Rosanna guitar solo

Toto, 1982, from Toto IV. Solo by Steve Lukather.

Lukather's melodic, perfectly placed lines show how a session ace can make a radio hit sound effortless and still thrilling.

Rosanna is famous for its half-time shuffle groove, but Steve Lukather's guitar is equally important to its appeal. His lines are melodic and perfectly placed, weaving through a dense arrangement of horns, keyboards and vocals without crowding anything. The solo sections show his session-player discipline: strong, singable phrases, a warm, sustaining tone and fast runs used sparingly as punctuation rather than showpieces. It is a model of how to be both tasteful and exciting on a radio hit. Listen for how Lukather builds toward the end of the track, letting his phrases grow longer and more intense as the arrangement opens up, while still keeping every note tied to the song's melody.

Rosanna by Toto is ranked #141 in our consensus of 80 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Steve Lukather and the song was released in 1982. It appears on 4 lists, placing as high as #6 (Rick Beato (YouTube)).

In our lists

• See Them Live — #49
• The Road Trip 50 — #32
• The 25 Greatest Pop Guitar Solos — #3
• The 25 Greatest Rock Guitar Solos — #5
• The 1980s — #25
• The Best Toto Guitar Solos — #1
• The Best Steve Lukather Guitar Solos — #1
• Top 20 Guitar Solos of 1982 — #2
• The Best Outro Guitar Solos: Songs That End With a Solo — #10

Sources

• Rick Beato (YouTube): Top 20 Rock Guitar Solos of All Time — #6
• Nomad Diary: ギター歴17年の僕がおすすめする、ギターソロが最高にかっこいい17曲 — #9
• Guitar Tricks: 200 Best Guitar Solos of All Time — #161
• Muse Academy: 【邦楽＆洋楽】講師おすすめギターソロがかっこいい名曲10選｜奥山アキラ先生