Mount Rushmore: Guitar solos
 

Some of the recent posts in the Richard Wright thread got me thinking on this topic. Here are the four of mine, in no particular order:

Slash - November Rain
Any of the solos could be on this list, but the final one to me cements the spot on the mountain

Eric Clapton - While My Guitar Gently Weeps
A non-Beatle provides the wizardry in this song. An asterisk can also go to the Prince version from the George Harrison memorial concert.

Jimi Hendrix - All Along The Watchtower
No way that Dylan could have imagined this solo when he originally wrote an performed the song.

Mark Knopfler -Sultans Of Swing
Very understated, but technically brilliant. He made it look so easy, but it was nothing of the sort.

Poison - Talk Dirty to Me - After Bret says "CC, pick up that guitar and talk to me!" It just really talks to me.

Comfortably Numb, David Gilmour
Beat It, Eddie Van Halen (you could argue Eruption here, but Beat It's solo is awesome to be so short)
Free Bird, Lynyrd Skynyrd
Crazy Train, Randy Rhoads

With all due respect to Led Zep (Stairway), the Eagles (Hotel California), Guns and Roses (Sweet Child), Eric Clapton (Layla) and anything by Joe Satriani.

I'm a big fan of Dimebag Darrell's solo on "Floods". I don't know much about technical guitar work, or degree of difficulty.. But the sound of it just sticks with me. I can hear it clearly in my head any time I think of Pantera.

The Solo Live

Studio Version

Eruption - Eddie Van Halen
One - Kirk Hammett
Pride & Joy - Stevie Ray Vaughn
Sweet Child o' Mine - Slash

Comfortably Numb - Gilmour
November Rain - Slash
Stairway - Page
Silent Lucidity - deGarmo, Queensryche

My top 4 favorite rock songs, a lot due to guitar solos and epicness.

Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Child
Kirt Hammett - Damage Inc.
Robby Krieger - Light My Fire (Mount Rushmore of organ solos as well :) )
David Gilmour - Comfortably Numb

More my personal faves than what I think are the technically greatest ever
Slash - Estranged
Steve Gaines - Free Bird Live...or "I know a Lil"
Randy Rhodes - Good Bye to Romance
Duane "Skydog" Allman - Hey Jude

I always found Riders on the Storm particularly fun to play along with. (Of course that was probably because it was significantly easier for me to play...)

No More Tears - Zakk Wylde
Comfortably Numb - David Gilmour
Heartbreaker - Jimmy Page
In My Dreams - George Lynch

honorable mention to Hotel California and every Van Halen and AC DC song ever recorded

Eruption - Eddie Van Halen
Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd (don't know their names)
Comfortably Numb - David Gilmour
Stairway to Heaven - Jimmy Page

I spent entirely too much time thinking about this.

Highway star - R Blackmore
Freebird - Skynyrd
C numb - D Gilmore
Hotel California - J Walsh

Comfortably Numb - David Gilmour
Time - David Gilmour
Fat Old Sun(Live Version) - David Gilmour

And for variety's sake.

Pigs on the Wing - Snowy White

Highway Star - Ritchie Blackmore
Won't Get Fooled Again - Pete Townsend
Cherub Rock - Billy Corgan
Working Man - Alex Lifeson

2. Comfortably Numb- Gilmour
3. La Villa Strangiato- Rush (lifeson)
4. Slither- Velvet Revolver (slash)