Hold the Line
Toto, 1978, from Toto. Solo by Steve Lukather.
On Toto's debut single, a 20-year-old Lukather delivers a compact, fiery solo between the piano-driven verses.
Hold the Line opens with a pounding piano rhythm, and Steve Lukather's guitar is used sparingly until the solo arrives. When it does, it is compact and fiery, full of fast, articulate runs and bends that sing over the driving groove. Even this early, you can hear the precision and control that made him one of the busiest session players of his generation. He packs a lot into a small space, building to a peak and then handing the song back without overstaying. Listen for the smooth, singing sustain in his tone and the way his final phrase lands squarely on the return of the chorus, a studio player's instinct for serving the song.
Hold the Line by Toto is ranked #313 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Steve Lukather and the song was released in 1978. It appears on 1 lists, placing as high as #47 (guitarguitar).
In our lists
- The 25 Greatest Rock Guitar Solos — #22
- The Best Toto Guitar Solos — #2
- The Best Steve Lukather Guitar Solos — #2
Sources
Who played the guitar solo on Hold the Line?
Steve Lukather played the solo on Toto's Hold the Line (1978).
Where does Hold the Line rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#313 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 1 of them.