How We Rank Guitar Solos
The consensus formula, weights and caveats behind the GreatestSolos ranking.
The formula
Every published list a solo appears on earns points: weight × (0.35 + 0.65 × position), where position is (101 − rank) / 100. A #1 earns the full amount; anything past #100 earns only the 0.35 base. Lists that don't rank their entries count as a middle placing (0.5).
Weights
- R3M: 0.4
- Metal Hammer (Louder) 2020: 0.8
- Intermediate Guitar: 0.5
- ADCI: 0.4
- Pierre Grammat (WordPress blog) 2012: 0.4
- Thomann 2024: 0.5
- TopGuitar.pl: 0.4
- Lefty Fretz: 0.4
- Rolling Stone 2026: 1.0
- Planet Rock (UK radio) listener poll, reported by laut.de 2006: 0.7
- Guitar World 2020: 0.7
- WatchMojo (article text): 0.6
- NME 2017: 1.0
- ROCK FM (Russia) 2021: 0.5
- RTBF / Classic 21 2025: 0.6
- Sinfonía Online: 0.4
- Guitar Player 2025: 0.8
- Guitar World 2024: 0.7
- Far Out Magazine 2025: 0.6
- WatchMojo: 0.6
- L'Éclaireur Fnac 2026: 0.5
- That Eric Alper 2025: 0.4
- Nomad Diary: 0.4
- Chaospin 2026: 0.4
- Guitar Solo Legends 2026: 0.5
- BLOmiG 2022: 0.4
- Moises.ai blog 2024: 0.4
- North Forty News: 0.4
- Acesso Music 2024: 0.4
- Alhambra Guitarras (Spain) 2025: 0.4
- Music in Minnesota 2023: 0.5
- BIG 100 (WBIG, Washington DC classic rock radio, iHeart) 2022: 0.5
- Guitar Tricks: 0.7
- Bombay Lives (Substack) 2008: 0.9
- Terra / Cifra Club 2022: 0.5
- The Metal Circus (Spain), reproducing Q magazine 2011: 0.9
- Guitar World 2021: 1.0
- guitarguitar 2026: 0.7
- Guitar Player: 0.9
- Studio Brussel (VRT public radio, Belgium) 2012: 0.6
- Far Out Magazine: 0.6
- Duncan Smith Guitars (Australia) 2017: 0.4
- Planet Rock 2019: 0.6
- Gitaarles.nl: 0.4
- SiriusXM (countdown transcribed on PRS Guitars forum) 2024: 0.8
- Letras.mus.br: 0.5
- Kobalog 2019: 0.4
- Musicnotes 2023: 0.5
- Kerrang! 2010: 0.8
- Orchestra Central 2023: 0.4
- MusicRadar / Total Guitar 2011: 0.7
- Guitar Player 2024: 1.0
- JazzGuitar.be: 0.5
- Jazzfuel 2021: 0.5
- RAG Music: 0.4
- WatchMojo: 0.5
- Megarock.se: 0.4
- Guitarist / MusicRadar 2011: 0.9
- Złote czasy rocka: 0.4
- Loudwire: 0.6
- Muse Academy 2024: 0.4
- Nostalgic Buzz 2024: 0.4
- Far Out Magazine 2025: 0.6
- Ranker: 0.7
- DigitalDreamDoor: 0.6
- Far Out Magazine: 0.6
- Treble 2018: 0.6
- Paste Magazine 2026: 0.7
- All About The Rock 2016: 0.4
- Guitar World 2019: 0.8
- Meilleurs-albums.com: 0.4
- TrueFire Blog 2024: 0.5
- liamrecord.blog: 0.4
- Consequence 2020: 0.6
- Far Out Magazine: 0.6
- Medium (Dondestan) 2017: 0.4
- Guitar World (Joe Bonamassa) 2019: 0.7
- Alternative Nation: 0.5
- Loudwire 2024: 0.5
- Guitarhabits 2014: 0.5
- Pickup Music 2023: 0.4
- Tower Records Japan (TOWER RECORDS ONLINE) 2023: 0.5
- TheTopTens: 0.5
- Top 40 Weekly: 0.5
- Ultimate Classic Rock 2025: 0.7
- Santander Music: 0.4
- Rolling Stone en Español 2026: 0.8
- Classic Rock (Louder) 2018: 1.0
- Heavy Mextal 2025: 0.4
- GuitarMetrics 2026: 0.4
- Society of Rock: 0.4
- Planet Rock 2022: 0.8
- Coach Guitar: 0.4
- Accordi e Spartiti: 0.4
- Digital Dream Door 2018: 0.7
- SensCritique: 0.5
- Onedio (Turkey): 0.4
- Gibson.com (via Georgia Straight) 2010: 0.9
- Seymour Duncan 2019: 0.5
- Guitar World 2013: 1.0
- uDiscover Music 2026: 0.9
- Magazyn Gitarzysta 2006: 0.8
- Musician Tuts 2018: 0.4
- Radio Beat: 0.6
- Topito (now 10h26.com): 0.6
What's in the ranking
105 all-time lists make up the Consensus 100. Guitar World's 21st-century list is shown on song pages but left out of the all-time score. Our 34 genre lists are editorial rankings informed by genre-specific sources, not part of the consensus. The catalog has 759 songs.
Caveats
Solo start times are estimates. Gear is as widely reported and can vary by session. See Sources for every list, and Explore to build your own ranking.