. King Sunny Ade – Sunny Ti Die (The Best Of The Classic Years, 1974)

65. Dick Dale And The Del-Tones – Misirlou (single, 1962)

64. Radiohead – Paranoid Android (OK Computer, 1997)

63. Boston – More Than A Feeling (Boston, 1976)

62. Eric Johnson – Cliffs Of Dover (Ah Via Musicom, 1990)

61. Boris – Naki Kyoku (Akuma No Uta, 2003)

60. Blue Öyster Cult – (Don’t Fear) The Reaper (Agents Of Fortune, 1976)

59. The Pretenders – Tattooed Love Boys (Pretenders, 1980)

58. Deep Purple – Highway Star (Machine Head, 1972)

57. Brian Eno – Baby's On Fire (Here Come The Warm Jets, 1973)

56. Link Wray – Rumble (single, 1957)

55. Dinosaur Jr. – Freak Scene (Bug, 1988)

54. Freddie King – Going Down (Getting Ready..., 1971)

53. Mdou Moctar – Afrique Victime (Afrique Victime, 2021)

52. Fleetwood Mac – Albatross (single, 1968)

51. The Byrds – Eight Miles High (Fifth Dimension, 1966)

50. St. Vincent – Rattlesnake (St. Vincent, 2014)

49. Sonic Youth – The Diamond Sea (Washing Machine, 1995)

48. Joe Satriani – Surfing With The Alien (Surfing With The Alien, 1987)

47. Howlin' Wolf – Spoonful (single, 1960)

46. The Rolling Stones – Sympathy For The Devil (Beggars Banquet, 1968)

45. The Velvet Underground – I Heard Her Call My Name (White Light/White Heat, 1968)

44. Rage Against The Machine – Killing In The Name (Rage Against The Machine, 1991)

43. Wilco – Impossible Germany (Sky Blue Sky, 2007)

42. The Band – It Makes No Difference (The Last Waltz, 1976)

41. Elvis Presley – That’s All Right (singolo, 1954)

40. Bonnie Raitt – Three Time Loser (Sweet Forgiveness, 1977)

39. Phish – Stash (A Live One, 1995)

38. B.B. King – Sweet Sixteen (single, 1970)

37. Rush – Limelight (Moving Pictures, 1981)

36. The Kinks – You Really Got Me (singolo, 1965)

35. The White Stripes – Ball And Biscuit (Elephant, 2003)

34. Sister Rosetta Tharpe – Strange Things Happening Every Day (single, 1944)

33. Dire Straits – Sultans Of Swing (Dire Straits, 1978)

32. The Beatles – Something (Abbey Road, 1969)

31. Black Sabbath – War Pigs (Paranoid, 1970)

30. The Isley Brothers – That Lady, Pts. 1 & 2 (3 + 3, 1973)

29. The Rolling Stones – Can’t You Hear Me Knocking (Sticky Fingers, 1971)

28. Santana – Black Magic Woman (Abraxas, 1970)

27. Metallica – One (…And Justice For All, 1988)

26. Cream – Crossroads (Wheels Of Fire, 1968)

25. Guns N' Roses – Sweet Child O' Mine (Appetite For Destruction, 1987)

24. Television – Marquee Moon (Marquee Moon, 1977)

23. Derek And The Dominos – Layla (Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs, 1970)

22. Neil Young And Crazy Horse – Powderfinger (Rust Never Sleeps, 1979)

21. Stevie Ray Vaughan – Texas Flood (Texas Flood, 1983)

20. Jeff Beck – Freeway Jam (Blow By Blow, 1975)

19. Lynyrd Skynyrd – Free Bird (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd, 1973)

18. The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Little Wing (Axis: Bold As Love, 1968)

17. Ozzy Osbourne – Crazy Train (Blizzard Of Ozz, 1980)

16. Grateful Dead – Morning Dew (Cornell 5/8/77, 1977)

15. Prince – While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Ceremony, 2004)

14. Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody (A Night At The Opera, 1975)

13. Allman Brothers Band – Statesboro Blues (At Fillmore East, 1970)

12. Michael Jackson – Beat It (Thriller, 1982)

11. Jimi Hendrix – All Along The Watchtower (Electric Ladyland, 1968)

10. The Beatles – While My Guitar Gently Weeps (The Beatles, 1968)

9. Funkadelic – Maggot Brain (Maggot Brain, 1971)

8. Steely Dan – Kid Charlemagne (The Royal Scam, 1976)

7. Led Zeppelin – Stairway To Heaven (Led Zeppelin IV, 1971)

6. Chuck Berry – Johnny B. Goode (single, 1958)

5. Van Halen – Eruption (Van Halen, 1978)

4. Pink Floyd – Comfortably Numb (The Wall, 1979)

3. The Eagles – Hotel California (Hotel California, 1976)

2. Jimi Hendrix – Machine Gun (Band Of Gypsys, 1970)

1. Prince – Purple Rain (Purple Rain, 1984)

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