Little Red Corvette

Prince, 1983, from 1999. Solo by Dez Dickerson.

Dickerson's compact rock solo gives Prince's crossover single a jolt of arena grit right when the song needs it.

Little Red Corvette is a slow-burning pop song for most of its length, and Dez Dickerson's solo arrives just as it needs a kick. It is compact and direct, with a rock tone and short, punchy phrases that bring an arena feel to Prince's synth-heavy arrangement. The break helped the single cross over to rock audiences, showing that Prince's music could hold its own on rock radio. Dickerson keeps it tight, building quickly and getting out before it overstays. Listen for how the solo raises the energy right before the song's final section, and for how the guitar tone cuts through the smooth keyboards to give the track a burst of grit.

Little Red Corvette by Prince is ranked #181 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Dez Dickerson and the song was released in 1983. It appears on 3 lists, placing as high as #64 (Bombay Lives (Substack)).

In our lists

• The Road Trip 50 — #38
• The 25 Greatest Pop Guitar Solos — #5
• Short & Perfect — #19
• The Best Prince Guitar Solos — #15

Sources

• Bombay Lives (Substack): 100 Greatest Guitar Solos — #64
• Topito (now 10h26.com): Top 100 des plus grands solos de guitare de l'histoire (Benoit Floyd) — #64
• Guitar Tricks: 200 Best Guitar Solos of All Time — #89