Soma guitar solo
The Smashing Pumpkins, 1993, from Siamese Dream. Solo by Billy Corgan.
'Soma' starts as a hushed, dreamy lullaby and slowly swells, with Billy Corgan's layered guitars reaching a massive, fuzz-drenched peak. The solo sits right at that peak: long, melodic lines over a dense wall of overdubbed rhythm guitars, played with sustain and a wide, singing vibrato. It's a moment of release after minutes of tension, and it showed how alternative rock could borrow classic-rock grandeur without irony. Corgan's gift for arrangement matters as much as his lead playing here. Listen for how many guitar parts are stacked behind the lead, each adding its own shimmer, before the song settles back into its quiet opening mood.
Soma by The Smashing Pumpkins is ranked #151 in our consensus of 80 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Billy Corgan and the song was released in 1993. It appears on 3 lists, placing as high as #25 (guitarguitar).
In our lists
- The Greatest Solo of Every Year — #50
- The Modern Canon: Best Since 1990 — #35
- The 25 Greatest Alternative Rock Guitar Solos — #10
- The Best The Smashing Pumpkins Guitar Solos — #3
- Top 20 Guitar Solos of 1993 — #1
Sources
- guitarguitar: Top 50 Guitar Solos of All Time — #25
- NME: 50 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time — #41
- Guitar Tricks: 200 Best Guitar Solos of All Time — #126
Who played the guitar solo on Soma?
Billy Corgan played the solo on The Smashing Pumpkins's Soma (1993).
What guitar was used on the Soma solo?
A fender stratocaster, according to widely reported accounts.
Where does Soma rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#151 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 80 published lists; it appears on 3 of them.