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.

[Albion Wilde]

Didn’t Lennon play bass?

[Windflier]

JMH, then EVH and SRV.

[ZirconEncrustedTweezers]

“Eruption” is good, but I wouldn’t put it at number one, even though I’m a huge EVH fan and took up guitar because of him.

My personal favorite solo is the one in Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”, which made #9 on this list. And I’d put the first solo in Pink Floyd’s “Dogs” as number two. Well, at least today I would. :)

[dfwgator]

George was the guitar player in the Beatles.

Allegedly Paul was an even better guitarist than George (that's Paul on the 'Taxman' solo), also when Paul, George and John take turns soloing on "The End", I thought Paul's piece was the best, he also drummed on a few of the Beatles' songs.

[Windflier]

...and what about Robin Trower?

Thank You!

He's perhaps the most underrated guitarist of all time. It's a sin that he still hasn't been inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of fame.

He's still working too.

[ZirconEncrustedTweezers]

Thank you for asking that. Now I don’t have to.

For the record, my favorite FZ solo is “Montana.” But you probably could have guessed that. ;)

[dfwgator]

It would be hard to dispute that Eruption is probably the most INFLUENTIAL solo, however.

I agree with you 100% there.

[Windflier]

Zappa was a righty, politically, wasn’t he?

Nope. Die hard leftist to the end.

[dfwgator]

Heh heh, figured you’d chime in.

I like “Watermelon in Easter Hay”. I preferred Frank when he just “Shutted Up and Played his guitar.”

[Windflier]

Thanks for the reference on Zappa’s politics. I withdraw my prior statement.

[newfreep]

Ditto “Telegraph Road”...and the album was Dire Straits’ best work.

[Windflier]

Didn’t Lennon play bass?

Yikes!

I must be getting old. Time was, ten out of ten Americans could have told you that Lennon played guitar in the band.

[dfwgator]

Ditto “Telegraph Road”...and the album was Dire Straits’ best work.

If I had to rate the best albums of the 80s, Love Over Gold would be #1. Every song on that album is classic.

[angcat]

I'll take Rudy Schenker and Glenn Tipton for my guitar men!

[Windflier]

Almost 100 posts and there’s only been one off hand mention of Jimi Hendrix, widely acknowledged among guitar players as the greatest of all time.

[who knows what evil?]

He's perhaps the most underrated guitarist of all time. It's a sin that he still hasn't been inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of fame.

Bump that!

[dfwgator]

Frank was like George Carlin in many ways, he could skewer both Left and Right, but he saved most of his venom for religion.....My problem is that he lumped in all religious figures with the Pat Robertsons and Falwells. And he really....really hated Reagan, I never heard him say a bad thing about a specific Democrat.

And while he was for low taxes, maybe, he made it very clear that he felt that all churches should be taxed. I could not go there, because the power to tax is the power to destroy.

[dfwgator]

WIthout Jimi, there wouldn’t be most of the other guys on the list.

[Windflier]

WIthout Jimi, there wouldn’t be most of the other guys on the list.

True dat. He totally redefined electric guitar for his, and future generations of players.

[WayneS]

Agreed. He was/is VERY well know amongst his peers.