Blue Sky
The Allman Brothers Band, 1972. Solo by Duane Allman & Dickey Betts.
Dickey Betts wrote and sang 'Blue Sky', and the song's twin solos from Betts and Duane Allman are among the most joyful in the band's catalogue. Instead of blues grit, both players lean into bright, country-flavored melodies, trading lines that sound like a conversation between old friends. Their harmony passages are warm and effortless, capturing the band's sunny side. It's also one of the last studio recordings Duane made. Listen for how each soloist builds on the other's ideas, keeping the melody clear, then how the harmony passages bring them back together, as if the song has found exactly where it wanted to go.
Blue Sky by The Allman Brothers Band is ranked #87 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Duane Allman & Dickey Betts and the song was released in 1972. It appears on 7 lists, placing as high as #21 (Radio Beat).
In our lists
- Deep Cuts — #46
- The 25 Greatest Jam Band Guitar Solos — #25
- The 25 Greatest Southern Rock Guitar Solos — #6
- Twin Guitars & Harmonies — #7
- Played on a Les Paul — #24
Sources
- Radio Beat: 88 kytarových sól na Beatu — #21
- Digital Dream Door: 250 Greatest Rock Guitar Solos — #23
- Gibson.com (via Georgia Straight): Gibson.com's Top 50 Guitar Solos of All Time — #38
- Bombay Lives (Substack): 100 Greatest Guitar Solos — #65
- Topito (now 10h26.com): Top 100 des plus grands solos de guitare de l'histoire (Benoit Floyd) — #65
- Guitar Tricks: 200 Best Guitar Solos of All Time — #115
- Paste Magazine: Paste Panel: Our writers' favorite guitar solos ever
Who played the guitar solo on Blue Sky?
Duane Allman & Dickey Betts played the solo on The Allman Brothers Band's Blue Sky (1972).
What guitar was used on the Blue Sky solo?
A gibson les paul, according to widely reported accounts.
Where does Blue Sky rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#87 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 7 of them.