Top Ten Guitar Solos

(Tip-toe through the tulips..... still working on this, of course)


Johnny B. Goode -  Chuck Berry (Chuck Berry)  -  1958
* Guitar solos start here. The riffing here is the basis for everything that follows. And it's appropriate that it's about a boy who can play a guitar "just like ringing a bell".  This is the essence of rock music, both in the music, the guitar riff and attack, and the story itself.  Every rock guitar player in the world has played this.

Louie Louie - The Kingsmen (Jack Ely) - May 1963
* The Route to Louie Louie  To play better than you're able is the dream of every guitarist. The stuttering incoherent guitar solo here sums up that desire for every aspiring guitar player. Hugely influential. It's not your skill that matters, its your desire....

While My Guitar Gently Weeps - The Beatles (Eric Clapton)
* Clapton is technically proficient and can be as fast and fluid as he likes. But what really makes him stand out is is his instinctive touch and feel.

Sultans of Swing  - Dire Straights  (Mark Knopfler)

Too Much Monkey Business - The Yardbirds (Eric "Slowhand" Clapton)

How Soon Is Now? - The Smiths   (Johnny Marr)

Animal Nitrate - Suede (Bernard Butler)

Willie The Pimp - Frank Zappa (Frank Zappa)


In

Spunk Rock - Man (Deke Leonard)

*I think this is my number one favourite guitar based piece of music. I hesitated putting it in the list originally because it's actually two guitars, so not conventionally a "solo", but there are plenty of solo spots, and the bulk of those are done by Deke, whose guitar style is very distinctive.

Interstellar Overdrive - Pink Floyd (Syd Barret)
* Prompted by Ruffy Roy to rethink Pink Floyd, it reminded me just how astonishing this piece of music is - dominated by some bold, exciting, and unique guitar playing.


Out

I Am The Resurrection  - The Stone Roses (John Squire)


Leave Them All Behind - Ride  (Andy Bell)



Other lists

* NME
* Guitar World
* Top Tens
* Guitar Player
* Telegraph


1055 March 2019