Eddie Van Halen's "Eruption" Tops Readers' List of the 50 Greatest Guitar Solos (edited title)

Guitar World ^ | September 19, 2013

[ConservativeStatement]

Who says lightning doesn't strike twice?

For the second year in a row, Eddie Van Halen has topped a major summer-long poll at GuitarWorld.com.

In 2012, readers crowned him the Greatest Guitarist of All Time. This year, one of his many six-string masterpieces, "Eruption," a wildly innovative instrumental track from Van Halen's self-titled 1978 album, was voted the Greatest Guitar Solo of All Time.

[crusty old prospector]

EVH and SRV.

[muir_redwoods]

This is a never-to-be-resolved question but my vote is Clapton’s second lead on Crossroads from the “Wheels of Fire” LP. I’ve heard it thousands of times and it still stops me in my tracks.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

“Wheels of Fire”...one of my favorites when I was 17. The explosion of musical innovation in the 60s was incredible, a never-to-happen again event. I pity kids today with the crap they listen to.

[Albion Wilde]

Horrible — and part of it cribbed from J.S. Bach. The best guitar solos ever — and there were many — were all on Led Zeppelin albums.

[Freeport]

Layla still sends chills down my spine, but Eruption, yeah, Eruption, it must be followed by ‘you really got me’ to have the same impact and push it over the top.

[Fiji Hill]

One of my favorites is Space Guitar by Young John Watson, from 1954.

[Hoodat]

This list is crap. How can they not include Steve Hunter's Intro or Steve Howe's Seen All Good People?

Steve Hunter

Steve Hunter with Lou Reed

Steve Howe

Steve Howe w/Yes

[Tailback]

I pity kids today with the crap they listen to.

Actually there is some really good music being created out there, it's just not being released by record labels and/or playing on the radio. We have a young temp on our crew that's a musician. He plays stuff for us on his smartphone from youtube or music sharing sites that's very good. Artists are going around the record companies.

[Gettin Betta]

Pat Travers

[ConservativeStatement]

Did you like Steve Howe with Asia?

[Hammerhead]

Reverend Horton Heat (aka Jim Heath)
Phil Keaggy

I’d put these two up against anyone anytime.

[the OlLine Rebel]

I see the 64 did not even include “Money For Nothing”. Which is probably the greatest intro ever, if not best guitar.

[WayneS]

I like David Gilmour’s work on Comfortably Numb a lot better than I like Eruption.

I also like Ted Nugent on Stranglehold a lot better than Eruption, and it lost out pretty early on.

And, as far as I am concerned, ANYTHING by Stevie Ray Vaughn is better than anything by Eddie Van Halen

[Maverick68]

Michael Schenker

[needmorePaine]

Horrible — and part of it cribbed from J.S. Bach. The best guitar solos ever — and there were many — were all on Led Zeppelin albums.
Led Zeppelin, who never cribbed from anybody. /

[martiangohome]

Wildly innovative? Yikes.

[WayneS]

Good catch.

Mark Knopfler is a fantastic guitarist.

[WayneS]

;-)

[needmorePaine]

I see the 64 did not even include “Money For Nothing”. Which is probably the greatest intro ever, if not best guitar.

If you're talking Dire Straits, you have to go with the solo from Sultans of Swing.