I Believe In A Thing Called Love

The Darkness, 2003, from Permission to Land. Solo by Dan Hawkins & Justin Hawkins.

Justin Hawkins's falsetto grabs the headlines, but the guitars are what make this song such a joyful throwback. The solo section is built on harmonized lead lines, with Dan and Justin stacking parts in the manner of Thin Lizzy and Queen, then breaking into fast runs and wide-vibrato bends. It's played with a wink, yet the craft is completely serious, and the tone is classic Les Paul through a cranked amp. Arriving in an era dominated by garage rock and nu-metal, it reminded a new audience how much fun a big, melodic guitar break could be. Listen for the harmony lines locking together in parallel, then splitting apart as the solo climbs toward its peak.

I Believe In A Thing Called Love by The Darkness is ranked #113 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Dan Hawkins & Justin Hawkins and the song was released in 2003. It appears on 4 lists, placing as high as #44 (Guitar World).

In our lists

• See Them Live — #39
• One and Only — #15
• The Modern Canon: Best Since 1990 — #24
• The Road Trip 50 — #24
• The 25 Greatest Glam Guitar Solos — #5
• The 2000s — #5
• Best of the 21st Century — #20
• Twin Guitars & Harmonies — #10
• Solos in Hit Singles — #24
• The Best The Darkness Guitar Solos — #1

Sources

• Guitar World: The greatest guitar solos of the 21st century... so far — #20
• Guitar World: The 50 greatest guitar solos of all time — #44
• Classic Rock (Louder): The 100 greatest guitar solos in rock — #44
• Magazyn Gitarzysta: 100 solówek wszech czasów [100 solos of all time] — #67
• RAG Music: ギターソロがかっこいい洋楽の名曲まとめ