Little Sister
Queens of the Stone Age, 2005, from Lullabies to Paralyze. Solo by Josh Homme.
Homme's brief, biting solo lands between cowbell-driven verses on one of the band's most direct singles.
Little Sister is one of Queens of the Stone Age's tightest singles, a lean groove built on cowbell, driving drums and a hard-edged riff. Josh Homme's solo is brief but vicious, a burst of biting, slightly off-kilter lines that sound as if they are grinding against the rhythm. His tone is dry and punchy rather than smooth, which fits the band's mechanical, hypnotic feel. The solo does not aim to impress with length or speed; it jolts the song and then gets out of the way. Listen for the odd, angular note choices Homme favours, and notice how the cowbell keeps the pulse steady beneath him, so the solo feels even more jagged by contrast.
Little Sister by Queens of the Stone Age is ranked #293 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Josh Homme and the song was released in 2005. It appears on 1 lists, placing as high as #55 (uDiscover Music).
In our lists
- The 25 Greatest Rock Guitar Solos — #17
- The 2000s — #22
- The Best Queens of the Stone Age Guitar Solos — #2
- The Best Josh Homme Guitar Solos — #5
Sources
Who played the guitar solo on Little Sister?
Josh Homme played the solo on Queens of the Stone Age's Little Sister (2005).
Where does Little Sister rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#293 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 1 of them.