# Guitar World (2021) vs the Consensus > Guitar World's greatest guitar solos list compared with 80 other rankings. Its #1: Bohemian Rhapsody. Agreements, bold picks and omissions. Canonical URL: Guitar World's list, “The 50 greatest guitar solos of all time,” puts Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen at #1. The consensus #1 is Stairway to Heaven. Of the solos it ranks, 42 are in the GreatestSolos Consensus 100, and 8 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 Guitar World](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/the-50-greatest-guitar-solos-of-all-time) for the full ranking. ## Where they agree The highest consensus picks that Guitar World also ranked. | Solo | Guitar World | Consensus | |---|---|---| | [Stairway to Heaven](https://greatestsolos.com/song/led-zeppelin-stairway-to-heaven/) — Led Zeppelin, 1971 | #4 | #1 | | [Comfortably Numb](https://greatestsolos.com/song/pink-floyd-comfortably-numb/) — Pink Floyd, 1979 | #3 | #2 | | [Hotel California](https://greatestsolos.com/song/eagles-hotel-california/) — Eagles, 1976 | #5 | #3 | | [Eruption](https://greatestsolos.com/song/van-halen-eruption/) — Van Halen, 1978 | #2 | #4 | | [Free Bird](https://greatestsolos.com/song/lynyrd-skynyrd-free-bird/) — Lynyrd Skynyrd, 1973 | #8 | #5 | | [Sweet Child O' Mine](https://greatestsolos.com/song/guns-n-roses-sweet-child-o-mine/) — Guns N' Roses, 1987 | #6 | #6 | | [All Along the Watchtower](https://greatestsolos.com/song/jimi-hendrix-all-along-the-watchtower/) — Jimi Hendrix, 1968 | #11 | #7 | | [Bohemian Rhapsody](https://greatestsolos.com/song/queen-bohemian-rhapsody/) — Queen, 1975 | #1 | #8 | | [Sultans of Swing](https://greatestsolos.com/song/dire-straits-sultans-of-swing/) — Dire Straits, 1978 | #7 | #9 | | [Highway Star](https://greatestsolos.com/song/deep-purple-highway-star/) — Deep Purple, 1972 | #13 | #10 | ## Their boldest picks Solos Guitar World ranked high that most other lists rank low or leave out. | Solo | Guitar World | Consensus | |---|---|---| | [Back in Black](https://greatestsolos.com/song/ac-dc-back-in-black/) — AC/DC, 1980 | #16 | #64 | | [Reapers](https://greatestsolos.com/song/muse-reapers/) — Muse, 2015 | #19 | #193 | | [Hangar 18](https://greatestsolos.com/song/megadeth-hangar-18/) — Megadeth, 1990 | #21 | #88 | | [Blackbird](https://greatestsolos.com/song/alter-bridge-blackbird/) — Alter Bridge, 2007 | #25 | #62 | | [Limelight](https://greatestsolos.com/song/rush-limelight/) — Rush, 1981 | #26 | #83 | | [Firth of Fifth](https://greatestsolos.com/song/genesis-firth-of-fifth/) — Genesis, 1973 | #28 | #82 | | [La Grange](https://greatestsolos.com/song/zz-top-la-grange/) — ZZ Top, 1973 | #30 | #73 | | [Under a Glass Moon](https://greatestsolos.com/song/dream-theater-under-a-glass-moon/) — Dream Theater, 1992 | #31 | #65 | | [Walk This Way](https://greatestsolos.com/song/aerosmith-walk-this-way/) — Aerosmith, 1975 | #34 | #67 | | [Lenny](https://greatestsolos.com/song/stevie-ray-vaughan-and-double-trouble-lenny/) — Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, 1983 | #35 | #285 | ## Consensus favorites they left out Top-30 consensus solos missing from Guitar World (released by 2021). | Solo | Consensus | Lists | |---|---|---| | [November Rain](https://greatestsolos.com/song/guns-n-roses-november-rain/) — Guns N' Roses, 1991 | #11 | 42 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 | | [Since I've Been Loving You](https://greatestsolos.com/song/led-zeppelin-since-i-ve-been-loving-you/) — Led Zeppelin, 1970 | #27 | 19 of 80 | | [Time](https://greatestsolos.com/song/pink-floyd-time/) — Pink Floyd, 1973 | #29 | 18 of 80 | | [Little Wing](https://greatestsolos.com/song/jimi-hendrix-little-wing/) — Jimi Hendrix, 1967 | #30 | 18 of 80 | ## Quick answers ### What is Guitar World's #1 guitar solo? Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen (solo by Brian May) is #1 on Guitar World's list from 2021. ### How does Guitar World's list compare with the consensus? 42 of the solos it ranks appear in the Consensus 100, which combines 80 published lists. 8 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/) · [Classic Rock 2018](https://greatestsolos.com/vs/classic-rock-2018/) · [NME 2017](https://greatestsolos.com/vs/nme-2017/) · [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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