More Than a Feeling
Boston, 1976, from Boston. Solo by Tom Scholz.
Layered guitars from a basement studio.
Tom Scholz built the sound of 'More Than a Feeling' in his own home studio, layering guitars with meticulous precision. The solo is melodic and carefully constructed, with harmonized lines that sing like a choir. His tone is smooth, sustained and polished, blending power with clarity. It helped define the sound of 1970s arena rock, showing how studio craft could create an enormous sound from a small room. Listen for how the harmonized guitars move in perfect sync, creating a rich, orchestral texture, and how the solo builds seamlessly out of the song's soaring chorus before handing back to the gentle, chiming verse.
More Than a Feeling by Boston is ranked #180 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Tom Scholz and the song was released in 1976. It appears on 3 lists, placing as high as #15 (Top 40 Weekly).
In our lists
- The Most-Taught Solos — #29
- The Road Trip 50 — #37
- Twin Guitars & Harmonies — #15
- Rolling Stone vs. Everyone — #21
- The Best Boston Guitar Solos — #1
Sources
- Top 40 Weekly: Best 70s Guitar Solos: Top 40 Greatest of the Decade — #15
- Guitar Solo Legends: The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time — Ranked (2026) — #56
- Rolling Stone: The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time — #63
- Musician Tuts: The 51 Best Guitar Solos Of All Time
Who played the guitar solo on More Than a Feeling?
Tom Scholz played the solo on Boston's More Than a Feeling (1976).
What guitar was used on the More Than a Feeling solo?
A gibson les paul, according to widely reported accounts.
Where does More Than a Feeling rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#180 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 3 of them.