This 1975 Hit Voted 'Greatest Guitar Solo of All Time'
- - This 1975 Hit Voted 'Greatest Guitar Solo of All Time'
Jacqueline Burt CoteJanuary 11, 2026 at 4:00 AM
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Photo by Andrew Putler on Getty Images
If there's one topic classic rock fans love to debate, it would probably be which guitarist is the "best" ever, and which licks and riffs are the most impressive.
So it's no surprise that when Guitar World asked readers to vote on the "Greatest Guitar Solo of All Time" in 2022, people had some very passionate opinions.
Pretty much every iconic guitarist in rock history was represented on the list of 50 solos, with the top 10 representing some of the most talented guitarists in the business. At #10, the late Randy Rhoads' unforgettable work on the Ozzy Osbourne classic "Crazy Train" was praised for "actually [sounding] like a train squealing off the tracks thanks to the use of a chromatically ascending trill that then descends in key."
Next up, the incomparable Eddie Van Halen's solo on the Michael Jackson hit "Beat It" was ranked #9, while Allen Collins' extra-long solo on Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Freebird" took the #8 slot.
Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits nabbed the #7 position for his solo on the 1985 hit "Sultans of Swing," while another '80s chart-topper, "Sweet Child O' Mine," earned Slash of Guns N' Roses the #6 position.
Don Felder of the Eagles kicked off the top five with his solo on "Hotel California," as one of the all-time greats took #4: Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" solo. Pink Floyd's David Gilmour was ranked #3 for "Comfortably Numb" (which actually has two solos), and Van Halen made another appearance at #2 for "Eruption" (a must-learn solo for any aspiring gifted guitarist).
So which famed axe man took first place? Brian May was awarded the top spot for Queen's one-of-a-kind 1975 masterpiece, "Bohemian Rhapsody."
As the Guitar World article pointed out, "Brian May’s solo is the perfect melodic break. His phrasing is loose and natural, moving across the backbeat rather than sticking to a rigidly-timed grid."
"The fastest licks are expressive bursts, rather than repetitive noodling," the piece continued. "And Brian’s articulate pre-bend and vibrato technique demonstrates his beautiful touch. Somehow, within the confines of the complex structure of 'Bohemian Rhapsody,' this solo just works."
Decades after "Bohemian Rhapsody" first hit the airwaves, a huge number of fans clearly agree.
Related: Iconic '70s Singer Voted 'Most Unique Voice' in Rock History
This story was originally published by Parade on Jan 11, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
