The greatest rock guitar solos of all time

I’m going to set the bar really high here. And don’t get me wrong: I love all great guitar work. But I’m not talking about David Gilmour’s passionate fretwork in Comfortably Numb. This isn’t about Stevie Ray Vaughn wah-wahing us into blues nirvana. This isn’t about Angus Young spinning into a frenzy with Whole Lotta Rosie. It’s not Jimi Hendrix wailing and diving on Voodoo Chile…well, maybe it is that. It’s not even Ace Frehley laying it down on Love Gun, with glowing, smoking pickups.

No, I’m talking about a different kind of guitar solo. I’m thinking of the soaring and powerful sonic bombs that take us to another planet. These solos burn through your ears, and embed themselves in the center of your brain.

So first, some criteria. Because I want to hear your suggestions for this list, too.

• • The solo has to bristle with a tone and texture that you can’t forget. Sometimes that’s a Les Paul plugged directly into a Marshall stack. Other times, it’s highly processed and powered through Mesa Boogie. Either way, it’s unforgettable and gripping.
• • The solo has to soar like a fighter jet five feet above your head, and bowl you over like a speeding freight train.
• • The solo has to transport you, and take you on a sonic journey. It picks you up, tells you a story, and then drops you down begging to hear more.
• • The solo has to affect your senses: you literally feel the fretboard splintering and heating up. You visualize a red glow emanating from frenetic fingers. Your stomach tightens, you grit your teeth, and your pulse quickens.

So give us an example already! Okay, here is a guitar solo that encompasses these criteria. I consider it a “gold-standard” solo which defines exactly what I’m thinking of.

Don’t Wait For Me

From the album Vicious Rumors (self titled) from Vicious Rumors, 1990

This is guitarist Geoff Thorpe wailing that solo. This band is currently still active, have many albums to their name, and while not necessarily the greatest songwriters, their music is still punchy and heavy.

Don’t Wait For Me – Vicious Rumorsmap :: {skin:’black’, animate:true, width:’360′, volume:0.4, autoplay:false, loop:false, showVolumeLevel:true, showTime:true, showRew:true, downloadable:false, downloadablesecurity:false, id3: false}

So what can you suggest that measures up? Here are a few picks of mine to get the ball rolling. Leave a comment or e-mail me your suggestions!