The Greatest Solo of Every Year

One solo per year, from the 1930s to now: the highest-ranked recording from each year in our catalog. Years with no entry are skipped.

1. 1
   Rondeña

   Ramón Montoya · solo by Ramón Montoya · 1936
2. 2
   Minor Swing

   Django Reinhardt · solo by Django Reinhardt · 1937
3. 3
   Seven Come Eleven

   Benny Goodman Sextet · solo by Charlie Christian · 1939
4. 4
   Nuages

   Quintette du Hot Club de France · solo by Django Reinhardt · 1940
5. 5
   Solo Flight

   Benny Goodman and His Orchestra · solo by Charlie Christian · 1941
6. 6
   Strange Things Happening Every Day

   Sister Rosetta Tharpe · solo by Sister Rosetta Tharpe · 1944
7. 7
   Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just as Bad)

   T-Bone Walker · solo by T-Bone Walker · 1947
8. 8
   Dust My Broom

   Elmore James · solo by Elmore James · 1951
9. 9
   Moonlight in Vermont

   Johnny Smith · solo by Johnny Smith · 1952
10. 10
    The Things That I Used to Do

    Guitar Slim · solo by Guitar Slim · 1953
11. 11
    Rock Around the Clock

    Bill Haley & His Comets · solo by Danny Cedrone · 1954
12. 12
    Mystery Train

    Elvis Presley · solo by Scotty Moore · 1955
13. 13
    Hound Dog

    Elvis Presley · solo by Scotty Moore · 1956
14. 14
    School Day (Ring! Ring! Goes the Bell)

    Chuck Berry · solo by Chuck Berry · 1957
15. 15
    Johnny B. Goode

    Chuck Berry · solo by Chuck Berry · 1958
16. 16
    Torquay

    The Fireballs · solo by George Tomsco · 1959
17. 17
    Apache

    The Shadows · solo by Hank Marvin · 1960
18. 18
    Hello Mary Lou

    Ricky Nelson · solo by James Burton · 1961
19. 19
    Misirlou

    Dick Dale & the Del-Tones · solo by Dick Dale · 1962
20. 20
    Bésame Mucho

    Wes Montgomery · solo by Wes Montgomery · 1963
21. 21
    You Really Got Me

    The Kinks · solo by Dave Davies · 1964
22. 22
    Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere

    The Who · solo by Pete Townshend · 1965
23. 23
    Eight Miles High

    The Byrds · solo by Roger McGuinn · 1966
24. 24
    Little Wing

    Jimi Hendrix · solo by Jimi Hendrix · 1967
25. 25
    All Along the Watchtower

    Jimi Hendrix · solo by Jimi Hendrix · 1968
26. 26
    Heartbreaker

    Led Zeppelin · solo by Jimmy Page · 1969
27. 27
    Layla

    Derek and the Dominos · solo by Eric Clapton & Duane Allman · 1970
28. 28
    Stairway to Heaven

    Led Zeppelin · solo by Jimmy Page · 1971
29. 29
    Highway Star

    Deep Purple · solo by Ritchie Blackmore · 1972
30. 30
    Free Bird

    Lynyrd Skynyrd · solo by Allen Collins & Gary Rossington · 1973
31. 31
    Brighton Rock

    Queen · solo by Brian May · 1974
32. 32
    Bohemian Rhapsody

    Queen · solo by Brian May · 1975
33. 33
    Hotel California

    Eagles · solo by Don Felder & Joe Walsh · 1976
34. 34
    Marquee Moon

    Television · solo by Tom Verlaine · 1977
35. 35
    Eruption

    Van Halen · solo by Eddie Van Halen · 1978
36. 36
    Comfortably Numb

    Pink Floyd · solo by David Gilmour · 1979
37. 37
    Crazy Train

    Ozzy Osbourne · solo by Randy Rhoads · 1980
38. 38
    Limelight

    Rush · solo by Alex Lifeson · 1981
39. 39
    Beat It

    Michael Jackson · solo by Eddie Van Halen · 1982
40. 40
    Texas Flood

    Stevie Ray Vaughan · solo by Stevie Ray Vaughan · 1983
41. 41
    Purple Rain

    Prince · solo by Prince · 1984
42. 42
    Brothers in Arms

    Dire Straits · solo by Mark Knopfler · 1985
43. 43
    Master of Puppets

    Metallica · solo by Kirk Hammett · 1986
44. 44
    Sweet Child O' Mine

    Guns N' Roses · solo by Slash · 1987
45. 45
    One

    Metallica · solo by Kirk Hammett · 1988
46. 46
    I Am The Resurrection

    The Stone Roses · solo by John Squire · 1989
47. 47
    For the Love of God

    Steve Vai · solo by Steve Vai · 1990
48. 48
    November Rain

    Guns N' Roses · solo by Slash · 1991
49. 49
    Killing In The Name

    Rage Against the Machine · solo by Tom Morello · 1992
50. 50
    Soma

    The Smashing Pumpkins · solo by Billy Corgan · 1993
51. 51
    High Hopes

    Pink Floyd · solo by David Gilmour · 1994
52. 52
    Tender Surrender

    Steve Vai · solo by Steve Vai · 1995
53. 53
    Floods

    Pantera · solo by Dimebag Darrell · 1996
54. 54
    Paranoid Android

    Radiohead · solo by Jonny Greenwood · 1997
55. 55
    To Zion

    Lauryn Hill · solo by Carlos Santana · 1998
56. 56
    Scar Tissue

    Red Hot Chili Peppers · solo by John Frusciante · 1999
57. 57
    Kissing the Shadows

    Children of Bodom · solo by Alexi Laiho · 2000
58. 58
    Last Nite

    The Strokes · solo by Albert Hammond Jr. & Nick Valensi · 2001
59. 59
    Time for Heroes

    The Libertines · solo by Carl Barât · 2002
60. 60
    Ball and Biscuit

    The White Stripes · solo by Jack White · 2003
61. 61
    While My Guitar Gently Weeps

    Prince · solo by Prince · 2004
62. 62
    Let's Call It Love

    Sleater-Kinney · solo by Carrie Brownstein · 2005
63. 63
    Knights of Cydonia

    Muse · solo by Matt Bellamy · 2006
64. 64
    Blackbird

    Alter Bridge · solo by Mark Tremonti & Myles Kennedy · 2007
65. 65
    India/Mountain Time

    Joe Bonamassa · solo by Joe Bonamassa · 2008
66. 66
    The Count of Tuscany

    Dream Theater · solo by John Petrucci · 2009
67. 67
    Hammerhead

    Jeff Beck · solo by Jeff Beck · 2010
68. 68
    Surgeon

    St. Vincent · solo by Annie Clark · 2011
69. 69
    Anastasia

    Slash ft. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators · solo by Slash · 2012
70. 70
    Drive Home

    Steven Wilson ft. Guthrie Govan · solo by Guthrie Govan · 2013
71. 71
    Rattlesnake

    St. Vincent · solo by Annie Clark · 2014
72. 72
    Reapers

    Muse · solo by Matt Bellamy · 2015
73. 73
    Cold Little Heart

    Michael Kiwanuka · solo by Michael Kiwanuka · 2016
74. 74
    Dust in a Baggie

    Billy Strings · solo by Billy Strings · 2017
75. 75
    Maria También

    Khruangbin · solo by Mark Speer · 2018
76. 76
    It's a Moot Point

    Melanie Faye · solo by Melanie Faye · 2019
77. 77
    Texas Sun

    Khruangbin & Leon Bridges · solo by Mark Speer · 2020
78. 78
    Afrique Victime

    Mdou Moctar · solo by Mdou Moctar · 2021
79. 79
    Ego Death

    Polyphia ft. Steve Vai · solo by Steve Vai, Tim Henson & Scott LePage · 2022
80. 80
    The Weight Of Dreams

    Greta Van Fleet · solo by Jake Kiszka · 2023
81. 81
    Funeral for Justice

    Mdou Moctar · solo by Mdou Moctar · 2024