# Classic Rock (2018) vs the Consensus > Classic Rock's greatest guitar solos list compared with 80 other rankings. Its #1: Stairway to Heaven. Agreements, bold picks and omissions. Canonical URL: Classic Rock's list, “The 100 greatest guitar solos in rock,” puts Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin at #1, the same as the consensus. Of the solos it ranks, 40 are in the GreatestSolos Consensus 100, and 7 of its top 10 are also in the consensus top 10. Updated October 2026 · we show only where lists agree and differ; see [the original list at Classic Rock (Louder)](https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-100-greatest-guitar-solos-in-rock) for the full ranking. ## Where they agree The highest consensus picks that Classic Rock also ranked. | Solo | Classic Rock | Consensus | |---|---|---| | [Stairway to Heaven](https://greatestsolos.com/song/led-zeppelin-stairway-to-heaven/) — Led Zeppelin, 1971 | #1 | #1 | | [Comfortably Numb](https://greatestsolos.com/song/pink-floyd-comfortably-numb/) — Pink Floyd, 1979 | #2 | #2 | | [Hotel California](https://greatestsolos.com/song/eagles-hotel-california/) — Eagles, 1976 | #3 | #3 | | [Eruption](https://greatestsolos.com/song/van-halen-eruption/) — Van Halen, 1978 | #6 | #4 | | [Free Bird](https://greatestsolos.com/song/lynyrd-skynyrd-free-bird/) — Lynyrd Skynyrd, 1973 | #4 | #5 | | [Sweet Child O' Mine](https://greatestsolos.com/song/guns-n-roses-sweet-child-o-mine/) — Guns N' Roses, 1987 | #8 | #6 | | [All Along the Watchtower](https://greatestsolos.com/song/jimi-hendrix-all-along-the-watchtower/) — Jimi Hendrix, 1968 | #5 | #7 | | [Sultans of Swing](https://greatestsolos.com/song/dire-straits-sultans-of-swing/) — Dire Straits, 1978 | #20 | #9 | | [Highway Star](https://greatestsolos.com/song/deep-purple-highway-star/) — Deep Purple, 1972 | #12 | #10 | | [While My Guitar Gently Weeps](https://greatestsolos.com/song/the-beatles-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/) — The Beatles, 1968 | #13 | #12 | ## Their boldest picks Solos Classic Rock ranked high that most other lists rank low or leave out. | Solo | Classic Rock | Consensus | |---|---|---| | [Killer Queen](https://greatestsolos.com/song/queen-killer-queen/) — Queen, 1974 | #7 | #72 | | [Paranoid](https://greatestsolos.com/song/black-sabbath-paranoid/) — Black Sabbath, 1970 | #10 | #80 | | [Let There Be Rock](https://greatestsolos.com/song/ac-dc-let-there-be-rock/) — AC/DC, 1977 | #11 | #77 | | [All Right Now](https://greatestsolos.com/song/free-all-right-now/) — Free, 1970 | #17 | #97 | | [Can't You Hear Me Knocking](https://greatestsolos.com/song/the-rolling-stones-can-t-you-hear-me-knocking/) — The Rolling Stones, 1971 | #22 | #140 | | [Moonage Daydream](https://greatestsolos.com/song/david-bowie-moonage-daydream/) — David Bowie, 1972 | #24 | #103 | | [Walk This Way](https://greatestsolos.com/song/aerosmith-walk-this-way/) — Aerosmith, 1975 | #25 | #67 | | [Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere](https://greatestsolos.com/song/the-who-anyway-anyhow-anywhere/) — The Who, 1965 | #26 | #145 | | [Since You Been Gone](https://greatestsolos.com/song/rainbow-since-you-been-gone/) — Rainbow, 1979 | #27 | #271 | | [Ace of Spades](https://greatestsolos.com/song/mot-rhead-ace-of-spades/) — Motörhead, 1980 | #29 | #215 | ## Consensus favorites they left out Top-30 consensus solos missing from Classic Rock (released by 2018). | Solo | Consensus | Lists | |---|---|---| | [Bohemian Rhapsody](https://greatestsolos.com/song/queen-bohemian-rhapsody/) — Queen, 1975 | #8 | 48 of 80 | | [November Rain](https://greatestsolos.com/song/guns-n-roses-november-rain/) — Guns N' Roses, 1991 | #11 | 42 of 80 | | [Crazy Train](https://greatestsolos.com/song/ozzy-osbourne-crazy-train/) — Ozzy Osbourne, 1980 | #13 | 32 of 80 | | [Crossroads](https://greatestsolos.com/song/cream-crossroads/) — Cream, 1968 | #14 | 31 of 80 | | [Beat It](https://greatestsolos.com/song/michael-jackson-beat-it/) — Michael Jackson, 1982 | #15 | 30 of 80 | | [Voodoo Child (Slight Return)](https://greatestsolos.com/song/jimi-hendrix-voodoo-child-slight-return/) — Jimi Hendrix, 1968 | #18 | 27 of 80 | | [One](https://greatestsolos.com/song/metallica-one/) — Metallica, 1988 | #20 | 24 of 80 | | [Texas Flood](https://greatestsolos.com/song/stevie-ray-vaughan-texas-flood/) — Stevie Ray Vaughan, 1983 | #21 | 24 of 80 | | [Mr. Crowley](https://greatestsolos.com/song/ozzy-osbourne-mr-crowley/) — Ozzy Osbourne, 1980 | #22 | 24 of 80 | | [Fade to Black](https://greatestsolos.com/song/metallica-fade-to-black/) — Metallica, 1984 | #23 | 23 of 80 | ## Quick answers ### What is Classic Rock's #1 guitar solo? Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin (solo by Jimmy Page) is #1 on Classic Rock's list from 2018. ### How does Classic Rock's list compare with the consensus? 40 of the solos it ranks appear in the Consensus 100, which combines 80 published lists. 7 of its top 10 are also in the consensus top 10. ### What is the greatest guitar solo of all time by consensus? Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin, on 64 of 80 lists. Compare another list: [Rolling Stone 2026](https://greatestsolos.com/vs/rolling-stone-2026/) · [NME 2017](https://greatestsolos.com/vs/nme-2017/) · [Guitar World 2021](https://greatestsolos.com/vs/guitar-world-2021/) · [Guitar World 2013](https://greatestsolos.com/vs/guitar-world-2013/) · [Guitar Player 2024](https://greatestsolos.com/vs/guitar-player-2024/) · [Guitarist 2011](https://greatestsolos.com/vs/guitarist-2011/) · [uDiscover Music 2026](https://greatestsolos.com/vs/udiscover-2026/) · [Planet Rock 2022](https://greatestsolos.com/vs/planet-rock-2022/) · [SiriusXM 2024](https://greatestsolos.com/vs/siriusxm-2024/) · [Gibson.com 2010](https://greatestsolos.com/vs/gibson-2010/) · [Rick Beato 2019](https://greatestsolos.com/vs/rick-beato-2019/) --- GreatestSolos ranks the greatest guitar solos by consensus across published lists. 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