Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway To Heaven' Voted Best Guitar Solo Ever

GigWise ^ | 3-26-2006

[Cagey]

Led Zeppelin’s classic ‘Stairway to Heaven’ has been voted the best guitar solo of all time.

The rock behemoth fought off competition from Van Hallen’s ‘Eruption’ and Guns n Roses’ ‘Paradise City’ which were number two and three respectively.

The list was based on 2,000 votes in a poll conducted by Total Guitar magazine.

Magazine editor Stephen Lawson said: "Everyone loves to play air guitar when they hear the moment in a song where the guitarist rocks out."

The full Top 10 is as follows:

1. Led Zeppelin – ‘Stairway to Heaven’
2. Van Halen – ‘Eruption’
3. Guns N' Roses – ‘Paradise City’
4. The Eagles – ‘Hotel California‘
5. Metallica – ‘Enter Sandman’
6. Cream – ‘Crossroads’
7. Jimi Hendrix – ‘Voodoo Child’
8. Ozzy Osbourne – ‘Crazy Train’
9. Free – ‘All Right Now’
10. Queen – ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’

[Responsibility2nd]

Not to change the subject here...

But Eric Clpton's piano solo in "Layla" would make my #1 list of piano solo's.

But back to the topic..... Clapton also deserves credit somewhere in this list, dontcha think?

[1066AD]

Crossroads.

[freedumb2003]

See my 16.

And this is as close as I can get to "No Stairway":

[Sterm26]

David Glmour's solo at the end of "Comfortably Numb" is my favorite. Gilmour is very underrated, in my opinion.

[freedomlover]

First thing I thought. That was brilliant (I used to work in a music store).

[Cagey]

Clapton also deserves credit somewhere in this list, dontcha think?

Well, they do have "Cream" listed.

[Dinsdale]

There's a guitar solo in Stairway to Heaven?

The Eagles? Joe Walsh has ALL the talent in that band.

[The SISU kid]

ping....

[discostu]

Definitely, could even come up with 10 better Zappa solos after handicapping myself by not including any version of "Deathless Horsie" "Black Napkins" or "Torture Never Stops" (IMHO some of his best songs for showing off).

[MotleyGirl70]

David Glmour's solo at the end of "Comfortably Numb" is my favorite.

"Comforably Numb"/David Gilmour could replace Hendrix on that list anyday, IMO.

[RockinRight]

Where is Ted Nugent!??

Stranglehold!

[colorcountry]

Personally I like "Classical Gas." I love Stairway, but not for it's guitar solo.

[discostu]

Any of "The Wall", that album is one of the finest collections of guitar solos ever assembled.

[Responsibility2nd]

Thanks for point this out. I miseed it, thinking of Derek and the Dominoes.

[Cagey]

This "Greatest Guitar Solo's" list from another site and it does have FreeBird highly ranked. #4

  1. Comfortably Numb - David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)
  2. Stairway To Heaven - Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)
  3. All Along The Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix
  4. Freebird - Allen Collins (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
  5. Maggot Brain - Edie Hazel (Funkadelic)
  6. Texas Flood - Stevie Ray Vaughan
  7. Eruption - Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen)
  8. Highway Star - Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple)
  9. Cause We've Ended As Lovers - Jeff Beck
10. Hotel California - Don Felder/Joe Walsh (Eagles)
11. Mr Crowley - Randy Rhoads (Ozzy)
12. Little Wing - Jimi Hendrix
13. Time - David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)
14. Layla - Eric Clapton/Duane Allman (Derek & The Dominos)
15. Sweet Child O' Mine - Slash (Guns N Roses)
16. Cliffs Of Dover - Eric Johnson
17. Nottingham Lace - Buckethead
18. For The Love Of God - Steve Vai
19. Voodoo Child (slight return) - Jimi Hendrix
20. November Rain - Slash (Guns N Roses)
21. Shine On You Crazy Diamond - David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)
22. Blue Sky - Duane Allman/Dickey Betts (Allman Brothers Band)
23. Satch Boogie - Joe Satriani
24. Cortez The Killer - Neil Young
25. Lazy - Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple)
26. Crazy Train - Randy Rhoads (Ozzy)
27. White Room - Eric Clapton (Cream)
28. Sultans Of Swing - Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits)
29. One - Kirk Hammett (Metallica)
30. No More Tears - Zakk Wylde (Ozzy)
31. Since I've Been Loving You - Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)
32. Floods - Dimebag Darrel (Pantera)
33. Black Star - Yngwie Malmsteen
34. Atom Heart Mother - David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)
35. Red House - Jimi Hendrix
36. Big Sur Moon - Buckethead
37. The Rocker - Eric Bell (Thin Lizzy)
38. Those Were The Days - Eric Clapton (Cream)
39. Bohemian Rhapsody - Brian May (Queen)
40. While My Guitar Gently Weeps - Eric Clapton (The Beatles)
41. Fade To Black - Kirk Hammett (Metallica)
42. Dream - John McLaughlin (Mahavishnu Orchestra)
43. Sound Chaser - Steve Howe (Yes)
44. Alive - Mike McCready (Pearl Jam)
45. Mood For A Day - Steve Howe (Yes)
46. Aqualung - Martin Barre (Jethro Tull)
47. Stone In Love - Neal Schon (Journey)
48. Child In Time - Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple)
49. Like A Hurricane - Neil Young
50. Dreams - Duane Allman (Allman Brothers Band)
51. Southern Man - Neil Young
52. Over The Mountain - Randy Rhoads (Ozzy)
53. Money - David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)
54. Killer Queen - Brian May (Queen)
55. Two Minutes To Midnight - D. Murray/A. Smith (Iron Maiden)
56. Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad - D. Allman/E. Clapton (Derek & The Dominos)
57. Kid Charlemagne - Larry Carlton (Steely Dan)
58. Surfing With The Alien - Joe Satriani
59. Little Wing - Stevie Ray Vaughan
60. Too Many Humans - Buckethead
61. Heartbreaker - Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)
62. Under A Glass Moon - John Petrucci (Dream Theater)
63. Desert Rose - Eric Johnson
64. Dazed And Confused - Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)
65. Tender Surrender - Steve Vai
66. Still In Love With You - Gary Moore (Thin Lizzy)
67. Bold As Love - Jimi Hendrix
68. Don't Keep Me Wondering - Duane Allman (Allman Brothers Band)
69. Ramblin' Man - Dicky Betts (Allman Brothers Band)
70. Always With Me Always With You - Joe Satriani
71. Tale Of Brave Ulysses - Eric Clapton (Cream)
72. You Really Got Me - Dave Davies (The Kinks)
73. Stranger In A Strange Land - Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden)
74. 25 Or 6 To 4 - Terry Kath (Chicago)
75. Devil Takes The Hindmost - Allan Holdsworth
76. Have A Cigar - David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)
77. Super Stupid - Edie Hazel (Funkadelic)
78. Trademark - Eric Johnson
79. La Villa Strangiato - Alex Lifeson (Rush)
80. Bulls On Parade - Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine)
81. Stranglehold - Ted Nugent
82. Beyond The Realms Of Death - Glenn Tipton (Judas Priest)
83. Unrestrained Growth - Buckethead
84. Far Beyond The Sun - Yngwie Malmsteen
85. Miserlou - Dick Dale
86. Brighton Rock - Brian May (Queen)
87. Dogs - David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)
88. The Thrill Is Gone - B.B. King
89. Master Of Puppets - Kirk Hammett (Metallica)
90. Beat It - Eddie Van Halen (Michael Jackson)
91. Sow Thistle - Buckethead
92. Whipping Post - Duane Allman/Dicky Betts (Allman Brothers Band)
93. The Way It Has To Be - Shawn Lane
94. 21st Century Schizoid Man - Robert Fripp (King Crimson)
95. War Pigs - Toni Iommi (Black Sabbath)
96. Dreams - Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen)
97. Padmasana - Buckethead
98. Whole Lotta Love - Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)
99. Working Man - Alex Lifeson (Rush)
100. Love Is The Law - John Squire (Seahorses)

[MotleyGirl70]

[theDentist]

How in the word did I forget "Comfortably Numb"?

[Cagey]

LOL! If anyone could find it.

[butternut_squash_bisque]

Where's "Dueling Banjos"? LOL.

[Mad Dawgg]

"The Eagles? Joe Walsh has ALL the talent in that band."

J.D. Souther (who co wrote many of the Eagles hits and did lots of the guitar work in the studio) and Walsh can pick rings around most guitarists and Timothy B Schmidt is an amazing bass player.