# Life Begins at the Hop guitar solo

> Andy Partridge's guitar solo on Life Begins at the Hop by XTC (1979) starts at about 1:37. Ranked #459 of all time across 80 lists.

Canonical URL: <https://greatestsolos.com/song/xtc-life-begins-at-the-hop/>

XTC, 1979. Solo by *Andy Partridge*.

A jerky, playful break that fits XTC's nervy, angular take on pop.

XTC's cheerful single has a guitar break that sounds as twitchy as the band itself. Andy Partridge plays in short, jerky bursts, with choppy rhythms and odd little melodic turns that feel slightly off-balance, like a dancer who keeps changing step. There is no attempt at a long, sustained solo; it is a quick burst of personality that fits neatly between the vocal sections. That wiry, playful attitude was central to XTC's early sound and shows how new wave players swapped virtuosity for wit. Listen for how tightly the break locks to the drums and bass, making the guitar sound almost like part of the rhythm section even as it carries the melody.

Life Begins at the Hop by XTC is ranked #459 in our consensus of 80 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Andy Partridge and the song was released in 1979. It appears on 1 lists, placing as high as #90 (uDiscover Music).

## In our lists

- [The 25 Greatest New Wave Guitar Solos](https://greatestsolos.com/list/new-wave/) — #19
- [Top 20 Guitar Solos of 1979](https://greatestsolos.com/list/best-guitar-solos-1979/) — #12

## Sources

- [uDiscover Music: The Best Guitar Solos Of All Time: 108 Amazing Moments](https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/best-guitar-solos-ever/) — #90

### Who played the guitar solo on Life Begins at the Hop?

Andy Partridge played the solo on XTC's Life Begins at the Hop (1979).

### Where does Life Begins at the Hop rank among the greatest guitar solos?

#459 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 80 published lists; it appears on 1 of them.

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