The 25 Greatest Thrash Guitar Solos

Thrash made speed its rule, but the best solos in the genre also have melody. Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and the Bay Area bands dominate the list; ranking starts from how often each track appears in published guitar-solo polls, and canonical thrash staples fill out the rest.

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

1. 1
   One

   Metallica · solo by Kirk Hammett · 1988
2. 2
   Fade to Black

   Metallica · solo by Kirk Hammett · 1984
3. 3
   Master of Puppets

   Metallica · solo by Kirk Hammett · 1986
4. 4
   Tornado of Souls

   Megadeth · solo by Marty Friedman · 1990
5. 5
   Hangar 18

   Megadeth · solo by Marty Friedman & Dave Mustaine · 1990
6. 6
   Symphony of Destruction

   Megadeth · solo by Marty Friedman · 1992
7. 7
   Holy Wars... The Punishment Due

   Megadeth · solo by Marty Friedman, Dave Mustaine · 1990
8. 8
   Angel of Death

   Slayer · solo by Jeff Hanneman, Kerry King · 1986
9. 9
   Raining Blood

   Slayer · solo by Kerry King, Jeff Hanneman · 1986
10. 10
    Orion

    Metallica · solo by Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield · 1986
11. 11
    Battery

    Metallica · solo by Kirk Hammett · 1986
12. 12
    Welcome Home (Sanitarium)

    Metallica · solo by Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield · 1986
13. 13
    Cowboys from Hell

    Pantera · solo by Dimebag Darrell · 1990
14. 14
    Domination

    Pantera · solo by Dimebag Darrell · 1990
15. 15
    Creeping Death

    Metallica · solo by Kirk Hammett · 1984
16. 16
    Ride the Lightning

    Metallica · solo by Kirk Hammett · 1984
17. 17
    Peace Sells

    Megadeth · solo by Chris Poland, Dave Mustaine · 1986
18. 18
    Over the Wall

    Testament · solo by Alex Skolnick · 1987
19. 19
    Practice What You Preach

    Testament · solo by Alex Skolnick · 1989
20. 20
    Seasons in the Abyss

    Slayer · solo by Jeff Hanneman, Kerry King · 1990
21. 21
    Indians

    Anthrax · solo by Dan Spitz · 1987
22. 22
    Bonded by Blood

    Exodus · solo by Gary Holt, Rick Hunolt · 1985
23. 23
    Blackened

    Metallica · solo by Kirk Hammett · 1988
24. 24
    Atlas, Rise!

    Metallica · solo by Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield · 2016
25. 25
    Aesthetics of Hate

    Machine Head · solo by Robb Flynn, Phil Demmel · 2007