See article here.
As always: I find these lists to be pointless other than as fodder for discussion. That said, I find the first entries in this list to be reasonably unsurprising. That takes into account how Gibson would define “guitar solo” - you don’t see Joe Pass, Django Reinhardt or other jazz cats, or country players, or acoustic hot hands like Michael Hedges or Tommy Emanuel…
Here’s the top 15:
I’m no expert, but I’m a little surprised not to see “You Really Got Me” on there. Unless they were going for skillful and artistic rather than primal.
I see your point. I guess I would argue that YRGM is best known for Dave Davies’ distorted tone which is more prominent on the rhythm playing. Not that I care to defend the ranking in this poll, just thinking it through…
deleted – I missed one. 
#12 should be higher – but since my husband isn’t on the list at all, the whole thing is clearly bogus. 
Bless you for wanting Jeff Beck higher - your taste is impeccable.
And yeah, Derek Trucks’ solo work should be represented, but the iconic songs he plays on are ABB songs; his own work hasn’t crossed over big enough yet. But you knowI think he is the best slide player out there today…
Wasn’t the Stairway to Heaven solo actually played on a Fender Telecaster?
Predictable classic rock/hard rock list. Personally, I’d have Bob Mould’s solo at the end of Husker Du’s “Celebrated Summer”, Mick Jones’s “solo” at the end of The Clash’s “Complete Control”, and Peter Buck’s solo on “The Flowers of Guatemala” on my list. Also some Bob Stinson and maybe Robyn Hitchcock.
Yes. The same one used to record most of LZ 1 and 2.
“Free Bird”? You’ve got to be kidding me.
Where is “25 or 6 to 4”?
I know that list is put together mainly to offer positive reinforcement to White Guys With Too Much Money Who Like Playing Guitar In Their Homes While Drinking Beer & Smoking Pot™, but since it fails to mention Maggot Brain by Funkadelic or Frank Zappa at all, I’m just going to ignore it as if it were a fetid pile of putrid puerile feces and go back to listening to Shut Up & Play Yer Guitar Some More at 11.
Hey look at that. The Beatles were only #8, and they had to bring in CLAPTON to do it. Best band ever, my ass.
Good guitar solos a good band do not make.
Anyhow, a very middle-of-the-road list. I really can’t complain about it too much, although I’m not the biggest fan of the Stairway, Freebird, and even While My Guitar Gently Weeps solos. (I love the Beatles, but I’ve never warmed up to that song.)
I agree, this list is just designed to pat readers on the head and reassure them that their taste in music and gear selection is approved by the experts.
Two things interested me:
They chose two Neil Young solos, but not my favourite, Cinnamon girl (which uses only one note). In Neil Young’s case it doesn’t say who played the solos either.
Also, they chose Tom Verlaine’s solo in Marquee moon over Richard Lloyd’s. I wonder if that was deliberate.
I would add to the list the solo in “Crossroads” by Eric Clapton (Cream), and the solo in “Killing Floor” by Michael Bloomfield (Paul Butterfield Blues Band).
Damn, I didn’t even click on the link until I saw this post. Kirk Hammett actually got in the top 25? I mean, I don’t hate the guy or anything but, surely, he’s not Top 25 material. 
Wes Montgomery is on the list, if at a ludicrously low level.
This. Terry Kath was a monster. He could play the hell out of a guitar, and he had a great singing voice as well. Kath was such a bad-ass, the testosterone overflow made Peter Cetera seem cool, instead of the ballad-singer sellout he turned out to be. I love their version of, “I’m a Man.”
Freebird? :rolleyes: Who made this list, some 80’s Yinzer with a mullet?
Yeah, boring. As previously with these lists I don’t see any coherency. Favourite solos? Best, how? Most effective/flash/moving? It’s all over the place, it really looks to me like a “best known by guys of a certain age” list. Not even a “guitarist’s choice” list which is what you’d expect from a Gibson site and which might turn up at least a few surprises.
Robyn is an interesting guitarist but I think you’d be stretching it a bit to put any of his solos in a top 100 of anything list, some of Kimberly Rew’s solos on Underwater Moonlight might qualify though.
My top inclusion for Frank would be Watermelon in Easter Hay from Joe’s Garage. But I’d rather listen to anything off any of the Shut up and… albums than most of that list.
These lists are surely written by a committee with the aim of not offending anyone. It’s the only way to explain them.
It reminds me of Rolling Stone type magazine lists of the greatest albums. Mostly predictable pop/rock stuff but with a few albums from the other borderline acceptable genres: jazz/rap/metal/blues etc.