Nothing beats a killer classic rock guitar solo… or solos, considering plenty of guitar greats from the golden era of rock showed off their skills on more than one occasion. It’s a whole different experience to hear such solos live, too. Let’s take a look at just a few live classic rock guitar solos from the greatest guitarists of their generation. A few of these might just blow your hair back!
Videos by American Songwriter
“Comfortably Numb” (David Gilmour)
It’s no secret that David Gilmour is a next-level guitarist. His soaring solos and melodies are a big part of what made Pink Floyd so memorable. And while the studio recording of “Comfortably Numb” features one of the greatest guitar solos of all time, there’s something about Gilmour’s live solo on the Pulse version of the song that is absolutely otherworldly.
“Purple Rain” (Prince)
The guitar solo in “Purple Rain” was recorded at First Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota. However, technically, nobody knows if Prince opted to overdub his magnum opus’ final guitar solo, or if he actually played it live. I personally think he did it live, so I’ll throw caution to the wind and include this solo here. It’s an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish.
“Machine Gun” (Jimi Hendrix)
I have to admit, I’m eternally jealous of everyone who got to experience the incomparable Jimi Hendrix live in concert back in the 1960s. I can only imagine that witnessing his guitar god greatness in person was nothing short of a religious experience. Thankfully, though, countless recordings have survived for a humble millennial like me to enjoy nowadays. A personal favorite is Hendrix’s solo in “Machine Gun” from Band Of Gypsys. His Monterey Pop Festival performance could have made it here, too. Honestly, there are just too many good Hendrix solos to choose from.
“316” (Eddie Van Halen)
One of the most formidable classic rock guitar solos of all time, ever recorded live, has to be Eddie Van Halen’s wild performance of “316” from Live: Right Here, Right Now. This guitar solo is basically the ultimate guitar solo, considering it’s a medley of amazing solos packed into one performance. It goes on for a whopping 12 minutes. While any live version of “Eruption” could have made it to this list, I’m particularly fond of this medley.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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