Moonage Daydream
David Bowie, 1972, from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Solo by Mick Ronson.
Mick Ronson's closing solo is where this song takes flight. Over strings and a swelling arrangement, he plays soaring, distorted lines that climb and bend before the track dissolves into a spacey, swirling outro. His Les Paul tone is thick and aggressive, but the phrasing is melodic and theatrical, perfectly suited to Bowie's glam persona. It remains one of Ronson's defining recorded moments and a favorite among players who admire his mix of power and taste. Listen for how the solo seems to spiral upward, with each phrase reaching slightly higher than the last before the sound washes out into space.
Moonage Daydream by David Bowie is ranked #103 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Mick Ronson and the song was released in 1972. It appears on 5 lists, placing as high as #14 (Top 40 Weekly).
In our lists
- Genre Champions — #12
- The 25 Greatest Glam Guitar Solos — #1
- Epic-Length Solos — #24
- Most Divisive — #19
- The Best David Bowie Guitar Solos — #1
- The Best Mick Ronson Guitar Solos — #1
Sources
- Top 40 Weekly: Best 70s Guitar Solos: Top 40 Greatest of the Decade — #14
- The Metal Circus (Spain), reproducing Q magazine: Los 20 mejores solos de guitarra — #18
- Classic Rock (Louder): The 100 greatest guitar solos in rock — #24
- Bombay Lives (Substack): 100 Greatest Guitar Solos — #85
- Topito (now 10h26.com): Top 100 des plus grands solos de guitare de l'histoire (Benoit Floyd) — #85
- Guitar Tricks: 200 Best Guitar Solos of All Time — #159
Who played the guitar solo on Moonage Daydream?
Mick Ronson played the solo on David Bowie's Moonage Daydream (1972).
What guitar was used on the Moonage Daydream solo?
A gibson les paul, according to widely reported accounts.
Where does Moonage Daydream rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#103 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 5 of them.