View Full Version : Rolling Stone's best 100 guitar solos
Macfan4life
05-05-2026, 01:08 PM
They were talking and fighting about this today on Stern. Peter Green dragged Fleetwood Mac to the list at #52 with Alabatross. Lindsey is nowhere on the list.
Here is the full list. Prince and Purple Rain is #1. Hotel California is top 10 along with Stairway to Heaven. Ozzy's Crazy Train is #12 but should be higher. But the greatest guitar solo ever IMHO is Over The Mountain by Ozzy and of course Randy Rhodes but its not on this list.
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-guitar-solos-1235519961/
Street_Dreamer
05-05-2026, 07:08 PM
This doesn't even make sense. Albatross is an instrumental that doesn't even have a guitar solo!
Macfan4life
05-08-2026, 05:57 AM
This doesn't even make sense. Albatross is an instrumental that doesn't even have a guitar solo!
The instrumental is the guitar solo. But I know what you mean. This debate has also surfaced here with what is Lindsey's best guitar solo. I am more literal when it comes to guitar solos. But there are long guitar parts people consider solos. I get what they mean. For example is Hotel California a guitar solo? In a classic sense, no. But Joe Walsh would hit me over the head with his guitar and ask what would you call those guitar parts going back and forth with Don Felder. So its sort of solo parts and then if that is your criteria then Lindsey should of made the list for GYOW or The Chain.
But I never like any of Rolling Stone lists.
But Albatross does belong because its the mood of the song. This is taken into consideration in the list. For example Purple Rain makes you feel emotions which is why its #1. Eruption is a more complicated guitar solo but it lacks the emotion and feel that Prince has. I heard someone flame the Commodores Easy should not be on the list. Its not a complicated solo but it packs a punch with emotion which is why it made the list.
How anyone can create a list like this is tough. This is why the Comfortably Numb solo is so raved about. Its a bit complicated but it makes the song with emotion and is the crux of the song. Its sort of like Albatross.
Villavic
05-08-2026, 10:05 AM
I don’t know if the list is made of musician opinions, RS journalists or people’s vote, but in any case I never take them as absolute truth. Maybe tomorrow Billboard or other source post a complete different one. And yes, I find some of the positions nonsensical, too. Beat It much higher than Sultans of Swing? :shrug: Though I don’t take them so seriously, it’s fun to read those lists, anyway.
By the way, in the video that the “Discovering Tango in the Night with fresh ears” thread is about (Rumours forum), one of the guys said the TITN song is “Lindsey's Comfortably Numb”. Interesting that beautiful song is #4, and yes I love that guitar solo.
If I think of Lindsey, I’d had included TITN, or I’m So Afraid.
Macfan4life
05-08-2026, 11:08 AM
I don’t know if the list is made of musician opinions, RS journalists or people’s vote, but in any case I never take them as absolute truth. Maybe tomorrow Billboard or other source post a complete different one. And yes, I find some of the positions nonsensical, too. Beat It much higher than Sultans of Swing? :shrug: Though I don’t take them so seriously, it’s fun to read those lists, anyway.
By the way, in the video that the “Discovering Tango in the Night with fresh ears” thread is about (Rumours forum), one of the guys said the TITN song is “Lindsey's Comfortably Numb”. Interesting that beautiful song is #4, and yes I love that guitar solo.
If I think of Lindsey, I’d had included TITN, or I’m So Afraid.
Many guitarists say Beat It is Eddie's best guitar solo. I believe Eruption is more of a showcase of a guitar solo. The whole song is the solo. The Beat It solo almost split up Van Halen. Michael Jackson called Eddie on the phone but Eddie thought it was a prank call and hung up. Several days later Quincy Jones called Eddie and told them that it was Michael that really called him and they wanted him to work on a song. Eddie was clueless about Michael Jackson and thought he was being to asked to play on a children's record. He never told his bandmates he did it thinking no one would hear it anyway. When the song became a huge hit the members of Van Halen were outraged. David Lee Roth's exact quote was that Eddie gave away his best guitar solo for free. Quincy Jones also said that Eddie changed another part of the song which Quincy thought Michael would protest. But when Eddie told Michael what he did Michael really liked it. You know what they say about geniuses that they dont always know the talent they have. Eddie just goes over there quickly spontaneously does a guitar solo and leaves thinking no one would know or care. Makes it look simple and easy.
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