Coolest Ever Top 40 Guitar Solo

[MrBump]

So I was thinking about Michael Jackson's Beat It earlier, and had kinda decided it must be the best example of cool guitar playing in a Top 40/pop context.

But then I started thinking of other cool guitar parts in mainstream hit records.

Whitesnake stuff is an obvious example of cool guitar in the charts.  The solo from Is This Love is pretty damn awesome radio fodder. 

And there are some great examples of Chart music with cool guitar from the 1980's - some cracking guitar parts of a couple of Nik Kershaw hits (cool harmony parts on The Riddle, and an awesome jazzy solo on Wouldn't It Be Good.  And Duran Duran always had some nice guitar parts.  Even Wet Wet Wet had some good pop-tastic solo guitar!

So - good examples of cool, mainstream, Top 40 guitar solos!

[dave_mc]

hard to beat beat it

slash's solos on give in to me (also MJ) are pretty good.

[keith]

I thought the solo on Chesney Hawkes, The One and Only was quite tasteful.

[Andrew W]

David Bowie's "Let's Dance" made it to No.1 on both sides of the Atlantic and SRV's lovely guitar solo has given radio DJs worldwide something to talk over ever since.

Another on that qualifies is Fleetwood Mac's "Need Your Love So Bad" which reached No. 31 in the UK Singles Chart in August 1968. Greenie's playing on that is just sublime.

Hendrix had a few hit singles and some reckon he could play a bit too...

[Philly Q]

Well.... it didn't actually make the UK Top 40 and in a sense it's not that mainstream (they're a rock band, albeit a very commercial one!), but....

Kiss - I Was Made for Lovin' You

I love the song, I actually bought the 7" single at the time, and even though it's only a few seconds long Ace's guitar solo gives me chills every time I hear it, even now.  The note choice is perfect and the tone is awesome.

(That's assuming it is Ace playing it!  You can never be sure with Kiss.)


Great thread idea, by the way.  I just wish I could think of more good replies.  :D

[Philly Q]

Kind of stating the obvious, but Dire Straits' Sultans of Swing and Brothers in Arms.

I never really became a big fan of the band, but the former was the first ever record which made me think "What's making that sound?  Oh, it's an electric guitar!"  :o

And the latter just has an amazing guitar sound throughout.

[TheyCallMeVolume]

Even though it's the "safe" choice, Beat It simply wins.

[FELINEGUITARS]

Hmmm - think Queen are going to have to be right at the top of that pile

Here are 12+ classics just from memory that charted (many great tracks that weren't on singles too):

Killer Queen
Bohemian Rhapsody
Somebody to love
Crazy Little thing
Radio Gaga (played on guitar synth)
Hammer to fall
These are the days of our lives
It's a hard life
seven seas of Rye
I want it all
We will rock you
we are the champions
save me
play the game

[Jamie]

Well.... it didn't actually make the UK Top 40 and in a sense it's not that mainstream (they're a rock band, albeit a very commercial one!), but....

Kiss - I Was Made for Lovin' You

I love the song, I actually bought the 7" single at the time, and even though it's only a few seconds long Ace's guitar solo gives me chills every time I hear it, even now.  The note choice is perfect and the tone is awesome.

I will be naughty and mention my love for a tasty bit of lead playing on a Kiss song. The solo in the intro to 'God gave rock and roll to you II'. The way the intro builds up to it and is then follwed by those anthemic vocals makes me smile everytime I hear it. That may only be due to the fact 'Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey' was one of my favourite films as a kid, so I guess it holds a lot of nostalgic value for me.

[MrBump]

Hmmm - think Queen are going to have to be right at the top of that pile

Here are 12+ classics just from memory that charted (many great tracks that weren't on singles too):

Killer Queen
Bohemian Rhapsody
Somebody to love
Crazy Little thing
Radio Gaga (played on guitar synth)
Hammer to fall
These are the days of our lives
It's a hard life
seven seas of Rye
I want it all
We will rock you
we are the champions
save me
play the game

Hmm - I'd kinda forgotten about Queen!!!  In terms of public, non guitarist recognition of mainstream guitar solos, Beat It and Bohemian Rhapsody are probably the two most recognisable...

[juansolo]

Probably doesn't count, but Sweet Child o Mine made it to number 6 and one that most people will pick out as a great solo even if they're not GnR fans.

[darkbluemurder]

OK, here are some right off the top of my head:

Eagles - Hotel California
Whitesnake - Here I Go Again 87 (as much as I love the crushing rhythm walls of John Sykes I thought Adrian Vandenberg said more with his few well placed lead notes).
Christopher Cross - Alright (was it Steve Lukather who played that solo?)

Cheers Stephan

[darkbluemurder]

Dang - forgot Starship's "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us" - who played that one?

[Philly Q]

Dang - forgot Starship's "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us" - who played that one?

That would be Craig Chaquico, unless there were session players involved (seeing as it was, I think, recorded for a film soundtrack)

Which reminds me of (Jefferson) Starship's earlier UK chart hit, "Jane" in 1979.  That's a great track.  :D

[dave_mc]

I thought the solo on Chesney Hawkes, The One and Only was quite tasteful.

good call :D

David Bowie's "Let's Dance" made it to No.1 on both sides of the Atlantic and SRV's lovely guitar solo has given radio DJs worldwide something to talk over ever since.

:lol:

I also think the original thought in the original post (i.e. "good solos on pop records") might be a better idea than just rock songs which happened to make it into the top 40. apart from anything else, there are so many of the rock ones that it might as well be a "best solo" thread, lol.