It’s time to rock out with your Shokz out! In honour of April being International Guitar Month, we rounded up a Spotify Playlist of songs with the most iconic guitar solos of all time to pump you up and give you some motivation for your next long workout or run. Take a listen and learn more about some of our favorites, in no particular order, below!
Cliffs Of Dover - Eric Johnson
A purely instrumental song that consists of 4 minutes and 10 seconds of intense guitar, Cliffs of Dover (1990) by Eric Johnson won the artist a Grammy the following year for Best Rock Instrumental Performance and is featured at the end of the video game Guitar Hero 3. Try it on hard mode. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
You can’t have a definitive guitar solo list without including Purple Rain (1984) by Prince! This iconic song, giving us one of the best Super Bowl Halftime Shows the world has ever seen, ends with a little over a three-minute guitar solo (starting at 4:48) that’s sure to put just a little more pep in your step.
We know you know this one. Free Bird (1974) by Southern-rock band Lynrd Skynrd is their signature song and how they close out all their live performances, leading to the tradition of yelling “Free Bird!” at live shows to encourage the artist, whoever they are, to play the song. The Free Bird guitar solo (starting at 4:55) brings us over four minutes of truly impressive guitar.
Beat It (1983) by the King of Pop Michael Jackson is one of the most recognizable pop/dance-rock tracks ever. Winning Grammys for both Record of the Year and Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, Beat It features a guitar solo (starting at 3:11) by the late great rock legend Eddie Van Halen.
Gravity (2005) by crooner John Mayer is a little different from the other songs on this list in that it’s a little more of a low-key, blues-inspired track. Mayer’s guitar playing is highlighted at 2:07 in a sliding, melodic solo that has Guitar World saying Gravity “has exactly as much guitar as it needs.”
Crazy On You (1976) by rock sister duo Heart is known as one of the band’s signature songs. It opens with Nancy Wilson playing a fast-paced gripping acoustic intro that then leads into a heavier electric guitar part. Nancy’s solo is made even more impressive knowing that she was breaking barriers as a female on lead acoustic guitar, considered a “rarity in rock music during the time”.
Enjoy this roundup of songs with iconic guitar solos? Check out Weird Spotify Playlists You Need To Listen To Right Now!