# The 25 Best Classic Rock Guitar Solos of All Time > The 25 best classic rock guitar solos of all time, ranked. #1 is Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin, then Free Bird and Hotel California. Canonical URL: 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](https://bombaylives.substack.com/p/100-greatest-guitar-solos), [Chaospin – The 30 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time](https://chaospin.com/the-30-greatest-guitar-solos-of-all-time-definitive-rankings-from-rock-history/), [Classic Rock (Louder) – Classic Rock's 100 greatest guitar solos](https://www.loudersound.com/features/classic-rocks-100-greatest-guitar-solos-1), [Classic Rock (Louder) – The 100 greatest guitar solos in rock](https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-100-greatest-guitar-solos-in-rock), [Digital Dream Door – 250 Greatest Rock Guitar Solos](https://digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/best_guitarsolo.html), [That Eric Alper – The 25 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time](https://www.thatericalper.com/2025/07/11/the-25-greatest-guitar-solos-of-all-time/), [Magazyn Gitarzysta – 100 solówek wszech czasów \[100 solos of all time\]](https://magazyngitarzysta.pl/muzyka/wywiady/1928-100-solowek-wszech-czasow), [guitarguitar – Top 50 Guitar Solos of All Time](https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/news/141664/), [Guitarhabits – 50 of The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time](https://www.guitarhabits.com/50-of-the-greatest-guitar-solos-of-all-time/), [Guitarist / MusicRadar – The 20 Greatest Guitar Solos Of All Time](https://www.musicradar.com/guitarist/the-20-greatest-guitar-solos-of-all-time-403987), [GuitarMetrics – 25 Best Guitar Solos of All Time (Ranked)](https://guitarmetrics.com/blogs/mastering-your-guitar-skills/25-best-guitar-solos-of-all-time), [Guitar Player – The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time (GuitarPlayer.com readers' poll)](https://www.guitarplayer.com/news/the-greatest-guitar-solos-of-all-time), [Guitar Solo Legends – The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time — Ranked (2026)](https://guitarsololegends.com/), [Guitar Tricks – 200 Best Guitar Solos of All Time](https://www.guitartricks.com/blog/200-Best-Guitar-Solos-of-All-Time), [Guitar World – Readers' Top 50 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time](https://www.guitarworld.com/uncategorized/copy-top-50), [Guitar World – The 50 greatest guitar solos of all time](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/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】 \[The strongest guitar solos worth preserving in history, chosen by guitar lovers: Top 20\]](https://kobalog.net/entry/guitar-solo-ranking), [Musician Tuts – The 51 Best Guitar Solos Of All Time](https://musiciantuts.com/best-guitar-solos/), [Music in Minnesota – 38 Best Guitar Solos Of All Time](https://www.musicinminnesota.com/best-guitar-solos/), [NME – 50 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time](https://www.nme.com/lists/50-greatest-guitar-solos-1255), [Orchestra Central – 30 Best Guitar Solos of All Time](https://orchestracentral.com/best-guitar-solos-of-all-time/), [Planet Rock – The Top 40 Greatest Guitar Solos Ever](https://www.hellorayo.co.uk/planet-rock/news/rock-news/the-top-40-greatest-guitar-solos-ever), [Planet Rock – The 75 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time](https://www.hellorayo.co.uk/planet-rock/news/rock-news/the-greatest-guitar-solos-of-all-time), [Ranker – The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time](https://www.ranker.com/list/greatest-guitar-solos/johnwarner), [Rolling Stone – The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-guitar-solos-1235519961/), [SensCritique – Top 100 des meilleurs solos de guitare \[Top 100 best guitar solos\]](https://www.senscritique.com/top/resultats/les_meilleurs_solos_de_guitare/192866), [SiriusXM (countdown transcribed on PRS Guitars forum) – 50 Baddest Guitar Solos](https://forums.prsguitars.com/threads/siriusxm-50-baddest-guitar-solos.58286/), [Sweetwater inSync (recap of Guitar World readers' poll) – The 100 Best Guitar Solos](https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/100-best-guitar-solos/), [Terra / Cifra Club – Os 50 melhores solos de guitarra da história \[The 50 best guitar solos in history\]](https://www.terra.com.br/diversao/musica/os-50-melhores-solos-de-guitarra-da-historia,3ee288e3b4dfedc7eb7aa47aff76bb0cdsmn7fqb.html), [TheTopTens – Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time](https://www.thetoptens.com/music/greatest-guitar-solos/), [Thomann – 25 Iconic Guitar Solos](https://www.thomannmusic.com/blog/inspire/25-iconic-guitar-solos/), [Total Guitar (via MusicRadar) – The 50 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time (readers' poll)](https://www.musicradar.com/news/the-greatest-guitar-solo-of-all-time-chosen-in-a-new-poll-by-total-guitar-magazine), [uDiscover Music – The Best Guitar Solos Of All Time: 108 Amazing Moments](https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/best-guitar-solos-ever/), [WatchMojo – Top 10 Guitar Solos](https://www.watchmojo.com/articles/top-10-guitar-solos) 1. [Stairway to Heaven](https://greatestsolos.com/song/led-zeppelin-stairway-to-heaven/) — Led Zeppelin · solo by Jimmy Page · 1971 2. [Free Bird](https://greatestsolos.com/song/lynyrd-skynyrd-free-bird/) — Lynyrd Skynyrd · solo by Allen Collins & Gary Rossington · 1973 3. [Hotel California](https://greatestsolos.com/song/eagles-hotel-california/) — Eagles · solo by Don Felder & Joe Walsh · 1976 4. [All Along the Watchtower](https://greatestsolos.com/song/jimi-hendrix-all-along-the-watchtower/) — Jimi Hendrix · solo by Jimi Hendrix · 1968 5. [Comfortably Numb](https://greatestsolos.com/song/pink-floyd-comfortably-numb/) — Pink Floyd · solo by David Gilmour · 1979 6. [Bohemian Rhapsody](https://greatestsolos.com/song/queen-bohemian-rhapsody/) — Queen · solo by Brian May · 1975 7. [Sultans of Swing](https://greatestsolos.com/song/dire-straits-sultans-of-swing/) — Dire Straits · solo by Mark Knopfler · 1978 8. [Layla](https://greatestsolos.com/song/derek-and-the-dominos-layla/) — Derek and the Dominos · solo by Eric Clapton & Duane Allman · 1970 9. [Crossroads](https://greatestsolos.com/song/cream-crossroads/) — Cream · solo by Eric Clapton · 1968 10. [While My Guitar Gently Weeps](https://greatestsolos.com/song/the-beatles-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/) — The Beatles · solo by Eric Clapton · 1968 11. [Sympathy for the Devil](https://greatestsolos.com/song/the-rolling-stones-sympathy-for-the-devil/) — The Rolling Stones · solo by Keith Richards · 1968 12. [Time](https://greatestsolos.com/song/pink-floyd-time/) — Pink Floyd · solo by David Gilmour · 1973 13. [Reelin' in the Years](https://greatestsolos.com/song/steely-dan-reelin-in-the-years/) — Steely Dan · solo by Elliott Randall · 1972 14. [Shine On You Crazy Diamond](https://greatestsolos.com/song/pink-floyd-shine-on-you-crazy-diamond/) — Pink Floyd · solo by David Gilmour · 1975 15. [Something](https://greatestsolos.com/song/the-beatles-something/) — The Beatles · solo by George Harrison · 1969 16. [Aqualung](https://greatestsolos.com/song/jethro-tull-aqualung/) — Jethro Tull · solo by Martin Barre · 1971 17. [Money](https://greatestsolos.com/song/pink-floyd-money/) — Pink Floyd · solo by David Gilmour · 1973 18. [Kid Charlemagne](https://greatestsolos.com/song/steely-dan-kid-charlemagne/) — Steely Dan · solo by Larry Carlton · 1976 19. [Carry On My Wayward Son](https://greatestsolos.com/song/kansas-carry-on-my-wayward-son/) — Kansas · solo by Kerry Livgren & Rich Williams · 1976 20. [Cortez the Killer](https://greatestsolos.com/song/neil-young-cortez-the-killer/) — Neil Young · solo by Neil Young · 1975 21. [Won't Get Fooled Again](https://greatestsolos.com/song/the-who-won-t-get-fooled-again/) — The Who · solo by Pete Townshend · 1971 22. [Brothers in Arms](https://greatestsolos.com/song/dire-straits-brothers-in-arms/) — Dire Straits · solo by Mark Knopfler · 1985 23. [(Don't Fear) The Reaper](https://greatestsolos.com/song/blue-yster-cult-don-t-fear-the-reaper/) — Blue Öyster Cult · solo by Buck Dharma · 1976 24. [25 or 6 to 4](https://greatestsolos.com/song/chicago-25-or-6-to-4/) — Chicago · solo by Terry Kath · 1970 25. [And Your Bird Can Sing](https://greatestsolos.com/song/the-beatles-and-your-bird-can-sing/) — The Beatles · solo by George Harrison & Paul McCartney · 1966 --- GreatestSolos ranks the greatest guitar solos by consensus across published lists. Agent guide: [llms.txt](https://greatestsolos.com/llms.txt) · [Sitemap](https://greatestsolos.com/sitemap.xml) · [Dataset (CSV)](https://greatestsolos.com/data/greatest-guitar-solos.csv) · [How we rank](https://greatestsolos.com/method/)