The 25 Greatest Power Pop Guitar Solos

Power pop is built on hooks, and its best guitar solos work the same way: short, melodic and often catchy enough to hum. Few rankings focus on the genre's solos, so this list combines mentions in general solo polls with the songs that define the style, from Badfinger and Big Star to Cheap Trick and Weezer.

Informed by: Rolling Stone – The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time, Classic Rock (Louder) – The 100 greatest guitar solos in rock, Wikipedia – Power pop, NME – 50 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time, Magazyn Gitarzysta – 100 solos of all time, Guitar Tricks – 200 Best Guitar Solos of All Time, uDiscover Music – The Best Guitar Solos Of All Time

1. 1
   My Sharona

   The Knack · solo by Berton Averre · 1979
2. 2
   September Gurls

   Big Star · solo by Alex Chilton · 1974
3. 3
   Baby Blue

   Badfinger · solo by Pete Ham · 1971
4. 4
   Say It Ain't So

   Weezer · solo by Rivers Cuomo · 1994
5. 5
   Go All the Way

   Raspberries · solo by Wally Bryson · 1972
6. 6
   Day After Day

   Badfinger · solo by Pete Ham, George Harrison · 1971
7. 7
   Surrender

   Cheap Trick · solo by Rick Nielsen · 1978
8. 8
   Just What I Needed

   The Cars · solo by Elliot Easton · 1978
9. 9
   Buddy Holly

   Weezer · solo by Rivers Cuomo · 1994
10. 10
    And Your Bird Can Sing

    The Beatles · solo by George Harrison & Paul McCartney · 1966
11. 11
    American Girl

    Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers · solo by Mike Campbell · 1976
12. 12
    No Matter What

    Badfinger · solo by Pete Ham · 1970
13. 13
    Only in Dreams

    Weezer · solo by Rivers Cuomo · 1994
14. 14
    Need Your Love

    Cheap Trick · solo by Rick Nielsen · 1978
15. 15
    Girlfriend

    Matthew Sweet · solo by Robert Quine · 1991
16. 16
    Couldn't I Just Tell You

    Todd Rundgren · solo by Todd Rundgren · 1972
17. 17
    Dream Police

    Cheap Trick · solo by Rick Nielsen · 1979
18. 18
    Stacy's Mom

    Fountains of Wayne · solo by Jody Porter · 2003
19. 19
    The Concept

    Teenage Fanclub · solo by Norman Blake, Raymond McGinley · 1991
20. 20
    Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)

    Raspberries · solo by Wally Bryson · 1974
21. 21
    In the Street

    Big Star · solo by Chris Bell, Alex Chilton · 1972
22. 22
    867-5309/Jenny

    Tommy Tutone · solo by Jim Keller · 1981
23. 23
    Cruel to Be Kind

    Nick Lowe · solo by Billy Bremner · 1979
24. 24
    A Girl Like You

    The Smithereens · solo by Jim Babjak · 1989
25. 25
    Someday, Someway

    Marshall Crenshaw · solo by Marshall Crenshaw · 1982