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There are so many awesome songs and great guitarists to choose from. One guitar solo sticks out in my brain, not because it was impossible, or because there were any super technical transitions between scales and modes. It's the solo from Pantera's Floods.

The song starts off slow and a little eerie, and morphs into segments of brutal grooves...then in the middle, there's rain, and a certain calm...just as the calm seems to reach its peak, the whole band kicks in and Darrell Abbott's guitar sings a melody like a sad violin with nuanced harmonics and emotion that reach out and pull your heartstrings. I have NEVER, in my entire life, heard another guitar solo that actually made me feel something emotionally. Something about this solo just makes you feel like you're listening to the moment when someone's heart is literally breaking.

Great music transcends the speakers and touches your heart. And in this epic example, it's not words or a voice that grips you, but the sheer, raw emotion being poured into a guitar to make it sing. If you've not heard the song before, please listen to it from beginning to end, as the solo is the pinnacle of the song.

Starts at 3:29

While My Guitar Gently Weeps is a standard for a reason. The chord progression, the melody the heritage: directly sourcing the blues, but with George's unique take and the backing of The Beatles to cement it's greatness. Add Eric Clapton and you've got a bona fide classic that still stands the test of time. Add a solo by arguably the greatest guitar player ever, but certainly the best of his generation. Prince's performance here is steeped in funk, blues and swagger while he's clearly showing respect and never overpowering the others. He literally makes his guitar weep and wail in the most fitting tribute to another great guitarist who died too soon. A truly virtuoso performance, and one which shows a genius who has mastered his art and can communicate the most important things without saying a word.

This is the most iconic guitar solo of all time to me because of the beautiful blend of Hip Hop and Rock! 🤩💓

How about the solo on Santeria.

Bradley Newell treat us to an epic example of how many solos fit into & around chords shapes. In this case the 1 2m 3m 5 .

If you're an intermediate player, and have looked at shapes further up the neck, or caged theory, and want to try a solo away from your tried and tested pentatonic scales & positions, then look no further.

Newell uses the standard guitar expressions we know and love - bends, vibrato, slide etc. - and shows clearly how selectivity and staying true to the rhythmic thrust of the composition make for a great solo.

Put these 4 chords on loop, learn the solo, jam it out, and your playing level will be bumped up a notch or two with this one.

Short, sweet, classic.

"Don't Stop Believing" is my pick. Although it's not among very technically difficult, it's one is the most persistently well-known songs in history (if not THE most). Most youth of today who are two entire generations removed from the 80s know every word to this song, making it one of the most recognizable and listened to guitar solos in history.

A whole 10 minutes of an epic solo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOKn33-q4Ao

Doesn't get much better than this

Lets have this one, all done & dusted in 3mins.

https://youtu.be/ilDD5SeHxXE

There are technically better and more challenging solos. There are solos I prefer to this. There are live performances by people like Garry Moore (RIP), Knopfler, Gilmour and others that trump Page’s. But credence to Page for performing the song with a twin necked SG monster – and moving so seamlessly between necks.

The count of people teaching this solo on YouTube is huge. AND – it takes something for the playing of the song and its solo to still be banned in the majority of guitar shops. All that almost 50 years since the song was released. Those are the sort of things that define an icon. So it has to be the ”Stairway to Heaven.” solo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ly6ZhQVnVow