The Consensus 100

The default ranking. We combined 79 published lists, from Rolling Stone and Classic Rock to reader polls and crowd rankings, and scored every solo on how often it appears and how high it places.

1. 1
   Stairway to Heaven

   Led Zeppelin · solo by Jimmy Page · 1971
2. 2
   Comfortably Numb

   Pink Floyd · solo by David Gilmour · 1979
3. 3
   Hotel California

   Eagles · solo by Don Felder & Joe Walsh · 1976
4. 4
   Eruption

   Van Halen · solo by Eddie Van Halen · 1978
5. 5
   Free Bird

   Lynyrd Skynyrd · solo by Allen Collins & Gary Rossington · 1973
6. 6
   Sweet Child O' Mine

   Guns N' Roses · solo by Slash · 1987
7. 7
   All Along the Watchtower

   Jimi Hendrix · solo by Jimi Hendrix · 1968
8. 8
   Bohemian Rhapsody

   Queen · solo by Brian May · 1975
9. 9
   Sultans of Swing

   Dire Straits · solo by Mark Knopfler · 1978
10. 10
    Highway Star

    Deep Purple · solo by Ritchie Blackmore · 1972
11. 11
    November Rain

    Guns N' Roses · solo by Slash · 1991
12. 12
    While My Guitar Gently Weeps

    The Beatles · solo by Eric Clapton · 1968
13. 13
    Crazy Train

    Ozzy Osbourne · solo by Randy Rhoads · 1980
14. 14
    Crossroads

    Cream · solo by Eric Clapton · 1968
15. 15
    Beat It

    Michael Jackson · solo by Eddie Van Halen · 1982
16. 16
    Johnny B. Goode

    Chuck Berry · solo by Chuck Berry · 1958
17. 17
    Layla

    Derek and the Dominos · solo by Eric Clapton & Duane Allman · 1970
18. 18
    Voodoo Child (Slight Return)

    Jimi Hendrix · solo by Jimi Hendrix · 1968
19. 19
    Purple Rain

    Prince · solo by Prince · 1984
20. 20
    One

    Metallica · solo by Kirk Hammett · 1988
21. 21
    Texas Flood

    Stevie Ray Vaughan · solo by Stevie Ray Vaughan · 1983
22. 22
    Mr. Crowley

    Ozzy Osbourne · solo by Randy Rhoads · 1980
23. 23
    Fade to Black

    Metallica · solo by Kirk Hammett · 1984
24. 24
    For the Love of God

    Steve Vai · solo by Steve Vai · 1990
25. 25
    Sympathy for the Devil

    The Rolling Stones · solo by Keith Richards · 1968
26. 26
    Cliffs of Dover

    Eric Johnson · solo by Eric Johnson · 1990
27. 27
    Since I've Been Loving You

    Led Zeppelin · solo by Jimmy Page · 1970
28. 28
    Paranoid Android

    Radiohead · solo by Jonny Greenwood · 1997
29. 29
    Time

    Pink Floyd · solo by David Gilmour · 1973
30. 30
    Little Wing

    Jimi Hendrix · solo by Jimi Hendrix · 1967
31. 31
    Cause We've Ended As Lovers

    Jeff Beck · solo by Jeff Beck · 1975
32. 32
    Machine Gun

    Jimi Hendrix · solo by Jimi Hendrix · 1970
33. 33
    Heartbreaker

    Led Zeppelin · solo by Jimmy Page · 1969
34. 34
    Whole Lotta Love

    Led Zeppelin · solo by Jimmy Page · 1969
35. 35
    Alive

    Pearl Jam · solo by Mike McCready · 1991
36. 36
    Pride and Joy

    Stevie Ray Vaughan · solo by Stevie Ray Vaughan · 1983
37. 37
    Surfing with the Alien

    Joe Satriani · solo by Joe Satriani · 1987
38. 38
    The Thrill Is Gone

    B.B. King · solo by B.B. King · 1969
39. 39
    Brighton Rock

    Queen · solo by Brian May · 1974
40. 40
    Floods

    Pantera · solo by Dimebag Darrell · 1996
41. 41
    Reelin' in the Years

    Steely Dan · solo by Elliott Randall · 1972
42. 42
    Aqualung

    Jethro Tull · solo by Martin Barre · 1971
43. 43
    Maggot Brain

    Funkadelic · solo by Eddie Hazel · 1971
44. 44
    Purple Haze

    Jimi Hendrix · solo by Jimi Hendrix · 1967
45. 45
    Black Star

    Yngwie Malmsteen · solo by Yngwie Malmsteen · 1984
46. 46
    Cemetery Gates

    Pantera · solo by Dimebag Darrell · 1990
47. 47
    No More Tears

    Ozzy Osbourne · solo by Zakk Wylde · 1991
48. 48
    Tornado of Souls

    Megadeth · solo by Marty Friedman · 1990
49. 49
    Killing In The Name

    Rage Against the Machine · solo by Tom Morello · 1992
50. 50
    Still Got the Blues

    Gary Moore · solo by Gary Moore · 1990
51. 51
    Jessica

    The Allman Brothers Band · solo by Dickey Betts · 1973
52. 52
    Hot for Teacher

    Van Halen · solo by Eddie Van Halen · 1984
53. 53
    Marquee Moon

    Television · solo by Tom Verlaine · 1977
54. 54
    Kid Charlemagne

    Steely Dan · solo by Larry Carlton · 1976
55. 55
    Master of Puppets

    Metallica · solo by Kirk Hammett · 1986
56. 56
    War Pigs

    Black Sabbath · solo by Tony Iommi · 1970
57. 57
    You Really Got Me

    The Kinks · solo by Dave Davies · 1964
58. 58
    Something

    The Beatles · solo by George Harrison · 1969
59. 59
    Europa

    Santana · solo by Carlos Santana · 1976
60. 60
    Shine On You Crazy Diamond

    Pink Floyd · solo by David Gilmour · 1975
61. 61
    Bulls on Parade

    Rage Against the Machine · solo by Tom Morello · 1996
62. 62
    Blackbird

    Alter Bridge · solo by Mark Tremonti & Myles Kennedy · 2007
63. 63
    Satch Boogie

    Joe Satriani · solo by Joe Satriani · 1987
64. 64
    Under a Glass Moon

    Dream Theater · solo by John Petrucci · 1992
65. 65
    Shock Me

    Kiss · solo by Ace Frehley · 1977
66. 66
    Walk This Way

    Aerosmith · solo by Joe Perry · 1975
67. 67
    Smells Like Teen Spirit

    Nirvana · solo by Kurt Cobain · 1991
68. 68
    Stranglehold

    Ted Nugent · solo by Ted Nugent · 1975
69. 69
    Smoke on the Water

    Deep Purple · solo by Ritchie Blackmore · 1972
70. 70
    Killer Queen

    Queen · solo by Brian May · 1974
71. 71
    La Grange

    ZZ Top · solo by Billy Gibbons · 1973
72. 72
    Child in Time

    Deep Purple · solo by Ritchie Blackmore · 1970
73. 73
    Sharp Dressed Man

    ZZ Top · solo by Billy Gibbons · 1983
74. 74
    Cortez the Killer

    Neil Young · solo by Neil Young · 1975
75. 75
    Let There Be Rock

    AC/DC · solo by Angus Young · 1977
76. 76
    Rock Bottom

    UFO · solo by Michael Schenker · 1974
77. 77
    Money

    Pink Floyd · solo by David Gilmour · 1973
78. 78
    Paranoid

    Black Sabbath · solo by Tony Iommi · 1970
79. 79
    Back in Black

    AC/DC · solo by Angus Young · 1980
80. 80
    Ball and Biscuit

    The White Stripes · solo by Jack White · 2003
81. 81
    Firth of Fifth

    Genesis · solo by Steve Hackett · 1973
82. 82
    25 or 6 to 4

    Chicago · solo by Terry Kath · 1970
83. 83
    Limelight

    Rush · solo by Alex Lifeson · 1981
84. 84
    Black Magic Woman

    Santana · solo by Carlos Santana · 1970
85. 85
    Like A Hurricane

    Neil Young · solo by Neil Young · 1977
86. 86
    Light My Fire

    The Doors · solo by Robby Krieger · 1967
87. 87
    Blue Sky

    The Allman Brothers Band · solo by Duane Allman & Dickey Betts · 1972
88. 88
    Hangar 18

    Megadeth · solo by Marty Friedman & Dave Mustaine · 1990
89. 89
    Cocaine

    Eric Clapton · solo by Eric Clapton · 1977
90. 90
    Beyond the Realms of Death

    Judas Priest · solo by Glenn Tipton & K.K. Downing · 1978
91. 91
    Get The Funk Out

    Extreme · solo by Nuno Bettencourt · 1990
92. 92
    Whipping Post

    The Allman Brothers Band · solo by Duane Allman & Dickey Betts · 1971
93. 93
    Stray Cat Strut

    Stray Cats · solo by Brian Setzer · 1981
94. 94
    Knights of Cydonia

    Muse · solo by Matt Bellamy · 2006
95. 95
    Wanted Dead or Alive

    Bon Jovi · solo by Richie Sambora · 1987
96. 96
    Little Wing

    Stevie Ray Vaughan · solo by Stevie Ray Vaughan · 1991
97. 97
    All Right Now

    Free · solo by Paul Kossoff · 1970
98. 98
    Lazy

    Deep Purple · solo by Ritchie Blackmore · 1972
99. 99
    21st Century Schizoid Man

    King Crimson · solo by Robert Fripp · 1969
100. 100
     White Room

     Cream · solo by Eric Clapton · 1968