The 25 Greatest Classic Rock Guitar Solos
These are the solos that classic rock radio and guitar magazines keep coming back to, mostly recorded between the late 1960s and the mid-1980s. The order reflects how often and how high each one ranks across more than thirty published lists, which is why the familiar names sit at the top.
Informed by: Bombay Lives (Substack) – 100 Greatest Guitar Solos, Chaospin – The 30 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time, Classic Rock (Louder) – Classic Rock's 100 greatest guitar solos, Classic Rock (Louder) – The 100 greatest guitar solos in rock, Digital Dream Door – 250 Greatest Rock Guitar Solos, That Eric Alper – The 25 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time, Magazyn Gitarzysta – 100 solówek wszech czasów [100 solos of all time], guitarguitar – Top 50 Guitar Solos of All Time, Guitarhabits – 50 of The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time, Guitarist / MusicRadar – The 20 Greatest Guitar Solos Of All Time, GuitarMetrics – 25 Best Guitar Solos of All Time (Ranked), Guitar Player – The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time (GuitarPlayer.com readers' poll), Guitar Solo Legends – The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time — Ranked (2026), Guitar Tricks – 200 Best Guitar Solos of All Time, Guitar World – Readers' Top 50 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time, Guitar World – The 50 greatest guitar solos of all time, Kobalog – ギター好きが選んだ、歴史に残したい最強のギターソロランキング、トップ２０！！【完コピ必須】 [The strongest guitar solos worth preserving in history, chosen by guitar lovers: Top 20], Musician Tuts – The 51 Best Guitar Solos Of All Time, Music in Minnesota – 38 Best Guitar Solos Of All Time, NME – 50 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time, Orchestra Central – 30 Best Guitar Solos of All Time, Planet Rock – The Top 40 Greatest Guitar Solos Ever, Planet Rock – The 75 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time, Ranker – The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time, Rolling Stone – The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time, SensCritique – Top 100 des meilleurs solos de guitare [Top 100 best guitar solos], SiriusXM (countdown transcribed on PRS Guitars forum) – 50 Baddest Guitar Solos, Sweetwater inSync (recap of Guitar World readers' poll) – The 100 Best Guitar Solos, Terra / Cifra Club – Os 50 melhores solos de guitarra da história [The 50 best guitar solos in history], TheTopTens – Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time, Thomann – 25 Iconic Guitar Solos, Total Guitar (via MusicRadar) – The 50 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time (readers' poll), uDiscover Music – The Best Guitar Solos Of All Time: 108 Amazing Moments, WatchMojo – Top 10 Guitar Solos
- 1Led Zeppelin · solo by Jimmy Page · 1971
- 2Lynyrd Skynyrd · solo by Allen Collins & Gary Rossington · 1973
- 3Eagles · solo by Don Felder & Joe Walsh · 1976
- 4Jimi Hendrix · solo by Jimi Hendrix · 1968
- 5Pink Floyd · solo by David Gilmour · 1979
- 6Queen · solo by Brian May · 1975
- 7Dire Straits · solo by Mark Knopfler · 1978
- 8Derek and the Dominos · solo by Eric Clapton & Duane Allman · 1970
- 9Cream · solo by Eric Clapton · 1968
- 10The Beatles · solo by Eric Clapton · 1968
- 11The Rolling Stones · solo by Keith Richards · 1968
- 12Pink Floyd · solo by David Gilmour · 1973
- 13Steely Dan · solo by Elliott Randall · 1972
- 14Pink Floyd · solo by David Gilmour · 1975
- 15The Beatles · solo by George Harrison · 1969
- 16Jethro Tull · solo by Martin Barre · 1971
- 17Pink Floyd · solo by David Gilmour · 1973
- 18Steely Dan · solo by Larry Carlton · 1976
- 19Kansas · solo by Kerry Livgren & Rich Williams · 1976
- 20Neil Young · solo by Neil Young · 1975
- 21The Who · solo by Pete Townshend · 1971
- 22Dire Straits · solo by Mark Knopfler · 1985
- 23Blue Öyster Cult · solo by Buck Dharma · 1976
- 24Chicago · solo by Terry Kath · 1970
- 25The Beatles · solo by George Harrison & Paul McCartney · 1966