# NME (2017) vs the Consensus > NME's greatest guitar solos list compared with 80 other rankings. Its #1: Sweet Child O' Mine. Agreements, bold picks and omissions. Canonical URL: NME's list, “50 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time,” puts Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns N' Roses at #1. The consensus #1 is Stairway to Heaven. Of the solos it ranks, 24 are in the GreatestSolos Consensus 100, and 3 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 NME](https://www.nme.com/lists/50-greatest-guitar-solos-1255) for the full ranking. ## Where they agree The highest consensus picks that NME also ranked. | Solo | NME | Consensus | |---|---|---| | [Stairway to Heaven](https://greatestsolos.com/song/led-zeppelin-stairway-to-heaven/) — Led Zeppelin, 1971 | #2 | #1 | | [Hotel California](https://greatestsolos.com/song/eagles-hotel-california/) — Eagles, 1976 | #16 | #3 | | [Eruption](https://greatestsolos.com/song/van-halen-eruption/) — Van Halen, 1978 | #29 | #4 | | [Free Bird](https://greatestsolos.com/song/lynyrd-skynyrd-free-bird/) — Lynyrd Skynyrd, 1973 | #26 | #5 | | [Sweet Child O' Mine](https://greatestsolos.com/song/guns-n-roses-sweet-child-o-mine/) — Guns N' Roses, 1987 | #1 | #6 | | [All Along the Watchtower](https://greatestsolos.com/song/jimi-hendrix-all-along-the-watchtower/) — Jimi Hendrix, 1968 | #3 | #7 | | [Bohemian Rhapsody](https://greatestsolos.com/song/queen-bohemian-rhapsody/) — Queen, 1975 | #18 | #8 | | [Highway Star](https://greatestsolos.com/song/deep-purple-highway-star/) — Deep Purple, 1972 | #11 | #10 | | [November Rain](https://greatestsolos.com/song/guns-n-roses-november-rain/) — Guns N' Roses, 1991 | #22 | #11 | | [While My Guitar Gently Weeps](https://greatestsolos.com/song/the-beatles-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/) — The Beatles, 1968 | #27 | #12 | ## Their boldest picks Solos NME ranked high that most other lists rank low or leave out. | Solo | NME | Consensus | |---|---|---| | [Knights of Cydonia](https://greatestsolos.com/song/muse-knights-of-cydonia/) — Muse, 2006 | #5 | #94 | | [Smells Like Teen Spirit](https://greatestsolos.com/song/nirvana-smells-like-teen-spirit/) — Nirvana, 1991 | #6 | #68 | | [The Bends](https://greatestsolos.com/song/radiohead-the-bends/) — Radiohead, 1995 | #7 | #120 | | [Hey Hey My My](https://greatestsolos.com/song/neil-young-hey-hey-my-my/) — Neil Young, 1979 | #12 | #242 | | [Communication Breakdown](https://greatestsolos.com/song/led-zeppelin-communication-breakdown/) — Led Zeppelin, 1969 | #15 | #168 | | [Stockholm Syndrome](https://greatestsolos.com/song/muse-stockholm-syndrome/) — Muse, 2003 | #19 | #199 | | [I Am The Resurrection](https://greatestsolos.com/song/stone-roses-i-am-the-resurrection/) — The Stone Roses, 1989 | #20 | #126 | | [Just](https://greatestsolos.com/song/radiohead-just/) — Radiohead, 1995 | #21 | #158 | | [Reptilia](https://greatestsolos.com/song/the-strokes-reptilia/) — The Strokes, 2003 | #23 | #203 | | [The Boys Are Back In Town](https://greatestsolos.com/song/thin-lizzy-the-boys-are-back-in-town/) — Thin Lizzy, 1976 | #24 | #205 | ## Consensus favorites they left out Top-30 consensus solos missing from NME (released by 2017). | Solo | Consensus | Lists | |---|---|---| | [Comfortably Numb](https://greatestsolos.com/song/pink-floyd-comfortably-numb/) — Pink Floyd, 1979 | #2 | 61 of 80 | | [Sultans of Swing](https://greatestsolos.com/song/dire-straits-sultans-of-swing/) — Dire Straits, 1978 | #9 | 48 of 80 | | [Crazy Train](https://greatestsolos.com/song/ozzy-osbourne-crazy-train/) — Ozzy Osbourne, 1980 | #13 | 32 of 80 | | [Layla](https://greatestsolos.com/song/derek-and-the-dominos-layla/) — Derek and the Dominos, 1970 | #17 | 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 | | [For the Love of God](https://greatestsolos.com/song/steve-vai-for-the-love-of-god/) — Steve Vai, 1990 | #24 | 22 of 80 | ## Quick answers ### What is NME's #1 guitar solo? Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns N' Roses (solo by Slash) is #1 on NME's list from 2017. ### How does NME's list compare with the consensus? 24 of the solos it ranks appear in the Consensus 100, which combines 80 published lists. 3 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/) · [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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