# Black Hole Sun guitar solo

> Kim Thayil's guitar solo on Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden (1994) starts at about 3:35. From the album Superunknown. Ranked #221 of all time across 80 lists.

Canonical URL: <https://greatestsolos.com/song/soundgarden-black-hole-sun/>

Soundgarden, 1994, from *Superunknown*. Solo by *Kim Thayil*.

Kim Thayil's solo on 'Black Hole Sun' is a strange, unsettling burst of sound that fits the song's surreal mood. Rather than following a conventional path, it bends and twists through unexpected notes, creating a sense of disorientation. The song's swirling, psychedelic guitar parts and dark lyrics make it one of Soundgarden's most distinctive tracks. Thayil's approach, embracing dissonance and texture, influenced many players in grunge and beyond. Listen for how the solo seems to slide slightly off-key before resolving, adding to the song's dreamlike atmosphere, and how it fits seamlessly into the arrangement's hazy, swirling sound.

Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden is ranked #221 in our consensus of 80 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Kim Thayil and the song was released in 1994. It appears on 3 lists, placing as high as #18 (Rick Beato (YouTube)).

## In our lists

- [The Road Trip 50](https://greatestsolos.com/list/road-trip/) — #43
- [The 25 Greatest Grunge Guitar Solos](https://greatestsolos.com/list/grunge/) — #6
- [Most Divisive](https://greatestsolos.com/list/most-divisive/) — #3
- [The Best Chris Cornell Guitar Solos](https://greatestsolos.com/list/chris-cornell-guitar-solos/) — #2
- [The Best Soundgarden Guitar Solos](https://greatestsolos.com/list/soundgarden-guitar-solos/) — #1
- [Top 20 Guitar Solos of 1994](https://greatestsolos.com/list/best-guitar-solos-1994/) — #3

## Sources

- [Rick Beato (YouTube): Top 20 Strangest Guitar Solos of All Time](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EzehYUhtT4) — #18
- [Magazyn Gitarzysta: 100 solówek wszech czasów \[100 solos of all time\]](https://magazyngitarzysta.pl/muzyka/wywiady/1928-100-solowek-wszech-czasow) — #56
- [Guitar Tricks: 200 Best Guitar Solos of All Time](https://www.guitartricks.com/blog/200-Best-Guitar-Solos-of-All-Time) — #162
- [Digital Dream Door: 250 Greatest Rock Guitar Solos](https://digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/best_guitarsolo.html) — #214

### Who played the guitar solo on Black Hole Sun?

Kim Thayil played the solo on Soundgarden's Black Hole Sun (1994).

### What guitar was used on the Black Hole Sun solo?

A guild s-100, according to widely reported accounts.

### Where does Black Hole Sun rank among the greatest guitar solos?

#221 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 80 published lists; it appears on 3 of them.

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