Wait
White Lion, 1987, from Pride. Solo by Vito Bratta.
Bratta's melodic, carefully composed solo showed that a hair-metal hit could carry inventive lead playing.
Wait was White Lion's breakthrough, and Vito Bratta's solo showed that a hair-metal single could carry thoughtful, inventive lead playing. Rather than stringing licks together, he composes: the solo states a melodic idea, develops it and returns to it, with smooth legato lines and neatly placed tapped passages along the way. His note choices lean toward melody and interesting intervals rather than pure speed, which is why guitarists still single him out from the crowded field of the era. The solo earned him lasting respect among players who value structure in a rock break. Listen for how a phrase from the opening bars comes back later in altered form, tying the whole solo together.
Wait by White Lion is ranked #259 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Vito Bratta and the song was released in 1987. It appears on 1 lists, placing as high as #2 (Ultimate Classic Rock).
In our lists
Sources
- Ultimate Classic Rock: Top 20 Hair Metal Guitar Solos — #2
- Classic Rock (Louder): The 100 greatest guitar solos in rock — #43
Who played the guitar solo on Wait?
Vito Bratta played the solo on White Lion's Wait (1987).
Where does Wait rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#259 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 1 of them.