The 25 Greatest Metal Guitar Solos

Heavy metal made the guitar solo a test of speed, precision and nerve. This list counts how often each track appears in published guitar-solo rankings and orders it against its standing in the genre, from Black Sabbath in 1970 to Avenged Sevenfold in 2005.

Informed by: Gitarzysta – 100 solówek wszech czasów [100 solos of all time] (2006), Bombay Lives – 100 Greatest Guitar Solos (2008), Guitar Solo Legends – The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time — Ranked (2026) (2026), Guitar World (via Sweetwater) – The 100 Best Guitar Solos (2006), Guitar World – The 50 greatest guitar solos of all time (2021), Orchestra Central – 30 Best Guitar Solos of All Time (2023), Guitar Player – The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time (GuitarPlayer.com readers' poll) (2024), guitarguitar – Top 50 Guitar Solos of All Time (2026), Ranker – The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time, Music in Minnesota – 38 Best Guitar Solos Of All Time (2023), Guitar World – Readers' Top 50 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time (2013), Rolling Stone – The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time (2026), Musician Tuts – The 51 Best Guitar Solos Of All Time (2018), Thomann – 25 Iconic Guitar Solos (2024), SiriusXM – 50 Baddest Guitar Solos (2024), GuitarMetrics – 25 Best Guitar Solos of All Time (Ranked) (2026), Digital Dream Door – 250 Greatest Rock Guitar Solos (2018), Planet Rock – The 75 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time (2022), Terra – Os 50 melhores solos de guitarra da história [The 50 best guitar solos in history] (2022), Guitar Tricks – 200 Best Guitar Solos of All Time, uDiscover Music – The Best Guitar Solos Of All Time: 108 Amazing Moments (2026), Guitarhabits – 50 of The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time (2014), TheTopTens – Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time, Chaospin – The 30 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time (2026), Eric Alper – The 25 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time (2025), Planet Rock – The Top 40 Greatest Guitar Solos Ever (2019), WatchMojo – Top 10 Guitar Solos, Guitarist – The 20 Greatest Guitar Solos Of All Time (2011), SensCritique – Top 100 des meilleurs solos de guitare [Top 100 best guitar solos], Classic Rock – The 100 greatest guitar solos in rock (2018), Guitar World – The greatest guitar solos of the 21st century... so far (2023)

1. 1
   Crazy Train

   Ozzy Osbourne · solo by Randy Rhoads · 1980
2. 2
   One

   Metallica · solo by Kirk Hammett · 1988
3. 3
   Fade to Black

   Metallica · solo by Kirk Hammett · 1984
4. 4
   Mr. Crowley

   Ozzy Osbourne · solo by Randy Rhoads · 1980
5. 5
   Master of Puppets

   Metallica · solo by Kirk Hammett · 1986
6. 6
   Floods

   Pantera · solo by Dimebag Darrell · 1996
7. 7
   Tornado of Souls

   Megadeth · solo by Marty Friedman · 1990
8. 8
   Cemetery Gates

   Pantera · solo by Dimebag Darrell · 1990
9. 9
   War Pigs

   Black Sabbath · solo by Tony Iommi · 1970
10. 10
    Black Star

    Yngwie Malmsteen · solo by Yngwie Malmsteen · 1984
11. 11
    Hangar 18

    Megadeth · solo by Marty Friedman & Dave Mustaine · 1990
12. 12
    Beyond the Realms of Death

    Judas Priest · solo by Glenn Tipton & K.K. Downing · 1978
13. 13
    No More Tears

    Ozzy Osbourne · solo by Zakk Wylde · 1991
14. 14
    Paranoid

    Black Sabbath · solo by Tony Iommi · 1970
15. 15
    Powerslave

    Iron Maiden · solo by Dave Murray & Adrian Smith · 1984
16. 16
    Walk

    Pantera · solo by Dimebag Darrell · 1992
17. 17
    Nothing Else Matters

    Metallica · solo by James Hetfield · 1991
18. 18
    The Trooper

    Iron Maiden · solo by Adrian Smith & Dave Murray · 1983
19. 19
    Painkiller

    Judas Priest · solo by Glenn Tipton & K.K. Downing · 1990
20. 20
    Symphony of Destruction

    Megadeth · solo by Marty Friedman · 1992
21. 21
    The Unforgiven

    Metallica · solo by Kirk Hammett · 1991
22. 22
    Holy Wars... The Punishment Due

    Megadeth · solo by Marty Friedman, Dave Mustaine · 1990
23. 23
    Hallowed Be Thy Name

    Iron Maiden · solo by Dave Murray, Adrian Smith · 1982
24. 24
    Stargazer

    Rainbow · solo by Ritchie Blackmore · 1976
25. 25
    Bat Country

    Avenged Sevenfold · solo by Synyster Gates · 2005