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’

[r9etb]

Any "best guitar" list without names like Django Rheinhardt is displaying the ignorance of its compilers....

[gate2wire]

"I could name 10 Zappa solos off the top of my head that would put anything on that list to shame."

Look here brother...who you jive'n with that cosmic debris?

[flada]

Cool, La Villa Strangiato made that list--way down at 79--but at least Alex is on the list somewhere. Should be on lists of great guitar work much more, imho.

[uncitizen]

How could it be that Freebird didn't make it into the top 10?

[MotleyGirl70]

58. Surfing With The Alien - Joe Satriani

Under-rated.

[Mad Dawgg]

Working Man at #99 and Southern Man rated higher at #55???

I call Bullsh!t right there!

[Cagey]

See post #35.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Wow, that's pretty much a "none of the above" list for me, save for perhaps Brian May and Queen at #10. Without thinking about it too hard, and limiting the list to one entry per guitarist...

1) Steve Vai: "For the Love of God"
2) Joe Satriani: "Flying in a Blue Dream"
3) Yngwie Malmsteen: "Black Star"
4) Eric Johnson: "Cliffs of Dover"
5) John Petrucci (Dream Theater): "Under a Glass Moon"
5) Steve Howe (Yes): "The Gates of Delirium"
6) Steve Morse: "Quantum Soup"
7) Alex Lifeson (Rush): "La Villa Strangiato"
8) Roine Stolt (Transatlantic): "All of the Above"
9) Vinnie Moore: "Fear and Trepidation"
10) Ed Wynne (Ozric Tentacles): "Pixel Dream"

[Responsibility2nd]

How could it be that Freebird didn't make it into the top 10?

But it DID make it into the top 10. Top ten replies that is. See #4.

I'm sure others may agree/disagree, but that freakin' song is so damn long, it drives me nuts.

[MotleyGirl70]

Ping :)

[infidel29]

Yngwie Malmsteen; Trilogy Suite Op.5

Sorry I can't a good version of it, only MIDI

Imagine guitar in place of the keyboard sounds.

[Cagey]

Here's a decent sample.


http://www.denizdemiroz.com/mp3/09_EXERCISE%20Trilogy%20suite%20op5_Malmsteen.mp3

I like to use AltaVista search for music.

[RogueIsland]

Joe Satriani: "Flying in a Blue Dream"

The problem with Satriani is that 95% of his work is "the world's greatest guitar solo". The man's guitar skills ain't natural, I tells ya. Must be the devil's work.

[Mr. Jeeves]

The problem with Satriani is that 95% of his work is "the world's greatest guitar solo"

It was hard not to make a "top ten" out of five Satriani songs and five Vai songs, let me tell ya! ;)

[infidel29]

Thanks, I used to use AltaVista to download Mp3 files, but got away from it. I usually use AlltheWeb for audio and video searches.

Even that clip doesn't go far enough into the solo to get a true feel for it.

If I could find a good site for sound hosting I'd rip MP3s from what I have... uh... without any copyright infringement of course.

[infidel29]

BTW, I once saw Yngwie play "Eruption" live with a pick in his mouth. Not too shabby.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Don't get me wrong, I think Stairway is real good. I just think "Money for Nothing" needs to be represented.

[flada]

When I was in a band while in the Navy, I penned a parody to Working Man.

It went something like this:

I get up at five o'clock
and I go to work at six.
I've got no time for living 'cause I'm trapped aboard a ship.

It seems to me I'll live my life
a lot better when I'm off this can

I guess that's why they call me,
they call me the Sailin' Man

Yeah, they call me the Sailin' Man,
I guess that's what I am.

long guitar solo which sucked compared to Alex Lifeson's

Well, I get off at twenty hundred,
then I go and take myself an ice cold shower.

I always seem to be wondering
what they do with all that nuclear power.

I don't remember the rest.

[Welsh Rabbit]

Link Wray's Rumble launched a lot of guitarists.

That song also has the dubious honor of being the only instrumental banned in some radio markets (sponsors said it implied violence). I always loved his version The Shadow theme.

[freedumb2003]

We are in agreement.

That was why I posted as I did -- I couldn't believe they left Knopfler out completely -- PARTICULARLY MFN!