Hair Metal · #1 of 18
#1

Get The Funk Out

Extreme · 1990 · solo by Nuno Bettencourt
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Genres · 18 solos

The 18 Best Hair Metal Guitar Solos

Hair metal, the 1980s glam metal scene, produced some of rock's flashiest lead guitar, from Nuno Bettencourt's funk-shred on Extreme's "Get the Funk Out" (1990) to Vito Bratta's melodic lines on White Lion's "Wait" (1987). This list collects the era's best solos, from Ratt, Dokken and Whitesnake to Winger and Mr. Big, and every video starts right at the solo.

  1. 1
    Get The Funk Out
    Extreme · solo by Nuno Bettencourt · 1990
  2. 2
    Wait
    White Lion · solo by Vito Bratta · 1987
  3. 3
    Round and Round
    Ratt · solo by Warren DeMartini · 1984
  4. 4
    Play With Me
    Extreme · solo by Nuno Bettencourt · 1989
  5. 5
    Crying in the Rain
    Whitesnake · solo by John Sykes · 1987
  6. 6
    Seventeen
    Winger · solo by Reb Beach · 1988
  7. 7
    In My Dreams
    Dokken · solo by George Lynch · 1985
  8. 8
    Tooth and Nail
    Dokken · solo by George Lynch · 1984
  9. 9
    Still of the Night
    Whitesnake · solo by John Sykes · 1987
  10. 10
    Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy
    Mr. Big · solo by Paul Gilbert · 1991
  11. 11
    Photograph
    Def Leppard · solo by Phil Collen & Steve Clark · 1983
  12. 12
    Bad Medicine
    Bon Jovi · solo by Richie Sambora · 1988
  13. 13
    Nothin' But a Good Time
    Poison · solo by C.C. DeVille · 1988
  14. 14
    Kickstart My Heart
    Mötley Crüe · solo by Mick Mars · 1989
  15. 15
    The Final Countdown
    Europe · solo by John Norum · 1986
  16. 16
    Turn Up the Radio
    Autograph · solo by Steve Lynch · 1984
  17. 17
    Reach for the Sky
    FireHouse · solo by Bill Leverty · 1992
  18. 18
    Uncle Tom's Cabin
    Warrant · solo by Joey Allen · 1990

Quick answers

What is the best hair metal guitar solo?

On this list it is Extreme's "Get the Funk Out" (1990), played by Nuno Bettencourt. It is also the highest-ranked song on this list in the GreatestSolos Consensus rankings, at number 91.

Who played the guitar solo on Whitesnake's "Still of the Night"?

John Sykes, on Whitesnake's 1987 self-titled album. He also played the solo on "Crying in the Rain" from the same record.

Which hair metal solos use tapping?

Reb Beach on Winger's "Seventeen" (1988), Steve Lynch on Autograph's "Turn Up the Radio" (1984) and Paul Gilbert on Mr. Big's "Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy" (1991) all feature two-handed tapping.