After talking with Mick Mars on Talkin’ Rock With Meltdown this week, I asked about perfect guitar solos on my socials. My two example picks were Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” and Motley Crue’s “Home Sweet Home”. In my mind, perfect solos. They fit, they’re not overdone, and they enhance the song. Sometimes just adding notes for the sake of notes ruins the song.

I could go on and on about some of my favorite players. Like I told Mick in our interview, I can’t play a lick but I know what I like. I’ve had the good fortune to see some great guitarists live. From Eddie Van Halen to James and Kirk from Metallica to lesser-known players like Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal and “Buckethead”. I’m amazed by guys who can wield the axe like Ted Nugent, or Mark Tremonti, or John 5. I always wanted to learn to play, but I thought to myself that if I couldn’t play like them, I didn’t want to. That being said, I can’t stick-handle like Pavel Datsyuk after all these years, but I still play hockey!

Some songs, which I’ll post about, are so ingrained in the history of music. Before I go any further, I’m not going to post every guitar player to every play. I don’t need you guys to mention why I didn’t mention this guy or that guy. I’m only one person and my typing fingers aren’t that fast to post about 72 guitar players. This is just a short list of classic songs with killer solos.

Sit back and enjoy the guitar wizardry from some of the best to ever pick up the instrument.

• Motley Cure - home sweet home.

  Mick told me about this solo recently. “That just came up. I really didn’t have anything planned. I just like, winged it, actually, and just, like played it.” So good!

• Pink floyd - comfortably numb

  I can’t believe I didn’t use this as an example. Such a great, heartfelt solo. David Gilmour didn’t go crazy with all sorts of notes. Just played it with feel.

• aerosmith - sweet emotion

  I recently ran into former WRIF DJ, Steve Kostan. He picked this one right away. He said it was “Sonic mayhem, right on the ragged edge.” Sums it up to me.

• guns N' roses - estranged

  Chuck the Freak picked this one. Yes, this is Slash at his best! A lot of people picked “November Rain”. Another gem off of the Use Your Illusion albums.

• the eagles - hotel california

  I’ll admit, I’m not a huge Eagles fan, but I love this song. Every time I hear hear it I have to listen to the whole thing. On the last tour, they started the show with this one. Joe Walsh told me it’s the hardest song to play so he’s happy to get it out of the way early.

• ozzy osbourne - mr. crowley

  A lot of people picked this song, and others from the Randy Rhoads era. This song has two killer solos on it. I’ll be honest, those first two solo Ozzy albums are masterpieces.

• Prince, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne and steve winwood - while my guitar gently weeps

  This is SOOOOO good. If you’ve never seen this, take a few minutes to check it out. Sad that some of these guys aren’t around anymore, but they left us some great music.

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