The Top 10 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time

The 10 greatest guitar solos of all time, by consensus of 80 published rankings: Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin is #1, on 64 of 80 lists, followed by Comfortably Numb (David Gilmour), Hotel California (Don Felder & Joe Walsh), Eruption (Eddie Van Halen), Free Bird (Allen Collins & Gary Rossington), Sweet Child O' Mine (Slash), All Along the Watchtower (Jimi Hendrix), Bohemian Rhapsody (Brian May), Sultans of Swing (Mark Knopfler) and Highway Star (Ritchie Blackmore).

Updated September 2026 · ranked from 80 published lists

1. 1
   Stairway to Heaven

   Led Zeppelin · solo by Jimmy Page · 1971
2. 2
   Comfortably Numb

   Pink Floyd · solo by David Gilmour · 1979
3. 3
   Hotel California

   Eagles · solo by Don Felder & Joe Walsh · 1976
4. 4
   Eruption

   Van Halen · solo by Eddie Van Halen · 1978
5. 5
   Free Bird

   Lynyrd Skynyrd · solo by Allen Collins & Gary Rossington · 1973
6. 6
   Sweet Child O' Mine

   Guns N' Roses · solo by Slash · 1987
7. 7
   All Along the Watchtower

   Jimi Hendrix · solo by Jimi Hendrix · 1968
8. 8
   Bohemian Rhapsody

   Queen · solo by Brian May · 1975
9. 9
   Sultans of Swing

   Dire Straits · solo by Mark Knopfler · 1978
10. 10
    Highway Star

    Deep Purple · solo by Ritchie Blackmore · 1972