We could never really just pick one, but PG editors, along with Guest Picker Robert Randolph, ponder some of the most pivotal guitar solos ever performed.
PG Editors’ Top Solos of All Time
We could never really just pick one, but PG editors, along with Guest Picker
Robert Randolph, ponder some of the most pivotal guitar solos ever performed.
Rebecca Dirks -- Web Content Editor
What am I listening to?
Band of Horses, Cease
to Begin. I’ve only just
started listening to the
band via their second album, but bouncy,
twang-infused tracks like “The General
Specific” and “Ode to LRC” have me hooked.
What’s my favorite guitar solo and why?
Chuck Berry’s blazing solo in “Johnny B.
Goode” is a classic, but I have to admit it’s
one of my favorites due in part to Marty
McFly’s “rendition” in Back to the Future.
Andy Ellis -- Senior Editor
Matt Resnicoff,
The History of Now.
Resnicoff slices and
recombines guitar riffs, vocals, and ensemble
grooves to create kaleidoscopic compositions
that defy description.
What’s my favorite guitar solo and why?
Leslie West’s two solos in Mountain’s
“Theme for an Imaginary Western,” from
Climbing! Searing P-90 tone, incredible
sustain, stuttering attack, soaring bends,
and quick, quivering vibrato—a wailing,
melodic masterpiece.
Shawn Hammond -- Editor in Chief
What am I listening to?
The Glorious, Stories
from a Fractured Youth.
Christopher Wicks and
Michael Rossi channel the greatest bits of
early Brit rock—including Village Green
Preservation Society-era Kinks and Ziggy
Stardust Bowie vibes—and nail a bittersweet
version of “Help” that feels truer to the lyrics
than the Fab Four’s original.
What’s my favorite guitar solo and why?
EVH’s “Eruption” convinced me guitar was
in my future. More recently, Setzer’s “Hell
Bent” scalds my eardrums incomparably.
Tessa Jeffers -- Managing Editor
What am I listening to?
The ever-eclectic Wild
Beasts, Smother. Singer
Hayden Thorpe sounds
like an intoxicated opera singer from
outer space.
What’s my favorite guitar solo and
why?
Mike McCready’s solo in “Yellow
Ledbetter” has that one-in-a-million spark
where it truly elevates the song and captures
an essence—not to mention it’s hauntingly
slow and complex. The first time I heard it,
it hit me square in the gut and stayed there.
Chris Kies -- Associate Editor
What am I listening to?
The Black Keys’ El
Camino reinforces the
notion that bass players
are way overrated, thanks to the melodic,
raunchy power and gritty doo-wop grooves
the duo provides on 11 delicious, Danger
Mouse-approved cuts.
What’s my favorite guitar solo and why?
The Misfits’ “Some Kinda Hate,” because
it’s the first solo I ever mastered, and also
Pantera’s “Floods” is one of the most soulful,
evocative pieces of music recorded by
my favorite guitarist.
Rich Osweiler -- Associate Editor
What am I listening to?
The Dave Brubeck
Quartet, Their Last
Time Out. My folks
introduced me to jazz through Brubeck,
and I’m a sucker for “previously unreleased”
material. This live recording from 1967 is
particularly cool, because it captures the
last time Brubeck, Desmond, Morello, and
Wright played together live.
What’s my favorite guitar solo and why?
Ritchie Blackmore’s solo from “Highway
Star.” Why? It was the first thing
to come to mind, so I guess that
makes it a favorite!
Robert Randolph -- Guest Picker
What am I listening to?
The Red Hot Chili
Peppers’ I’m with You,
and secret, unreleased
demos of Jimi Hendrix.
What’s my favorite guitar solo and why?
The best solo of all time is Eddie Van
Halen’s in Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”—
it revolutionized pop and rock! And he
totally nailed it. I’m still blown away
every time I hear it.
Charles Saufley -- Gear Editor
What am I listening to?
Sic Alps new 7" single,
“Vedley,” is a basementgrim,
slasher-flick edit
nightmare—like a cross between the Beatles’
“Revolution No. 9” and “You Know My
Name (Look up the Number),” only performed
by Jandek and White Light/White
Heat-era Velvets.
What’s my favorite guitar solo and why?
Neil Young’s “Like a Hurricane” changed
my life. I don’t think I experienced lead guitar
as absolute freedom and pure, unfettered
emotional expression until I heard it.
Jason Shadrick -- Associate Editor
What am I listening to?
Howlin’ Wolf, The
Rockin’ Chair Album.
The combination of
Wolf and the late Hubert Sumlin creates a
primal sound that establishes the true spirit
of Chicago blues.
What’s my favorite guitar solo and why?
The intro solo on Eric Clapton’s
“Someday After a While” on From
the Cradle. The first screaming bend
made me want to play blues guitar. Not
only is this Clapton’s best work since
Cream, it’s a modern blues masterpiece.