The 25 Greatest Pop Guitar Solos

Pop records rarely leave room for a guitar solo, which is why the ones that made it tend to be memorable: short, melodic and often played by a guest from the rock world. This list favours solos that critics and guitar magazines keep returning to, alongside big hits where the guitar break became part of the song's identity.

Informed by: Rolling Stone – The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time, Guitar World – The 50 greatest guitar solos of all time, Guitar Player – The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time (readers' poll), NME – 50 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time, uDiscover Music – The Best Guitar Solos Of All Time, Guitar Tricks – 200 Best Guitar Solos of All Time, guitarguitar – Top 50 Guitar Solos of All Time, Classic Rock (Louder) – The 100 greatest guitar solos in rock, Far Out – 10 pop songs with outrageously good guitar solos, Bombay Lives – 100 Greatest Guitar Solos, American Songwriter – 4 low-key brilliant guitar solos from 80s classic hits, Magazyn Gitarzysta – 100 solos of all time, JazzFuel – The Most Famous Pop Guitar Solos in History, Guitar World – The greatest guitar solos of the 21st century

1. 1
   Beat It

   Michael Jackson · solo by Eddie Van Halen · 1982
2. 2
   Purple Rain

   Prince · solo by Prince · 1984
3. 3
   Rosanna

   Toto · solo by Steve Lukather · 1982
4. 4
   Let's Dance

   David Bowie · solo by Stevie Ray Vaughan · 1983
5. 5
   Little Red Corvette

   Prince · solo by Dez Dickerson · 1983
6. 6
   Gravity

   John Mayer · solo by John Mayer · 2006
7. 7
   Jump

   Van Halen · solo by Eddie Van Halen · 1984
8. 8
   Private Dancer

   Tina Turner · solo by Jeff Beck · 1984
9. 9
   Running with the Night

   Lionel Richie · solo by Steve Lukather · 1983
10. 10
    Dirty Diana

    Michael Jackson · solo by Steve Stevens · 1987
11. 11
    Everybody Wants to Rule the World

    Tears for Fears · solo by Neil Taylor · 1985
12. 12
    Let's Go Crazy

    Prince and the Revolution · solo by Prince · 1984
13. 13
    My Love

    Paul McCartney and Wings · solo by Henry McCullough · 1973
14. 14
    Hot Stuff

    Donna Summer · solo by Jeff "Skunk" Baxter · 1979
15. 15
    Give In to Me

    Michael Jackson · solo by Slash · 1991
16. 16
    Faith

    George Michael · solo by Hugh Burns · 1987
17. 17
    You and I

    Lady Gaga · solo by Brian May · 2011
18. 18
    I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man

    Prince · solo by Prince · 1987
19. 19
    Rebel Yell

    Billy Idol · solo by Steve Stevens · 1983
20. 20
    Maniac

    Michael Sembello · solo by Michael Sembello · 1983
21. 21
    No More Lonely Nights

    Paul McCartney · solo by David Gilmour · 1984
22. 22
    Slow Dancing in a Burning Room

    John Mayer · solo by John Mayer · 2006
23. 23
    Gypsy

    Fleetwood Mac · solo by Lindsey Buckingham · 1982
24. 24
    In Repair

    John Mayer · solo by John Mayer · 2006
25. 25
    While My Guitar Gently Weeps

    Prince · solo by Prince · 2004