The
100 Greatest Guitar Solos Will
Create Loyal
Followers
Searching for the Best Guitar
Solo
Not an easy
project. Is there anything more
involved than looking for and
finding the 100 greatest guitar
solos of all time? Guitar music
has been the definitive rock and
roll instrument of choice for
more than 50 years, with
virtuosos of different eras,
different styles and different
countries all leaving their mark
on the musical
landscape.
Starting
a Top Guitar Solo
List
Where,
then, does one begin with a list?
Do you start with Chuck Berry's
"Johnny B. Goode"? Would you
consider Marty McFly's loving
rendition of the same in "Back to
the Future" a worthy entering on
the list of 100 greatest guitar
solos? Or would you prefer to
head straight to the most
recognized virtuosos, the likes
of Steve Vai and Joe
Satriani?
"Everyone
is Beautiful, In Their Own Way
.."
... as
sings Ray Stevens and the same is
true with guitar solos. So you
see, it's not the easiest list to
make. It's not even the easiest
list to think about, because
guitar solos have a way of
effecting different people in
disparate ways. I may love David
Gilmour's chops as shown on
"Money," but someone from a more
technical point of view would
never list that particular solo
in his or her top thousand, let
alone 100. It's a very personal
thing.
I spent
much of my time pondering the 100
greatest guitar solos when I was
in my "Pearl Jam" phase in the
mid 1990s. "Alive" comes readily
to mind. Since then the guitar
solo has not precisely gone away,
but it's played less of a central
role over the last fifteen years
of music.
Jack
White Comes to
Mind
Luckily
there are still great guitar
players like Jack White of The
White Stripes, whose 7 Nation
Army reminds us all of the raw
power and emotional impact of the
instrument. His driving,
thunderous solo is appreciated by
guitarists, critics, fans and
even anti-fans. Do you know
anyone - I mean anyone! - who
doesn't recognize Jack White's
greatness?
How to
Choose a Great Guitar
Solo
I suppose
this factor should come to mind
first when looking at the 100
greatest guitar solos. Even if
you're not a fan of the song...
is it undeniably great? I may
not be the biggest Van Halen fan
ever, but even I can recognize
that Eddie Van Halen's
"Explosion" belongs on the list.
As do
probably half a dozen other solos
he churned out over the years.
Let's face it, talent is talent
and the record industry seldom
puts people on their labels who
don't have any. Music is relevant
and in the ear of the
beholder.
Add Two
to the List of 100 Greatest
Guitar Solos
An opinion
still but worthy of mention. Of
course, I've waited until the end
to mention the two men who will
probably show up most often on
the list of the 100 greatest
guitar solos: Jimi Hendrix and
Jimmy Page.
Page, of
course, was the supercharged dark
lord of "Led Zeppelin," and he's
solos ranged from the moody and
and innovative "Dazed and
Confused" to the straightforward,
raw firepower of "Whole Lotta
Love."
Hendrix,
meanwhile, is probably still
considered the greatest guitarist
ever to wear the axe according to
some. And "Red House" is his
greatest solo - and in the eyes
of many musicians, the greatest
solo of all time.
Your Top
Guitar Solo List
Yes, your
opinion counts too. And, normally
a person's favorite song is
considered the best. Have some
fun with this. Gather some music
loving friends and make up your
own top list of the 100 greatest
guitar solos. It will differ from
most others but will let you know
what songs you want to
buy.
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More
Music Notes
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Looking
for the 100 Best
Guitarists
-
Would Eric Clapton be on
the list? How about B.B.
King? We are looking for
the top 100 best
guitarists of all time.
Where does your favorite
guitar player
rank?
|
Antique
Violin Enthusiasts
Collect History and
Value
-
Those who collect
antique violins are many
times interested in the
history the instrument
brings with it but some
are looking for a return
on investment in the
musical
realm.
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