Starship Trooper guitar solo

Yes, 1971, from The Yes Album. Solo by Steve Howe.

The 'Würm' finale builds and builds.

Steve Howe's playing across this suite shifts constantly, from bright, country-tinged picking to jazzy chord work, but the closing 'Würm' section is where the guitar takes over. Built on a simple descending chord sequence repeated again and again, it lets Howe layer increasingly intense lead lines on top, the tone thickening as the band swells behind him. It's less a showy solo than a slow crescendo, and its patience stood apart from the flashier prog guitar of the day. His hollow-body Gibson gives the lines a rounder, woodier voice than you might expect from a rock climax. Listen for the moment the lead guitar steps forward from the rhythm, then keeps climbing all the way to the fade.

Starship Trooper by Yes is ranked #110 in our consensus of 80 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Steve Howe and the song was released in 1971. It appears on 6 lists, placing as high as #29 (Top 40 Weekly).

In our lists

• See Them Live — #36
• The 25 Greatest Prog Guitar Solos — #12
• The Best Steve Howe Guitar Solos — #1
• The Best Yes Guitar Solos — #2
• Top 20 Guitar Solos of 1971 — #6
• The Best Outro Guitar Solos: Songs That End With a Solo — #8

Sources

• Top 40 Weekly: Best 70s Guitar Solos: Top 40 Greatest of the Decade — #29
• Music in Minnesota: 38 Best Guitar Solos Of All Time — #36
• Bombay Lives (Substack): 100 Greatest Guitar Solos — #68
• Topito (now 10h26.com): Top 100 des plus grands solos de guitare de l'histoire (Benoit Floyd) — #68
• Rolling Stone: The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time — #79
• Guitar Tricks: 200 Best Guitar Solos of All Time — #128
• Digital Dream Door: 250 Greatest Rock Guitar Solos — #157