Carlos Santana will probably go down as one of the most noteworthy guitarists of his generation. And that much can be proven with just a few of Santana’s sickest guitar solos. Let’s look at just a few of his finest, funkiest shreds, shall we?
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1. “Smooth”
This wouldn’t be a list of sick Carlos Santana solos without mentioning his hit song with Rob Thomas, “Smooth”. Some might find this song tacky, considering it came out during the 1990s era of crossover rock that might be deemed cheesy nowadays.
However, “Smooth” was a jam back in the day, and I personally still love it. Santana’s solos on this song are a sonic delight and inject more than enough Santana into what realistically sounds like a Matchbox 20 tune. He was in really good form on this song, and it’s just a tiny little sample of what he was capable of.
2. “Black Magic Woman”
Santana was known for blending together musical elements that weren’t exactly common in his staple genres of Latin rock and blues. He made it sound easy, especially on works like “Black Magic Woman”.
The blues meets Chicano traditional tunes in this song, and the searing solo he delivers is just not something you hear anymore. The original Fleetwood Mac tune is gorgeous, but there’s something about Santana’s version that has more energy and flavor to it, as well as a sense of mystery and deep tension.
3. “Blues For Salvador”
Most don’t remember Carlos Santana’s work from the 1980s. That’s not to say he lost any of his magic; he was as powerful at the guitar as ever. However, he went through a bit of a commercial flop era during this decade. It’s a shame, especially because some of the best Santana solos can be found on songs like “Blues For Salvador”.
On this track, Santana gravitates more toward the contemporary sound, and it’s really quite brilliant. This has to be one of Santana’s most emotional and explosive tracks, and that guitar solo might just burn your eyebrows off. Hopefully not, though. Heavy metal guitarists couldn’t hold a candle to what Santana was doing in the 80s.
Photo by Daniel Knighton/Getty Images
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