Eight Miles High
The Byrds, 1966, from Fifth Dimension. Solo by Roger McGuinn.
A 12-string chasing Coltrane.
Roger McGuinn's 12-string break is his attempt to channel the saxophone of John Coltrane on a folk-rock guitar. Instead of a bluesy solo, he plays jagged, modal phrases that jump across the fretboard, with the Rickenbacker's chiming tone giving them a strange, ringing quality. It's short, but it opened the door to psychedelic rock by showing how jazz and Indian music could inspire a rock guitarist. The track pointed the way for countless jangly bands that followed. Listen for the opening break, where McGuinn's lines seem to veer off-key before resolving, capturing the dizzy, disorienting sense of flight the lyric describes.
Eight Miles High by The Byrds is ranked #109 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Roger McGuinn and the song was released in 1966. It appears on 3 lists, placing as high as #16 (The Metal Circus (Spain), reproducing Q magazine).
In our lists
- The Greatest Solo of Every Year — #23
- The 25 Greatest Folk Rock Guitar Solos — #5
- The 25 Greatest Psychedelic Guitar Solos — #6
- The Pioneers: 1950s & 60s — #18
- Short & Perfect — #9
- Hidden Gems — #17
- The Best The Byrds Guitar Solos — #1
Sources
- The Metal Circus (Spain), reproducing Q magazine: Los 20 mejores solos de guitarra — #16
- uDiscover Music: The Best Guitar Solos Of All Time: 108 Amazing Moments — #23
- Rolling Stone: The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time — #51
Who played the guitar solo on Eight Miles High?
Roger McGuinn played the solo on The Byrds's Eight Miles High (1966).
What guitar was used on the Eight Miles High solo?
A rickenbacker 12-string, according to widely reported accounts.
Where does Eight Miles High rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#109 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 3 of them.