The 25 Greatest Grunge Guitar Solos

Grunge is remembered for riffs and distortion, but Seattle's guitarists also wrote leads that carried real weight, from Mike McCready's Hendrix-inspired runs to Jerry Cantrell's dark, melodic breaks. This list ranks the solos that recur most across published lists, filled out with widely recognised leads from the scene's core bands.

Informed by: Rolling Stone – The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time (2026), Guitar World – The 50 greatest guitar solos of all time (2021), Digital Dream Door – 250 Greatest Rock Guitar Solos, American Songwriter – 3 Grunge Guitar Solos From the 1990s That Still Shred, Guitar Solo Legends – The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time (2026), Far Out – The 10 greatest guitar solos of the 1990s, Classic Rock – The 100 greatest guitar solos in rock (2018), Guitar Tricks – 200 Best Guitar Solos of All Time, NME – 50 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time (2017), Magazyn Gitarzysta – 100 solos of all time, Bombay Lives – 100 Greatest Guitar Solos, guitarguitar – Top 50 Guitar Solos of All Time (2026), uDiscover Music – The Best Guitar Solos Of All Time: 108 Amazing Moments

1. 1
   Alive

   Pearl Jam · solo by Mike McCready · 1991
2. 2
   Even Flow

   Pearl Jam · solo by Mike McCready · 1991
3. 3
   Man in the Box

   Alice In Chains · solo by Jerry Cantrell · 1990
4. 4
   Smells Like Teen Spirit

   Nirvana · solo by Kurt Cobain · 1991
5. 5
   Nutshell

   Alice In Chains · solo by Jerry Cantrell · 1994
6. 6
   Black Hole Sun

   Soundgarden · solo by Kim Thayil · 1994
7. 7
   Them Bones

   Alice In Chains · solo by Jerry Cantrell · 1992
8. 8
   Spoonman

   Soundgarden · solo by Kim Thayil · 1994
9. 9
   Hey Hey My My

   Neil Young · solo by Neil Young · 1979
10. 10
    Yellow Ledbetter

    Pearl Jam · solo by Mike McCready · 1992
11. 11
    Reach Down

    Temple of the Dog · solo by Mike McCready · 1991
12. 12
    Black

    Pearl Jam · solo by Mike McCready · 1991
13. 13
    Rooster

    Alice In Chains · solo by Jerry Cantrell · 1992
14. 14
    Would?

    Alice In Chains · solo by Jerry Cantrell · 1992
15. 15
    Heart-Shaped Box

    Nirvana · solo by Kurt Cobain · 1993
16. 16
    Interstate Love Song

    Stone Temple Pilots · solo by Dean DeLeo · 1994
17. 17
    Plush

    Stone Temple Pilots · solo by Dean DeLeo · 1992
18. 18
    Outshined

    Soundgarden · solo by Kim Thayil · 1991
19. 19
    Jesus Christ Pose

    Soundgarden · solo by Kim Thayil · 1991
20. 20
    State of Love and Trust

    Pearl Jam · solo by Mike McCready · 1992
21. 21
    Corduroy

    Pearl Jam · solo by Mike McCready · 1994
22. 22
    Touch Me I'm Sick

    Mudhoney · solo by Steve Turner · 1988
23. 23
    Nearly Lost You

    Screaming Trees · solo by Gary Lee Conner · 1992
24. 24
    In Bloom

    Nirvana · solo by Kurt Cobain · 1991
25. 25
    Sappy

    Nirvana · solo by Kurt Cobain · 1993