The 25 Greatest Alternative Rock Guitar Solos

Alternative rock often pushed the guitar solo aside, which makes the ones it kept stand out. This ranking weighs how often each solo appears across published lists, from Jonny Greenwood's outbursts to Tom Morello's sound effects and John Frusciante's melodic restraint.

Informed by: Rolling Stone – The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time (2026), Guitar World – The 50 greatest guitar solos of all time (2021), NME – 50 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time (2017), Guitar Tricks – 200 Best Guitar Solos of All Time, Digital Dream Door – 250 Greatest Rock Guitar Solos, Classic Rock – The 100 greatest guitar solos in rock (2018), Guitar Solo Legends – The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time (2026), Thomann – 25 Iconic Guitar Solos, Guitarhabits – 50 of The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time, Far Out – The 10 greatest guitar solos of the 1990s, guitarguitar – Top 50 Guitar Solos of All Time (2026), WhatCulture – 10 Greatest Rock Music Guitar Solos Of The 1990s, Guitar World – The greatest guitar solos of the 21st century... so far, Musician Tuts – The 51 Best Guitar Solos Of All Time, Music in Minnesota – 38 Best Guitar Solos Of All Time, Bombay Lives – 100 Greatest Guitar Solos, Kobalog – Top 20 guitar solos

1. 1
   Paranoid Android

   Radiohead · solo by Jonny Greenwood · 1997
2. 2
   Killing In The Name

   Rage Against the Machine · solo by Tom Morello · 1992
3. 3
   Bulls on Parade

   Rage Against the Machine · solo by Tom Morello · 1996
4. 4
   Scar Tissue

   Red Hot Chili Peppers · solo by John Frusciante · 1999
5. 5
   Three Days

   Jane's Addiction · solo by Dave Navarro · 1990
6. 6
   Knights of Cydonia

   Muse · solo by Matt Bellamy · 2006
7. 7
   I Could Have Lied

   Red Hot Chili Peppers · solo by John Frusciante · 1991
8. 8
   Know Your Enemy

   Rage Against the Machine · solo by Tom Morello · 1992
9. 9
   Just

   Radiohead · solo by Jonny Greenwood · 1995
10. 10
    Soma

    The Smashing Pumpkins · solo by Billy Corgan · 1993
11. 11
    Cherub Rock

    The Smashing Pumpkins · solo by Billy Corgan · 1993
12. 12
    Like A Stone

    Audioslave · solo by Tom Morello · 2002
13. 13
    Stockholm Syndrome

    Muse · solo by Matt Bellamy · 2003
14. 14
    Californication

    Red Hot Chili Peppers · solo by John Frusciante · 1999
15. 15
    Reapers

    Muse · solo by Matt Bellamy · 2015
16. 16
    The Bends

    Radiohead · solo by Jonny Greenwood · 1995
17. 17
    Geek U.S.A.

    The Smashing Pumpkins · solo by Billy Corgan · 1993
18. 18
    Mayonaise

    The Smashing Pumpkins · solo by Billy Corgan · 1993
19. 19
    Take the Power Back

    Rage Against the Machine · solo by Tom Morello · 1992
20. 20
    Sleep Now in the Fire

    Rage Against the Machine · solo by Tom Morello · 1999
21. 21
    Eddie

    Red Hot Chili Peppers · solo by John Frusciante · 2022
22. 22
    Only in Dreams

    Weezer · solo by Rivers Cuomo · 1994
23. 23
    The Fly

    U2 · solo by The Edge · 1991
24. 24
    Plug In Baby

    Muse · solo by Matt Bellamy · 2001
25. 25
    Dani California

    Red Hot Chili Peppers · solo by John Frusciante · 2006